TUNEABLE FLAT PANEL UV EXPOSURE SYSTEM FOR SCREEN PRINTING

Abstract

The invention is directed to a tuneable flat panel UV exposure system for screen printing. The panel includes a plurality of UV LED chips where each chip is connected to multiple, independently controllable power sources and pulse width modulation circuits.

Claims

1. A UV exposure system for comprising: a panel having a plurality of UV LED chips; each of the plurality of UV LED chips connected to a plurality of controllable power sources where each power source is set at a different output value.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the panel comprises a plurality of strips where each strip includes a portion of the plurality of UV LED chips.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of power sources are connected to a controllable pulse width modulation circuit.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of power sources is adjustable.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of power sources are controlled by a programmable logic controller.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein each UV LED chip includes a plurality of different wavelength dies under a single lens.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein adjacent strips of the plurality of strips are positioned to stagger the UV LED chips.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein the pulse width modulation circuit can control a duty cycle of each chip from 0%-100% at 1 KHz.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of power sources is a constant voltage, constant current supply.

10. The system of claim 5 further including a human machine interface.

11. The system of claim 2 wherein the UV LED chips of a first strip of the plurality of strips are connected to a first set of power sources of the plurality of power sources where each of the first set of power sources is different from each other, and the UV LED chips of a second strip of the plurality of strips are connected to a second set of power sources of the plurality of power sources where each of the second set of power sources is different from each other and from each of the first set of power sources.

12. A tuneable UV exposure system for curing a substance on a substrate in a screen printing operation comprising: a panel comprising a plurality of strips, each strip containing a plurality of UV LED chips; and, a plurality of adjustable power sources connected to each of the UV LED chips on each of the plurality of strips.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein adjacent strips of the plurality of strips are positioned to stagger the UV LED chips on the adjacent strips.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of power sources are connected to a pulse width modulation circuit.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the pulse width modulation circuit can control a duty cycle of each chip from 0%-100% at 1 KHz.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of power sources are controlled by a programmable logic controller.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein each UV LED chip includes a plurality of different wavelength dies under a single lens.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the UV LED chips of a first strip of the plurality of strips are connected to a first set of power sources of the plurality of power sources where each of the first set of power sources is different from each other, and the UV LED chips of a second strip of the plurality of strips are connected to a second set of power sources of the plurality of power sources where each of the second set of power sources is different from each other and from each of the first set of power sources.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the panel is positioned to expose a surface of a substrate in a screen printing apparatus.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the substrate is an emulsion coated screen.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0020] FIG. 1 is a partial schematic top plan view of a first strip of LED chips controlled by three power sources;

[0021] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an array of a plurality of aligned strips of LED chips illustrating overlapping light exposure (i.e., emission cone) from each of the LED chips;

[0022] FIG. 3 is a side plan view of the array of FIG. 2 with a substrate surface exposed to the LED chips;

[0023] FIG. 4 is a top view of an LED panel formed from an array of a plurality of staggered strips of LED chips;

[0024] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of an array of a plurality of staggered strips of LED chips illustrating overlapping light exposer (i.e., emission cone) from each of the LED chips;

[0025] FIG. 6 is a side plan view of the array of FIG. 5 with a substrate surface exposed to the LED chips;

[0026] FIG. 7 is partial schematic top plan view of a plurality of strips of LED chips controlled by three power sources and pulse width modulators each along with a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and a user interface (HMI);

[0027] FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of an LED panel in accordance with the present invention; and,

[0028] FIG. 9 is a partial schematic top plan view of a plurality of strips of LED chips controlled by three power sources and pulse width modulators via high speed relays each along with a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and user interface (HMI).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, a three-channel LED strip 10 is shown having a plurality of LED UV light emitters or chips 12. Each chip 12 includes three different wavelength dies under a single lens. The strip 10 is electrically coupled to three separate modulated power sources 14, 16, 18. The power sources 14, 16, 18 are connected in parallel to the LED chips 12 on the strip 10. Each modulated power source 14, 16, 18 includes a CV/CC (constant voltage/constant current) Supply 20 and a PWM (pulse width modulation) generator 22. Each chip 12 on a particular strip 10 respond identically to the power sources 14, 16, 18.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 7, a PLC (programmable Logic Controller) 24 having a user interface 26 (i.e., HMIhuman machine interface) can be used to control the modulated power sources 14, 16, 18 for all the strips 10 forming an LED panel 28 (i.e. a grid of LED chips 12). Other similar devices (e.g., a computer) can be also be used for such control.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows an array 30 of three LED strips 10 (i.e., the array 30 can be an LED panel or part of a bigger LED panel). The LED chips 12 in this array 30 are aligned. Each of the LED chips 12 act as a point source of three independently controllable wavelength peaks (i.e., as controlled by the three modulated power sources 14, 16, 18). An emission cone 32 is shown in phantom for each of the chips 12. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the surface of a substrate 34 is positioned so that the emission cone 32 of each LED chip 12 overlap with adjacent, equidistant chips 12 to produce a uniform exposure at the surface 34.

[0033] FIG. 4 shows the LED panel 28 having a plurality of strips 10. Unlike the array 30 of strips 10 shown in FIG. 2, the strips 10 of the panel 28 are two different sizes (i.e., width and number of chips 12) and are alternatingly positioned so that the chips 12 in one strip 10 are staggered with respect to chips 12 from an adjacent strip 10.

[0034] FIG. 5 shows an array 36 of LED strips 10 in a staggered arrangement (i.e., similar to that shown in FIG. 4). In this arrangement, the emission cones 32 of the chips 12 overlap in a more complex pattern. This is also illustrated in the side view of FIG. 6. Moreover, every other strip can be configured to have three different wavelengths (from three different power sources and pulse width modulators) from the adjacent strips 10. In this arrangement, every two adjacent strips provide six different wavelength outputs.

[0035] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, the LED panel (or array) is preferably set at the optimum distance from the substrate 34 to ensure homogenous overlap of the emission cones 32 of each chip 12 with all adjacent chips 12 in the grid.

[0036] The LED panel 28 includes an aluminum plate 38 with specially routed termination circuit boards 40 at either end of the strips 10. A plurality of LED strips 10 are attached to the plate 38 and are soldered to the termination boards 40. The size of the panel 28 can be adjusted by adding or subtracting strips 10, as well as by adjusting the width of the strip 10 and by adding or subtracting LED chips 12 to each strip 10.

[0037] Power is fed to the termination boards 40 from three separate power supplies 14, 16, 18, each independently controlled for voltage and current output, through high speed, solid state relays 44 as shown in FIG. 9. Control inputs for the high speed relays 44 are connected to a multi-channel PWM (pulse width modulation) circuit 22 where each channel is independently controllable for a duty cycle from 0-100% at 1 KHz. Both the PWM circuit 22 and power supplies 20 can be controlled using analog outputs 42 from the programmable controller 24 and user interface 26. This results in direct, independent and precise control of spectral output (individual wavelength peak amplitude and duty cycle), timing sequence, and on/off control of the LED chips. The controller 24 can also provide for storage and recall of preset exposure routines.

[0038] Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be protected otherwise than as specifically described.