Screen printer having platen including cavity holding release fluid and fluid control system
AssigneeDuralChrome AG
InventorsJohn Cecil Harwell, Shlomo Hermon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A direct to mesh (DtM) screen printer for creating a screen stencil is provided. The DtM screen printer includes a fixture to hold a frame, which holds a pre-stretched mesh in place during application of a jettable emulsion, a platen having a cavity and an array of holes in a top surface of the platen, a non-woven fabric placed on the top surface of the platen and saturated with a release fluid located against one side of the pre-stretched mesh, and a printer carriage supporting a print head for printing the jettable emulsion on a side of the pre-stretched mesh opposite the non-woven fabric.
Claims19
A direct to mesh screen printer for creating a screen stencil, including:
- a frame to hold a pre-stretched mesh in place during application of a jettable emulsion onto the pre-stretched mesh;
- a fixture to hold the frame;
- a platen having a cavity and a top surface perforated with an array of holes, the cavity to hold a release fluid to be dispensed through the holes;
- a non-woven fabric placed on the perforated top surface and positioned to receive the released fluid dispensed through the holes and form an evenly distributed release fluid layer agamst one side of the pre-stretched mesh;
- a release fluid control system for dispensing the release fluid into the cavity of the platen and form the release fluid layer;
- and
- a printer carriage supporting a print head for printing the jettable emulsion on a side of the pre-stretched mesh opposite the platen.
A process, including:
- a direct to mesh screen printer, including a fixture to hold a frame, which holds a pre-stretched mesh in place during application of a jettable emulsion, a platen having a cavity and an array of holes in a top surface of the platen, a flat non-woven fabric located on the top surface and is located against one side of the pre-stretched mesh, and a printer carriage supporting a print head for printing the jettable emulsion on a side of the pre-stretched mesh opposite the platen;
- placing the frame in the fixture:
- dispensing the release fluid into the cavity of the platen such that the release fluid passes through the holes and saturates the non-woven fabric to form an evenly distributed release fluid layer on top of the non-woven fabric;
- bringing the platen and the mesh together such that the release fluid in the release fluid layer wets the underside of the mesh;
- printing the jettable emulsion on the mesh;
- and
- curing the jettable emulsion using UV radiation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.