Screen printing apparatus and screen printing method

The present invention relates to a screen-printing apparatus and a screen-printing method in which a pattern of paste is printed on the surface of a printing medium positioned with respect to a mask having pattern holes.

In a screen printing operation of allowing a conductive material in a paste phase (conductive paste: hereinafter, simply referred to as “paste”) to stay in pattern holes formed in a mask and printing a pattern on the surface of a printing medium, the paste remains in the pattern holes at the time of separating the printing medium from the mask after printing and thus the amount of paste printed on the surface of the printing medium becomes lack, thereby causing printing failure. In the past, in order to better pull the paste out of the pattern holes, there have been suggested a method of separating the mask and the printing medium from each other at a very low speed (see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2) and a method of performing a plate separating operation in a state where an end of the mask is allowed to move more upward than the other end and a plate separation angle of the mask about the printing medium is kept constant (see Patent Document 3).

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-185580

[Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-244203

[Patent Document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-314802

However, in the plate separation methods disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a phenomenon of warping downwardly with the lowering of the printing medium occurs in the mask due to the adhesive force of paste. In addition, since the plate separation is started from an end of the printing medium and the center portion is finally separated, a high-speed plate separation is instantaneously caused at the center portion of the printing medium by an upward resilient restoring force acting on the mask and an operation of pulling out the paste is deteriorated, thereby easily causing printing failure. In the plate separation method disclosed in Patent Document 3, there is a problem in that it is necessary to add a moving mechanism to the mask and the plate separation method is not applicable to a printing apparatus employing a metal mask which has high rigidity and is not deformed easily.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a screen printing apparatus and a screen printing method which can enhance a plate separating property after a printing operation regardless of a type of a mask, thereby suppressing occurrence of printing failure.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a screen printing apparatus for printing a pattern of paste on the surface of a printing medium which is positioned with respect to a mask having predetermined pattern holes therein, the screen printing apparatus comprising: mask supporting means for supporting the mask from the rear surface thereof; holding means for holding the printing medium; posture changing means for changing a posture of the printing medium held by the holding means between a parallel posture parallel to the mask and a tilted posture tilted about the mask; and lifting means for lifting the holding means so as to contact and separate the surface of the printing medium with or from the rear surface of the mask.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a screen printing method of printing a pattern of paste on the surface of a printing medium which is positioned with respect to a mask having predetermined pattern holes therein, the screen printing apparatus comprising the steps of: bringing the surface of the printing medium into contact with the rear surface of the mask; printing a pattern on the surface of the printing medium; and separating the printing medium from the mask, wherein the step of separating the printing medium from the mask includes a step of tilting the printing medium about the mask.

According to the invention, by slowing separated the printing medium from the mask from one end of the printing medium to the other end thereof, it is possible to enhance a plate separating property between the printing medium and the mask, thereby suppressing occurrence of printing failure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a screen printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2(a) is a plan view illustrating lifting means of the screen printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2(b) is a side view illustrating the lifting means of the screen printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 2(c) is a side view illustrating the lifting means of the screen printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the screen printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a printing operation of the screen printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a plate separating state between a mask and a printing medium in the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a plate separating state between a mask and a printing medium in the first embodiment of the invention.

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