# US 9,434,180 B2 · Ink jet printer, print object retaining member, and print method

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- Number: US 9,434,180 B2
- Document ID: US9434180B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/421,841
- Filed: 2013-08-23
- Published: 2015-07-30
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-08-27
- Assignees: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Akihiro Onodera; Masashi Hirano
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434180B2

## CPC

- B41J 3/4073: {Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects (B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112)}
- B41J 2/01: Ink jet
- B41J 3/40731: {Holders for objects, e. g. holders specially adapted to the shape of the object to be printed or adapted to hold several objects}
- B41M 5/0088: {by ink-jet printing}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41M: PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING, (correction of typographical errors B41J; processes for applying transfer pictures or the like B44C1/16; fluid media for correction of typographical errors by coating C09D10/00; printing textiles D06P)

## Abstract

An ink jet printer that appropriately performs printing with high accuracy on a three-dimensional object for a portable terminal is provided. The ink jet printer includes an ink jet head that discharges ink droplets, and a print object retaining section that retains a three-dimensional objects. The print object retaining section includes a shaft member extending in a direction perpendicularly intersecting a discharging direction of the ink droplets, a housing section being a shaft retaining section that retains the shaft member in a rotatable manner, a work set member being a three-dimensional object fixing member that is a fixing member fixing the three-dimensional objects relative to the shaft member, and causes the three-dimensional objects to rotate together with the shaft member by being fixed relative to the shaft member, and a rotation driving section being a rotation stopping means for stopping rotation of the shaft member at a predeterminedly set position.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ink jet printer that performs printing using an ink jet scheme on a plurality of three-dimensional objects simultaneously, wherein shapes of the plurality of three-dimensional objects are substantially identical, the ink jet printer comprising:
an ink jet head that discharges ink droplets; and
a print object retaining section that retains the plurality of three-dimensional objects being a printing target so as to face the ink jet head, wherein
each of the plurality of three-dimensional objects being the printing target at least includes, as a print surface to be printed by the ink jet printer, a first print surface, and a second print surface being a side surface relative to the first print surface,
the print object retaining section includes:
a shaft member extending in a direction perpendicularly intersecting a direction along which the ink jet head discharges ink droplets,
a shaft retaining section that retains the shaft member in a rotatable manner,
a three-dimensional object fixing member that is a fixing member fixing the plurality of three-dimensional objects relative to the shaft member, and causes the plurality of three-dimensional objects to rotate together with the shaft member by being fixed relative to the shaft member, and
a rotation stopping means for stopping rotation of the shaft member at a predeterminedly set position,
wherein the print object retaining section comprises:
a plurality of the three-dimensional object fixing members, each of which is correspondingly fixed to the shaft member,
wherein two pieces of the three-dimensional objects of the plurality of the three-dimensional objects are retained in a manner that rear surfaces of the first print surfaces in the two pieces of the three-dimensional objects face each other with the shaft member interposed therebetween,
the rotation stopping means stops the rotation of the shaft member at a first angle by which the first print surface faces the ink jet head in case of performing printing on the first print surface of the three-dimensional object, and
the rotation stopping means stops the rotation of the shaft member at a second angle by which the second print surface faces the ink jet head in case of performing printing on the second print surface of the three-dimensional object,
wherein when the first print surface is a surface larger than the second print surface, the ink jet printer performs printing on the first print surface later than printing on the second print surface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein the rotation stopping means comprises:
a stepping motor, and
a timing belt that causes the shaft member to rotate in accordance with rotation of the stepping motor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ink jet printer according to claim 1, further comprising a retaining section-driving section that relatively moves the print object retaining section relative to the ink jet head in the direction along which the ink jet head discharges the ink droplets, wherein
the retaining section-driving section causes a distance between the ink jet head and the first print surface upon printing on the first print surface, and a distance between the ink jet head and the second print surface upon printing on the second print surface to be in a range of 1.0 to 1.5 mm by relatively moving the print object retaining section relative to the ink jet head.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein
the print object retaining section comprises:
a plurality of the shaft members,
wherein
the rotation stopping means stops rotation of the plurality of the shaft members at the predeterminedly set position by causing the plurality of the shaft members to rotate with same rotation angle.

### Claim 5

A print method for performing printing using an ink jet scheme on a plurality of three-dimensional objects simultaneously, wherein shapes of the plurality of three-dimensional objects are substantially identical, the method using:
an ink jet head that discharges ink droplets; and
a print object retaining member that retains the plurality of three-dimensional objects being a printing target so as to face the ink jet head, wherein
each of the plurality of three-dimensional objects being the printing target at least includes, as a print surface to be printed by an ink jet printer, a first print surface, and a second print surface being a side surface relative to the first print surface,
the print object retaining member includes:
a shaft member extending in a direction perpendicularly intersecting a direction along which the ink jet head discharges ink droplets,
a shaft retaining section that retains the shaft member in a rotatable manner,
a three-dimensional object fixing member that is a fixing member fixing the plurality of three-dimensional objects relative to the shaft member, and causes the plurality of three-dimensional objects to rotate together with the shaft member by being fixed relative to the shaft member, and
a rotation stopping means for stopping rotation of the shaft member at a predeterminedly set position,
wherein the print object retaining section comprises:
a plurality of the three-dimensional object fixing members, each of which is correspondingly fixed to the shaft member,
wherein two pieces of the three-dimensional objects of the plurality of the three-dimensional objects are retained in a manner that rear surfaces of the first print surfaces in the two pieces of the three-dimensional objects face each other with the shaft member interposed therebetween,
the rotation stopping means stops the rotation of the shaft member at a first angle by which the first print surface faces the ink jet head in case of performing printing on the first print surface of the three-dimensional object, and
the rotation stopping means stops the rotation of the shaft member at a second angle by which the second print surface faces the ink jet head in case of performing printing on the second print surface of the three-dimensional object,
wherein when the first print surface is a surface larger than the second print surface, the ink jet printer performs printing on the first print surface later than printing on the second print surface.