US 9,832,428 B2Granted

Fast measurement of droplet parameters in industrial printing system

AssigneeKateeva, Inc.

InventorsChristopher Hauf, Eliyahu Vronsky

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Abstract

A droplet measurement system (DMS) is used in concern with an industrial printer used to fabricate a thin film layer of a flat panel electronic device. A clear tape serves as a printing substrate to receive droplets from hundreds of nozzles simultaneously, while an optics system photographs the deposited droplets through the tape (i.e., through a side opposite the printhead). This permits immediate image analysis of deposited droplets, for parameters such as per-nozzle volume, landing position and other characteristics, without having to substantially reposition the DMS or printhead. The tape can then be advanced and used for a new measurement. By providing such a high degree of concurrency, the described system permits rapid measurement and update of droplet parameters for printers that use hundreds or thousands of nozzles, to provide a real-time understanding of per-nozzle expected droplet parameters, in a manner that can be factored into print planning.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A modular system for use in measuring a parameter associated with droplet ejection by nozzles of a printhead in a printing system, the modular system comprising:

a chassis for the modular system, the chassis defining a top surface and a window in the top surface;
a film having a first side and a second side, the second side to be supported by the top surface, the first side to be positioned proximate to the printhead at a portion of the film between the printhead and the window, so as to provide a substrate to receive ink droplets from the nozzles;
an image capture subsystem mounted by the chassis, the image capture subsystem positioned so as to capture a first image through the second side of the film and through the window, the first image representing a first plurality of the ink droplets received from a first set of respective nozzles of the printhead, the image capture subsystem to generate an output signal to convey the captured image representing the first plurality of the ink droplets to an image processing system;
and
a mechanism mounted by the chassis to advance the film relative to the chassis, so as to position a fresh portion of the film for an ensuing image capture process in which a second plurality of droplets are received on the first side of the film from a second set of the nozzles of the printhead, the advancement of the film not requiring repositioning of either the printhead or the image capture subsystem, the capture of the second plurality of the droplets not requiring repositioning of the image capture subsystem relative to the chassis;
wherein the printer system is to transport said modular system as a unit relative to the printhead in order to capture said first image and said ensuing image.

3 more elements

An apparatus, comprising:

a printer to receive a first substrate, the printer having a printhead with nozzles, the nozzles to eject an ink onto the first substrate, the ink comprising a liquid that is to be hardened on the first substrate to form a permanent layer of an electronic device thereon, the permanent layer of the electronic device having a thickness;
and
a system for use in measuring a parameter associated with droplet ejection by the nozzles of the printhead, the system comprising
a film having a first side and a second side, the first side to be positioned proximate to the printhead so as to provide a second substrate to receive ink droplets from the nozzles;
an image capture subsystem positioned so as to capture an image through the second side of the film, the image representing the ink droplets received from the nozzles at positions respective to the nozzles, the image capture subsystem to generate an output signal to convey the captured image to an image processing system, and
a mechanism to advance the film so as to position a fresh portion of the film for ensuing image capture process in which droplets are received on the first side of the film from nozzles of the printhead, the advancement of the film not requiring required repositioning of either the printhead or the image capture subsystem.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/840,343Filed 31 Aug 2015 · continuation in part
Priority: 27 Dec 2012
Published: US 2015/0099059 A124 Dec 2015
Granted: 28 Nov 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H04N 7/18
Television systems: closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
B41J 2/0456
Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits: detecting drop size, volume or weight
B41J 2/04561
Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits: detecting presence or properties of a drop in flight
B41J 2/04581
Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits: controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements

Family

Application61/746,545Us provisional application · filed 27 Dec 2012
Application61/816,696Us provisional application · filed 26 Apr 2013
Application61/822,855Us provisional application · filed 13 May 2013
Application61/842,351Us provisional application · filed 2 Jul 2013
Application61/857,298Us provisional application · filed 23 Jul 2013
Application61/866,031Us provisional application · filed 14 Aug 2013
Application61/898,769Us provisional application · filed 1 Nov 2013
PCT/US2013/077720Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Dec 2013
Application61/920,715Us provisional application · filed 24 Dec 2013
Application14/162,525Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Jan 2014
PCT/US2014/035193Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Apr 2014
Application14/340,403Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Jul 2014
Application62/044,958Us provisional application · filed 2 Sep 2014
US 9,010,899 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 21 Apr 2015
US 2015/0373305 A1Pre-grant publication · published 24 Dec 2015
US 9,352,561 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application14/162,525Parent of this continuation
US 2014/0184683 A1Published application
US 2015/0099059 A1Published application
US 9,832,428 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.