Printer device with automatic printing apparatus for flexible circuit applications

1 . A device ( 1 ) for enabling high-viscosity conductive and dielectric printing fluids, to be printed with commercial and experimental flexible circuit manufacturing practices at the universal or experimental development stage, automatically in compliance with a flexible circuit diagram and without using a flexible base material; characterized by:

at least one fluid chamber ( 10 ) which is configured to store; to mix a plurality of conductive and dielectric printing fluids at the same time independently of each other; to pump and to carry the plurality of conductive and dielectric printing during a printing operation;

at least one electronic control unit ( 20 ) which is configured to receive a file comprising the flexible circuit diagram to be printed and the printing rules; to control electrical and electromechanical members in order to enable the printing operation according to viscosity, heating, and shape information within the file; and to enable a user to control the printing operation instantly by input/output members;

a frame ( 30 ) which is configured to contain the fluid chamber ( 10 ) and the electronic control unit ( 20 );

a plurality of horizontal motion motors ( 31 ) which are located on the frame ( 30 ) and configured to apply primary and secondary horizontal axis movements in the flexible circuit diagram;

at least one heated table with a pressure sensor ( 32 ) which is located on the frame ( 30 ) and said at least one heated table configured to carry at least one pressure sensor controlling a pressure that is applied during the printing operation

of a flexible circuit and to carry a heater to heat the flexible circuit;

at least one pressure motor ( 33 ) which is driven by the horizontal motion motors ( 31 ) and configured to manage the pressure necessary in the printing operation;

at least one vertical motion member ( 34 ) which is actuated by a pressure motor ( 33 ) and configured to create a pressure by a vertical movement in the printing operation;

at least one printing member ( 40 ) which is positioned based on the vertical motion member ( 34 ) and configured to transfer the conductive or dielectric printing fluid incoming from the fluid chamber ( 10 ) during the printing of the flexible circuit to the printing surface in a controlled way; and comprises:

a flow head ( 41 ) which is located inside the printing member ( 40 ); configured to receive the conductive or dielectric printing fluid incoming from the fluid chamber ( 10 ) and to transfer the conductive or dielectric printing fluid when the pressure is applied;

a connecting pipe ( 42 ) which is located inside the printing member ( 40 ); configured to receive and transfer the conductive or dielectric printing fluid incoming from the flow head ( 41 );

a printer head ( 43 ) which is located inside the printing member ( 40 ); configured to receive the conductive or dielectric printing fluid incoming from the connecting pipe ( 42 ) and to transfer the conductive printing fluid or the dielectric printing fluid when the pressure is applied;

a valve ( 44 ) which is located inside the printing member ( 40 ); said valve configured to be in contact with the flow head ( 41 ) in a sealed way and to allow transmission of the conductive or dielectric printing fluid by cutting off contact in the sealed way of the valve with the flow head ( 41 ) when the pressure is applied to the printing surface by the printing tip ( 47 ) to the valve ( 44 );

a tie rod ( 45 ) which is located inside the printing member ( 40 ); positioned based on the valve ( 44 ); passes through the connecting pipe ( 42 ) concentrically and is configured to transmit the applied pressure to the valve ( 44 );

the pressure, that is applied to the printing surface by the printing tip ( 47 ), to the valve ( 44 );

a pressure spring ( 46 ) which is located inside the printing member ( 40 ); positioned inside the connecting pipe ( 42 ) and the printer head ( 43 ), outside the tie rod ( 45 ), and concentrically to the tie rod ( 45 ); configured to enable the valve ( 44 ) to contact the flow head ( 41 ) by the tie rod ( 45 ) when pressure is not applied to stop transmission of the conductive or dielectric printing fluid; and

a printing tip ( 47 ) which is located inside the printing member ( 40 ); positioned based on the tie rod ( 45 ); passes through the printer head ( 43 ) concentrically and contacts the printer head ( 43 ) in a sealed way; said printing tip is configured to transmit the pressure to the tie rod ( 45 ) by contacting the printing surface when the pressure is applied to the printing surface, to enable transmission of the conductive or dielectric printing fluid to the printing surface by cutting off the sealed way contact of the printing tip ( 47 ) with the printer head ( 43 ),

to stop transmission of the conductive or dielectric printing fluid to the printing surface by contacting the printer head ( 43 ) again by the pressure spring ( 46 ) when no pressure is applied.

2 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ; characterized by the fluid chamber ( 10 ) which is configured to store; to mix the plurality of conductive and dielectric printing fluids at the same time independently of each other; to pump and to carry the plurality of conductive and dielectric printing fluids during the printing operation.

3 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ; characterized by the fluid chamber ( 10 ) which is configured to store two different printing fluids—one of which has a conductive characteristic and the other one has a dielectric characteristic—and to keep each of the fluids homogeneous by mixing whereby the two different printing fluids are stored with two separate mixer motors ( 11 ) connected to the fluid chamber, to pump the two different printing fluids with two separate flow motors ( 12 ) connected to the fluid chamber independently and to carry the two different printing fluids—by receiving the two different printing fluids from two separate flow motors ( 12 ) connected to the fluid chamber.

4 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ; characterized by the electronic control unit ( 20 ) which is configured to receive the file comprising the flexible circuit diagram to be printed and the printing rules; to control electrical and electromechanical members including the flow motors ( 12 ), the horizontal motion motors ( 31 ), the heated table with pressure sensor ( 32 ), at least one pressure motor ( 33 ) in order to enable the printing operation according to the viscosity, heating and shape information within the file; and to enable the user to control the printing operation instantly by the input/output members including an internal or an external display.

5 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ; characterized by the frame ( 30 ) which is configured to keep mechanical and electromechanical members comprising the fluid chamber ( 10 ), the electronic control unit ( 20 ), and the horizontal motion motors ( 31 ), the heated table with pressure sensor ( 32 ), at least one pressure motor ( 33 ) and at least one vertical motion member ( 34 ), in position.

6 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ; characterized by the horizontal motion motors ( 31 ) which are positioned based on the frame ( 30 ) and configured to apply the primary and secondary horizontal axis movements in the flexible circuit diagram.

7 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 6 ; characterized by horizontal motion motors ( 31 ) which are configured to apply the primary and secondary horizontal axis movements in the x-axis and y-axis from Cartesian coordinates.

8 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ; characterized by the heated table with the pressure sensor ( 32 ) which is positioned based on the frame ( 30 ); configured to carry the pressure sensors controlling the pressure that is applied during the printing of the flexible circuit and to carry the heater enabled to heat the flexible circuit.

9 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 8 ; characterized in that the heated table with the pressure sensor ( 32 ) which is shaped like a rectangle; is configured to ensure that the pressure applied during printing is continuously monitored by the electronic control unit through four pressure sensors included in the corners of the heated table and the heat treatment that is desired to be applied to the flexible circuit during the printing by the heater is continuously monitored by the electronic control unit.

10 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ; characterized by the pressure motor ( 33 ) which is positioned based on the horizontal motion motors ( 31 ) and configured to manage the pressure necessary in the printing operation.

11 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 10 ; characterized by two separate pressure motors ( 33 ) which are configured to manage the pressure necessary in a printing operation of two different printing fluids, one of which has a conductive characteristic and the other one has a dielectric characteristic, at a same time.

12 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ; characterized by the vertical motion member ( 34 ) which is positioned based on a pressure motor ( 33 ) and configured to create the pressure by the vertical movement in the printing operation.

13 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 12 ; characterized by two separate vertical motion members ( 34 ) which are configured to enable the printing member ( 40 ) to contact the printing surface and to interrupt the contact by connecting to two separate pressure motors ( 33 ) and converting a precision rotary motion created by the pressure motors ( 33 ) into the vertical motion.

14 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ; characterized by the printing member ( 40 ) which is positioned based on the vertical motion member ( 34 ) and configured to transfer the conductive or dielectric printing fluid to the printing surface in the controlled way during the printing of the flexible circuit.

15 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 14 ; characterized by two separate printing members ( 40 ) which are configured to be positioned based on two separate vertical motion members ( 34 ) and concentrically with a normal direction of the heated table with the pressure sensor ( 32 ); and to transfer two different printing fluids one of which has a conductive characteristic and the other one has a dielectric characteristic to the printing surface in the controlled way.

16 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 14 ; characterized by the flow head ( 41 ) which is located inside each printing member ( 40 ), configured to receive the conductive or dielectric printing fluid incoming from the fluid chamber ( 10 ) and to transfer the conductive or dielectric printing fluid to the connecting pipe ( 42 ) when the pressure is applied.

17 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 14 ; characterized by the flow head ( 41 ) which is configured to act as a first flow control chamber providing a flow continuity of the conductive or dielectric printing fluid.

18 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 14 ; characterized by the connecting pipe ( 42 ) which is located inside each printing member ( 40 ) and configured to receive the conductive or dielectric printing fluid incoming from the flow head ( 41 ) and to transfer it the conductive or dielectric printing fluid to the printer head ( 43 ).

19 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 14 ; characterized by the printer head ( 43 ) which is configured to act as a second flow control chamber providing flow continuity of the conductive or dielectric printing fluid.

20 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 14 ; characterized by the valve ( 44 ) which is configured to contact the flow head ( 41 ) in a sealed way when no pressure is applied and upon the pressure being applied to the printing surface by the printing tip ( 47 ) and transferred by the tie rod ( 45 ), cuts sealed contact of the valve with the flow head ( 41 ) to allow transmission of the conductive or dielectric printing fluid from the first flow control chamber to the second flow control chamber in the direction of the connecting pipe ( 42 ).

21 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 14 ; characterized by the tie rod ( 45 ) which is located inside each printing member ( 40 ); positioned based on the valve ( 44 ) and the printing tip ( 47 ); said tie rod passes through the connecting pipe ( 42 ) concentrically, and is configured to transmit the pressure, that is applied to the printing surface by the printing tip ( 47 ), to the valve ( 44 ).

22 . A device ( 1 ) according to claim 14 ; characterized by the pressure spring ( 46 ) which is configured to provide sealed contact of the valve ( 44 ) to the flow head ( 41 ) again when the contact of the printing tip ( 47 ) with the printing surface is interrupted and to control an execution of the flexible circuit printing precisely.