Printer, printer operation method, and substrate operation mechanism

Abstract

The printer includes a substrate support, a printhead assembly, a first actuator, a second actuator, and a controller. The printhead assembly deposits material onto a substrate supported on the substrate support. The first actuator is disposed on a side of the substrate support. The first actuator is disposed along the side of the substrate support and coupled to a first linear track oriented in a first direction. The second actuator is disposed at an end of the substrate support. The second actuator is disposed along the end of the substrate support and coupled to a second linear track oriented in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first and second actuators are positioned to simultaneously engage the substrate. The controller moves the first and second actuators together to rotate the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - reference to related applications) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 969,218, filed on February 3, 2020, and the entire disclosure thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Embodiments of the present application generally relate to an inkjet printing system. Specifically, methods, systems, and / or apparatuses for operating a substrate in an inkjet printing system are described.

Background Art

[0003] Inkjet printing is generally used not only in office printers and home printers, but also in industrial - scale printers used in the manufacture of displays, mass printing of documents, adhesion of materials to products such as printed circuit boards (PCBs), and manufacture of biological products such as tissues. In commercial, industrial, and / or consumer inkjet printers, a dispenser is used to attach a printing material to a substrate. The dispenser discharges a controlled amount of the printing material onto the substrate while controlling time and speed. The printing material that reaches the target position on the substrate forms printing features of a desired dimension and shape. There are cases where the printing material is discharged onto the substrate while the substrate is oriented in one direction, and there are also cases where the printing material is discharged onto the substrate while the substrate is oriented in different directions. From such a perspective, printing methods and / or printing systems for operating substrates oriented in different directions are proposed.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] In at least one embodiment, the printer includes a substrate support, a holder assembly, a printhead assembly, a first actuator, a second actuator, and a control unit. The holder assembly is movable relative to the substrate support in a first direction and is configured to hold and translate the substrate in the first direction while the substrate is supported on the substrate support. The printhead assembly is movable relative to the substrate support in a second direction that intersects the first direction and is configured to deposit a printing material on the substrate. The first actuator is movable relative to the substrate support in the first direction and is configured to hold a first portion of the substrate. The second actuator is movable relative to the substrate support in the second direction and is configured to hold a second portion of the substrate. The control unit is coupled to the first actuator and the second actuator and is configured to simultaneously move the first actuator and the second actuator in the first direction and the second direction, respectively, to rotate the substrate from a first orientation associated with a first format to a second orientation associated with a second format while the substrate is supported on the substrate support. The first format is one of a portrait format having a length in the first direction and a width in the second direction, and a landscape format having a width in the first direction and a length in the second direction. The second format is the other of the portrait format and the landscape format.

[0005] In a method of operating a substrate in a printer according to at least one embodiment, the substrate is supported on a substrate support. Hold a first portion of the substrate by a first end effector of a first actuator, hold a second portion of the substrate by a second end effector of a second actuator, move the first actuator in a first direction and the second actuator in a second direction intersecting the first direction simultaneously, and rotate the substrate from a first orientation associated with a first format to a second orientation associated with a second format. The substrate is rotated. The first format is one of a portrait format having a length in the first direction and a width in the second direction, and a landscape format having a width in the first direction and a length in the second direction. The second format is the other of the portrait format and the landscape format. The first end effector is rotatable about a first axis of rotation. The second end effector is rotatable about a second axis of rotation different from the first axis of rotation. During rotation of the substrate, the first end effector and the second end effector rotate about the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation, respectively, together with the substrate.

[0006] In at least one embodiment, a substrate operating mechanism for a printer includes a first actuator, a second actuator, and a control unit. The first actuator is movable in a first direction with respect to the substrate support. The second actuator is movable in a second direction intersecting the first direction with respect to the substrate support. The control unit is coupled to the first actuator and the second actuator and is configured to control the first actuator and the second actuator to move simultaneously in the first direction and the second direction, respectively. At least one of the first actuator and the second actuator includes a carriage, an arm, and an end effector. The carriage is coupled to a rail extending along a corresponding first direction or second direction along the substrate support and is movable along the rail. The arm extends from the carriage toward the substrate support. The end effector is rotatably coupled to the end of the arm and is rotatable during the simultaneous movement of the first actuator and the second actuator.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] The aspects of the present disclosure will be best understood when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Note that, in accordance with standard industry practice, each feature is not drawn to scale. In fact, for the convenience of explanation, the dimensions of each feature may be arbitrarily enlarged or reduced.

[0008]

Figure 1

[0009]

Figure 2

[0010]

Figure 2A

[0011]

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 3C

Figure 3D

Figure 3E

[0012]

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 4C

[0013]

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

[0014]

Figure 6

[0015]

Figure 7

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] In the following disclosure, numerous embodiments or examples of various features of the present subject matter are shown. For ease of understanding of the present disclosure, specific examples of components, numerical values, operations, materials, arrangements, etc. are described below. Of course, these specific examples are merely illustrative and are not intended to be limiting. Other components, numerical values, operations, materials, arrangements, etc. are also contemplated. For example, in the present disclosure, reference numbers and / or reference signs may be repeated in each embodiment, but this repetition is for simplification and clarification and does not indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations described herein. Further, in this specification, for convenience of explanation, spatial relative terms such as "below", "beneath", "lower side", "above", "upper side", etc. may be used to describe the relationship between one element or one feature portion shown in each figure and another element or another feature portion. These spatial relative terms are intended to encompass various orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the illustrated orientation. The device can be arranged in other orientations (rotated 90 degrees or arranged in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used herein can be interpreted accordingly depending on its orientation.

[0017] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the top surface of the printer 100. The printer 100 includes a workbench 102, a printing assembly 104, and a holder assembly 106 for manipulating the substrate during printing. The printer 100 is installed on a base 108. The base 108 is, in one example, a large member so as to minimize the transmission of vibration to the operating parts of the printer 100. In one example, the base 108 is made of granite. The workbench 102 is disposed on the base 108 and includes a support surface 110 and a device for making the support surface 110 substantially frictionless. In one example, the support surface 110 forms a gas cushion for floating the substrate. The support surface 110 is provided with a plurality of first holes 112 for ejecting gas, and is characterized by applying an upward force to maintain the substrate at a desired height above the support surface 110. The support surface 110 may also be provided with a plurality of second holes configured to be controllable to suck gas from the gas cushion for floating the substrate. Thereby, it is possible to precisely control the height of the substrate locally.

[0018] The printing assembly 104 includes a discharge assembly 114 disposed on a printing support 116. The printing support 116 is disposed relative to the workbench 102 such that the discharge assembly 114 has structural access to a position where the printing material can be accurately attached to the substrate on the workbench 102. The printing support 116 includes a rail or beam 117 that traverses the workbench 102. Thereby, the discharge assembly 114 can traverse the workbench 102 and deposit the printing material at any position of the substrate between one side and the other side of the printing support 116. In one example, the printing support 116 is attached to the base 108 and extends from the base 108 to stably support the discharge assembly 114. On both sides of the workbench 102, two stands 120 extend from the base 108 to the rail 117. The rail 117 extends across the workbench 102. In one example, both the stand 120 and the rail 117 are made of the same material as the base 108. In one example, the stand 120, the rail 117, and the base 108 are each separate bodies of granite and are bolted together.

[0019] The ejection assembly 114 includes at least one print head assembly 119 and a print assembly control unit 118. The print assembly control unit 118 includes electronic devices and / or sensors that control the functional parameters of the print head assembly 119, such as the position, timing, duration, type of printing material, ejection profile, etc. of the print head assembly 119 along the print support 116. The print head assembly 119 is movable along the rail 117 of the print support 116 by the operation of the print carriage 122. The print carriage 122 is coupled to the print support 116 and translates the print head assembly 119 along the rail 117 from one end of the rail 117 to the other end on the opposite side. In one example, the print carriage 122 is driven by a motor or a servo motor. For the sake of simplicity, power lines and signal lines are not shown in the figure.

[0020] The substrate (not shown in FIG. 1) is disposed below the print assembly 104 by the holder assembly 106. The substrate may be, for example, a rigid substrate made of glass. When the substrate is placed, the substrate is surely brought into contact with the holder assembly 106, and the holder assembly 106 moves or translates the substrate along the workbench 102 to position the substrate relative to the print assembly 104 so that the printing material is accurately ejected onto the substrate. The holder assembly 106 is disposed on one side of the workbench 102 and extends in a first direction along the workbench 102 to translate the substrate in the first direction during printing. The first direction is indicated by arrow 124 in FIG. 1. The first direction 124 is referred to as the "Y direction". The print head assembly 119 moves in a second direction that is guided by the rail 117 and substantially intersects the first direction. The rail 117 extends in a substantially second direction indicated by arrow 126 in FIG. 1. The second direction 126 is referred to as the "X direction", and the rail 117 is referred to as the "X beam". A third direction that substantially intersects the first and second directions is indicated by arrow 125 in FIG. 1. The third direction 125 is referred to as the "Z direction". The X, Y, and Z directions are the axial directions of each axis of the coordinate system that serves as the reference frame of the printer 100 as shown by arrows 124, 125, and 126. In one example, the origin of this coordinate system is a fixed point based on, for example, the base 108.

[0021] The holder assembly 106 is disposed on the holder assembly support 128. In one example, the holder assembly support 128 is a rail extending in a first direction along the edge 130 of the workbench 102. In one example, the holder assembly support 128 is bolted to, for example, the base 108 to stably support the holder assembly 106. In one example, the holder assembly support 128 is made of the same material as the base 108. The holder assembly support 128 may be referred to as a "Y-beam". The holder assembly 106 securely holds the substrate by means of a vacuum or suction force applied to a plurality of corresponding positions along the edge of the substrate from, for example, a plurality of holes in the holder assembly 106. The vacuum or suction force may be applied to the upper surface side, the lower surface side, or both sides of the edge of the substrate. The holder assembly 106 moves along the holder assembly support 128 during operation to position the securely held substrate at any position on the workbench 102. The printing assembly 104 positions the print head assembly 119 so as to enable accurate access to the position on the substrate where the printing material is to be discharged, for example, by the operation of the printing assembly control unit 118.

[0022] In the above-described configuration example, while the discharge assembly 114 moves in the second direction 126, the holder assembly 106 moves the substrate in the first direction 124 so as to enable access to any desired portion of the substrate. In other configuration examples, the discharge assembly is moved in the first and second directions while the substrate is held stationary. In other configuration examples, the substrate is moved in the first direction 124 and the second direction 126 while the discharge assembly is held stationary. In still other configuration examples, both the holder assembly and the discharge assembly are moved in the first direction 124 and the second direction 126. When the printable area of the discharge assembly is different from the desired printing area of the substrate, the discharge assembly and the substrate can be relatively moved to complete the printing operation.

[0023] The system control unit 129 receives signals from various sensors deployed throughout the printer 100 and transmits signals to each component of the printer 100 to control printing. The system control unit 129 is operably coupled to, for example, the print assembly control unit 118 and the holder assembly control unit 131 via a network. The holder assembly control unit 131 controls the operation of the holder assembly 106. One or more of the workbench 102, the print assembly 104, the holder assembly 106, and other auxiliary systems such as the environmental control system and the material management system have sensors operably coupled to the system control unit 129 and transmit signals regarding the state of each component during the printing operation to the system control unit 129. The system control unit 129 includes data and instructions for determining control signals to be transmitted to each component of the printer 100 that is to be controlled. In at least one embodiment, two or more of the system control unit 129, the print assembly control unit 118, and the holder assembly control unit 131 are integrated into a single control unit. In at least one embodiment, at least one of the system control unit 129, the print assembly control unit 118, and the holder assembly control unit 131 is implemented as a plurality of control units that are distributed within the printer 100 and connected to each other via a network. A configuration example of the control unit according to at least one embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. For the sake of simplicity, in the following description, the "control unit" refers to any one or more of the control units within the printer 100 and / or any one or more of the control units within the printing system using the printer 100.

[0024] For a particular substrate, there may be a particular orientation that is most advantageous for performing a designed printing operation on the substrate. For example, depending on the substrate, it may be advantageous to process it in a "portrait" format where it is inserted into the printer in a direction parallel to its longitudinal dimension (i.e., length), or in a "landscape" format where it is inserted into the printer in a direction parallel to its short transverse dimension (i.e., width). Although printer 100 can manipulate the substrate and deposit printing material on the substrate in both orientations, i.e., orientations associated with both landscape and portrait formats, when using other chambers or devices for post-deposition processing (also referred to herein as post-processing), such devices can support the substrate in only one orientation. Therefore, if it is necessary to change the orientation between the deposition step and the post-processing step, it is necessary to rotate the substrate multiple times between these two steps. In a complex printing system including multiple printers, if it is necessary to change the orientation of the substrate between the deposition step and the post-processing step, it may not be desirable to rotate the substrate between these two steps.

[0025] From this perspective, a substrate manipulation mechanism for rotating a substrate in-situ within a printer will be described herein. In one embodiment, the substrate manipulation mechanism includes two actuators, which hold different portions of the substrate supported by a substrate support within the printer and are movable in two different directions intersecting each other. Therefore, there is no need for a separate chamber or device for rotating the substrate, and it is possible to rotate the substrate in-situ within the printer. Further, the substrate rotated horizontally for depositing a printing material may be rotated again to return it vertically for post-processing and then the substrate may be carried out. In this configuration, time is saved and productivity is increased as compared with other methods that require a separate rotation chamber before and / or after the printer to rotate the substrate in a desired orientation for depositing a printing material and / or to rotate the substrate on which the printing material has been deposited in a desired orientation for post-processing. In the present disclosure, it should be understood that "vertical orientation" and "horizontal orientation" respectively refer to orientations corresponding to the vertical placement format and the horizontal placement format. In this sense, "vertical orientation" is the orientation of the substrate that can be processed in the vertical placement format, and "horizontal orientation" is the orientation of the substrate that can be processed in the horizontal placement format.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a printer 200 according to at least one embodiment. The printer 200 includes various components similar to those of the printer 100. Some of these components are denoted by the same reference numerals in FIG. 2, and the other components are omitted in FIG. 2 for simplicity of the drawing. Compared with the printer 100, the printer 200 includes a substrate support 260 including at least one extension including a first extension 264 and / or a second extension 266 in addition to the workbench 102. The printer 200 further includes a substrate manipulation mechanism 210 for rotating the substrate 220. The substrate manipulation mechanism 210 includes a first actuator 230, a second actuator 240, an auxiliary actuator 250, and a control unit 270.

[0027] The first actuator 230 is schematically shown in FIG. 2. The first actuator 230 is movable in a first direction (Y direction) with respect to the substrate support 260 and is configured to hold the first portion 221 of the substrate 220. In the configuration example of FIG. 2, the first actuator 230 includes a carriage 232 coupled to a rail 234 (also referred to herein as a "linear track") and movable along the rail 234, an arm 236 extending from the carriage 232 toward the substrate support 260, and an end effector 238 rotatably coupled to the distal end of the arm 236. The rail 234 is disposed outside the installation area of the substrate support 260 and extends in the Y direction along the substrate support 260 from a position adjacent to the rail 117 toward the outfeed end or the outfeed side of the workbench 102. The opposite side of the infeed end or the infeed side (shown as "infeed" in the drawing) where the substrate 220 is fed to the workbench 102 is the outfeed end or the outfeed side (shown as "outfeed" in the drawing), which is the position where the substrate 220 arrives after the holder assembly 106 translates the substrate 220 in the Y direction along from the infeed end and passes under the rail 117. The rail 234 is located on the opposite side of the substrate support 260 across the holder assembly 106 in the X direction. That is, the holder assembly 106 is disposed between the rail 234 and the substrate support 260 in the X direction. In one example, the carriage 232 is driven by a motor or a servo motor (not shown) and moves in the Y direction along the rail 234. The arm 236 extends in the X direction from the carriage 232 beyond the holder assembly 106, and the distal end of the arm 236 is located above the substrate support 260. The end effector 238 extends downward in the Z direction from the distal end of the arm 236 toward the substrate support 260, as will be described below with respect to FIGS. 4A and 4B. The end effector 238 is configured to hold the corresponding first portion 221 of the substrate 220, for example, by vacuum or suction, and to rotate with the substrate 220 during rotation of the substrate 220, as will be described with respect to the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 3A to 3E. FIGS. 4A to 4C show diagrams of an exemplary embodiment of the more detailed first actuator 230.

[0028] The second actuator 240 is schematically shown in FIG. 2. The second actuator 240 is movable in a second direction (X direction) with respect to the substrate support 260 and is configured to hold the second portion 222 of the substrate 220. In the configuration example of FIG. 2, the second actuator 240 includes a carriage 242 coupled to a rail 244 and movable along the rail 244, an arm 246 extending from the carriage 242 toward the substrate support 260, and an end effector 248 rotatably coupled to the distal end of the arm 246. The rail 244 is disposed outside the installation area of the substrate support 260, adjacent to the outfeed end or the outfeed side of the workbench 102, and extends in the X direction along the substrate support 260. In one example, the carriage 242 is driven by a motor or a servo motor (not shown) and moves in the X direction along the rail 244. The arm 246 extends in the Y direction from the carriage 242 toward the substrate support 260, and thus the distal end of the arm 246 can be disposed above the substrate support 260. The end effector 248 extends downward in the Z direction from the distal end of the arm 246 toward the substrate support 260, as will be described below with respect to FIG. 4A. The end effector 248 holds the corresponding second portion 222 of the substrate 220, for example, by vacuum or suction force, and is configured to rotate together with the substrate 220 during rotation of the substrate 220, as will be described with respect to the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 3A to 3E. In FIG. 4A, a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the more detailed second actuator 240 is shown. The configurations of the above-described first actuator 230 and / or second actuator 240 are examples, and other configurations are also included within the scope of various embodiments. For example, instead of being movable along a rail, the first actuator 230 or the second actuator 240 may be provided on a rod that extends and contracts from a cylinder structure.

[0029] The auxiliary actuator 250 is schematically shown in FIG. 2. The auxiliary actuator 250 is configured to move the second actuator 240 in the Y direction. In the configuration example of FIG. 2, the auxiliary actuator 250 includes a carriage 252 that is coupled to and movable along the rail 254A among a pair of parallel rails 254A and 254B. The rails 254A and 254B extend in the Y direction so as to be away from the substrate support 260 from a position adjacent to the outfeed end of the workbench 102. The rail 254A is closer to the rail 234 of the first actuator 230 than the rail 254B. The carriage 252 is coupled to the end 284A of the rail 244 of the second actuator 240 that is closer to the first actuator 230. The other end 284B of the rail 244 that is away from the first actuator 230 is supported from below by the other rail 254B and is movable along the rail 254B. In one example, the carriage 252 coupled to the end 284A of the rail 244 is driven by a motor or a servo motor (not shown) to move along the rail 254A, and the other end 284B of the rail 244 is simultaneously moved along the rail 254B on the other rail 254B. As a result, the second actuator 240 moves in the Y direction so as to approach or move away from the substrate support 260 before and after rotating the substrate 220 as described herein. In at least one embodiment, the auxiliary actuator 250 is omitted.

[0030] FIG. 2A is a schematic top view of a portion including a second actuator 240 and an auxiliary actuator 250 of a printer 200 according to at least one alternative embodiment. In the configuration example of FIG. 2A, the rails 254A, 254B, and 244 have an integrated structure. That is, unlike the configuration of FIG. 2 in which the rail 244 is movable along the rails 254A and 254B, the rail 244 in FIG. 2A is fixed to the rails 254A and 254B. The carriage 242 in FIG. 2A is also movable in the X direction along the rail 244 in the same manner as in FIG. 2. However, in FIG. 2A, the movement in the Y direction is not achieved by moving the rail 244 along the rails 254A and 254B as in FIG. 2, but by a telescopic rod 245 that is telescopically extendable from a cavity (not shown) in the carriage 242. For example, the rod 245 is in an extended state on the left side of FIG. 2A and in a contracted state on the right side of FIG. 2A. The extended state of the rod 245 corresponds to the state described in this specification with respect to FIG. 3A, that is, the state in which the end effector 248 attached to the head 246A at the end of the rod 245 begins to engage with the second portion 222 of the substrate 220 before the rotation of the substrate 220. Thereafter, the rod 245 contracts to the contracted state to move the substrate 220 to a position corresponding to FIG. 3B. The rod 245 remains in the contracted state while the carriage 242 moves along the rail 244 during the rotation of the substrate 220, as described with respect to FIGS. 3B to 3D. Then, after the rotation of the substrate 220, the rod 245 extends again to the extended state to move the substrate 220 to a position corresponding to FIG. 3E.

[0031] Returning to FIG. 2, the substrate support 260 is configured to support the substrate 220 on the workbench 102 while the substrate 220 translates along the Y direction. The substrate support 260 is further configured to support the substrate 220 by the main portion 262, the first extension portion 264, and the second extension portion 266 during rotation of the substrate 220. The main portion 262 is a portion of the workbench 102 located at the outfeed end. The main portion 262 is rectangular and has a length and width sufficient to support the substrate 220 in both the lateral and longitudinal directions. The first extension portion 264 is adjacent to the main portion 262 in the X direction. The first extension portion 264 has dimensions and / or a shape that can sufficiently support the third portion 223 of the substrate 220 during rotation of the substrate 220, as described herein. Thus, the first extension portion 264 in the configuration example of FIG. 2 has a curved edge and / or an inclined edge corresponding to the locus of the corresponding corner of the third portion 223 of the substrate 220. However, the configuration of the first extension portion 264 described above is an example, and other configurations are also included within the scope of various embodiments. For example, the first extension portion 264 may have an elongated rectangular shape in the Y direction. The second extension portion 266 is adjacent to the main portion 262 in the Y direction. The second extension portion 266 is rectangular, elongated in the X direction, and has a length substantially the same as the width of the main portion 262 in the X direction. The second extension portion 266 has dimensions that can sufficiently support the second portion 222 of the substrate 220 during rotation of the substrate 220, as described herein. As will be further described below, the second extension portion 266 is further configured to sufficiently support the third portion 223 of the substrate 220 before rotation and the first portion 221 of the substrate 220 after rotation.

[0032] Similar to the main part 262 which is a part of the workbench 102, the first extension part 264 and the second extension part 266 include a plurality of holes that eject gas so as to apply an upward force that maintains the base material 220 in a floating state at a desired height, at least during the rotation of the base material 220. The first extension part 264 and the second extension part 266 may also be provided with a plurality of gas ejection holes that are controllably configured to suck gas from the gas cushion that floats the base material 220. Thereby, it is possible to precisely control the height of the base material locally, at least during the rotation of the base material 220. In at least one embodiment, the gas cushion across the first extension part 264 and / or the second extension part 266 is generated and / or controlled by the same gas source and / or control unit that generates and / or controls the gas cushion across the main part 262 of the workbench 102. Therefore, it becomes possible to support the base material 220 uniformly and substantially frictionlessly during the rotation of the base material 220. Either or both of the first extension part 264 and the second extension part 266 may be formed separately from the workbench 102. For example, the first extension part 264 and the second extension part 266 may be formed separately, and may be additionally mounted adjacent to the outfeed end of the workbench 102 of an existing printer to enable in-situ rotation of the base material described herein in the existing printer. Further, either or both of the first extension part 264 and the second extension part 266 may be integral with the workbench 102. For example, if an existing printer has a sufficiently long workbench 102 and its outfeed end can function as both the main part 262 and the second extension part 266, by simply additionally mounting the first extension part 264 adjacent to the outfeed end of the workbench 102 of the existing printer, in-situ rotation of the base material described herein can be enabled in the existing printer. As another example, both the first extension part 264 and the second extension part 266 may be integrally formed with the workbench 102.

[0033] The control unit 270 is coupled to the first actuator 230, the second actuator 240, and the auxiliary actuator 250, and controls the individual movement and / or simultaneous movement of each actuator along its respective movement direction, and the engagement and / or disengagement of the end effectors 238, 248 of the first actuator 230 and the second actuator 240 with and from the respective portions 221, 222 of the substrate 220, but the control by the control unit 270 is not limited thereto. The control unit 270 may also be coupled to a gas source (not shown) and control the gas cushion across the substrate support 260. In at least one embodiment, the control unit 270 is incorporated into one or more of the control units described with respect to FIG. 1. For example, the control unit 270 may be incorporated into the system control unit 129 and implemented by the system control unit 129. The substrate rotation operation by the substrate operation mechanism 210 within the printer 200 under the control of the control unit 270 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 3E.

[0034] FIGS. 3A to 3E are schematic top views of a part of the printer 200 of FIG. 2 at each stage of the substrate rotation operation according to at least one embodiment. For simplicity, in FIGS. 3A to 3E, various components of the printer 200 above the X beam 117 (i.e., the infeed side) are omitted. FIG. 3A shows the state in which the substrate 220 is transferred from the holder assembly 106 to the substrate operation mechanism 210 for the substrate rotation operation. FIG. 3B shows the substrate 220 at the start of the substrate rotation operation. FIG. 3C shows the substrate 220 during the substrate rotation operation. FIG. 3D shows the substrate 220 at the end of the substrate rotation operation. FIG. 3E shows the state in which the rotated substrate 220 is returned from the substrate operation mechanism 210 to the holder assembly 106 after the substrate rotation operation. In FIGS. 3A to 3E, the substrate rotation operation is performed using the configurations of the second actuator 240 and the auxiliary actuator 250 described with respect to FIG. 2. The substrate rotation operation can also be performed in the same manner using the configurations of the second actuator 240 and the auxiliary actuator 250 described with respect to FIG. 2A.

[0035] In at least one embodiment, prior to the state of FIG. 3A, the substrate 220 is transported vertically to the infeed side (best shown in FIG. 2) of the workbench 102, for example by a robotic arm (not shown). The holder assembly 106 holds the substrate 220 at a plurality of first positions along the first edge 312 of the substrate 220, for example by vacuum or suction force. In FIG. 3A, the substrate is oriented such that the first edge 312 extends along the Y direction. The first edge 312 connects the first portion 221 of the substrate 220 to the second portion 222. Then, the holder assembly 106 holding the first edge 312 of the substrate 220 is moved in the Y direction from the infeed side to the outfeed side to effect a first translation of the substrate 220.

[0036] When the substrate 220 is transported vertically to the printer 200, for example, when it is determined by the control unit 270 that the printing material is deposited only vertically, rotation of the substrate 220 is unnecessary. While the substrate 220 is being translated in the Y direction by the holder assembly 106, the printing material is deposited on the substrate 220 from the print head assembly 119 moving in the X direction. When the first translation of the substrate 220 in the Y direction is completed, the deposition of the printing material is completed, and the holder assembly 106 still holding the first edge 312 of the substrate 220 returns in the Y direction from the outfeed side to the infeed side. The substrate 220 on which the printing material has been deposited is picked up from the infeed side of the workbench 102, for example by a robotic arm, for post-processing. Since the substrate was not rotated, the substrate 220 on which the printing material has been deposited remains vertical and is in a state operable by subsequent post-processing chambers and / or post-processing devices generally configured to operate on substrates in the vertical orientation.

[0037] When it is determined, for example, by the control unit 270 that at least a part of the printing material is to be deposited laterally, the substrate 220 is rotated from the vertical orientation to the lateral orientation. In an example where the printing material is deposited only laterally, no deposition of the printing material is performed while the holder assembly 106 causes the first translation of the substrate 220 from the infeed side to the outfeed side. In another example where the printing material is deposited both laterally and vertically, a part of the printing material is deposited vertically while the holder assembly 106 causes the first translation of the substrate 220 from the infeed side to the outfeed side. When the first translation of the substrate 220 is completed, the substrate 220 reaches the state shown in FIG. 3A.

[0038] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3A, the holder assembly 106 holds at least a part or substantially the entire length of the first edge 312 and conveys the substrate 220 to the end of the main portion 262. In this case, the edge 323 of the substrate 220 is conveyed by the holder assembly 106 near the position of the edge 273 which is the boundary between the main portion 262 and the second extension portion 266. The first actuator 230 and the auxiliary actuator 250 are controlled to move in the Y direction so that the end effector 238 of the first actuator 230 is aligned with the corresponding first portion 221 of the substrate 220, and the end effector 248 of the second actuator 240 is aligned with the corresponding second portion 222 of the substrate 220. For example, the first rotation axis of the end effector 238 is aligned with the first corner of the substrate 220 in the first portion 221, as will be described in more detail with respect to FIG. 4B, by moving the first actuator 230 for example. Similarly, the second rotation axis of the end effector 248 is aligned with the second corner of the substrate 220 in the second portion 222 by moving the second actuator 240 for example. The coordinates of the substrate corner for alignment may be determined by the settings indicated or input by the operator to the printer 200. For example, when conveying a substrate of a predetermined size to the printer 200 at a preset position on the infeed side of the workbench 102, the coordinates of the substrate corner on the infeed side can be obtained from the preset position where the substrate is conveyed and the predetermined size of the substrate. It is possible to obtain the coordinates of the substrate corner on the outfeed side from the known coordinates of the substrate corner on the infeed side and the preset translational movement or distance of the holder assembly 106 holding the substrate. In addition to or instead of this, the coordinates of the substrate corner on the outfeed side may be detected using image processing technology by a camera. In yet another example, in addition to or instead of the coordinates of the substrate corner, the coordinates of the feature on the substrate having a predefined positional relationship with respect to the substrate corner are obtained.When end effector 238 is aligned with the corresponding first portion 221 of substrate 220 and end effector 248 is aligned with the corresponding second portion 222 of substrate 220, as will be described in more detail with respect to FIG. 4B, end effector 238 is controlled to engage the corresponding first portion 221 of substrate 220 and end effector 248 is controlled to engage the corresponding second portion 222 of substrate 220. Holder assembly 106 is controlled to release the first edge 312 of substrate 220, for example, by stopping the application of vacuum or suction to holder assembly 106, and thus substrate 220 can be effectively transferred from holder assembly 106 to substrate handling mechanism 210.

[0039] Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the first actuator 230 and the auxiliary actuator 250 are controlled to move or translate the substrate 220 and the second actuator 240 in the Y direction to the outfeed side from the state shown in FIG. 3A to the state shown in FIG. 3B. From this state, it becomes possible to proceed to the substrate rotation operation.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3C, while the substrate 220 is supported on the substrate support 260, the control unit 270 is configured to control the first actuator 230 and the second actuator 240 to simultaneously move in the Y direction and the X direction, respectively, to rotate the substrate 220. During the rotation of the substrate 220, the first actuator 230 linearly moves in the Y direction so as to approach the second actuator 240 or approach the infeed end, as indicated by the arrow 351 in FIG. 3C, for example. At the same time, the second actuator 240 linearly moves in the X direction so as to move away from the first actuator 230 or move away from the holder assembly 106, as indicated by the arrow 352 in FIG. 3C, for example. During the simultaneous movement of the first actuator 230 and the second actuator 240, the end effector 238 and the end effector 248 are rotatable together with the substrate 220 until the substrate 220 reaches the horizontal orientation in FIG. 3D. In at least one embodiment, the substrate 220 is fully supported by the substrate support 260 at all stages of the substrate rotation operation. For example, at the start of the substrate rotation operation in FIG. 3B, the first portion 221 and the fourth portion 224 of the substrate 220 are supported by the main portion 262, and the second portion 222 and the third portion 223 of the substrate 220 are supported by the second extension 266. During the substrate rotation operation illustrated in FIG. 3C, the first portion 221 of the substrate 220 is supported by the main portion 262 and then by the second extension 266, the second portion 222 of the substrate 220 is supported by the second extension 266, the third portion 223 of the substrate 220 is supported by the second extension 266, then by the first extension 264, and finally by the main portion 262, and the fourth portion 224 is supported by the main portion 262. When the substrate rotation operation is completed in FIG. 3D, the first portion 221 and the second portion 222 of the substrate 220 are supported by the second extension 266, and the third portion 223 and the fourth portion 224 of the substrate 220 are supported by the main portion 262. When the substrate 220 reaches the horizontal orientation in FIG. 3D, the linear movement of the first actuator 230 and the second actuator 240 is controlled to stop.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3D, the substrate 220 is reoriented to be horizontal at the end of the substrate rotation operation. Specifically, the first edge 312 of the substrate 220 is reoriented in the X direction instead of the Y direction as shown in FIG. 3B. The second edge 341 of the substrate 220 that connects the first portion 221 and the fourth portion 224 of the substrate 220 and has been oriented in the X direction until FIG. 3B is reoriented in the Y direction in FIG. 3D. The second edge 341 is aligned with at least some of the vacuum holes or suction holes of at least a part of the holder assembly 106 and is in a state where it can be held by the holder assembly 106. By aligning as described above so that each rotation axis of the end effector 238 and the end effector 248 coincides with the corresponding corner of the substrate 220, the second edge 341 of the substrate 220 is aligned with the holder assembly 106 along the Y direction without the need for re-alignment after rotation.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 3E, at the end of the substrate rotation operation of FIG. 3D, the first actuator 230 and the auxiliary actuator 250 are controlled so that the substrate 220 and the second actuator 240 are moved or translated in the Y direction to the position of FIG. 3E where at least a part or substantially the entire length of the second edge 341 can be held by the holder assembly 106 on the infeed side. Next, the holder assembly 106 is controlled to apply a vacuum or suction force to hold a part, the entire length, or substantially the entire length of the second edge 341 of the substrate 220. Thereafter, the end effector 238 and the end effector 248 are controlled to be disengaged from the corresponding first portion 221 and the second portion 222 of the substrate 220, so that the rotated substrate 220 can be effectively transferred back from the substrate manipulation mechanism 210 to the holder assembly 106.

[0043] Next, in the second translation of the substrate 220, the currently horizontally oriented substrate 220 is translated in the Y direction so as to be returned to the infeed side by the holder assembly 106 that at least partially holds the second edge portion 341. In the third translation of the substrate 220, the currently horizontally oriented substrate 220 is again translated in the Y direction to the outfeed side by the holder assembly 106. During the third translation of the substrate 220, a printing material is deposited on the substrate 220 in the desired horizontal orientation. At the end of the third translation, the substrate 220 on which the printing material is deposited is rotated by a substrate inversion operation so as to return from the horizontal orientation of FIG. 3D through each intermediate state illustrated in FIG. 3C to the vertical orientation of FIG. 3B. The vertically oriented substrate 220 on which the printing material is deposited is returned in the Y direction in the fourth translation by the holder assembly 106 and then picked up by, for example, a robot arm for post-processing. Although the substrate 220 is in the desired horizontal orientation and the printing material is deposited thereon, since it is discharged from the printer 200 in the vertical orientation, it is in a state operable by a subsequent post-processing chamber and / or post-processing apparatus generally configured to operate on the substrate in the vertical orientation. If a printer that can be rotated in place is used, there is no need to separately provide a chamber or apparatus for rotating the substrate.

[0044] Note that the configuration of the substrate operation mechanism 210 and its substrate rotation operation described above are examples, and other arrangements are also included in various embodiments. In one example, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the edge 323 of the substrate 220 connecting the second portion 222 and the third portion 223 coincides with the edge 274 of the second extension 266. However, the substrate rotation operation can also start when the edge 323 is located between the opposing edges 273 and 274 of the second extension 266 in the Y direction. In this specification, the edge 273 extends in the X direction and is located on the infeed side of the second extension 266, defining the boundary between the second extension 266 and the main portion 262. The edge 274 extends in the X direction on the opposite side of the edge 273 in the Y direction and is located on the outfeed side of the second extension 266. Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 3D and 3E, instead of the first edge 312 of the substrate 220 coinciding with the edge 274 of the second extension 266, it is also possible to complete the substrate rotation operation with the first edge 312 located between the opposing edges 273 and 274 of the second extension 266. Instead of, or in addition to, the description that the first actuator 230 and the auxiliary actuator 250 move simultaneously before and after the substrate rotation, this is to move the substrate 220 already held by the first actuator 230 and the second actuator 240 to a position where obstacles can be avoided during the substrate rotation.

[0045] Although it has been described that the substrate 220 is transported vertically to the printer 200, in a further example, it is also possible to transport the substrate 220 horizontally to the printer 200. Similarly, although it has been described that the substrate 220 is discharged vertically from the printer 200, if the post-processing chamber and / or the post-processing device are configured to operate on the substrate horizontally, it is also possible to discharge the substrate 220 horizontally from the printer 200. Further, the multiple movements or translations of the substrate 220 in the Y direction described above are examples, and it is possible to increase or decrease the number of movements in the Y direction, and / or it is possible to deposit the printing material in one or more arbitrary movements.

[0046] Although it has been described that the substrate operation mechanism 210 is arranged on the outfeed side, in yet another example, it is also possible to arrange the substrate operation mechanism 210 on the infeed side. In one configuration example, the first actuator 230 is also on the same side as the holder assembly 106 with respect to the workbench 102, but is arranged on the infeed side of the printer 200. The second actuator 240, the auxiliary actuator 250, and the substrate support 260 are also arranged on the infeed side. In this configuration, it is possible to rotate the substrate as necessary simultaneously with the loading of the substrate on the infeed side of the printer 200.

[0047] Although the printer 200 has been described as including the first actuator 230 and the holder assembly 106 on the same side as the substrate support 260, in a further example, it is also possible to arrange the first actuator 230 and the holder assembly 106 on opposite sides of the substrate support 260. Specifically, the first actuator 230 is arranged adjacent to the first extension 264, and the arm 236 is extended in the X direction over the entire width of the second extension 266 and the main portion 262 so as to engage with the corresponding corner 221 of the substrate 220.

[0048] Although the substrate operation mechanism 210 has been described as rotating the substrate 220 counterclockwise, in another example, it is also possible to configure or control the substrate operation mechanism 210 so as to rotate the substrate 220 clockwise, that is, in the direction opposite to the rotation direction shown in FIGS. 3B to 3D. For example, by the first actuator 230 and the second actuator 240, the substrate 220 can be held in a state similar to that shown in FIG. 3D first. Next, the first actuator 230 is controlled to move in the Y direction to the infeed side, and at the same time, the second actuator 240 is controlled to move in the X direction to the first actuator 230 side. As a result, the substrate 220 rotates to the state shown in FIG. 3C and then to the state shown in FIG. 3B.

[0049] FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views of each part of the printer 200 according to at least one embodiment, and FIG. 4C is a schematic rear view of each part.

[0050] FIG. 4A shows a configuration example of the first actuator 230 and the second actuator 240 in more detail than FIGS. 2 and 3A to 3E. Specifically, FIG. 4A shows that each of the first actuator 230 and the second actuator 240 is coupled to corresponding rails 234, 244 and is movable along the rails 234, 244, carriages 232, 242, arms 236, 246 extending from the carriages 232, 242 toward the substrate support 260, and end effectors 238, 248 rotatably coupled to the distal ends of the corresponding arms 236, 246 and configured to hold corresponding portions of the substrate 220. The arms 236, 246 are elongated members having a length generally longer than the width. The first or proximal end 411 of the arm 236 is attached to the carriage 232, and the first or proximal end 413 of the arm 246 is attached to the carriage 242. Since the arm 236 extends from the carriage 232 toward the substrate support 260, the second or distal end 415 of the arm 236 is positioned above the substrate support 260 when appropriately positioned and can access the first portion 221 of the substrate 220. Since the arm 246 extends from the carriage 242 toward the substrate support 260, the second or distal end 417 of the arm 246 is positioned above the substrate support 260 when appropriately positioned and can access the second portion 222 of the substrate 220. The second ends 415, 417 of the arms 236, 246 are offset from the first ends 411, 413 along the length of each arm. In the present specification, the two arms 236, 246 extend in directions perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the respective rails 234, 244, but the arms may extend at different angles as required.

[0051] Figure 4B shows a configuration example of the first actuator 230 in more detail than Figure 4A. Specifically, Figure 4B shows that the end effector 238 of the first actuator 230 includes a base member 431 disposed so as to extend above the substrate support 260 and a plurality of suction cups 432. The base member 431 is coupled to the arm 236 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis 436 at the second end 415 of the arm 236. The rotation axis 436 is located near the second end 415 at an operationally appropriate distance from the second end 415. In Figure 4B, the substrate 220 is in the state between Figures 3B and 3D, that is, the state during the substrate rotation operation.

[0052] The base member 431 is coupled to the second end 415 of the arm 236 at the first end 412 of the base member 431. The suction cup 432 is attached to the base member 431 at the second end 414 of the base member 431. The suction cups 432 are arranged along the longitudinal axis 416 of the base member 431. The base member 431 is coupled to the arm 236 at the central portion such that the rotation axis 436 passes through the longitudinal axis 416 of the base member 431. The rotation axis 436 may be arranged away from the longitudinal axis 416 of the base member 431. The suction cup 432 is attached to a holder 418. The holder 418 is attached to a ridge 420 extending in the longitudinal direction of the base member 431 along the lower surface of the base member 431. The holder 418 has an attachment portion 422 extending away from the ridge 420 toward the long edge 424 of the base member 431. Since the suction cup 432 is attached to the attachment portion 422 of the holder 418, it is arranged along the longitudinal axis 416 but is arranged away from the longitudinal axis 416. The suction cups 432 are arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal axis 416. The ridge 420 and the holder 418 partially extend along the lower surface of the base member 431. An upright member 450 is attached to the other long edge (not referenced in Figure 4B) opposite the long edge 424 across the longitudinal axis 416 of the base member 431. The ridge 420 and the holder 418 attached thereto are coupled to the upright member 450 so as to be movable along the Z direction as will be described with respect to Figure 4C.

[0053] FIG. 4C is a schematic rear view of the upright member 450. The front view of the upright member 450 is shown in FIG. 4B. In the configuration example of FIG. 4C, the upright member 450 has a slot 458 that is elongated in the Z direction. The ridge portion 420 has a narrow portion (not shown) that extends through the slot 458 and is movable along the slot 458. The ridge portion 420 is coupled to an actuator 460, such as a motor or a servo motor. The actuator 460 is controlled, for example, by the control unit 270 so as to move the ridge portion 420, as well as the holder 418 and the suction cup 432 (best shown in FIG. 4B), up and down in the Z direction along the slot 458.

[0054] Returning to FIG. 4B, the suction cup 432 is disposed on the lower surface of the base member 431 offset from the rotation axis 436, and can be lowered so as to approach the substrate support 260 via the protrusion 420 and the holder 418 by the actuator 460, and can be raised so as to move away from the substrate support 260, as will be described with respect to FIG. 4C. The suction cup 432 has a corresponding port 433 for applying suction or vacuum to the suction cup 432 so as to engage the suction cup 432 with the corresponding portion of the substrate 220 before the substrate rotates. A positive pressure can be applied via the port 433 so as to disengage the suction cup 432 from the corresponding portion of the substrate 220 after the substrate rotates. A drive member 434 is disposed on the upper surface of the base member 431, and the drive member 434 is coupled to a rod 441 that telescopically moves controllably from the end 443 of the cylinder 435. A first pivot 452 is disposed on the upper surface of the end 443 of the cylinder 435. A post 447 is disposed on the upper surface of the arm 236. A second pivot 454 is disposed on the upper surface of the post 447. A bracket 456 is pivotally coupled between the first pivot 452 and the second pivot 454, thereby coupling the end 443 of the cylinder 435 and the post 447. The movement of the rod 441 into or out of the cylinder 435 can be controlled, for example, by the control unit 270. The second actuator 240 has the same configuration and / or operation as the first actuator 230, and the following description of the operation of the first actuator 230 is also applicable to the second actuator 240.

[0055] Before engaging the suction cup 432 with the substrate 220 for the substrate rotation operation, the cylinder 435 is controlled to be in a pressurized state, for example, by supplying pressurized air from a pressurized air source. Then, the base member 431 is pulled in (or pushed out) to a predetermined home position by the rod 441 of the pressurized cylinder 435. At this home position, the suction cup 432 is arranged in the Y direction directly above the edge 312 of the substrate 220 to be engaged. In addition to the movement of the base member 431 and the suction cup 432 to the home position, the first actuator 230 and the corresponding portion 221 of the substrate 220 are further aligned. The alignment of the first actuator 230 and the corresponding portion 221 of the substrate 220 can be performed based on the coordinates or positions of the corners of the substrate 220. The coordinates or positions of the corners of the substrate 220 can be obtained from the settings of the printer 200 and / or detected by a camera using image processing techniques as described with respect to FIG. 3A. For example, after the base member 431 and the suction cup 432 have moved to the home position, the carriage 232 is controllably moved along the rail 234 so that the detected corner 421 of the substrate 220 in the first portion 221 coincides with the rotation axis 436, and the rotation axis 436 is aligned based on the detected coordinates or positions of the corners of the substrate 220. As a result of the above-described movement of the base member 431 and the suction cup 432 to the home position and the above-described alignment of the rotation axis 436 and the corner 421 of the substrate 220, the suction cup 432 is aligned with the peripheral non-printing area 437 along the edge 312 of the substrate 220. The non-printing area 437 is an area where no printing material is deposited, different from the printing area 438 where the printing material of the substrate 220 is deposited. The non-printing area 437 extends around the printing area 438 along the peripheral edge of the substrate 220. The dimensions and / or positions of the non-printing area 437 with respect to the corners of the substrate 220 are included in the settings of the printer 200 for individual substrates 220 and / or each printing operation. When the alignment is completed, the suction cup 432 is lowered so as to approach the substrate support 260, and a vacuum or suction force is applied to the port 433 to engage the suction cup 432 with the upper surface of the substrate 220 along the non-printing area 437.Engagement of the suction cup 432 and the non-printing area 437 avoids or reduces damage to the printing features existing in or deposited on the printing area 438. Before and during the engagement of the suction cup 432 and the non-printing area 437, the holder assembly 106 holds the substrate 220 by a vacuum or suction force applied to the lower surface of the substrate 220 through the holes 406 of the holder assembly 106. In one configuration example, the holes 406 are arranged in a region having a width of about several millimeters along the longitudinal edge (Y direction) of the holder assembly 106. The non-printing area 437 overlaps at least several of the holes 406 before and after the substrate rotation operation, for example, when the substrate 220 is in the state described with respect to one or more of FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3D, and 3E. When the engagement of the suction cup 432 of the first actuator 230 and the non-printing area 437, and the similar alignment and engagement of the suction cup (not shown) of the second actuator 240 and the corresponding portion (not shown) of the non-printing area 437 are completed, the holder assembly 106 is controlled to release the substrate 220 by applying a positive pressure to the holes 406. As a result, the substrate 220 is maintained on the support surface 110 in the state of FIG. 3A by the substrate manipulation mechanism 210. Next, the first actuator 230 and the auxiliary actuator 250 are controlled so that the substrate 220 moves to the state of FIG. 3B. Next, for example, by shutting off the supply of pressurized air, the cylinder 435 is controlled to a depressurized state, and the rod 441 of the depressurized cylinder 435 becomes movable along the cylinder 435. As a result, the end effector 238 becomes rotatable together with the substrate 220 during the subsequent substrate rotation operation performed by simultaneously moving the first actuator 230 and the second actuator 240 as described herein. When the substrate rotation operation is completed, for example, in the state of FIG. 3E, the holder assembly 106 is controlled to engage with the substrate 220 along the second edge 341. When the engagement of the holder assembly 106 with the second edge 341 is completed, the application of the vacuum or suction force to the port 433 is stopped (or a positive pressure is applied to the port 433), and the suction cup 432 is released from the non-printing area 437. Thereafter, the suction cup 432 is raised to disengage the end effector 238 from the substrate 220 and avoid interference with the subsequent movement of the substrate 220.A similar release of engagement is also performed between the suction cup (not shown) of the second actuator 240 and the corresponding portion (not shown) of the non-printing area 437.

[0056] In the configuration example described with respect to FIG. 4B, by simply pressurizing the cylinder 435 to move the base member 431 and the suction cup 432 to a predetermined home position, the suction cup 432 can be easily aligned with the edge of the substrate to be engaged for the substrate rotation operation. Further, by simply depressurizing the cylinder 435 at the beginning of the substrate rotation operation, the end effector 238 can rotate freely together with the substrate 220 during the substrate rotation operation. As a result, a simple but effective configuration for substrate rotation can be realized.

[0057] FIGS. 5A and 5B are elevation side views of the outfeed side of the printer 200 according to at least one embodiment. FIG. 5A is an elevation view seen from the Y direction, and FIG. 5B is an elevation view seen from the X direction. In FIG. 5A, the rail 234 is attached to the support 534, and the rails 254A and 254B are attached to the supports 554A and 554B, respectively. The upper ends of the supports 534, 554A, and 554B are attached to the lower surfaces of the rails 234, 254A, and 254B, respectively. The lower ends of the supports 534 and 554A are attached to the attachment structure 555A, and the lower end of the support 554B is attached or fixed to the attachment structure 555B. As can be best seen from FIG. 5B, the attachment structure 555B is attached or fixed to the base 108. Similarly, the attachment structure 555A (not shown in FIG. 5B) is also attached or fixed to the base 108. In FIG. 5A, the arm 236 of the first actuator 230 extends in the X direction from the carriage 232 over the holder assembly 106, and the end effector 238 is located above the substrate support 260 (not shown by reference numeral in FIG. 5A). In FIG. 5B, the arm 246 of the second actuator 240 extends in the Y direction from the carriage 242 over the rail 254B and the rail 254A (not shown in FIG. 5B), and the end effector 248 is located above the substrate support 260.

[0058] In the configuration examples of FIGS. 5A and 5B, the movable part on which the carriage 232 is placed on the rail 234 and / or the movable part on which the carriage 242 is placed on the rail 244 and / or the movable part on which the carriage 252 (not shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B) is placed on the rail 254A are arranged outside the installation area of the base material 220, and are arranged below the upper surface of the base material support 260 on which the base material 220 is supported by a gas cushion. As a result, in at least one embodiment, it is possible to minimize the possibility that particles generated by the movable part collide with the surface of the base material 220.

[0059] As described in this specification, by providing a base material operation mechanism in the printer, it is possible to rotate the base material on the spot without the need for a separate chamber or device for rotating the base material. Thereby, the total processing time can be shortened, and the cost and installation area for separately preparing the rotation chamber and / or the rotation device can be reduced.

[0060] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for operating a base material in a printer according to at least one embodiment. The method 600 can be implemented in either the printing system 100 or 200 by or under the control of at least one control unit described in this specification.

[0061] In operation 605, the base material is supported on the base material support. For example, as described with reference to FIG. 3B, the base material 220 is supported on the base material support 260 of the base material operation mechanism 210 of the printer 200.

[0062] In operation 615, the first end effector of the first actuator holds the first portion of the substrate. The first end effector is rotatable about a first axis of rotation. For example, as described with respect to FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B, the end effector 238 of the first actuator 230 of the substrate handling mechanism 210 holds the first portion 221 of the substrate 220. The end effector 238 is rotatable about a first axis of rotation 436 with respect to the arm 236 of the first actuator 230. In one example, the axis of rotation 436 is aligned with the corner 421 of the substrate 220.

[0063] In operation 625, the second end effector of the second actuator holds the second portion of the substrate. The second end effector is rotatable about a second axis of rotation. For example, as described with respect to FIGS. 2, 2A, 3A, 3B, and 4A, the end effector 248 of the second actuator 240 of the substrate handling mechanism 210 holds the second portion 222 of the substrate 220. The end effector 248 is rotatable about a second axis of rotation with respect to the arm 246 of the second actuator 240. In one example, the second axis of rotation of the end effector 248 is aligned with the second corner of the substrate 220 in a manner similar to the method described with respect to the first actuator 230.

[0064] In operation 635, the first actuator and the second actuator are simultaneously moved in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction, respectively, to rotate the substrate from a first orientation to a second orientation. For example, as described with respect to FIG. 3C, the first actuator 230 and the second actuator 240 are simultaneously moved in the Y direction and the X direction, respectively, to rotate the substrate 220 from the vertical orientation of FIG. 3B to the horizontal orientation of FIG. 3D. As a result, in-situ rotation of the substrate within the printer 200 is achievable, and one or more of the advantages described herein are obtained.

[0065] In at least one embodiment, printed products manufactured by the above-described printing method and / or printer include, but are not limited to, flat panel displays such as solar panels and organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays.

[0066] The above-described method includes operation examples, but it is not necessarily required to be implemented in the order described. According to the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure, operations may be added, replaced, reordered, and / or deleted as necessary. Embodiments combining different features and / or different embodiments are also included within the scope of the present disclosure and will be apparent to those skilled in the art who have considered the present disclosure.

[0067] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a control unit according to at least one embodiment. One or more of the units and / or systems and / or operations described with respect to FIGS. 1 to 6 are, in one embodiment, realized by one or more control units 700 of FIG. 7.

[0068] The control unit 700 includes a hardware processor 702, a storage device 704 including at least one non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, a bus 708, an I / O (input / output) interface 710, and a network interface 712. The processor 702 is coupled to the storage device 704, the I / O interface 710, and the network interface 712 via the bus 708. The network interface 712 is connectable to a network 714, and thus the processor 702 and the storage device 704 are communicable with other devices via the network 714. The processor 702 is configured to execute computer program instructions encoded in the storage device 704 and / or access data stored in the storage device 704 to cause the control unit 700 to perform one or more functions and / or operations described with respect to FIGS. 1 to 6.

[0069] Processor 702 includes one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a multiprocessor, a distributed processing system, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or a suitable hardware processing unit.

[0070] Storage device 704 includes one or more of an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, and / or semiconductor system (or apparatus or device) for non-temporarily storing instructions and / or data. For example, storage device 704 includes semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, removable computer diskettes, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), rigid magnetic disks, and / or optical disks. As examples of optical disks, storage device 704 includes compact disk ROM (CD-ROM), rewritable compact disk R / W (CD-R / W), and / or digital video disk (DVD).

[0071] I / O interface 710 is a circuit connectable to an external circuit. For example, I / O interface 710 includes one or more of a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a trackball, a trackpad, cursor direction keys, a card reader, a communication port, a display, a signal lamp, a printer, and / or an audio device for communicating information with processor 702. In one example, I / O interface 710 is omitted.

[0072] Network interface 712 is a circuit that enables control unit 700 to communicate with network 714, to which one or more other control units and / or image acquisition / processing devices are connected. For example, network interface 712 includes one or more of a wireless network interface such as BLUETOOTH (registered trademark), WIFI, WIMAX, GPRS, WCDMA (registered trademark), or a wired network interface such as ETHERNET, USB, IEEE-1394. In one example, network interface 712 is omitted.

[0073] The control unit 700 is configured to execute some or all of the functions and / or operations described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, and thus it is possible to realize one or more advantages and / or effects described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

[0074] As described above, the features of some embodiments have been outlined so that those skilled in the art can better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure can be easily used as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for achieving the same purpose and / or realizing the same advantages as the embodiments described herein. Also, those skilled in the art will understand that such equivalent structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made to this specification without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A gas cushion substrate support, A print head assembly for depositing material on a substrate supported on the substrate support, A first actuator disposed on a side portion of the substrate support, the first actuator being disposed along the side portion of the substrate support and coupled to a first linear track oriented in a first direction, A second actuator disposed at an end of the substrate support, the second actuator being disposed along the end of the substrate support and coupled to a second linear track oriented in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the second actuator being arranged to engage the supported substrate simultaneously with the first actuator, A control unit for rotating the substrate by moving the first actuator and the second actuator together while engaging them with the supported substrate A printer comprising.

2. The control unit is operably coupled to the first actuator and the second actuator, and controls the first actuator and the second actuator to move simultaneously in the first direction and the second direction respectively, so as to cause substrate rotation from a first orientation associated with a first format to a second orientation associated with a second format. The printer according to claim 1, wherein The first format is A vertical format having a length in the first direction and a width in the second direction, and A horizontal format having the width in the first direction and the length in the second direction Is one of, The second format is the other of the vertical format and the horizontal format. The printer according to claim 1.

3. Further comprising a holder assembly that is movable in the first direction along the side portion of the substrate support and holds the substrate and translates it in the first direction while the substrate is supported on the substrate support, The print head assembly is movable in the second direction with respect to the substrate support. The printer according to claim 1.

4. Further comprising at least one auxiliary actuator coupled to the second linear track and moving the second actuator and the second linear track in the first direction. The printer according to claim 1.

5. The substrate support is A rectangular main portion, A first extension adjacent to the main portion in the second direction and supporting a first corner of the substrate during substrate rotation, A second extension portion that is adjacent to the main portion in the first direction and supports the second corner portion of the base material during rotation of the base material, and comprising The printer according to claim 1, wherein all of the main portion, the first extension portion, and the second extension portion form a gas cushion base material support.

6. At least one of the first actuator and the second actuator is coupled to a corresponding one of the first linear track or the second linear track and is movable along the one linear track, a carriage; an arm extending from the carriage toward the base material support; and an end effector rotatably coupled to an end of the arm, holding a corresponding first portion or second portion of the base material during rotation of the base material, and rotating with the base material. The printer according to claim 1, comprising.

7. The printer according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the first linear track and the second linear track is disposed below an upper surface of the base material support.

8. Further comprising a holder assembly that is movable in the first direction along a side portion of the base material support and holds the base material and translates the base material in the first direction while the base material is supported on the base material support, the end effector includes a suction cup that engages an upper surface of the base material during rotation, The printer according to claim 6, wherein the holder assembly includes a plurality of suction holes that engage a lower surface of the base material during translation.

9. The end effector includes a suction cup, the suction cup is movable upward away from the base material support so as to be disengaged from the base material during translation of the base material by the holder assembly, The printer according to claim 8, wherein the suction cup is movable downward toward the base material support so as to engage the base material during rotation of the base material.

10. A method of operating a base material in a printer, comprising: supporting the base material on a gas cushion base material support; holding a first portion of the base material by a first end effector of a first actuator rotatable about a first axis of rotation; holding a second portion of the base material by a second end effector of a second actuator rotatable about a second axis of rotation different from the first axis of rotation; and simultaneously moving the first actuator in a first direction and the second actuator in a second direction intersecting the first direction to rotate the base material. rotating the substrate thereby and, during the rotation of the substrate, the first end effector and the second end effector rotate about the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation, respectively, together with the substrate, a method. [

11. ] In the rotation, the substrate is rotated from a first orientation associated with a first format to a second orientation associated with a second format, wherein the first format is a vertical format having a length in the first direction and a width in the second direction, and a horizontal format having the width in the first direction and the length in the second direction is one of and the second format is the other of the vertical format and the horizontal format, the method according to claim 10. [

12. ] The first portion of the substrate includes a first corner of the substrate, the second portion of the substrate includes a second corner of the substrate, the first portion of the substrate is held by the first end effector with the first axis of rotation of the first end effector coinciding with the first corner of the substrate, the second portion of the substrate is held by the second end effector with the second axis of rotation of the second end effector coinciding with the second corner of the substrate, the method according to claim 10. [

13. ] The substrate support includes a rectangular main portion, and a first extension adjacent to the main portion in the second direction and both the main portion and the first extension form a gas cushion, during the rotation of the substrate, the first extension supports a third portion of the substrate, the first portion of the substrate includes a first corner of the substrate, the second portion of the substrate includes a second corner of the substrate, the third portion of the substrate includes a third corner of the substrate, the method according to claim 10. [

14. ] The substrate support further includes a second extension adjacent to the main portion in the first direction, the second extension forms a gas cushion, at the start of the rotation of the substrate, the first portion of the substrate is supported by the main portion, the second portion and the third portion of the substrate are supported by the second extension, during the rotation of the substrate, the first portion of the substrate is supported by the main portion and then by the second extension, the second portion of the substrate is supported by the second extension, the third portion of the substrate is supported by the second extension and then by the first extension, at the completion of the rotation of the substrate, The first part and the second part of the substrate are supported by the second extension part, The method according to claim 13, wherein the third part of the substrate is supported by the main part.

15. At least one of before and after the rotation of the substrate, Moving both the substrate and the second actuator holding the substrate in the first direction The method according to claim 10, further comprising.

16. At least one of before and after the rotation of the substrate, Holding the substrate at a plurality of positions along the edge of the substrate facing in the first direction by a holder assembly of the printer; Translating the substrate in the first direction by the holder assembly holding the edge of the substrate The method according to claim 10, further comprising.

17. Holding the substrate in a first orientation at a plurality of first positions along a first edge of the substrate facing in the first direction connecting the first part and the second part by a holder assembly of the printer; Moving the holder assembly holding the first edge of the substrate in the first direction toward the first actuator and the second actuator to effect a first translation of the substrate; Aligning the first rotation axis of the first end effector to coincide with a first corner of the substrate in the first part of the substrate, and aligning the second rotation axis of the second end effector to coincide with a second corner of the substrate in the second part of the substrate; Releasing the first edge of the substrate by the holder assembly and performing the rotation of the substrate; At the completion of the rotation of the substrate, holding the substrate in a second orientation at a plurality of second positions along a second edge of the substrate facing in the first direction connecting the first part and the fourth part by the holder assembly; Moving the holder assembly holding the second edge of the substrate in the first direction away from the first actuator and the second actuator to effect a second translation of the substrate The method according to claim 10, further comprising.

18. A substrate manipulation mechanism for a printer, comprising: A first actuator facing in the first direction, coupled to a first linear track disposed along a side of a gas cushion substrate support; A second actuator coupled to a second linear track disposed along an end of the gas cushion base support and facing in a second direction intersecting the first direction; A control unit coupled to the first actuator and the second actuator and configured to control the first actuator and the second actuator to move simultaneously along the first linear track and the second linear track, respectively; Comprising; At least one of the first actuator and the second actuator is A carriage coupled to a corresponding one of the first linear track or the second linear track and movable along the one linear track; An arm extending from the carriage toward the base support; An end effector rotatably coupled to an end of the arm and rotatable during the simultaneous movement of the first actuator and the second actuator; A base material operating mechanism comprising.

19. At least one of the first linear track and the second linear track is disposed below the upper surface of the base support, The end effector is capable of descending so as to approach the base support, The end effector is capable of ascending so as to move away from the base support. The base material operating mechanism according to claim 18.

20. A first extension adjacent to a rectangular main portion of the base support in the second direction; A second extension adjacent to the main portion in the first direction; Further comprising; The main portion, the first extension, and the second extension form a gas cushion. The base material operating mechanism according to claim 18.

21. The second actuator includes the carriage, the arm, and the end effector, The carriage is coupled to the second linear track and is movable in the second direction along the second linear track, The arm is extendable and retractable in the first direction with respect to the carriage. The base material operating mechanism according to claim 18.

22. At least one of the first actuator and the second actuator further includes a cylinder that couples the end effector to the arm and is controllable by the control unit. The cylinder Is pressurized to move the end effector to a predetermined home position so that the end effector moves to a position where it rotatably engages with an edge of the substrate, and The substrate manipulation mechanism according to claim 18, wherein during the simultaneous movement of rotating the substrates of the first actuator and the second actuator, a reduced pressure is applied so that the end effector becomes rotatable.

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