Abstract: In a forward movement, an article is conveyed to a printing device via a transfer position while being kept mounted in a first holder for printing by the printing device. The article is returned to the transfer position together with the first holder after printing. An article to be printed after the above article is mounted into a second holder in parallel with at least a part of the forward movement, the printing and a return movement. This is capable of printing on the articles in a short throughput time also when the articles are those having a three-dimensional shape such as bottles and in-vehicle components.

Abstract: In a forward movement, an article is conveyed to a printing device via a transfer position while being kept mounted in a first holder for printing by the printing device. The article is returned to the transfer position together with the first holder after printing. An article to be printed after the above article is mounted into a second holder in parallel with at least a part of the forward movement, the printing and a return movement. This is capable of printing on the articles in a short throughput time also when the articles are those having a three-dimensional shape such as bottles and in-vehicle components.

Abstract: A carrier and a substrate are aligned even if an imager cannot be simultaneously focused on alignment marks formed on both the carrier and the substrate. Center of gravity positions G1m of an alignment pattern element AP1 on a substrate and G2m of an alignment pattern element AP2 on a transparent blanket are calculated by image processing from an image IM imaged via the blanket by a CCD camera. The position of the center of gravity Gm2 is specified by a process associated with edge extraction from the image imaged with the alignment pattern element AP2 on the blanket being in focus. High spatial frequency components are removed and low frequency components are extracted for the alignment pattern element AP1 on the substrate imaged out of focus to have a blurred outline, and the position of the center of gravity G1m is specified from an extraction result.

Abstract: The supply of a negative pressure to an opening P(+1) adjacent to an opening P(0) is stopped by switching a suction valve connected to the opening P(+1) from an open state to a closed state while keeping a positive pressure valve connected thereto closed. Then, near the opening P(+1), a force for holding a blanket becomes gradually weaker against a pressure force in a pressurized space. Associated with that, an air component in the pressurized space flows into a space between a portion of the blanket vertically above the opening P(+1) and an upper surface, whereby the blanket portion is lifted from the upper surface and brought into contact with the lower surface of a printing plate. In this way, a contact area is slowly and stably widened while a sudden change of a pressure in the pressurized space SP5 is suppressed.

Abstract: A print section patterns a coating layer to form a pattern layer on a carrier and then transfers the pattern layer to a substrate. A controller obtains a first carrier thickness by measuring the thickness of the carrier carrying the coating layer and adjusts a gap between the carrier carrying the coating layer and the printing plate based on the first carrier thickness immediately before the coating layer is patterned. The controller also obtains a second carrier thickness by measuring the thickness of the carrier carrying the pattern layer and adjusts a gap between the carrier carrying the pattern layer and the substrate based on the second carrier thickness immediately before the pattern layer is transferred.

Abstract: A transfer apparatus includes a plurality of holders respectively coming into contact with a carrier and a roller member. Each of the holders is sequentially separated from the carrier in accordance with a movement of the roller member, moves to a retracted position where the holder does not interfere with the roller member, comes into contact with the other surface of the carrier again after the passage of the roller member, and moves in the direction away from the carrier while sucking the carrier by the suction unit.

Abstract: In a detaching apparatus, a detachment starter bends one end part of a first plate-like body into a cylindrical or prismatic surface in a direction opposite to a second plate-like body, thereby forming a single and straight boundary line between an adhering region and a detached region. A separator increases a distance between a first holder holding the first plate-like body and a second holder holding the second plate-like body to separate the first and second plate-like bodies.

Abstract: A pattern forming apparatus comprises: a first holder which holds a blanket carrying a pattern forming material on one surface in a horizontal posture with a carrying surface for the pattern forming material faced up; a second holder which holds a plate for patterning the pattern forming material or a substrate, to which a pattern is transferred, as a processing object such that the processing object is proximate to and facing the carrying surface of the blanket held on the first holder; and a push-up unit which partially pushes up an effective area in a central part of the blanket from a lower surface side of the blanket to bring the effective area into contact with the processing object held on the second holder and moves along the lower surface of the blanket to change a push-up position of the blanket.

Abstract: The supply of a negative pressure to an opening P(+1) adjacent to an opening P(0) is stopped by switching a suction valve connected to the opening P(+1) from an open state to a closed state while keeping a positive pressure valve connected thereto closed. Then, near the opening P(+1), a force for holding a blanket becomes gradually weaker against a pressure force in a pressurized space. Associated with that, an air component in the pressurized space flows into a space between a portion of the blanket vertically above the opening P(+1) and an upper surface, whereby the blanket portion is lifted from the upper surface and brought into contact with the lower surface of a printing plate. In this way, a contact area is slowly and stably widened while a sudden change of a pressure in the pressurized space SP5 is suppressed.

Abstract: A print section patterns a coating layer to form a pattern layer on a carrier and then transfers the pattern layer to a substrate. A controller obtains a first carrier thickness by measuring the thickness of the carrier carrying the coating layer and adjusts a gap between the carrier carrying the coating layer and the printing plate based on the first carrier thickness immediately before the coating layer is patterned. The controller also obtains a second carrier thickness by measuring the thickness of the carrier carrying the pattern layer and adjusts a gap between the carrier carrying the pattern layer and the substrate based on the second carrier thickness immediately before the pattern layer is transferred.

Abstract: A carrier and a substrate are aligned even if an imager cannot be simultaneously focused on alignment marks formed on both the carrier and the substrate. Center of gravity positions G1m of an alignment pattern element AP1 on a substrate and G2m of an alignment pattern element AP2 on a transparent blanket are calculated by image processing from an image IM imaged via the blanket by a CCD camera. The position of the center of gravity Gm2 is specified by a process associated with edge extraction from the image imaged with the alignment pattern element AP2 on the blanket being in focus. High spatial frequency components are removed and low frequency components are extracted for the alignment pattern element AP1 on the substrate imaged out of focus to have a blurred outline, and the position of the center of gravity G1m is specified from an extraction result.

Abstract: A second plate is disposed opposing to a first plate. The second plate is supported by three supporting members which are disposed in a circle about a central axis. The supporting members are provided with extensible portions, respectively and are arranged to be able to extend and contract in a moving direction. A control unit drives to extend and to contract the extensible portions independently to displace the second plate in the moving direction at the supporting portion at which the supporting members support the second plate. Hence, the relative tilt of the second plate relative to the first plate is corrected.

Abstract: Using a mixture of (BAYTRON P) of PEDT (polyethylene dioxythiophene) and PSS (polystyrene sulfonic acid) as a hole transportation material and using water and ethanol as polar solvents, a coating composition having a contact angle of 35 degrees or smaller with respect to an ITO layer is obtained. The coating composition is then poured for coating upon exposed surfaces of first electrodes (ITO) 4R, 4G and 4B enclosed by barrier walls 6. Thus applied coating composition uniformly spreads all over the first electrodes 4R, 4G and 4B. As the coating composition naturally dries at a room temperature for about fifteen seconds, the solvents are removed from the coating composition.