US 12,263,679 B2
Droplet deposition apparatus and methods for determining misalignment thereof
Alan Morgan, Huntingdon (GB); Jesus Garcia Maza, Huntingdon (GB); and Kevin Gallon, Huntingdon (GB)
Assigned to Xaar Technology Limited, Huntingdon (GB)
Appl. No. 17/921,927
Filed by Xaar Technology Limited, Huntingdon (GB)
PCT Filed Apr. 27, 2021, PCT No. PCT/GB2021/051014
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 27, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/219989, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 4, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2006217 (GB), filed on Apr. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0166508 A1, Jun. 1, 2023
Int. Cl. B41J 2/145 (2006.01); B41J 2/045 (2006.01); B41J 2/155 (2006.01); B41J 2/21 (2006.01); B41J 3/54 (2006.01); B41J 11/00 (2006.01); B41J 25/00 (2006.01); B41J 29/393 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 2/145 (2013.01) [B41J 2/04505 (2013.01); B41J 2/155 (2013.01); B41J 2/2132 (2013.01); B41J 2/2135 (2013.01); B41J 2/2146 (2013.01); B41J 3/543 (2013.01); B41J 11/008 (2013.01); B41J 25/003 (2013.01); B41J 29/393 (2013.01); B41J 25/001 (2013.01); B41J 2029/3935 (2013.01); B41J 2202/21 (2013.01); B41J 2203/01 (2020.08)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A droplet deposition apparatus comprising:
a first head module and a second head module arranged in at least partially overlapping relationship, each head module having a plurality of nozzles in at least one nozzle array; and
a storage configured to store a table of determined best aligned nozzle pairs in an overlap region and at least one of: corresponding skew angles of at least one of the head modules relative to a datum of the droplet deposition apparatus, a corresponding positional offset of the first head module relative to the second head module, or a corresponding positional offset of the first head module relative to a datum of the droplet deposition apparatus, and combinations thereof;
wherein, in the overlap region, nozzles of the first head module are arranged at a first nozzle pitch and nozzles of the second head module are arranged at a second nozzle pitch; and
wherein the storage is configured to store at least two best aligned pairs in the overlap region of the first head module and the second head module, for each skew angle of at least one of the head modules.
 
13. A droplet deposition apparatus comprising:
a droplet deposition head comprising a first head module and a second head module arranged in at least partially overlapping relationship, each head module having a plurality of nozzles in at least one nozzle array; and
a storage configured to store a table of determined best aligned nozzle pairs in an overlap region and at least one of: corresponding skew angles of the droplet deposition head relative to a datum of the droplet deposition apparatus, or a corresponding positional offset of the droplet deposition head relative to a datum of the droplet deposition apparatus, and combinations thereof;
wherein, in the overlap region, nozzles of the first head module are arranged at a first nozzle pitch and nozzles of the second head module are arranged at a second nozzle pitch; and
wherein the storage is configured to store at least two best aligned pairs in the overlap region of the first head module and the second head module, for each skew angle of at least one of the head modules.
 
15. A droplet deposition apparatus comprising:
a first head module and a second head module arranged in at least partially overlapping relationship, each head module having a plurality of nozzles in at least one nozzle array, and wherein, in an overlap region, nozzles of the first head module are arranged at a first nozzle pitch and nozzles of the second head module are arranged at a second nozzle pitch; and
a storage configured to store at least one of: actual positions, or error in positions of two or more head modules in the droplet deposition apparatus, and combinations thereof;
wherein the error in position is a difference between an ideal position of the head module and the actual position of that head module; and
wherein the droplet deposition apparatus is further configured to store a table of determined best aligned nozzle pairs in the overlap region and corresponding skew angles of at least one of the head modules relative to a datum of the droplet deposition apparatus.