JP2016150456A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing device with improved transfer efficiency.SOLUTION: A recording device includes: a head for jetting ink which is chemically cured; an intermediate transfer body which receives the ink jetted by the head and transfers the ink to a recording medium; a temporary curing part which temporarily cures the ink on the intermediate transfer body chemically from an inside of the intermediate transfer body; and a main curing part which actually cures the temporarily cured ink on the intermediate transfer body chemically from the inside of the intermediate transfer body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus.

  Conventionally, as described in, for example, Patent Document 1, an inkjet head that forms an image to be transferred on an image receiving drum by ejecting ink droplets of ultraviolet curable ink onto the image receiving drum, and before transfer A semi-curing light source, which is a pre-transfer light irradiating unit that irradiates light to the image to be transferred in the state, and a main curing that irradiates the post-transfer image formed on the recording medium in a state after the transfer. Inkjet printers with a light source were known.

JP 2011-140132 A

  However, in the ink jet printer described in Patent Document 1, since light for semi-curing the ultraviolet curable ink is irradiated from the outside of the intermediate transfer body, curing of the boundary portion in contact with the image receiving drum of the ink is applied to the ink surface. In comparison, the transfer efficiency from the image receiving drum to the recording medium is reduced, or the surface portion of the ink is hardened, so that the fixing of the ink to the recording medium is insufficient. there were.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples.

  Application Example 1 A recording apparatus according to this application example includes a head for ejecting chemically cured ink, and an intermediate for receiving the ink ejected by the head and transferring the ink to a recording medium. A transfer member, a temporary curing portion for chemically pre-curing the ink on the intermediate transfer member from the inside of the intermediate transfer member, and a main curing for chemically main-curing the ink on the pre-cured intermediate transfer member. And a section.

  According to this application example, the ink ejected onto the intermediate transfer member is temporarily cured from the inside of the intermediate transfer member, thereby creating a state where the boundary portion of the ink contacting the intermediate transfer member is harder than the ink surface. In addition, the ink can be easily peeled off from the intermediate transfer member, so that the transfer efficiency to the recording medium is improved. Also, the surface of the ink that contacts the recording medium during the transfer is relatively hard, so that the recording medium is strong. Can be fixed. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a recording apparatus having high transfer efficiency from the intermediate transfer member to the recording medium and capable of being firmly fixed to the recording medium.

  Application Example 2 The recording apparatus according to the application example described above includes a transfer auxiliary unit that sandwiches the recording medium together with the intermediate transfer member.

  According to this application example, with the ink on the intermediate transfer body and the recording medium in contact with each other, the ink is transferred to the recording medium by sandwiching them between the intermediate transfer body and the transfer auxiliary unit and applying pressure thereto. Therefore, the ink can be transferred to the recording medium more efficiently. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain an effect of further increasing the transfer efficiency from the intermediate transfer member to the recording medium.

  Application Example 3 The recording apparatus according to the application example described above is characterized in that it includes a cleaning unit that removes the ink applied onto the intermediate transfer member.

  According to this application example, for example, when the printing conditions are not optimal, the cleaning unit that removes the ink remaining on the intermediate transfer body after transfer is provided, so that the surface of the intermediate transfer body during continuous printing can be removed. Image degradation due to dirt can be prevented. Therefore, the image quality can be maintained even during continuous printing.

  Application Example 4 In the recording apparatus according to the application example, the ink is a UV curable ink, and the temporary curing unit, the main curing unit, and the cleaning unit include a UV lamp, and the UV lamp includes: It is arranged inside the intermediate transfer member.

  According to this application example, by using a combination of a UV curable ink and a UV lamp in the present invention, a temporarily cured state, a fully cured state, and the like can be created more easily.

  Application Example 5 In the recording apparatus according to the application example, there is one UV lamp, and UV irradiation is performed from the UV lamp toward each of the temporary curing unit, the main curing unit, and the cleaning unit. A UV irradiation intensity changing unit for changing the intensity is provided.

  According to this application example, for one UV lamp having a certain irradiation intensity, the provisional curing unit, the main curing unit, and the cleaning unit are each provided with a UV irradiation intensity changing unit that changes the UV irradiation intensity. By installing between the UV lamp and the intermediate transfer member, it is possible to obtain the respective UV irradiation intensities required in the temporary curing part, the main curing part, and the cleaning part, and to share the UV lamp. it can. Accordingly, the entire recording apparatus can be reduced in size, and power consumption of the recording apparatus can be suppressed.

  Application Example 6 In the recording apparatus according to the application example described above, the application surface of the intermediate transfer member to which the ink is applied has an uneven shape.

  According to this application example, for example, when the surface shape of the ink application surface of the intermediate transfer body is a micro uneven surface, the contact area between the intermediate transfer body and the UV curable ink is reduced, and recording from the intermediate transfer body is performed. The releasability when transferring the UV curable ink to the medium can be improved. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain an effect of further increasing the transfer efficiency from the intermediate transfer member to the recording medium.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a recording apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a recording apparatus according to a third embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the scale of each layer and each member is made different from the actual scale so that each layer and each member can be recognized.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a recording apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[Recording device 1]
First, the configuration of the recording apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the recording apparatus 1 includes a head 10, an intermediate transfer body 20, a temporary curing unit 30, a main curing unit 40, a cleaning unit 50, a transfer auxiliary unit 60, a UV lamp 70, and the like.

  The recording apparatus 1 ejects ink from the head 10 to the intermediate transfer member 20 and transfers the ink applied to the intermediate transfer member 20 to the recording medium M. In the present embodiment, a case where a UV curable ink is used as a chemically curable ink will be described.

<Ink>
The ink used in the recording apparatus according to this embodiment is a UV curable ink that is cured by being irradiated with ultraviolet rays (UV).

  As the viscosity of the UV curable ink, one having a viscosity corresponding to the purpose may be used, but at 25 ° C., the viscosity is preferably 3 MPa · sec or more and 20 MPa · sec or less. Thereby, the ejection from the head 10 can be facilitated, and the UV curable ink can be prevented from spreading on the recording medium M.

  Examples of the color of the UV curable ink include normal colors of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black), specific colors such as light colors of these normal colors, white, metallic, and clear, Various colors, such as a combination of these, can be mentioned and are not limited.

(Recording medium M)
The recording medium M is a recording medium to which UV curable ink ejected from the head 10 is attached. The recording medium M can be determined according to the purpose, and examples thereof include a sheet-like member, a web-like member, and a plate-like member, and more specifically, a cloth, paper, a plastic sheet, and the like. .

(Head 10)
The head 10 ejects UV curable ink that is cured by being irradiated with ultraviolet rays (UV), and examples thereof include an inkjet head. The head 10 is disposed to face the intermediate transfer member 20 and is configured to form an image on the intermediate transfer member 20.

(Intermediate transfer member 20)
The intermediate transfer body 20 receives the UV curable ink ejected by the head 10 and transfers the UV curable ink to the recording medium M. The intermediate transfer member 20 has a configuration in which an annular intermediate transfer member belt 21 is stretched around intermediate transfer member rollers 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d, and the intermediate transfer member rollers 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d have an annular shape. The intermediate transfer belt 21 rotates. At least one of the intermediate transfer rollers 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d may be a driving roller, and the remaining rollers may be driven rollers. Further, the portion of the intermediate transfer belt 21 between the intermediate transfer rollers 22a and 22d is flat and the head 10 is disposed so as to face the flat surface. Image formation is easy.

(Intermediate transfer belt 21)
The intermediate transfer body belt 21 is one of the members constituting the intermediate transfer body 20 and receives the UV curable ink ejected from the head 10 and brings it into contact with the recording medium M, whereby the UV curable ink is applied to the recording medium M. It is a ring-shaped member that bears the function of transferring. In addition, the head 10 is disposed so as to face the intermediate transfer body belt 21, and sprays UV curable ink onto the intermediate transfer body belt 21 while moving in a direction parallel to the surface direction of the intermediate transfer body belt 21. An image is formed on the belt 21. In this embodiment, the intermediate transfer belt 21 is formed of a member that transmits ultraviolet rays (UV).

  Various materials can be used as the material for the intermediate transfer belt 21 depending on the recording medium, but it is more preferable that the material can be deformed along the printing target surface of the recording medium. For example, the material is not limited as long as it is heat-resistant and ultraviolet-transmissive, and can form an image with UV curable ink. For silicon rubber, a flexible film coated with silicon resin, or UV curable ink Examples include films that do not have strong adhesiveness. In addition to silicon rubber, rubber such as urethane rubber and Teflon (registered trademark) rubber, a single material of elastomer resin, or a composite material in which the transfer surface is composed of the above materials can be exemplified, and from these, it can be selected according to the purpose do it. If the intermediate transfer belt 21 is made of such a material, the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 with the UV curable ink can be transferred by directly pressing the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 onto the recording medium. Easy to implement. Further, the thickness of the intermediate transfer belt 21 is preferably 0.1 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less.

  The hardness and thickness of the intermediate transfer belt 21 may be appropriately changed according to the shape of the recording medium. As the shape of the recording medium is more complicated, it is preferable to employ a material having a lower hardness and a thinner film thickness.

(Intermediate transfer member belt surface (application surface of UV curable ink) 21a)
The intermediate transfer belt surface 21a is the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21, and the shape thereof is preferably uneven. With such a shape, transferability can be further improved.

(Transfer auxiliary part 60)
The transfer auxiliary unit 60 sandwiches the intermediate transfer body belt 21, the UV curable ink on the intermediate transfer body belt 21, and the recording medium M together with the intermediate transfer body roller 22 b, and applies pressure to the UV on the intermediate transfer body belt 21. This is an auxiliary unit that helps to transfer the curable ink to the recording medium M.

  Next, the temporary curing unit 30, the main curing unit 40, and the cleaning unit 50 will be described. The temporary curing unit 30 chemically cures the UV curable ink applied on the intermediate transfer body 20 from the inside of the intermediate transfer body 20. The main curing unit 40 performs main curing of the UV curable ink temporarily cured by the temporary curing unit 30 from the inside of the intermediate transfer body 20. The cleaning unit 50 removes the UV curable ink remaining on the intermediate transfer body 20.

  In the present embodiment, for one UV lamp 70 set with a certain irradiation intensity, the UV irradiation intensity is changed to change the UV irradiation intensity for each of the temporary curing unit 30, the main curing unit 40, and the cleaning unit 50. Sections (first UV irradiation intensity changing unit 31, second UV irradiation intensity changing unit 41, third UV irradiation intensity changing unit 51), and installing them between the UV lamp 70 and the intermediate transfer belt 21, Each UV irradiation intensity required in each of the curing unit 30, the main curing unit 40, and the cleaning unit 50 is obtained. Thereby, since only one UV lamp is used for the recording apparatus 1, the recording apparatus 1 can be reduced in size, and the power consumption of the recording apparatus 1 can be suppressed. At this time, although not shown in FIG. 1, a partition or the like is provided so that ultraviolet rays (UV) of the UV lamp 70 do not reach the UV curable ink on the intermediate transfer belt 21 from other than the UV irradiation intensity changing portion. And good.

(Temporary curing part 30)
First, the temporary curing part 30 will be described. The temporary curing unit 30 is located upstream of the transfer auxiliary unit 60 in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 21. The pre-curing portion 30 is located inside the annular intermediate transfer belt 21 and the annular intermediate transfer belt 21, and is located between the UV lamp 70 and the intermediate transfer belt 21. 1 UV irradiation intensity changing unit 31, and UV light (UV) of UV lamp 70 that has passed the first UV irradiation intensity changing unit 31 from the inside of the annular intermediate transfer belt 21 to the UV curable ink on the intermediate transfer belt 21. ) Is cured (temporarily cured) to such an extent that the UV curable ink is not completely cured. At this time, the surface of the UV curable ink that is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (inner surface) is harder than the surface that is not in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (outer surface). . By setting the UV curable ink in such a state, the UV curable ink can be easily peeled off from the intermediate transfer belt 21 when transferred to the recording medium M, and the UV curable ink is applied to the recording medium M. It can be easily fixed.

  When the UV curable ink is thickened by the temporary curing unit 30 and cured (temporarily cured) to the extent that it is not completely cured, the surface of the UV curable ink that is not in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (outer surface). The viscosity is preferably increased to a viscosity of 1000 MPa · sec or more and 50000 MPa · sec or less, more preferably 4000 MPa · sec or more and 5000 MPa · sec or less. By increasing the viscosity of the UV curable ink within the above range, when the UV curable ink on the intermediate transfer belt 21 is transferred to the recording medium M, the UV curable ink is applied to the recording medium M without bleeding. As a result, a recording medium M on which a high-quality image is transferred can be obtained. In this specification, “to cure the UV curable ink to such an extent that it is not completely cured” refers to irradiating the UV curable ink on the intermediate transfer body 20 with ultraviolet rays (UV) to the recording medium M from the intermediate transfer body 20. It means that the UV curable ink is thickened and cured to such an extent that the image does not deteriorate when the image is transferred.

(First UV irradiation intensity changing unit 31)
The first UV irradiation intensity changing unit 31 can use anything that can change the UV irradiation intensity, and for example, a UV cut filter can be used.

(Main curing part 40)
The main curing unit 40 is located downstream of the temporary curing unit 30 and the transfer auxiliary unit 60 in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 21. The main curing unit 40 is located inside the annular intermediate transfer belt 21, and also inside the annular intermediate transfer belt 21, and is located between the UV lamp 70 and the intermediate transfer belt 21. 2 UV irradiation intensity changing unit 41, and the UV curable ink temporarily cured by the temporary curing unit 30 sandwiched between the intermediate transfer belt 21 and the recording medium M from the inside of the annular intermediate transfer belt 21 The UV curable ink is cured and fixed to the recording medium M by irradiating the ultraviolet ray (UV) of the UV lamp 70 that has passed through the second UV irradiation intensity changing unit 41.

(Second UV irradiation intensity changing unit 41)
As the second UV irradiation intensity changing unit 41, any unit that can change the UV irradiation intensity can be used. For example, a UV cut filter or the like can be used. As the UV cut filter used at this time, a filter that transmits UV more than the UV cut filter used in the first UV irradiation intensity changing unit 31 is used.

(Cleaning unit 50)
The cleaning unit 50 is located downstream of the temporary curing unit 30, the transfer auxiliary unit 60, and the main curing unit 40 in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 21. The cleaning unit 50 includes a UV lamp 70 in the annular intermediate transfer belt 21 and a third UV in the annular intermediate transfer belt 21 and between the UV lamp 70 and the intermediate transfer belt 21. The irradiation intensity changing unit 51 and a cleaning blade 52 outside the annular intermediate transfer belt 21 are included. The UV remaining from the inside of the annular intermediate transfer belt 21 without being transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 21. By irradiating the cured ink with ultraviolet rays (UV) of the UV lamp 70 that has passed through the third UV irradiation intensity changing unit 51, the UV curable ink is excessively cured and excessively cured on the intermediate transfer belt 21. The UV curable ink is scraped off by the cleaning blade 52.

(Third UV irradiation intensity changing unit 51)
As the third UV irradiation intensity changing unit 51, any unit that can change the UV irradiation intensity can be used, and for example, a UV cut filter or the like can be used. The UV cut filter used at this time is a filter that transmits UV more than the UV cut filter used in the first UV irradiation intensity changing unit 31 and the second UV irradiation intensity changing unit 41.

  Next, an operation method of the recording apparatus 1 will be described.

  First, ink that is chemically cured from the head 10 (in this embodiment, UV curable ink) is ejected. The intermediate transfer belt 21 constituting the intermediate transfer body 20 receives the UV curable ink ejected from the head 10. The intermediate transfer belt 21 is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 1 by the intermediate transfer rollers 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d. The UV curable ink on the intermediate transfer belt 21 is conveyed to the temporary curing unit 30 and is chemically temporarily cured by UV irradiation from the inside of the intermediate transfer body 20. At this time, the surface of the UV curable ink that is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (inner surface) is harder than the surface that is not in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (outer surface). . The UV curable ink temporarily cured by the provisional curing unit 30 is conveyed to a position where the transfer auxiliary unit 60 is disposed by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 21 and transferred to the recording medium M. The recording medium M is moved in the direction of the arrow by the synchronized movement of the intermediate transfer belt 21 and the transfer auxiliary unit 60. The UV curable ink transferred onto the recording medium M is transported to the main curing unit 40 and chemically cured by ultraviolet irradiation from the inside of the intermediate transfer body 20. When the printing conditions such as the UV irradiation intensity are not optimal, the UV curable ink that is not transferred to the recording medium M and remains on the intermediate transfer belt 21 is carried to the cleaning unit 50, and the inside of the intermediate transfer body 20 Is excessively cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays, and is scraped off and removed by the cleaning blade 52. Ink that is chemically cured from the head 10 (in this embodiment, UV curable ink) is ejected onto the intermediate transfer body belt 21 from which the remaining UV curable ink has been removed, and the above operation is repeated thereafter.

  As described above, according to the recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the UV curable ink on the intermediate transfer body belt 21 is irradiated with the UV lamp from the inner side of the intermediate transfer body belt 21, whereby the intermediate transfer body belt 21. The surface that is in contact with the inner surface (inner surface) can be harder than the surface that is not in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (outer surface). Is easily peeled off from the intermediate transfer belt 21, and the transfer efficiency is high. In addition, the UV curable ink is sufficiently fixed on the recording medium M, so that the UV curable ink is sufficiently fixed on the recording medium. Can do.

[Second Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a recording apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[Recording device 2]
First, the configuration of the recording apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  The recording apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment is different from the recording apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment in that UV lamps used for the main curing unit and the cleaning unit are arranged outside the intermediate transfer member.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the recording apparatus 2 includes a head 10, an intermediate transfer body 20, a temporary curing unit 30a, a main curing unit 40a, a cleaning unit 50a, a transfer auxiliary unit 60, a UV lamp 70a, an external main curing UV lamp 71, An external cleaning UV lamp 72 and the like are provided.

  The recording apparatus 2 ejects ink from the head 10 to the intermediate transfer body 20 and transfers the ink applied to the intermediate transfer body 20 to the recording medium M. In the present embodiment, a case where a UV curable ink is used as a chemically curable ink will be described.

<Ink>
The ink used in the recording apparatus according to this embodiment is a UV curable ink that is cured by being irradiated with ultraviolet rays (UV).

  As the viscosity of the UV curable ink, one having a viscosity corresponding to the purpose may be used, but at 25 ° C., the viscosity is preferably 3 MPa · sec or more and 20 MPa · sec or less. Thereby, the ejection from the head 10 can be facilitated, and the UV curable ink can be prevented from spreading on the recording medium M.

  Examples of the color of the UV curable ink include normal colors of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black), specific colors such as light colors of these normal colors, white, metallic, and clear, Various colors, such as a combination of these, can be mentioned and are not limited.

(Recording medium M)
The recording medium M is a recording medium to which UV curable ink ejected from the head 10 is attached. The recording medium M can be determined according to the purpose, and examples thereof include a sheet-like member, a web-like member, and a plate-like member, and more specifically, a cloth, paper, a plastic sheet, and the like. .

(Head 10)
The head 10 ejects UV curable ink that is cured by being irradiated with ultraviolet rays (UV), and examples thereof include an inkjet head. The head 10 is disposed to face the intermediate transfer member 20 and is configured to form an image on the intermediate transfer member 20.

(Intermediate transfer member 20)
The intermediate transfer body 20 receives the UV curable ink ejected by the head 10 and transfers the UV curable ink to the recording medium M. The intermediate transfer member 20 has a configuration in which an annular intermediate transfer member belt 21 is stretched around intermediate transfer member rollers 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d, and the intermediate transfer member rollers 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d have an annular shape. The intermediate transfer belt 21 rotates. At least one of the intermediate transfer rollers 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d may be a driving roller, and the remaining rollers may be driven rollers. Further, the portion of the intermediate transfer belt 21 between the intermediate transfer rollers 22a and 22d is flat and the head 10 is disposed so as to face the flat surface. Image formation is easy.

(Intermediate transfer belt 21)
The intermediate transfer member belt 21 is one of the members constituting the intermediate transfer member 20, and receives the UV curable ink ejected from the head 10 and brings it into contact with the recording medium M, whereby the UV curable ink is applied to the recording medium M. It is an annular member that bears the function of transferring ink. In addition, the head 10 is disposed so as to face the intermediate transfer body belt 21, and sprays UV curable ink onto the intermediate transfer body belt 21 while moving in a direction parallel to the surface direction of the intermediate transfer body belt 21. An image is formed on the belt 21. In this embodiment, the intermediate transfer belt 21 is formed of a member that transmits ultraviolet rays (UV).

  Various materials can be used as the material for the intermediate transfer belt 21 depending on the recording medium, but it is more preferable that the material can be deformed along the printing target surface of the recording medium. For example, the material is not limited as long as it is heat-resistant and ultraviolet-transmissive, and can form an image with UV curable ink. For silicon rubber, a flexible film coated with silicon resin, or UV curable ink Examples include films that do not have strong adhesiveness. In addition to silicon rubber, rubber such as urethane rubber and Teflon (registered trademark) rubber, a single material of elastomer resin, or a composite material in which the transfer surface is composed of the above materials can be exemplified, and from these, it can be selected according to the purpose do it. If the intermediate transfer belt 21 is made of such a material, the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 with the UV curable ink can be transferred by directly pressing the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 onto the recording medium. Easy to implement. Further, the thickness of the intermediate transfer belt 21 is preferably 0.1 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less.

  The hardness and thickness of the intermediate transfer belt 21 may be appropriately changed according to the shape of the recording medium. As the shape of the recording medium is more complicated, it is preferable to employ a material having a lower hardness and a thinner film thickness.

(Intermediate transfer belt surface 21a)
The intermediate transfer belt surface 21a is the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21, and the shape thereof is preferably uneven. With such a shape, transferability can be further improved.

(Transfer auxiliary part 60)
The transfer auxiliary unit 60 sandwiches the intermediate transfer body belt 21, the UV curable ink on the intermediate transfer body belt 21, and the recording medium M together with the intermediate transfer body roller 22 b, and applies pressure to the UV on the intermediate transfer body belt 21. This is an auxiliary unit that helps to transfer the curable ink to the recording medium M.

  Next, the temporary curing unit 30a, the main curing unit 40a, and the cleaning unit 50a will be described. The temporary curing unit 30 a chemically cures the UV curable ink applied on the intermediate transfer body 20 from the inside of the intermediate transfer body 20. The main curing unit 40 a is for main curing the UV curable ink temporarily cured by the temporary curing unit 30 a from the outside of the intermediate transfer body 20. The cleaning unit 50 a is for removing the UV curable ink remaining on the intermediate transfer body 20.

  In this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, each of the temporary curing unit 30a, the main curing unit 40a, and the cleaning unit 50a is provided with a separate UV lamp, and each is set with an appropriate UV irradiation intensity. To do.

(Temporary curing part 30a)
First, the temporary hardening part 30a is demonstrated. The temporary curing portion 30 a is located on the upstream side of the auxiliary transfer portion 60 in the rotational direction of the intermediate transfer belt 21. The temporary curing portion 30a is configured by an internal temporary curing UV lamp 70a inside the annular intermediate transfer belt 21, and from the inner side of the annular intermediate transfer belt 21 to UV curing ink on the intermediate transfer belt 21. By irradiating ultraviolet rays from the internal temporary curing UV lamp 70a, the UV curable ink is cured (temporarily cured) to the extent that it is not completely cured. At this time, the surface of the UV curable ink that is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (inner surface) is harder than the surface that is not in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (outer surface). . By setting the UV curable ink in such a state, the UV curable ink can be easily peeled off from the intermediate transfer belt 21 when transferring to the recording medium M. Can be easily fixed.

  When the UV curable ink is thickened by the temporary curing portion 30a and is cured to an extent that it is not completely cured (temporary curing), the surface of the UV curable ink that is not in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (outer surface). The viscosity is preferably increased to a viscosity of 1000 MPa · sec or more and 50000 MPa · sec or less, more preferably 4000 MPa · sec or more and 5000 MPa · sec or less. By increasing the viscosity of the UV curable ink within the above range, when the UV curable ink on the intermediate transfer belt 21 is transferred to the recording medium M, the UV curable ink is applied to the recording medium M without bleeding. As a result, a recording medium M on which a high-quality image is transferred can be obtained. In this specification, “to cure the UV curable ink to such an extent that it is not completely cured” refers to irradiating the UV curable ink on the intermediate transfer body 20 with ultraviolet rays (UV) to the recording medium M from the intermediate transfer body 20. It means that the UV curable ink is thickened and cured to such an extent that the image does not deteriorate when the image is transferred.

(Main curing part 40a)
The main curing unit 40 a is configured by an external main curing UV lamp 71 disposed outside the intermediate transfer belt 21, and the UV curable ink temporarily cured by the temporary curing unit 30 a is transferred by the transfer auxiliary unit 60. The medium M is subjected to main curing by an external main curing UV lamp 71 to fix the UV curable ink to the recording medium M.

(Cleaning part 50a)
The cleaning unit 50 a is located on the downstream side of the temporary curing unit 30 a and the transfer auxiliary unit 60 in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 21. The cleaning unit 50 a includes an external cleaning UV lamp 72 outside the annular intermediate transfer belt 21 and a cleaning blade 52 outside the annular intermediate transfer belt 21, and from the outside of the annular intermediate transfer belt 21. Then, the UV curable ink remaining without being transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 21 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays (UV) by an external cleaning UV lamp 72, whereby the UV curable ink is excessively cured, and the intermediate transfer belt 21. The excessively cured UV curable ink is scraped off by the cleaning blade 52.

  Next, an operation method of the recording apparatus 2 will be described.

  First, ink that is chemically cured from the head 10 (in this embodiment, UV curable ink) is ejected. The intermediate transfer belt 21 constituting the intermediate transfer body 20 receives the UV curable ink ejected from the head 10. The intermediate transfer belt 21 is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 1 by the intermediate transfer rollers 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d. The UV curable ink on the intermediate transfer belt 21 is conveyed to the temporary curing portion 30a, and chemically cured by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation from the inside of the intermediate transfer body 20. At this time, the surface of the UV curable ink that is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (inner surface) is harder than the surface that is not in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (outer surface). . The UV curable ink temporarily cured by the temporary curing unit 30 a is transported to the point where the transfer auxiliary unit 60 is disposed by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 21 and transferred to the recording medium M. The recording medium M is moved in the direction of the arrow by the synchronized movement of the intermediate transfer belt 21 and the transfer auxiliary unit 60. The UV curable ink transferred onto the recording medium M is transported to the main curing unit 40a and chemically cured by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation from the outside of the intermediate transfer body 20. When the printing conditions such as the UV irradiation intensity are not optimal, the UV curable ink that is not transferred to the recording medium M and remains on the intermediate transfer belt 21 is carried to the cleaning unit 50a, and the intermediate transfer body 20 outside. Is excessively cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays, and is scraped off and removed by the cleaning blade 52. Ink that is chemically cured from the head 10 (in this embodiment, UV curable ink) is ejected onto the intermediate transfer body belt 21 from which the remaining UV curable ink has been removed, and the above operation is repeated thereafter.

  As described above, according to the recording apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment, the UV curing ink on the intermediate transfer belt 21 is irradiated with the UV lamp from the inside of the intermediate transfer belt 21 in the temporary curing unit 30a. The surface in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (inner surface) can be harder than the surface not in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (outer surface), and is transferred to the recording medium M. At this time, the UV curable ink is easily peeled off from the intermediate transfer belt 21, so that the transfer efficiency is high, and the UV curable ink is sufficiently fixed on the recording medium M, so that the UV curable ink is fixed to the recording medium. A sufficient recording device can be obtained. In addition, by performing the main curing outside the intermediate transfer body 20 in the main curing unit 40a and the cleaning unit 50a, the life of the intermediate transfer body belt 21 can be extended. Further, by performing the main curing outside the intermediate transfer body 20 in the main curing unit 40a, fine adjustment according to the material of the recording medium M such as the direction of ultraviolet irradiation can be performed.

[Third Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a recording apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[Recording device 3]
First, the configuration of the recording apparatus 3 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  The recording apparatus 3 according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes a head 10, an intermediate transfer body 20, a temporary curing unit 30b, a main curing unit 40b, a cleaning unit 50b, a transfer auxiliary unit 60, and heat sources 32, 42, and 53. Yes.

  The recording apparatus 3 ejects ink from the head 10 to the intermediate transfer body 20 and transfers the ink applied to the intermediate transfer body 20 to the recording medium M. In the present embodiment, a case where a thermosetting ink is used as the chemically curable ink will be described.

<Ink>
The ink used in the recording apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention is a thermosetting ink that cures when heat is applied.

  As the viscosity of the thermosetting ink, one having a viscosity corresponding to the purpose may be used, but at 25 ° C., a viscosity of 3 MPa · sec or more and 20 MPa · sec or less is preferable. Thereby, the ejection from the head 10 can be facilitated, and the thermosetting ink can be prevented from spreading on the recording medium M.

  Examples of the color of the thermosetting ink include normal colors of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black), light colors of these normal colors, specific colors such as white, metallic, and clear, these Various colors, such as a combination of these, can be mentioned and are not limited.

(Recording medium M)
The recording medium M is a recording medium to which thermosetting ink ejected from the head 10 is attached. The recording medium can be determined according to the purpose, and examples thereof include a sheet-like member, a web-like member, and a plate-like member, and more specifically, a cloth, paper, a plastic sheet, and the like. .

(Head 10)
The head 10 ejects thermosetting ink that is cured when heat is applied, and examples thereof include an inkjet head. The head 10 is disposed to face the intermediate transfer member 20 and is configured to form an image on the intermediate transfer member 20.

(Intermediate transfer member 20)
The intermediate transfer body 20 receives the thermosetting ink ejected by the head 10 and transfers the thermosetting ink to the recording medium M. The intermediate transfer member 20 has a configuration in which an annular intermediate transfer member belt 21 is stretched around intermediate transfer member rollers 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d, and the intermediate transfer member rollers 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d have an annular shape. The intermediate transfer belt 21 rotates. At least one of the intermediate transfer rollers 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d may be a driving roller, and the remaining rollers may be driven rollers. Further, the portion of the intermediate transfer belt 21 between the intermediate transfer rollers 22a and 22d is flat and the head 10 is disposed so as to face the flat surface. Image formation is easy.

(Intermediate transfer belt 21)
The intermediate transfer body belt 21 is one of the members constituting the intermediate transfer body 20 and receives the thermosetting ink ejected from the head 10 and brings it into contact with the recording medium M, whereby the thermosetting ink is applied to the recording medium M. It is a ring-shaped member that bears the function of transferring. In addition, the head 10 is disposed so as to face the intermediate transfer body belt 21, and sprays thermosetting ink onto the intermediate transfer body belt 21 while moving in a direction parallel to the surface direction of the intermediate transfer body belt 21. An image is formed on the belt 21. In the present embodiment, the intermediate transfer belt 21 is formed of a member that transfers heat.

  Various materials can be used as the material for the intermediate transfer belt 21 depending on the recording medium, but it is more preferable that the material can be deformed along the printing target surface of the recording medium. For example, the material is not limited as long as it is heat-resistant and capable of forming an image with a thermosetting ink, and has a strong adhesion to silicon rubber, a flexible film coated with a silicone resin, or thermosetting ink. The film which does not have is mentioned. If the intermediate transfer belt 21 is made of such a material, the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 on which the thermosetting ink is present can be transferred by directly pressing it against the recording medium. Easy to implement. Further, the thickness of the intermediate transfer belt 21 is preferably 0.1 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less.

  The hardness and thickness of the intermediate transfer belt 21 may be appropriately changed according to the shape of the recording medium. As the shape of the recording medium is more complicated, it is preferable to employ a material having a lower hardness and a thinner film thickness.

(Intermediate transfer belt surface 21a)
The intermediate transfer belt surface 21a is the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21, and the shape thereof is preferably uneven. With such a shape, transferability can be further improved.

(Transfer auxiliary part 60)
The transfer auxiliary unit 60 sandwiches the intermediate transfer belt 21, the thermosetting ink on the intermediate transfer belt 21, and the recording medium M together with the intermediate transfer roller 22 b, and applies pressure to apply heat to the intermediate transfer belt 21. This is an auxiliary unit that helps to transfer the curable ink to the recording medium M.

  Next, the temporary curing unit 30b, the main curing unit 40b, and the cleaning unit 50b will be described. The temporary curing unit 30b chemically cures the thermosetting ink applied on the intermediate transfer body 20 from the inside of the intermediate transfer body 20. The main curing unit 40 b is for main curing the thermosetting ink temporarily cured by the temporary curing unit 30 b from the inside of the intermediate transfer body 20. The cleaning unit 50b removes the thermosetting ink remaining on the intermediate transfer body 20.

(Temporary curing part 30b)
First, the temporary hardening part 30b is demonstrated. The temporary curing portion 30 b is located on the upstream side of the auxiliary transfer portion 60 in the rotational direction of the intermediate transfer belt 21. The temporary curing portion 30b includes a first heat source 32 inside the annular intermediate transfer belt 21, and from the inside of the annular intermediate transfer belt 21 to the thermosetting ink on the intermediate transfer belt 21, By applying heat using the first heat source 32, the thermosetting ink is cured (temporarily cured) to the extent that it is not completely cured. At this time, the surface of the thermosetting ink that is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (inner surface) is harder than the surface that is not in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (outer surface). . By setting the thermosetting ink in such a state, when transferring to the recording medium M, the thermosetting ink can be easily peeled off from the intermediate transfer belt 21, and the thermosetting ink is applied to the recording medium M. It can be easily fixed.

  When the thermosetting ink is thickened by the temporary curing unit 30b and cured (preliminary curing) to the extent that it is not completely cured, the surface of the thermosetting ink that is not in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (outer surface). The viscosity is preferably increased to a viscosity of 1000 MPa · sec or more and 50000 MPa · sec or less, more preferably 4000 MPa · sec or more and 5000 MPa · sec or less. By increasing the viscosity of the thermosetting ink within the above range, when the thermosetting ink on the intermediate transfer belt 21 is transferred to the recording medium M, the thermosetting ink does not spread on the recording medium M without bleeding. As a result, a recording medium M on which a high-quality image is transferred can be obtained. In this specification, “to cure the thermosetting ink to such an extent that it is not completely cured” refers to transferring heat from the intermediate transfer body 20 to the recording medium M by applying heat to the thermosetting ink on the intermediate transfer body 20. It means that the thermosetting ink is thickened and cured to such an extent that the image does not sometimes deteriorate.

(Main curing part 40b)
The main curing unit 40 b is located downstream of the temporary curing unit 30 b and the transfer auxiliary unit 60 in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 21. The main curing portion 40b is composed of a second heat source 42 inside the annular intermediate transfer belt 21, and between the intermediate transfer belt 21 and the recording medium M from the inside of the annular intermediate transfer belt 21. Heat is applied to the thermosetting ink that is temporarily cured by the temporary curing unit 30b, using the second heat source 42, so that the thermosetting ink is cured and fixed to the recording medium M. At this time, the temperature of the second heat source 42 is set higher than the temperature of the first heat source 32 used in the temporary curing unit 30b.

(Cleaning part 50b)
The cleaning unit 50b is located downstream of the temporary curing unit 30b, the transfer auxiliary unit 60, and the main curing unit 40b in the rotational direction of the intermediate transfer belt 21. The cleaning unit 50b includes a third heat source 53 inside the annular intermediate transfer belt 21 and a cleaning blade 52 outside the annular intermediate transfer belt 21. From the inside of the annular intermediate transfer belt 21, By applying heat to the thermosetting ink remaining without being transferred onto the intermediate transfer body belt 21 using the third heat source 53, the thermosetting ink is excessively cured, and on the intermediate transfer body belt 21, The excessively cured thermosetting ink is scraped off by the cleaning blade 52.

  Next, an operation method of the recording apparatus 3 will be described.

  First, ink that is chemically cured from the head 10 (in this embodiment, thermosetting ink) is ejected. The intermediate transfer belt 21 constituting the intermediate transfer body 20 receives the thermosetting ink ejected from the head 10. The intermediate transfer belt 21 is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 1 by the intermediate transfer rollers 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d. The thermosetting ink on the intermediate transfer body belt 21 is conveyed to the temporary curing portion 30b and chemically temporarily cured by heating from the inside of the intermediate transfer body 20. At this time, the surface of the thermosetting ink that is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (inner surface) is harder than the surface that is not in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 (outer surface). . The thermosetting ink temporarily cured by the temporary curing unit 30 b is transported to the point where the transfer auxiliary unit 60 is disposed by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 21 and transferred to the recording medium M. The recording medium M is moved in the direction of the arrow by the synchronized movement of the intermediate transfer belt 21 and the transfer auxiliary unit 60. The thermosetting ink transferred onto the recording medium M is conveyed to the main curing unit 40b and chemically main-cured by heating from the inside of the intermediate transfer body 20. When the printing conditions such as the temperature of the heat source are not optimal, the thermosetting ink that is not transferred to the recording medium M and remains on the intermediate transfer body belt 21 is carried to the cleaning unit 50b and from the inside of the intermediate transfer body 20. Is excessively cured by heating, and scraped off by the cleaning blade 52 and removed. The thermosetting ink is ejected from the head 10 onto the intermediate transfer belt 21 from which the remaining thermosetting ink has been removed, and the above operation is repeated thereafter.

  As described above, according to the recording apparatus 3 according to the present embodiment, the thermosetting ink on the intermediate transfer belt 21 is brought into contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21 by applying heat from the inside of the intermediate transfer belt 21. The surface (inner surface) that is in contact can be harder than the surface (outer surface) that is not in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 21, and the thermosetting ink is intermediate when transferring to the recording medium M. Since the transfer belt 21 is easily peeled off, the transfer efficiency is high, and the thermosetting ink is sufficiently fixed on the recording medium M, so that the thermosetting ink can be sufficiently fixed on the recording medium. .

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and improvements can be added to the above-described embodiment. A modification will be described below.

  (Modification 1) In the recording apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, each of the temporary curing unit 30, the main curing unit 40, and the cleaning unit 50 is applied to one UV lamp 70 having a certain irradiation intensity. A UV irradiation intensity changing unit (a first UV irradiation intensity changing unit 31, a second UV irradiation intensity changing unit 41, a third UV irradiation intensity changing unit 51) for changing the UV irradiation intensity is provided, and these are included in the UV lamp 70 and the intermediate transfer belt 21. Are installed in between, the respective UV irradiation intensities required in each of the temporary curing unit 30, the main curing unit 40, and the cleaning unit 50 are obtained, but there may be a plurality of UV lamps, In this case, the irradiation intensity of the UV lamp is set as convenient, and the UV irradiation intensity changing unit can be omitted if it is not necessary.

  (Modification 2) In FIG. 1 showing the recording apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, FIG. 2 showing the recording apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 3 showing the recording apparatus 3 according to the third embodiment. The transfer auxiliary portion 60 is represented by a roller. This is because the intermediate transfer body belt 21, the ink on the intermediate transfer body belt 21, and the recording medium M are sandwiched together with the intermediate transfer body roller 22 b, and pressure is applied. As long as it helps to transfer the ink on the transfer belt 21 to the recording medium M, it is not limited to a roller shape, and may have other shapes. For example, a plate shape may be used.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 2, 3 ... Recording apparatus, 10 ... Head, 20 ... Intermediate transfer body, 21 ... Intermediate transfer body belt, 21a ... Intermediate transfer body belt surface, 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d ... Intermediate transfer body roller, 30, 30a , 30b ... Temporary curing unit, 31 ... First UV irradiation intensity changing unit, 32 ... First heat source, 40, 40a, 40b ... Main curing unit, 41 ... Second UV irradiation intensity changing unit, 42 ... Second heat source, 50, 50a , 50b ... cleaning unit, 51 ... third UV irradiation intensity changing unit, 52 ... cleaning blade, 53 ... third heat source, 60 ... transfer auxiliary unit, 70 ... UV lamp, 70a ... internal temporary curing UV lamp, 71 ... external main curing. UV lamp, 72. External cleaning UV lamp.

Claims (6)

A head for ejecting chemically cured ink;
An intermediate transfer member for receiving the ink ejected by the head and transferring the ink to a recording medium;
A temporary curing portion that chemically temporarily cures the ink on the intermediate transfer body from the inside of the intermediate transfer body;
And a main curing unit that chemically cures the ink on the intermediate transfer body that has been temporarily cured. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,
A recording apparatus comprising: a transfer auxiliary unit that sandwiches the recording medium together with the intermediate transfer member. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
A recording apparatus comprising a cleaning unit for removing the ink applied on the intermediate transfer member. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The ink is a UV curable ink;
The temporary curing part, the main curing part, and the cleaning part include a UV lamp,
The recording apparatus, wherein the UV lamp is arranged inside the intermediate transfer member. The recording apparatus according to claim 4,
The UV lamp is one;
A recording apparatus comprising: a UV irradiation intensity changing unit that changes a UV irradiation intensity irradiated from the UV lamp toward each of the temporary curing unit, the main curing unit, and the cleaning unit. In the recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an application surface of the intermediate transfer member to which the ink is applied has an uneven shape.

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