Liquid ejection device, liquid ejection method, and program

Abstract

To provide a liquid discharging apparatus excellent in quality of applying liquid to a surface to be applied.SOLUTION: A liquid discharging apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a liquid discharging apparatus that applies liquid to a surface to be applied, the liquid discharging apparatus including: a head that discharges the liquid and applies the liquid to the surface to be applied; and a control unit that controls discharge of the liquid by the head on the basis of height along a vertical direction of an application position at which the liquid is applied on the surface to be applied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejection apparatus, a liquid ejection method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a liquid ejection device that applies liquid ejected from a head to a receiving surface.

[0003] As the above-mentioned liquid ejection device, a configuration has been disclosed in which, in order to apply liquid to an object having a three-dimensional curved shape (curved in two directions), a reference length is compared with the curved length directly below the multiple nozzles at the position of the three-dimensional curved surface from which the liquid is ejected, and the amount of liquid droplets ejected from the multiple nozzles of the inkjet head is changed depending on the ratio between the reference length and the curved length (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A liquid ejection device is required to have excellent quality in applying liquid to a receiving surface.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejection device that is excellent in the quality of liquid application onto a receiving surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A liquid ejection device according to one aspect of the present invention is a liquid ejection device that applies a liquid to a receiving surface, and includes: a head that ejects the liquid and applies it to the receiving surface; and a control unit that controls the ejection of the liquid by the head based on the height, along the vertical direction, of an application position where the liquid is applied on the receiving surface. death , The control unit controls the ejection of the liquid by the head based on the height of the application position along the vertical direction and the inclination of the application target surface with respect to the horizontal direction at the application position, and controls the amount of the liquid ejected from the head, so that the higher the height of the application position, the greater the amount of the liquid ejected from the head, and the greater the inclination of the application target surface at the application position, the greater the change in the amount of the liquid according to a predetermined height difference. do. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a liquid ejection device that is excellent in the quality of liquid application onto a receiving surface. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a liquid ejection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a front view illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a liquid ejection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a control unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a supply unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a head according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the head taken along plane S1 in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the liquid ejection device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating ink ejection according to a comparative example. [Figure 10] 10 is a diagram showing ink applied to a receiving surface by the ejection in FIG. 9. FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is a diagram showing a state after ink dripping from the state shown in FIG. 10. FIG. [Figure 12] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating examples of ink ejection according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram showing an example of ink immediately after it is applied to a receiving surface by ejection in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a diagram illustrating a state after ink dripping from the state shown in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a control unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the relationship between height and ink amount when the inclination of the receiving surface is small. [Figure 17]10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the relationship between height and ink amount when the inclination of the receiving surface is large. [Figure 18] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating examples of ink ejection according to the second embodiment. [Figure 19] 19 is a diagram showing an example of ink applied to a receiving surface by the ejection in FIG. 18. FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a side view of the state of FIG. 19. [Figure 21] 21 is a diagram illustrating a state after ink dripping from the state of FIG. 20. FIG. [Figure 22] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of ink ejection when the receiving surface is a flat inclined surface. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a control unit according to a third embodiment. [Figure 24] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating examples of ink ejection according to the third embodiment. [Figure 25] 25 is a diagram showing an example of ink immediately after it has been applied to a receiving surface by ejection in FIG. 24. FIG. [Figure 26] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of application of the liquid ejection device according to the embodiment to a painting robot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A liquid ejection device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the following embodiments are merely examples of liquid ejection devices that embody the technical concept of the present embodiment, and are not intended to be limiting. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described in the embodiments are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Note that the size, positional relationship, etc. of components shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity. Furthermore, in the following description, the same names and symbols indicate the same or similar components, and detailed description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0010] In the figures shown below, directions may be indicated by the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, but the X-direction along the X-axis indicates the main scanning direction in which the carriage provided in the liquid ejection device according to the embodiment moves, the Y-direction along the Y-axis indicates the sub-scanning direction that intersects with the main scanning direction, and the Z-direction along the Z-axis indicates the direction that intersects with both the X-direction and the Y-direction.

[0011] The X direction in which the arrow points is referred to as the +X direction, and the opposite direction of the +X direction is referred to as the -X direction. The Y direction in which the arrow points is referred to as the +Y direction, and the opposite direction of the +Y direction is referred to as the -Y direction. Furthermore, the Z direction in which the arrow points is referred to as the +Z direction, and the opposite direction of the +Z direction is referred to as the -Z direction. In one embodiment, as an example, the Y direction is along the vertical direction, and the Z direction is along the horizontal direction that is approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction. However, these do not limit the orientation of the liquid ejection device when in use, and the orientation of the liquid ejection device is arbitrary.

[0012] [Embodiment] <Example of Overall Configuration of Liquid Ejection Apparatus 1000> The configuration of a liquid ejection device 1000 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating the overall configuration of the liquid ejection device 1000, with Figure 1 being a side view and Figure 2 being a front view.

[0013] The liquid ejection device 1000 applies ink, which is an example of a liquid, to a receiving surface 100a of the object 100. The ink applied to the receiving surface 100a dries and then solidifies on the receiving surface 100a. The liquid ejection device 1000 can use either a continuous ejection method or a droplet ejection method. Continuous ejection methods include a valve method in which ejection is controlled by opening and closing a nozzle by controlling the operation of a valve body, and a continuous method in which ink droplets continuously ejected from a nozzle are charged, deflected by a deflection electrode, and sprayed onto the printing surface.

[0014] The receiving surface 100a of the object 100 may be, for example, a non-permeable surface such as the body of a car, truck, or airplane. Non-permeable refers to the property that a liquid applied to a surface does not penetrate into the interior. The liquid ejection device 1000 can paint the body of a car, truck, or airplane by applying ink to the body. FIG. 1 illustrates a planar receiving surface 100a.

[0015] However, the liquid receiving surface 100a is not limited to a non-permeable surface, but may be a permeable surface. Furthermore, the liquid receiving surface 100a is not limited to a flat surface, but may be a surface having curvature in the X direction or Y direction. The use of the liquid ejection device 1000 is not limited to painting, but may also be used for forming (printing) an image with ink on a recording medium such as paper or film.

[0016] 1 and 2, the liquid ejection device 1000 includes a head 300, a movement mechanism 110, and a control unit 500. The liquid ejection device 1000 is disposed so that the head 300 faces a receiving surface 100a.

[0017] The head 300 has a plurality of nozzles arranged at predetermined intervals in the Y direction, and applies ink ejected from each of the plurality of nozzles to the application surface 100a. The head 300 is mounted on a carriage 1. However, the head 300 does not necessarily have to have a plurality of nozzles, and may be configured to have only one nozzle.

[0018] The movement mechanism 110 is a mechanism that moves the head 300 and the application-receiving surface 100a relatively along the surface of the application-receiving surface 100a. In this embodiment, the movement mechanism 110 moves the head 300 and the application-receiving surface 100a relatively in each of the X direction and the Y direction along the surface of the application-receiving surface 100a. The movement mechanism 110 includes an X-axis rail 101 and a Y-axis rail 102.

[0019] The Z-axis rail 103 holds the carriage 1 so that it can move in the Z direction. The X-axis rail 101 holds the Z-axis rail 103 so that the Z-axis rail 103 holding the carriage 1 can move in the X direction. The Y-axis rail 102 holds the X-axis rail 101 so that it can move in the Y direction.

[0020] The Z-direction drive unit 92 moves the carriage 1 in the Z direction along the Z-axis rail 103. The X-direction drive unit 72 moves the Z-axis rail 103 in the X direction along the X-axis rail 101. The Y-direction drive unit 82 moves the X-axis rail 101 in the Y direction along the Y-axis rail 102. Note that the movement of the carriage 1 and head 300 in the Z direction does not have to be parallel to the Z direction, and may be oblique movement as long as it includes at least a Z-direction component.

[0021] The control unit 500 controls the application operation of the liquid ejection device 1000 to the liquid receiving surface 100a. The control unit 500 is configured with a processor, an electric circuit, or the like mounted on an electric board. The control unit 500 is electrically connected, by wire or wirelessly, to at least each drive unit that drives the movement mechanism 110 and the head 300. However, the position of the electric board on which the control unit 500 is mounted is arbitrary, and the electric board may be disposed remotely from the head 300, etc.

[0022] The liquid ejection device 1000 ejects ink from the head 300 toward the liquid-receiving surface 100a while moving the carriage 1 in each of the X, Y, and Z directions, thereby applying ink to the liquid-receiving surface 100a.

[0023] More specifically, the liquid ejection device 1000 ejects ink from the head 300 to apply ink to the application receiving surface 100a while moving the head 300 and the application receiving surface 100a relatively in the X direction, which is the main scanning direction.

[0024] After completing one relative movement in the X direction, the liquid ejection device 1000 moves the head 300 and the liquid-receiving surface 100a relatively in the Y direction, which is the sub-scanning direction. After completing one relative movement in the Y direction, the liquid ejection device 1000 again moves the head 300 and the liquid-receiving surface 100a relatively in the X direction, ejecting ink from the head 300 to apply ink to the liquid-receiving surface 100a. The liquid ejection device 1000 repeats such relative movement in both the X direction and the Y direction to apply ink to the liquid-receiving surface 100a.

[0025] When the receiving surface 100a is a flat object extending along the X and Y directions, the liquid ejection device 1000 does not move the head 300 and the receiving surface 100a relative to each other in the Z direction during the ink application operation. When the receiving surface 100a has a shape with different heights in the Z direction, the liquid ejection device 1000 moves the head 300 and the receiving surface 100a relative to each other in the Z direction during the ink application operation in accordance with the shape of the receiving surface 100a.

[0026] <Example of hardware configuration of control unit 500> 3 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a control unit 500 included in the liquid ejection device 1000. The control unit 500 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 503, and an I / F (Interface) 504. These are electrically connected to one another via a system bus. The control unit 500 is implemented by, for example, a computer.

[0027] The control unit 500 is also electrically connected to the head 300, the X-direction driving unit 72, the Y-direction driving unit 82, the Z-direction driving unit 92, the storage unit 511, the display unit 512, the operation panel 513, and the like.

[0028] The CPU 501 uses the RAM 503 as a work area and executes programs stored in the ROM 502 to control the overall operation of the control unit 500 .

[0029] The ROM 502 is a non-volatile memory that stores programs for controlling the CPU 501 to perform recording operations and other fixed data.

[0030] The RAM 503 is a volatile memory that temporarily stores image data such as a picture or text to be drawn on the surface 100a to which the image is to be applied, shape information of the body of the target object 100, and the like.

[0031] The I / F 504 is an interface that enables communication between the control unit 500 and an external device such as a host PC (Personal Computer).

[0032] The storage unit 511 is an external storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive) that stores preset setting values. The information stored in the storage unit 511 may be read by the CPU 501 and used when executing a program.

[0033] The display unit 512 displays a setting screen for setting conditions for applying ink by the liquid ejection device 1000 under the control of the control unit 500 .

[0034] The operation panel 513 is an operation input device such as a touch panel, keyboard, or mouse that accepts operations of the liquid ejection device 1000. The operation panel 513 is used to input values ​​(coordinates) for specifying an area on the liquid receiving surface 100a where ink is to be ejected, the movement speed of the carriage 1, specifying image data and three-dimensional coordinate information (body data) used for applying ink to the liquid receiving surface 100a, and the distance between the head 300 and the liquid receiving surface 100a, etc.

[0035] The display unit 512 and the operation panel 513 may be configured to be operated on a single screen such as a touch panel.

[0036] The X-direction driving unit 72 drives the carriage 1 in the X direction based on instructions from the control unit 500. The Y-direction driving unit 82 drives the carriage 1 in the Y direction based on instructions from the control unit 500. The Z-direction driving unit 92 drives the carriage 1 in the Z direction based on instructions from the control unit 500.

[0037] The control unit 500 controls the movement of the carriage 1 carrying the head 300 and other components in the X and Y directions by controlling the operation of the X-direction drive unit 72 and the Y-direction drive unit 82. The control unit 500 also controls the movement of the head 300 in the Z direction relative to the carriage 1 by controlling the operation of the Z-direction drive unit 92. The control unit 500 also controls the ejection of ink from the head 300.

[0038] <Configuration example of supply unit 200> 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the supply unit 200 in the liquid ejection device 1000. The supply unit 200 supplies ink to the head 300.

[0039] The heads 300 include a head 300Y that ejects yellow (Y) ink, a head 300M that ejects magenta (M) ink, a head 300C that ejects cyan (C) ink, and a head 300K that ejects black (K) ink. Note that head 300 is a general term used when there is no particular distinction between heads 300Y, 300M, 300C, and 300K.

[0040] The head 300 may further include a head that ejects other inks, such as a head 300Q that ejects overcoat ink and a head 300P that ejects primer ink or white ink. The supply unit 200 can supply ink of each color to the heads 300 of each color.

[0041] The supply unit 200 includes an ink tank 330 as a sealed container that contains ink 325 of each color to be ejected from each head 300. The ink tank 330 and the inlet (supply port) of the head 300 are connected via tubes 333 so that the ink can flow therethrough.

[0042] On the other hand, the ink tank 330 is connected to the compressor 230 via a pipe 331 including an air regulator 332, and the compressor 230 supplies pressurized air. As a result, pressurized ink 325 of each color is supplied to the inlet of each head 300, and the liquid ejection device 1000 ejects the ink 325 from the nozzle of each head 300.

[0043] <Configuration example of head 300> 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating the configuration of the head 300. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the head 300 taken along plane S1 in Fig. 5.

[0044] The head 300 has a plurality of ejection modules 310 arranged in one or more rows within the housing 10 .

[0045] The head 300 has a supply port 11 and a recovery port 12. The supply port 11 supplies pressurized ink from the outside to the ejection module 310, and the recovery port 12 discharges ink that has not been ejected to the outside. The housing 10 also has a connector 2.

[0046] The ejection module 310 has a nozzle plate 311 with nozzles 321 that eject ink, a flow path 322 that communicates with the nozzles 321 and supplies pressurized liquid, and a piezoelectric element 324 that drives a needle-shaped valve body that opens and closes the nozzles 321.

[0047] The nozzle plate 311 is joined to the housing 10. The flow path 322 is a flow path common to the multiple ejection modules 310 provided in the housing 10, and supplies pressurized ink from the supply port 11 and discharges ink from the recovery port 12. Note that while ink is being ejected onto the ink receiving surface 100a, it is not necessary to temporarily suspend the discharge of ink from the recovery port 12 so as not to reduce the efficiency of ink ejection from the nozzles 321.

[0048] [First embodiment] <Example of functional configuration of control unit 500> 7 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the control unit 500. The control unit 500 has an acquisition unit 51, an ink amount determination unit 52, a discharge control unit 53, and a movement control unit .

[0049] The control unit 500 controls the operation of the liquid ejection device 1000 and causes ink to be applied to the liquid receiving surface 100a. Particularly in this embodiment, the control unit 500 determines the amount of ink 325 to be ejected from the head 300 using the ink amount determination unit 52 based on shape information of the liquid receiving surface 100a acquired from a host PC or the like via the acquisition unit 51, and causes the ink 325 to be ejected from the head 300 using the ejection control unit 53. The control unit 500 also controls the movement mechanism 110 using the movement control unit 54 based on the shape information of the liquid receiving surface 100a, and causes relative movement between the head 300 and the liquid receiving surface 100a.

[0050] The control unit 500 realizes the functions of an acquisition unit 51, an ink amount determination unit 52, an ejection control unit 53, and a movement control unit 54 by the CPU 501 expanding a program stored in the ROM 502 into the RAM 503 and executing it.

[0051] At least some of the functions of the control unit 500 may be performed by a component other than the control unit 500, such as the head 300. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the control unit 500 may be distributed and realized by the control unit 500 and a component other than the control unit 500.

[0052] The acquisition unit 51 acquires shape information Sd of the liquid-receiving surface 100a by inputting it from an external device such as a host PC. The shape information Sd is three-dimensional information that represents the shape of the liquid-receiving surface 100a. However, the acquisition unit 51 may acquire shape information Sd by reading it from the storage unit 511 or the like, which has been stored in advance in the storage unit 511 or the like. Alternatively, the liquid ejection device 1000 may have a detection unit for detecting the shape of the liquid-receiving surface 100a, and the acquisition unit 51 may acquire the shape information Sd of the liquid-receiving surface 100a by inputting it from the detection unit, the shape information Sd being detected by the detection unit. The acquisition unit 51 outputs the acquired shape information Sd to the ink amount determination unit 52.

[0053] The ink amount determination unit 52 determines the ink amount m (amount of liquid) to be ejected from the head 300 based on the shape information Sd input from the acquisition unit 51. In this embodiment, the ink amount determination unit 52 determines the ink amount m to be larger as the height h along the vertical direction of the application position P where the ink 325 is applied on the ink receiving surface 100a is higher.

[0054] For example, the ink amount determination unit 52 determines the ink amount m by referring to a table 520 stored in the storage unit 511 based on the height h along the vertical direction of the application position P where the ink ejected from the head 300 is applied on the application surface 100a, based on the shape information Sd. The table 520 is a table that shows the relationship between the predetermined height h and the ink amount m. The ink amount determination unit 52 outputs information on the ink amount m for each application position P to the discharge control unit 53.

[0055] The ejection control unit 53 causes the head 300 to eject the ink 325 at the ink amount m determined by the ink amount determination unit 52. The ejection control unit 53 temporarily stores information on the ink amount m for each application position P input from the ink amount determination unit 52 in the RAM 503 or the like, and controls the ink amount m ejected from the head 300 in accordance with the application position P that changes due to the relative movement of the head 300 by the movement mechanism 110.

[0056] In the case of a continuous ejection system, the ejection control unit 53 can control the amount of ink m ejected from the head 300 by controlling the time it takes for the head 300 to eject the ink 325, the ejection speed of the ink 325, the nozzle opening area, etc. In the case of a droplet ejection system, the ejection control unit 53 can control the amount of ink m ejected from the head 300 by controlling the volume of ink droplets formed from the ink 325, or the pressure applied to the ink in the head 300, etc. The ejection control unit 53 can increase the volume of an ink droplet, for example, by combining multiple ink droplets.

[0057] The movement control unit 54 controls the relative movement by the movement mechanism 110. In this embodiment, the movement control unit 54 controls the relative movement by the movement mechanism 110 by controlling the X-direction drive unit 72, the Y-direction drive unit 82, and the Z-direction drive unit 92. In particular, in this embodiment, the movement control unit 54 controls the ejection of ink 325 by the head 300 and the relative movement by the movement mechanism 110 so that the ink 325 ejected from the head 300 is applied to the application surface 100a by multiple relative movements by the movement mechanism 110.

[0058] <Example of Operation of Liquid Ejection Apparatus 1000> Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the liquid ejection device 1000. Fig. 8 illustrates the operation of applying ink to the liquid-receiving surface 100a by the liquid ejection device 1000. The liquid ejection device 1000 starts the operation of Fig. 8 when it receives an instruction to apply ink to the liquid-receiving surface 100a input by the user using, for example, the operation panel 513.

[0059] First, in step S81, the liquid ejection apparatus 1000 acquires, via the acquisition unit 51, shape information Sd of the liquid-ejecting surface 100a by inputting it from an external device such as a host PC.

[0060] Next, in step S82, the liquid ejection device 1000 determines the amount of ink m to be ejected from the head 300 using the ink amount determination unit 52, based on the shape information Sd input from the acquisition unit 51. The ink amount determination unit 52 outputs information on the determined ink amount m to the ejection control unit 53.

[0061] Next, in step S83, the liquid ejection device 1000 controls the relative movement between the head 300 and the liquid-receiving surface 100a by the movement control unit 54. The liquid ejection device 1000 also applies the ink 325 to the liquid-receiving surface 100a by controlling the ejection of the ink 325 from the head 300 by the ejection control unit 53.

[0062] Next, in step S84, the liquid ejection device 1000 determines whether or not to terminate the operation of applying ink to the ink-receiving surface 100a using the control unit 500. For example, the control unit 500 can determine whether or not to terminate the operation of applying ink to the ink-receiving surface 100a based on an operation input by a user using the operation panel 513 or image data.

[0063] If it is determined in step S84 that the operation should be ended (Yes in step S84), the liquid ejection device 1000 ends the operation. On the other hand, if it is determined that the operation should not be ended (No in step S84), the liquid ejection device 1000 performs the operations from step S83 onwards again.

[0064] In this way, the liquid ejection device 1000 can apply the ink 325 to the liquid receiving surface 100a. Note that, in the present embodiment, an example has been given of the operation in which the ink amount determination unit 52 determines in advance the ink amount m for each application position P on the entire liquid receiving surface 100a before applying the ink 325 to the liquid receiving surface 100a in step S83, but this is not limiting. The liquid ejection device 1000 may determine the ink amount m using the ink amount determination unit 52 each time the application position P on the liquid receiving surface 100a changes due to relative movement of the head 300, and output the determined ink amount m to the ejection control unit 53.

[0065] <Operation of the liquid ejection device 1000> The operation of the liquid ejection device 1000 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0066] 9 to 11 are diagrams illustrating ink application according to a comparative example: Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining ink ejection, Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the ink immediately after it has been applied to the surface by the ejection in Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the state after the ink has dripped due to the passage of time from the state in Fig. 10.

[0067] Here, the term "ink dripping" refers to the phenomenon in which ink applied to a surface drips down from a higher position to a lower position on the surface due to the action of gravity.

[0068] Figures 12 to 14 are diagrams illustrating ink application according to this embodiment. Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating ink ejection, Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the ink immediately after it has been applied to the receiving surface by the ejection in Figure 12, and Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating the state after the ink has dripped due to the passage of time from the state in Figure 12.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 9, the head 300X according to the comparative example ejects ink 325X onto the application surface 100aX. In Fig. 9, the head 300X ejects three ink droplets formed of the ink 325X. In the comparative example, the volumes of the three ink droplets are approximately equal.

[0070] 10, ink 325X ejected from head 300X forms an ink film 326X on the surface 100aX immediately after being applied to the surface 100aX. Immediately after being applied to the surface 100aX, the ink 325X is not dry and has fluidity, so gravity causes the ink to drip and move from a higher position to a lower position on the surface 100aX. Then, as the ink 325X dries over time, the amount of movement decreases, and the ink eventually stops and adheres to the surface 100aX.

[0071] As the ink 325X in the ink film 326X drips downward (toward the −Y direction), an ink film 327X is formed on the ink-application receiving surface 100aX, the thickness of which increases downward as it approaches the ink-application receiving surface 100aX, as shown in FIG.

[0072] As described above, in the comparative example, the ink film 327X formed on the ink-receiving surface 100a has an uneven thickness.

[0073] 12, in the present embodiment, the liquid ejecting device 1000 increases the ink amount m of the ink 325 ejected from the head 300 as the height of the application position P on the receiving surface 100a increases. Application positions P1, P2, and P3 represent three application positions P with different heights in the vertical direction.

[0074] The application position P1 is at a height h1 from the reference height, the application position P2 is at a height h2 from the reference height, and the application position P3 is at a height h3 from the reference height. The reference height may be set arbitrarily, for example, the height of the ground on which the liquid ejection device 1000 is installed. The height h1 is higher than the heights h2 and h3, and the height h2 is higher than the height h3. In other words, the heights h1, h2, and h3 have the relationship h1>h2>h3.

[0075] The head 300 ejects and applies large ink droplets 325a formed from ink 325 to application position P1 on the application surface 100a. The head 300 also ejects and applies medium ink droplets 325b formed from ink 325 and having a smaller volume than the large ink droplets 325a to application position P2. The head 300 also ejects and applies small ink droplets 325c formed from ink 325 and having a smaller volume than the medium ink droplets 325b to application position P3. The larger the volume of the ink droplet, the greater the amount of ink.

[0076] 13, ink 325 ejected from the head 300 forms an ink film 326 on the receiving surface 100a immediately after being applied to the receiving surface 100a. The ink film 326 is thick at the application position P1 in accordance with the volumes of the ink droplets applied to the application positions P1, P2, and P3, and becomes thinner in the order of application position P2 and application position P1. In other words, immediately after being applied to the receiving surface 100a, the ink film 326 has a non-uniform thickness that is thicker toward the upper side (+Y direction side).

[0077] When ink drips occur due to the fluidity of the ink 325 from the state of the ink film 326, part of the ink 325 applied at the application position P1 flows downward. As a result, as shown in Fig. 14, the amount of ink is roughly equalized at each application position P along the vertical direction, resulting in an ink film 327 with a roughly uniform film thickness.

[0078] <Effects of the liquid ejection device 1000> As described above, the liquid ejection device 1000 according to this embodiment applies ink 325 to the liquid receiving surface 100a. The liquid ejection device 1000 includes a head 300 that ejects ink 325 and applies it to the liquid receiving surface 100a, and a control unit 500 that controls the ejection of ink 325 by the head 300 based on the height h along the vertical direction of an application position P at which the ink 325 is applied on the liquid receiving surface 100a.

[0079] For example, the control unit 500 controls the ink amount m of the ink 325 ejected from the head 300, and the higher the height h of the application position P, the greater the ink amount m ejected from the head 300 becomes.

[0080] The ink film 326 formed on the receiving surface 100a by the ink 325 ejected from the head 300 has a thickness that increases as the height h of the application position P increases immediately after application to the receiving surface 100a. However, the fluid ink 325 drips due to the action of gravity, causing the ink to flow from the thicker upper portion to the thinner lower portion. As a result, the amount of ink is roughly equalized at each application position P along the vertical direction, resulting in an ink film 327 with a roughly uniform thickness. In this way, this embodiment can provide a liquid ejection device 1000 that provides excellent application quality of ink 325 to the receiving surface 100a.

[0081] In this embodiment, an example has been shown in which the ink amount m is changed by changing the volume of the ink droplets, but the present invention is not limited to this. If the head 300 is of a continuous ejection type, the ink amount m may be changed by changing the time or speed at which the ink 325 is ejected from the head 300, or the cross-sectional area of ​​the nozzles provided in the head 300. Also, if the head 300 is of a droplet ejection type, the ink amount m may be changed by changing the ejection frequency of the ink 325 from the head 300, or the pressure applied to the ink 325 in the head 300 for ejection, etc.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the liquid ejection method 1000 includes a movement mechanism 110 that moves the ink receiving surface 100a and the head 300 relatively at least along the X direction (a predetermined direction). The control unit 500 controls the ejection of ink 325 by the head 300 and the relative movement by the movement mechanism 110 so that the ink 325 ejected from the head 300 is applied to the ink receiving surface 100a by multiple relative movements by the movement mechanism 110. This allows the liquid ejection device 1000 to position the head 300 over a wide range of the ink receiving surface 100a using the movement mechanism 110 and apply the ink 325. Furthermore, the liquid ejection method 1000 can apply the ink 325 to an even wider range of the ink receiving surface 100a by also moving the ink receiving surface 100a and the head 300 relatively in the Y direction using the movement mechanism 110. Furthermore, the liquid ejection device 1000 can apply ink 325 to a desired position on the recipient surface 100a by moving the recipient surface 100a and the head 300 relative to each other in the Z direction, even if the recipient surface 100a is a three-dimensional curved surface.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the liquid ejection device 1000 has an acquisition unit 51 that acquires shape information Sd of the liquid-receiving surface 100a, and the control unit 500 controls the ejection of the ink 325 by the head 300 based on the shape information Sd of the liquid-receiving surface 100a acquired by the acquisition unit 51. This makes it possible to apply the ink 325 in an amount m corresponding to the height h, even when the liquid-receiving surface 100a is a surface having a known three-dimensional shape, such as the surface of a car body.

[0084] [Second embodiment] Next, a liquid ejection device 1000a according to a second embodiment will be described. Components identical to those in the previously described embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate. This also applies to the following embodiments and modifications.

[0085] In this embodiment, the control unit 500a of the liquid ejection device 1000a controls the amount of ink m of the ink 325 ejected by the head 300 based on the height h of the application position P along the vertical direction and the inclination θ of the ink receiving surface 100b relative to the horizontal direction at the application position P.

[0086] 15 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the control unit 500a. The control unit 500a has an ink amount determination unit 52a.

[0087] The ink amount determination unit 52a determines the amount of ink m to be ejected from the head 300 based on the shape information Sd input from the acquisition unit 51. In this embodiment, the ink amount determination unit 52a increases the ink amount m of the ink 325 ejected from the head 300 as the height h of the application position P increases. Furthermore, the ink amount determination unit 52a determines the ink amount m such that the change in the ink amount m according to a predetermined difference in elevation increases as the inclination θ of the ink-receiving surface 100b at the application position P increases.

[0088] For example, based on the shape information Sd, the ink amount determination unit 52a calculates the height h along the vertical direction of the application position P where the ink 325 ejected from the head 300 is applied on the application surface 100b, and the inclination θ of the application surface 100b with respect to the horizontal direction at the application position P. The ink amount determination unit 52a determines the ink amount m based on the acquired height h and inclination θ, by referring to table 520a stored in the storage unit 511. Table 520a is a table that shows the relationship between the predetermined height h and inclination θ and the ink amount m. The ink amount determination unit 52a can output information about the ink amount m for each application position P to the discharge control unit 53.

[0089] 16 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the height h and the amount of ink m when the inclination θ of the ink-receiving surface 100b is small, and FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the height h and the amount of ink m when the inclination θ of the ink-receiving surface 100b is large.

[0090] 16 and 17, the horizontal axis represents height h and the vertical axis represents ink amount m. The height difference Δh is the height difference per unit length and is an example of a predetermined height difference. The unit length is, for example, 1 mm.

[0091] As shown in Fig. 16, when the inclination θ of the ink-receiving surface 100b is large, the change in the ink amount m according to the height difference Δh is Δm1. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 17, when the inclination θ of the ink-receiving surface 100b is large, the change in the ink amount m according to the height difference Δh is Δm2. The change Δm2 is larger than the change Δm1.

[0092] As described above, the ink amount determination unit 52a can determine the ink amount m so that the larger the inclination θ of the ink-receiving surface 100b at the ink-application position P, the larger the change Δm in the ink amount m according to the height difference Δh.

[0093] <Function of Liquid Ejection Apparatus 1000a> The operation of the liquid ejection device 1000a will be described with reference to Figures 18 to 21. Figure 18 is a diagram illustrating the ejection of ink 325 by the liquid ejection device 1000a. Figure 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of ink 325 applied to the liquid ejection surface 100b by the ejection in Figure 18. Figure 20 is a diagram illustrating the state in Figure 19 as viewed from the side. Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating the state after ink drips due to the passage of time from the state in Figure 20.

[0094] 18, application positions P4, P5, and P6 represent positions on the ink receiving surface 100b where the ink 325 is applied. Application position P4 is at a height h4 from the reference height, application position P5 is at a height h5 from the reference height, and application position P6 is at a height h6 from the reference height. Height h4 is higher than heights h5 and h6, and height h5 is higher than height h6. In other words, the relationship between heights h4, h5, and h6 is h4>h5>h6.

[0095] The inclination θ indicates the inclination of the application receiving surface 100b with respect to the horizontal direction (Z direction) at the application position P5. The application receiving surface 100b is a surface having a curvature in at least one direction, and in this embodiment, it is a curved surface having a curvature in the Y direction. The inclination with respect to the horizontal direction at the application position P4 is smaller than the inclination θ, and the inclination with respect to the horizontal direction at the application position P6 is larger than the inclination θ.

[0096] For example, the liquid ejection device 1000a makes the ink amount m at the application position P4 greater than the ink amount m at the application position P6. Furthermore, the liquid ejection device 1000a makes the change Δm in the ink amount m in response to the elevation difference Δh at the application position P6 greater than the change Δm in the ink amount m in response to the elevation difference Δh at the application position P4.

[0097] 18, the liquid ejection device 1000a ejects large droplets 325a, which are droplets made of ink 325 and have a large volume, from the head 300 and applies them to the application position P4. The liquid ejection device 1000a also ejects medium droplets 325b, which have a smaller volume than the large droplets 325a, from the head 300 and applies them to the application position P5. The liquid ejection device 1000a also ejects small droplets 325c, which have a smaller volume than the medium droplets 325b, from the head 300 and applies them to the application position P6. However, because the slope at the application position P4 is smaller than the slope at the application position P4, the difference between the ink amount m at the application position P4 and the ink amount m at the application position P6 is smaller than the difference in ink amount m based on the difference between the heights h4 and h6.

[0098] 19, a first region 111 and a second region 112 are formed on the ink-receiving surface 100b by applying ink 325. The first region 111 is formed by applying large droplets 325a, and the second region 112 is formed by applying small droplets 325c. The first region 111 is located at a higher position than the second region 112 in the vertical direction.

[0099] Immediately after being applied to the receiving surface 100b, the ink 325 has fluidity, and drips due to the action of gravity, moving from a higher position to a lower position on the receiving surface 100b. Then, as drying progresses over time, the amount of movement decreases, and eventually the ink stops moving and adheres to the receiving surface 100b.

[0100] Since large droplets 325a are applied to the first region 111, the amount of ink that drips m is large, and since small droplets 325c are applied to the second region 112, the amount of ink that drips m is small.

[0101] 20, ink 325 ejected from the head 300 forms an ink film 326 on the receiving surface 100a immediately after being applied to the receiving surface 100a. Depending on the volume of the ink droplets applied to the application positions P1, P2, and P3, the ink film 326 has a non-uniform thickness that is thicker toward the upper side. For example, the ink film 326 has a thicker thickness in an upper region 326a.

[0102] 20, when ink drips due to the fluidity of the ink 325, part of the ink 325 flows downward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 21, the amount of ink is made substantially uniform at each application position P on the ink receiving surface 100b, thereby obtaining an ink film 327 with a substantially uniform thickness.

[0103] <Advantages of the liquid ejection device 1000a> As described above, the control unit 500a of the liquid ejection device 1000a according to this embodiment controls the amount of ink m of the ink 325 ejected by the head 300 based on the height h of the application position P along the vertical direction and the inclination θ of the ink receiving surface 100b relative to the horizontal direction at the application position P.

[0104] For example, the control unit 500a increases the amount of ink m applied to the ink receiving surface 100b as the height h of the application position P along the vertical direction increases. Furthermore, the control unit 500a controls the ink amount m so that the change Δm in the ink amount m according to the height difference Δh (predetermined height difference) increases as the inclination θ of the ink receiving surface 100b at the application position P increases.

[0105] The ink film 326 formed on the receiving surface 100b by the ink 325 ejected from the head 300 has a thickness that increases as the height h of the application position P increases immediately after the ink is applied to the receiving surface 100b. However, the fluid ink 325 drips due to the action of gravity, causing the ink to flow from the thicker upper portion to the thinner lower portion. As a result, the amount of ink is roughly equalized at each application position P along the vertical direction, resulting in an ink film 327 with a roughly uniform thickness. In this way, this embodiment can provide a liquid ejection device 1000a that provides excellent application quality of ink 325 to the receiving surface 100b.

[0106] In this embodiment, the liquid receiving surface 100b is a surface having a curvature in at least one direction. Even in the case of such a liquid receiving surface 100b, the liquid ejecting device 1000a can ensure the quality of application of the ink 325 to the liquid receiving surface 100b.

[0107] The liquid ejection device 1000a has the same effects as the liquid ejection device 1000 according to the first embodiment other than those described above.

[0108] In this embodiment, a curved surface having a curvature in at least one direction is exemplified as the ink-receiving surface 100b, but the ink-receiving surface 100b may be a flat, inclined surface. Fig. 22 is a diagram illustrating the ejection of ink 325 when the ink-receiving surface 100b is a flat, inclined surface.

[0109] 22, the liquid receiving surface 100b is a planar inclined surface inclined by an inclination θ with respect to the Z direction (horizontal direction). The liquid ejecting device 1000a controls the amount m of ink 325 applied by the head 300 using the control unit 500a, based on the height h of the liquid application position P in the vertical direction and the inclination θ of the liquid receiving surface 100b with respect to the horizontal direction at the liquid application position P. This provides the same effects as those of the liquid ejecting device 1000a described above.

[0110] [Third embodiment] Next, a liquid ejection apparatus 1000b according to a third embodiment will be described.

[0111] In this embodiment, the control unit 500b included in the liquid ejection device 1000b controls the distance d between adjacent ink droplets 325 ejected from the head 300 and applied to the liquid receiving surface 100b.

[0112] 23 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the control unit 500b. The control unit 500b includes an interval determination unit 55.

[0113] The interval determination unit 55 determines the interval d between adjacent ink 325 ejected from the head 300 and applied to the ink receiving surface 100b, based on the shape information Sd input from the acquisition unit 51. In this embodiment, the interval determination unit 55 narrows the interval d between adjacent ink 325 applied to the ink receiving surface 100b as the height h of the ink receiving surface 100b along the vertical direction increases. Furthermore, the interval determination unit 55 determines the interval d such that the change Δd in the interval d between adjacent ink 325 applied to the ink receiving surface 100b, which corresponds to a predetermined difference in elevation, increases as the inclination θ of the ink receiving surface 100b at the ink receiving position P increases.

[0114] For example, based on the shape information Sd, the interval determination unit 55 calculates the height h along the vertical direction of the application position P where the ink 325 ejected from the head 300 is applied on the application surface 100b, and the inclination θ of the application surface 100b with respect to the horizontal direction at the application position P. Based on the acquired height h and inclination θ, the interval determination unit 55 determines the interval d by referring to table 520b stored in the storage unit 511. Table 520b is a table that shows the relationship between the predetermined height h and inclination θ and the interval d. The interval determination unit 55 can output information about the interval d for each application position P to the discharge control unit 53.

[0115] <Function of Liquid Ejection Apparatus 1000b> The operation of the liquid ejection device 1000b will be described with reference to Figures 24 and 25. Figure 24 is a diagram illustrating ink ejection by the liquid ejection device 1000b. Figure 25 is a diagram illustrating ink 325 applied to the liquid ejection surface 100b by the ejection in Figure 24.

[0116] The height h4 of the application position P4 is higher than the height h6 of the application position P6. The inclination θ of the application-receiving surface 100b at the application position P6 is larger than the inclination θ of the application-receiving surface 100b at the application position P6.

[0117] The liquid ejection device 1000b makes the distance d4 between adjacent ink 325 applied to the liquid receiving surface 100b at the application position P4 narrower than the distance d6 between adjacent ink 325 applied to the liquid receiving surface 100b at the application position P6. Furthermore, the liquid ejection device 1000b makes the change Δd in the distance d between adjacent ink 325 applied to the liquid receiving surface 100b, which depends on the height difference Δh, greater the greater the inclination θ of the liquid receiving surface 100b at the application position P.

[0118] 24, the distance between adjacent ink droplets 325 at application position P4 is d4. The distance between adjacent ink droplets 325 at application position P6 is d6. The distance d4 is narrower than the distance d6. However, because the slope θ at application position P4 is smaller than the slope θ at application position P4, the difference between the distance d4 at application position P4 and the distance d6 at application position P6 is smaller than the difference in the distance d based on the difference between the heights h4 and h6.

[0119] 25, a third region 113 and a fourth region 114 are formed on the ink receiving surface 100b by applying ink 325. The third region 113 is located at a higher position in the vertical direction than the fourth region 114. The distance d between adjacent ink droplets 325 is such that the distance d4 in the third region 113 is narrower than the distance d6 in the fourth region 114. The volumes of the ink droplets applied to the third region 113 and the fourth region 114 are approximately equal.

[0120] The ink 325 applied to the receiving surface 100b has fluidity, and drips due to the action of gravity, moving from a higher position to a lower position on the receiving surface 100b. As time passes and the ink dries, the amount of movement decreases, and eventually the ink stops moving and adheres to the receiving surface 100b.

[0121] The ink amount m increases as the distance d between the ink droplets 325 on the receiving surface 100b decreases. Therefore, the ink amount m in the third region 113 is greater than the ink amount m in the fourth region 114.

[0122] 25, if ink drips occur due to the fluidity of the ink 325, some of the ink 325 applied to each of the third region 113 and the fourth region 114 will flow downward. As a result, the amount of ink at each application position P on the ink-receiving surface 100b is made substantially uniform, thereby obtaining an ink film with a substantially uniform thickness.

[0123] <Effects of the liquid ejection device 1000b> As described above, the control unit 500b included in the liquid ejection device 1000b according to this embodiment controls the distance d between adjacent ink droplets 325 ejected from the head 300 and applied to the liquid receiving surface 100b.

[0124] For example, the control unit 500b narrows the interval d between adjacent ink 325 applied to the ink receiving surface 100b as the height h of the application position P in the vertical direction increases. Furthermore, the control unit 500b performs control such that the change Δd in the interval d between adjacent ink 325 applied to the ink receiving surface 100b, which depends on the height difference Δh, increases as the inclination θ of the ink receiving surface 100b at the application position P increases.

[0125] The ink film formed on the receiving surface 100b by the ink 325 ejected from the head 300 becomes thicker the higher the height h of the application position P immediately after it is applied to the receiving surface 100b. However, the ink 325 has fluidity, and drips due to the action of gravity, causing it to flow from the thicker upper portion to the thinner lower portion. As a result, the amount of ink at each application position P along the vertical direction is roughly equalized, resulting in an ink film with a roughly uniform thickness. In this way, this embodiment can provide a liquid ejection device 1000b that has excellent ink 325 application quality on the receiving surface 100b.

[0126] The liquid ejector 1000b may control the interval d based only on the height h of the application position P. The liquid ejector 1000b may also control the ink amount m and the interval d based only on the height h of the application position P. The liquid ejector 1000b may also control the ink amount m and the interval d based on the height h of the application position P and the inclination θ of the liquid-receiving surface 100b at the application position P. Other effects of the liquid ejector 1000b than those described above are the same as those of the liquid ejector 1000 according to the first embodiment.

[0127] [Other Preferred Embodiments] The liquid discharger 1000, 1000a, or 1000b can be used for a variety of purposes. Fig. 26 is a diagram showing an example of application of the liquid discharger 1000 to a painting robot 8000. The painting robot 8000 paints the body of an automobile.

[0128] The painting robot 8000 includes a robot arm 810 that has multiple joints that allow it to move freely like a human arm, and a head 820 that ejects ink at the tip of the robot arm 810. The robot arm 810 also includes a 3D sensor 830 near the head 820.

[0129] The painting robot 8000 may be an articulated robot with an appropriate number of axes, such as five, six, or seven. The painting robot 8000 detects the position of the head 820 relative to the object 100 (a vehicle body in this embodiment) using a 3D sensor 830, and moves the robot arm 810 based on the detection result to paint the object 100. In this case, the head 300 according to the embodiment may be used as the head 820.

[0130] Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0131] In the embodiment, the liquid ejected from the head 300 may be a solution, suspension, emulsion, or the like containing a solvent such as water or an organic solvent, a colorant such as a dye or pigment, a polymerizable compound, a resin, a surfactant, or another functionality-imparting material, a biocompatible material such as DNA, amino acids, proteins, or calcium, an edible material such as a natural colorant, etc. These may be used, for example, in inkjet inks, coating materials, surface treatment solutions, liquids for forming components of electronic elements or light-emitting elements, or electronic circuit resist patterns, and material liquids for 3D modeling.

[0132] The object 100 having the receiving surface 100a means an object to which a liquid adheres and sticks, or an object to which a liquid adheres and penetrates, etc. Specific examples include recording media such as car bodies, building materials, paper, recording paper, film, and cloth, electronic components such as electronic circuit boards and piezoelectric elements, powder layers, organ models, and test cells, and unless otherwise specified, includes all objects to which a liquid adheres.

[0133] The embodiments also include a liquid ejection method. For example, the liquid ejection method is a liquid ejection method using a liquid ejection device that applies liquid to a receiving surface, in which the liquid ejection device ejects the liquid from a head to apply the liquid to the receiving surface, and a control unit controls the ejection of the liquid from the head based on the vertical height of the application position on the receiving surface where the liquid is applied. Such a liquid ejection method can achieve the same effects as the liquid ejection device described above.

[0134] The embodiments also include a program. For example, the program is a program executed by a liquid ejection device that applies liquid to a receiving surface, and causes the liquid ejection device to execute a process of ejecting the liquid from a head to apply the liquid to the receiving surface, and controlling the ejection of the liquid from the head based on the vertical height of the application position on the receiving surface where the liquid is applied. Such a program can achieve the same effects as the liquid ejection device described above.

[0135] Each function of the embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to perform each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, as well as devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and conventional circuit modules designed to perform each function described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0136] 1 carriage 2 connectors 10. Housing 11 Supply Port 12 Collection Port 51 Acquisition Department 52 Ink amount determination unit 53 Discharge control section 54 Movement control unit 72 X-direction drive unit 82 Y-direction drive unit 92 Z-direction drive unit 100 objects 100a Granted surface 101 X-axis rail 102 Y-axis rail 103 Z-axis rail 110 Moving mechanism 111 First area 112 Second area 113 Third area 114 4th area 200 supply units 230 Compressor 300, 820 head 310 Dispensing Module 311 Nozzle plate 321 Nozzle 322 Channel 324 Piezoelectric element 325 ink 326, 327 Ink film 500 control section 501 CPU 502 ROM 503 RAM 504 Interface 511 Storage section 512 Display section 513 Operation Panel 520 Table 810 Robot Arm 830 3D sensor 1000 liquid dispensing device 8000 Painting Robot X direction Main scanning direction Y direction Sub-scanning direction h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 height Δh Height difference Δm, Δm1, Δm2 Change in ink amount Δd Change in spacing m Ink amount P, P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6 Assignment position Sd shape information θ tilt [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0137] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-123942 A

Claims

1. A liquid ejection device that applies a liquid to a receiving surface, a head that ejects the liquid and applies it to the application surface; a control unit that controls the ejection of the liquid by the head based on a height, along a vertical direction, of an application position where the liquid is applied on the application surface, The control unit controlling the ejection of the liquid by the head based on a height of the application position along the vertical direction and an inclination of the application surface with respect to a horizontal direction at the application position; controlling the amount of the liquid ejected from the head; the amount of the liquid ejected from the head increases as the height of the application position increases, A liquid ejection device that controls the liquid amount to change more significantly according to a predetermined height difference as the inclination of the liquid receiving surface at the liquid ejection position increases.

2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid receiving surface has a curvature in at least one direction.

3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls a distance between adjacent liquid droplets ejected from the head and applied to the application surface.

4. The liquid ejection device according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit narrows the gap between adjacent liquids applied to the liquid receiving surface as the height of the application position along the vertical direction increases.

5. The liquid ejection device described in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the distance between adjacent liquids applied to the surface to be applied so that the greater the inclination of the surface to be applied at the application position, the greater the change in the distance in accordance with a predetermined height difference.

6. a moving mechanism that moves the application surface and the head relatively at least along a predetermined direction, A liquid ejection device described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit controls the ejection of the liquid by the head and the relative movement by the movement mechanism so that the liquid ejected from the head is applied to the receiving surface by multiple relative movements by the movement mechanism.

7. an acquisition unit that acquires shape information of the application surface, The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the ejection of the liquid by the head based on the shape information of the liquid-receiving surface acquired by the acquisition unit.

8. The head has a plurality of nozzles that eject the liquid, The plurality of nozzles applying the liquid to the application positions at different heights; The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the ejection amount is individually changeable depending on the height of the application position.

9. A liquid ejection device that applies liquid to a receiving surface, a head that ejects the liquid and applies it to the application surface; a control unit that controls the ejection of the liquid by the head based on a height, along a vertical direction, of an application position where the liquid is applied on the application surface, The control unit controlling the interval between adjacent liquids ejected from the head and applied to the application surface; A liquid ejection device that controls the interval between adjacent portions of the liquid applied to the liquid receiving surface so that the change in the interval, according to a predetermined height difference, increases as the inclination of the liquid receiving surface at the application position increases.

10. A liquid ejection method using a liquid ejection device that applies liquid to a receiving surface, comprising: The liquid ejection device The liquid is ejected from a head and applied to the surface to be applied; a control unit controls the ejection of the liquid by the head based on a height along a vertical direction of an application position where the liquid is applied on the application surface; The control unit controlling the ejection of the liquid by the head based on a height of the application position along the vertical direction and an inclination of the application surface with respect to a horizontal direction at the application position; controlling the amount of the liquid ejected from the head; the amount of the liquid ejected from the head increases as the height of the application position increases, A liquid ejection method, wherein the liquid ejection method controls the liquid amount to change more significantly according to a predetermined height difference as the inclination of the liquid receiving surface at the liquid ejection position increases.

11. A program to be executed by a liquid ejection device that applies liquid to a receiving surface, The liquid is ejected from a head and applied to the surface to be applied; a control unit controls the ejection of the liquid by the head based on a height along a vertical direction of an application position where the liquid is applied on the application surface; The control unit controlling the ejection of the liquid by the head based on a height of the application position along the vertical direction and an inclination of the application surface with respect to a horizontal direction at the application position; controlling the amount of the liquid ejected from the head; the amount of the liquid ejected from the head increases as the height of the application position increases, The greater the inclination of the surface to be dispensed at the dispense position, the greater the change in the amount of the liquid corresponding to a predetermined height difference. A program that causes the liquid ejection device to execute a process.

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