Liquid impact position visualization method

Abstract

To provide a liquid impact position visualization method facilitating confirmation of an impact position of a liquid such as a colorless transparent ink or solvent, which is difficult to detect by a camera, a scanner, or a naked eye.SOLUTION: A liquid impact position visualization method includes: a discharge step of discharging liquid from a liquid discharge port to a surface of an object; and an impact step of impacting the liquid on the surface of the object and modifying the surface of the object itself.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid landing position revealing method for revealing the landing position of droplets of liquid such as ink. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a drop-on-demand inkjet head is known as an inkjet head that can apply a required amount of ink when required in response to an input signal.

[0003] In particular, a typical piezoelectric drop-on-demand inkjet head has an ink supply flow path, multiple pressure chambers connected to the ink supply flow path and having nozzles, and a piezoelectric element that applies pressure to the ink filled in the pressure chamber.

[0004] In recent years, printed electronics, which involves forming electronic devices by on-demand inkjet printing, has become increasingly popular. When using printing methods for printed electronics, high printing precision is essential.

[0005] To achieve high-precision printing, it is necessary to check not only for non-ejecting nozzles but also to confirm whether the ejected liquid can be dropped at the target position. A common method for this is to drop droplets onto the printing target and check the landing position.

[0006] In inkjet printing, a typical method is to print a test print pattern for nozzle inspection on the paper to be printed and visually check for nozzle non-ejection. In industrial inkjet printing, which uses a wide printing width and a large number of nozzles, a method is sometimes used in which the paper on which the test pattern is printed is read by a scanner. Furthermore, in printed electronics, a method is used in which droplets are dropped from each nozzle onto a substrate and the landing position is confirmed by capturing an image with a camera.

[0007] However, in the production of electronic devices, it is necessary to turn a variety of materials into inks, and when colorless, transparent inks or solvents are used, it is difficult to confirm the landing position using a camera, scanner, or the naked eye.In response to this, Patent Document 1 describes a method in which ink droplets are ejected in overlapping positions at the same position on a glass substrate, and the droplets are confirmed by capturing an image of the droplets with a camera and observing the reflected or refracted light. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4049780 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, with the above conventional method, if the solvent used in the ink dries easily, there is a problem in that even if there is a desire to confirm the landing of the solvent itself, it is difficult to confirm the position of the solvent droplets due to drying.

[0010] The present disclosure aims to provide a liquid impact position detection method that makes it possible to easily confirm the impact position of a liquid, such as colorless and transparent ink or solvent, which is difficult to confirm with a camera, scanner, or the naked eye. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The liquid impact position detection method of the present disclosure includes a discharge step of discharging liquid from a liquid ejection port onto the surface of an object, and a landing step of causing the liquid to land on the surface of the object, thereby modifying the surface of the object itself. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to easily check the landing position of a liquid, such as colorless and transparent ink, which is difficult to check with a camera, scanner or the naked eye. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an imaging device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which ink has landed on thermal paper. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an ink landing area on thermal paper. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a series of processes for adjusting nozzles and printing using thermal paper. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a process for ejecting ink onto a landing area in two separate steps. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating correction of an image of a recognition mark. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image of a landing area including a corrected recognition mark. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which ink has landed on a polystyrene plate. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a series of processes for adjusting nozzles and printing using a polystyrene plate. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a two-layer polystyrene plate. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 shows an example of a three-layer polystyrene plate. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a three-dimensional inkjet device that deposits ink onto a three-dimensional polystyrene material. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an imaging device that captures an image of an ink landing position on a three-dimensional printing target. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the components, the arrangement and connection of each component, and each step and the order of each step shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components not recited in independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0015] Furthermore, each drawing is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily an exact illustration. In each drawing, substantially the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted or simplified.

[0016] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a printing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 100 includes an inkjet device 1, a moving device 2, and a control device 3.

[0017] In the printing device 100, a moving device 2 moves a printing object 5 relative to the inkjet device 1, and ink is ejected onto the printing object 5 from nozzles 4 provided on an inkjet head of the inkjet device 1, thereby printing on the printing object 5. A control device 3 controls the movement of the moving device 2 and the operation of the inkjet device 1.

[0018] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an imaging device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The imaging device 200 includes a camera 6, a light 7, and a computing device 8. The camera 6 captures an image of the printing target 5 on which ink droplets have landed. The light 7 illuminates the printing target 5 that is being captured by the camera 6.

[0019] The computing device 8 captures an image of the surface of the printing target 5 using the camera 6 and recognizes the landing positions of the ink droplets. The computing device 8 also measures the area of ​​the area where the droplets land, and calculates the amount of deviation between the actual landing positions of the droplets and the target positions at which the droplets are to land.

[0020] In addition, the imaging device 200 may further include a drive unit that moves the camera 6 and the light 7 relative to the printing object 5 when the position of the droplets that have landed on the printing object 5 is outside the imaging range of the camera 6 or the illumination range of the light.

[0021] In the following, a case will be described in which the printing object 5 onto which ink droplets have landed is photographed by the camera 6, but the printing object 5 may also be read by a scanner to generate image data.

[0022] In the technology disclosed herein, the surface of the object itself is altered when ink droplets land on the surface of the object that is the printing target 5. This makes it possible to easily identify the landing position even for ink that is difficult to confirm with a camera 6, a scanner, or the naked eye, such as colorless and transparent ink.

[0023] (Embodiment 1) First, a case where the printing target 5 is thermal paper will be described. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the state where ink 11 has landed on thermal paper 10. The solvent contained in this ink 11 is a polar solvent.

[0024] In this case, the ink 11 becomes transparent, hemispherical droplets that are difficult to see immediately after it hits the thermal paper 10. However, if the thermal paper 10 is left alone, the color of the thermal paper 10 at the point where the ink 11 hits gradually changes, making it possible to see the ink.

[0025] The thermal paper 10 develops color when the leuco dye melts due to heat and reacts with the color developer (solid acidic substance), but in the technology disclosed herein, a polar solvent dissolves the leuco dye, causing the thermal paper 10 to develop color. This makes it easy to check the ink landing position.

[0026] 4 is a diagram showing landing areas 20 of ink 11 on thermal paper 10. In addition to the landing areas 20 where multiple ejected droplets of ink 11 land and where the landing positions are evaluated, thermal paper 10 also has recognition marks 21 and waste shot areas 22. In the example of FIG. 2, recognition marks 21 are arranged in four locations on thermal paper 10.

[0027] The recognition marks 21 serve as a reference for detecting the coordinates of the landing position of the ink 11 that has landed in the landing area 20. For example, by defining two orthogonal axes with the center of gravity of a quadrangle formed by the four recognition marks 21 as the origin, it is possible to detect the coordinates of the landing position of the ink 11.

[0028] Here, it is desirable that each recognition mark 21 is formed from a plurality of landed ink droplets 11. This is because, if the landing position of one ink droplet 11 is used as the reference, the reference position will also be displaced if that landing position is shifted, but if the landing positions of a plurality of ink droplets 11 are used as the reference, even if the landing positions of each ink droplet 11 are shifted, the amount of displacement is averaged out, and it is thought that displacement of the reference position can be suppressed.

[0029] The waste shot area 22 is an area for discarding the highly viscous ink 11 that has accumulated at the tip of the nozzle 4 before ejecting the ink 11 into the landing area 20. The waste shot area 22 is also used to determine the top and bottom of the thermal paper 10 in the image of the thermal paper 10 captured by the camera 6.

[0030] Next, a series of processes from adjusting the nozzle 4 to printing performed by the inkjet device 1 will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of processes from adjusting the nozzle 4 to printing using thermal paper 10.

[0031] First, the worker cuts out the rolled thermal paper 10 to a predetermined size (Step S1). The predetermined size is, for example, 170 mm in the nozzle direction in which the nozzles 4 are aligned in the inkjet head, and 25 mm in the scanning direction perpendicular to the nozzle direction. Then, the worker stores the cut-out thermal paper 10 by sandwiching it between flat surfaces to stretch it (Step S2).

[0032] After the thermal paper 10 is stretched, the worker checks whether the nozzle 4 of the inkjet head is dirty and wipes it with a cloth if necessary (step S3).Then, the worker uses a thin magnet to attach the thermal paper 10 to the moving device 2 (step S4).

[0033] Although each of the operations in steps S1 to S4 is performed by an operator, for example, a device that performs these processes may be connected to the inkjet device 1, and the device may perform each of these operations automatically.

[0034] Thereafter, the inkjet device 1 ejects the ink 11, but because the length of the nozzle row in which the multiple nozzles 4 are lined up in the nozzle direction is longer than the length of the landing area 20 of the thermal paper 10 in the nozzle direction, the inkjet device 1 ejects the ink 11 onto the landing area 20 in two batches (step S5). Note that, to make it easier to detect the landing position, it is desirable to land about five drops of ink 11 at one location when the volume of one drop is 4 pL.

[0035] 6 is a diagram showing an example of a process of ejecting ink 11 onto a landing area 20 in two separate ejections. As shown in Fig. 6, the inkjet device 1 ejects ink from the left half of the nozzle row in the first ejection, and ejects ink from the right half of the nozzle row in the second ejection so that the ejection range overlaps with that of the first ejection when viewed in the scanning direction.

[0036] In addition, the method of ejecting ink 11 onto the landing area 20 in two separate steps is also effective when the length of the nozzle row exceeds the readable length of the scanner when reading an image on thermal paper with a scanner to detect the landing position.

[0037] Returning to the explanation of Figure 5, the inkjet device 1 then dries the droplets of ink 11 on the moving device 2 (step S6). Then, the imaging device 200 captures an image of the thermal paper 10 with the camera 6, capturing an image of the surface of the thermal paper 10 where the landing area 20 is located (step S7). Furthermore, the computing device 8 recognizes the image of the thermal paper 10 (step S8).

[0038] Thereafter, the arithmetic unit 8 determines whether the recognition mark 21 can be read in the recognized image (step S9). If the recognition mark 21 cannot be read (step S9, NO), the image of the recognition mark 21 is corrected by image processing (step S14).

[0039] Here, the image of the recognition mark 21 may be corrected by the operator or by the arithmetic unit 8. After the image of the recognition mark 21 is corrected, the process continues from step S8 onwards.

[0040] 7 is a diagram illustrating correction of the image of the recognition mark 21. This recognition mark 21 is formed, for example, by landing five drops of ink 11 in the nozzle direction and five drops in the scanning direction.

[0041] However, if the landing position of the ink 11 is shifted or if the ink 11 is not ejected at all, the recognition mark 21 will not be formed correctly. Figure 7 shows an example in which the ink 11 is not ejected properly from the fourth nozzle 4 counting in the nozzle direction.

[0042] In such a case, the calculation device 8 corrects the image captured by the camera 6 by filling in the area where the ink 11 was not properly ejected using image processing so that the recognition mark 21 is formed by an area of ​​five drops in the nozzle direction and five drops in the scanning direction.

[0043] 8 is a diagram showing an example of an image of the landing area 20 including the thus corrected recognition marks 21. In this example, two recognition marks 21 are formed in the upper part of the landing area 20 where the ink 11 has landed, and one recognition mark 21 is formed in the lower part.

[0044] By forming three recognition marks 21 in this manner, two perpendicular axes can be determined with the center of gravity of a quadrilateral having two of the three recognition marks 21 aligned in the nozzle direction and two of the recognition marks 21 aligned in the scanning direction as its origin, thereby making it possible to detect the coordinates of the position where the ink 11 has landed.

[0045] Furthermore, by forming two recognition marks 21 on the upper side of the impact area 20 and one recognition mark 21 on the lower side, it is possible to determine whether the thermal paper 10 is upside down.

[0046] 5, if the recognition marks 21 can be read in step S9 (YES in step S9), the calculation device 8 determines whether or not the observation range set in the image captured by the camera 6 is misaligned (step S10). For example, if the preset observation range does not include the landing area 20 and all of the recognition marks 21, the calculation device 8 determines that the observation range is misaligned from the predetermined area.

[0047] If the observation range is misaligned (step S10, YES), the arithmetic device 8 corrects the observation range (step S15). For example, the arithmetic device 8 changes the settings in the arithmetic device 8 so that the range including the impact area 20 and all of the recognition marks 21 in the image captured by the camera 6 becomes the observation range. This setting change may be performed by an operator or automatically by the arithmetic device 8. After the observation range is corrected, the processing from step S8 onwards continues.

[0048] If the observation range is not shifted (step S10, NO), the calculation device 8 compares the coordinates of the ink 11 that has landed in the landing area 20 with the coordinates of the target position where the ink 11 is to land (step S11). The calculation device 8 may also measure the area of ​​the landing mark and determine whether the area is abnormal.

[0049] Then, the calculation device 8 extracts the nozzles 4 where the ink 11 did not land within a predetermined range from the coordinates of the target position and the nozzles 4 where the ink 11 was not ejected as defective nozzles, and performs exclusion setting or complement setting on the defective nozzles (step S12).

[0050] Here, the exclusion setting means setting the defective nozzle as a nozzle 4 that will not be used, and the complementary setting means setting another nozzle 4 to eject ink 11 in place of the defective nozzle.

[0051] Thereafter, the inkjet device 1 prints the image for which the print instruction has been received in accordance with the exclusion setting or the complement setting made by the arithmetic device 8 (step S13), and this series of processes ends.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the color change of the thermal paper 10 is used to detect the impact position of the ink 11. However, if the ink 11 contains water, the color change of water-sensitive paper may also be used. By observing the position where the color changes, the impact position of the ink 11 can be easily detected, just as in the case of the thermal paper 10.

[0053] (Embodiment 2) Next, a case where the printing target 5 is a polystyrene plate will be described. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a state where ink 11 has landed on a polystyrene plate 30.

[0054] When ink 11 is dropped onto polystyrene plate 30, polyethylene plate 30 dissolves, forming a depression 31. In this way, when ink 11 is a non-polar solvent, it is possible to use a material with low chemical resistance, such as polystyrene, as the printing target.

[0055] As with the thermal paper 10 shown in Figure 4, the polystyrene plate 30 has a recognition mark 21 and a waste shot area 22 in addition to the landing area 20 where multiple ejected ink 11 droplets land and where the landing position is evaluated.

[0056] Next, a series of processes from adjusting the nozzle 4 to printing by the inkjet device 1 will be described. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of processes from adjusting the nozzle 4 using a polystyrene plate 30 to printing.

[0057] First, the worker cuts out a polystyrene plate 30 having a thickness of, for example, 0.5 mm to a predetermined size (step S21). The predetermined size is, for example, a size having a length of 170 mm in the nozzle direction and a length of 25 mm in the scanning direction. The color of the polystyrene plate 30 is preferably glossy black so that the recessed impact marks 31 are easily visible.

[0058] Thereafter, the worker checks whether the nozzle 4 is dirty and wipes it with a cloth if necessary (step S22).Then, the worker vacuum-sucks the polystyrene plate 30 onto the moving device 2 (step S23).

[0059] Although the operations of steps S21 to S23 are performed by an operator, for example, a device that performs these processes may be connected to the inkjet device 1, and the device may perform these operations automatically.

[0060] Thereafter, the inkjet device 1 ejects the ink 11, but because the length of the nozzle row in which multiple nozzles 4 are lined up in the nozzle direction is longer than the length of the landing area 20 of the polystyrene plate 30 in the nozzle direction, the inkjet device 1 ejects the ink 11 onto the landing area 20 in two batches (step S24), as explained in Fig. 6. Note that, to make it easier to detect the landing position, it is desirable to land about 10 droplets of ink 11 at one location when the volume of one droplet is 4 pL.

[0061] Next, the inkjet device 1 dries the droplets of ink 11 on the moving device 2 (step S25). After that, the imaging device 200 captures an image of the surface of the polystyrene plate 30 where the landing area 20 is located with the camera 6, and acquires an image of the polystyrene plate 30 (step S26). Furthermore, the computing device 8 recognizes the image of the polystyrene plate 30 (step S27).

[0062] Thereafter, the arithmetic unit 8 determines whether the recognition mark 21 can be read in the recognized image (step S28). If the recognition mark 21 cannot be read (step S28, NO), the image of the recognition mark 21 is corrected by image processing, for example, as described with reference to FIG. 7 (step S33).

[0063] Here, the image of the recognition mark 21 may be corrected by the operator or by the arithmetic unit 8. After the image of the recognition mark 21 is corrected, the process continues from step S27 onwards.

[0064] If the recognition marks 21 can be read (step S28, YES), the arithmetic unit 8 determines whether or not the observation range set in the image captured by the camera 6 is misaligned (step S29). For example, if the preset observation range does not include the landing area 20 and all of the recognition marks 21, the arithmetic unit 8 determines whether or not the observation range is misaligned from the predetermined area.

[0065] If the observation range is misaligned (step S29, YES), the calculation device 8 corrects the observation range (step S34). For example, the calculation device 8 changes the settings in the calculation device 8 so that the range including the impact area 20 and all of the recognition marks 21 in the image captured by the camera 6 becomes the observation range. This setting change may be performed by the operator or by the calculation device 8. After the observation range is corrected, the processing from step S27 onwards continues.

[0066] If the observation range is not misaligned (step S29, NO), the calculation device 8 compares the coordinates of the ink 11 that has landed in the landing area 20 with the coordinates of the target position where the ink 11 is to land (step S30). The calculation device 8 may also determine any area or volume abnormalities in the landing marks. These will be described in detail later.

[0067] Then, the calculation device 8 extracts the nozzles 4 where the ink 11 did not land within a predetermined range from the coordinates of the target position, and the nozzles 4 where the ink 11 was not ejected, as defective nozzles, and performs exclusion setting or complement setting (step S31).

[0068] Here, the exclusion setting means setting the defective nozzle as a nozzle 4 that will not be used, and the complementary setting means setting another nozzle 4 to eject ink 11 in place of the defective nozzle.

[0069] Thereafter, the inkjet device 1 prints the image for which the print instruction has been received in accordance with the exclusion setting or the complement setting made by the arithmetic device 8 (step S32), and this series of processes ends.

[0070] Next, a case will be described in which a two-layer polystyrene plate 40 is used to make it easier to observe the landing position of the ink 11. FIG.

[0071] The polystyrene plate 40 has an upper layer 41 and a lower layer 42. The upper layer 41 and the lower layer 42 are attached one above the other. The upper layer 41 is made of polystyrene, and the lower layer 42 is made of a material such as metal that is not dissolved by the ink 11. The upper layer 41 and the lower layer 42 have different colors. For example, the upper layer 41 is black, and the lower layer 42 is orange.

[0072] The thickness of the upper layer 41 is approximately 10 to 50 μm. When the ink 11 lands on the upper layer 41, the portion of the upper layer 41 where the ink 11 lands dissolves, forming a hole 43 in the upper layer 41. This allows the orange lower layer 42 to be seen through the hole 43. That is, the position where the ink 11 lands on the black upper layer 41 appears orange. This makes it easier to visually recognize the position where the ink 11 has landed.

[0073] 12 is a diagram showing an example of a three-layer polystyrene plate 50. This polystyrene plate 50 has an upper layer 51, a middle layer 52, and a lower layer 53. The upper layer 51, the middle layer 52, and the lower layer 53 are attached one above the other. The upper layer 51 and the middle layer 52 are made of polystyrene, and the lower layer 53 is made of a material such as metal that is not dissolved by the ink 11.

[0074] Additionally, the upper layer 51, the middle layer 52, and the lower layer 53 each have a different color. For example, the upper layer 51 is black, the middle layer 52 is orange, and the lower layer 53 is blue.

[0075] The thickness of the upper layer 51 and the middle layer 52 is about 10 to 50 μm. When the ink 11 lands on the upper layer 51, the portion of the upper layer 51 where the ink 11 lands dissolves, forming a hole 54 in the upper layer 51. As a result, the orange middle layer 42 becomes visible through the hole 54.

[0076] Furthermore, when ink 11 lands at the position of hole 54, the portion of middle layer 52 where ink 11 lands dissolves, forming hole 55 in middle layer 52. As a result, blue lower layer 53 becomes visible through holes 54 and 55.

[0077] In this way, by using the three-layer polystyrene plate 50, it is possible to measure the repeatability of the landing position of the ink 11. Furthermore, although it is done in stages, it is possible to measure the depth to which the polystyrene plate 50 dissolves by detecting the color of the landing position, and it is also possible to measure the volume of the ink 11 by integrating the area of ​​the ink 11.

[0078] Here, we have described a case where depressions are formed in two- or three-layer polystyrene plates 40, 50 to make it easier to detect the landing position based on the difference in color between the layers and to measure the volume of the ejected ink 11, but the polystyrene plate may have four or more layers, which allows for more accurate volume measurement.

[0079] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the ink 11 is ejected onto the plate-shaped thermal paper 10 or polystyrene plate 30, but the shape of the thermal paper 10 or polystyrene plate 30 is not limited to a plate-like shape.

[0080] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a three-dimensional inkjet device that deposits ink 11 onto a three-dimensional polystyrene material. A head 60 of the three-dimensional inkjet device is a device that prints on a printing target 61 having a three-dimensional shape by ejecting ink 11 onto the printing target. A depression 62 is formed at the location where the ink 11 lands on the printing target 61.

[0081] 14 is a diagram showing an example of an imaging device 300 that captures an image of the landing position of ink 11 on a three-dimensional printing target 61. The imaging device 300 includes a camera 70, an illumination device 71, and a computing device 72. The camera 70 captures an image of the printing target 61, which has a three-dimensional shape on which droplets of ink 11 have landed. The illumination device 71 illuminates the printing target 61 that is being captured by the camera 70.

[0082] The computing device 72 captures an image of the surface of the printing target 61 using the camera 70 and recognizes the landing positions of the droplets of ink 11. The computing device 72 also measures the area of ​​the location where the droplets land, and calculates the amount of deviation between the actual landing positions of the droplets and the target positions at which the droplets are to land.

[0083] In addition, the imaging device 300 may further include a drive unit that moves the camera 70 and the lighting 71 relative to the printing object 61 when the position of the depression 62 is outside the imaging range of the camera 70 or the illumination range of the lighting.

[0084] By forming the three-dimensional printing target 61 from polystyrene in this way, it is possible to check the landing accuracy when tilting the head 60 and the accuracy of the relative position between the head 60 and the printing target 61. It also becomes possible to inspect the landing accuracy using an actual workpiece.

[0085] It is not necessary for the entire printing target 61 to be made of polystyrene, and a polystyrene film may be attached to a three-dimensional object made of any material, and the landing position of the ink 11 may be detected based on the positions of depressions formed in the polystyrene film. Alternatively, heat-sensitive or water-sensitive paper may be attached to the three-dimensional object, ink 11 may be ejected onto the paper, and the landing position of the ink 11 may be detected based on the position of discoloration caused by the ink 11.

[0086] Furthermore, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to ink ejection by an inkjet device, but can also be used in devices that transfer liquid to a printing target, such as a dispenser.

[0087] Although the embodiments have been described above, in the above embodiments, each component may be realized by executing a software program appropriate for that component. Each component may also be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0088] Furthermore, the general or specific aspects of the present invention may be realized as an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or as any combination of an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0089] In addition, this disclosure also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art would think of, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope of this disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0090] The present disclosure can be used in a liquid landing position detection method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1. Inkjet device 2. Mobile Devices 3. Control device 4 nozzles 5 Printing target 6. Camera 7. Lighting 8 Arithmetic unit 10 Thermal Paper 11. Ink 20 Impact Area 21 Recognition Mark 22 Demolition Zone 30 Polystyrene board 31 Bullet marks 41 Upper layer 42 Lower layer 43 holes 52 Middle layer 61 Printing Target 100 Printing device

Claims

1. a discharging step of discharging the liquid from the liquid discharge port onto the surface of the object; a landing step of landing the liquid on the surface of the object to modify the surface itself of the object; A liquid impact position detection method including:

2. The liquid landing position detection method according to claim 1 , further comprising a detection step of detecting the liquid landing position based on the modified image of the surface of the object.

3. 3. The liquid landing position detection method according to claim 2, wherein the ejection step forms a plurality of recognition marks on the surface of the object, and the detection step detects coordinates of the landing position based on the positions of the recognition marks.

4. 4. The liquid landing position revealing method according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of recognition marks is formed by landing a plurality of droplets of the liquid on a predetermined area.

5. 2. The liquid landing position revealing method according to claim 1, wherein the object is thermal paper, and the modification of the surface of the object includes changing the color of the thermal paper.

6. 2. The method for revealing a liquid landing position according to claim 1, wherein the object is water-sensitive paper, and the modification of the surface of the object includes changing the color of the water-sensitive paper.

7. The liquid landing position revealing method according to claim 1 , wherein the modification of the surface of the object includes forming a depression in the object.

8. 8. The method for revealing a liquid landing position according to claim 7, wherein the object includes a layer of polystyrene.

9. The liquid landing position revealing method according to claim 7, wherein the object includes a plurality of layers, each layer having a different color.

10. The method further includes a detection step of detecting a landing position of the liquid based on the modified image of the surface of the object; 10. The liquid landing position detection method according to claim 9, wherein the object includes three or more layers, and the detecting step detects the volume of the liquid based on the difference in color.

11. 2. The liquid landing position detection method according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the object is a curved surface.

Images