JPH05301413A - Ink jet recording apparatus, preparation of ink jet printed item and ink jet recorded item - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make the distance between a recording medium and a recording head properly controllable and to avoid to bring the recording medium into contact with the recording head. CONSTITUTION:A carriage 9 has a moving part 91 and a head unit 86 movably provided in the left and right direction shown in the figure on the moving part 91 along a rail 89. The head unit 86 is moved in the left and right direction shown in the figure by rotating a feed screw 88 by driving a motor 87. A spring 90 is hanged on the head unit 86 and the moving part 91 to energize the head unit 86 in the left direction shown in the figure but the gap 1 between the recording head 10 and the platen 41 is held at a specified amt. by bringing the head unit 86 into contact with a stopper 91a. When abnormality of carrying of a recording medium is detected by means of a detecting device, the head unit 86 is retreated by the motor 87 to widen the gap 1 between the recording head 10 and the recording medium.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium such as cloth by ejecting ink from a recording head in accordance with an image signal or an original image, and a method for producing an ink jet recorded matter. Further, the present invention relates to an inkjet recorded matter manufactured by the inkjet recording apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, recording devices using various image forming means have been put into practical use. In particular, for full-color image formation, an inkjet recording device has been attracting attention. This is because the inkjet recording apparatus is a recording method in which ink is ejected from the ejection port of the recording head as droplets to perform dot recording, which is an advantageous recording method in terms of device configuration, running cost, and the like. Generally, in this recording method, a recording head having an ejection port array having a predetermined width (about 16 mm) is sequentially and relatively scanned with respect to a recording material to perform recording and printing. ing.

In such a recording apparatus, the gap between the recording head and the recording material, that is, the recording medium is set to an optimum set amount, and when the recording can be performed, this gap is constant at the set amount. ..

Next, a dyeing recording apparatus which is an example of the recording apparatus, and a textile printing apparatus which is a typical example thereof will be described.

As a typical printing apparatus used before, there is one which uses a silk screen printing method in which a silk screen printing plate is used to directly print on a cloth or the like. The screen printing method is a method in which an original image to be printed is made into a screen plate for each color used in the original image, and the ink is directly transferred to the cloth of the ink through the eyes of the silk for dyeing.

However, in such a screen printing method, in addition to requiring a great number of steps and days for producing the screen printing plate, it is necessary to mix inks of respective colors required for printing and to align the screen printing plate. Further, the apparatus is large in size in proportion to the number of colors to be used and requires an installation space, and a storage space for the screen plate is also required.

As a technique for improving this, there is a technique for directly printing on a cloth as a recording material by using an ink jet recording method in which a minute ink is ejected to form an image. Further, as a system of this technique, it is also possible to read an original image into a computer by a reading device and send a recording signal to the inkjet recording unit after processing various images to perform processing.

[0008] By using such a technique, the screen plate used for the screen marking is not required, and the process and the number of days until printing on the cloth can be greatly shortened and the apparatus can be downsized. As a matter of course, since image information for printing can be stored in a medium such as a tape, a floppy disk, an optical disk, the storage property and the storage property are excellent. Further, it is possible to easily carry out processing such as color arrangement change, layout change, and enlargement / reduction for the original image.

[0009]

By the way, there are various demands for the above-mentioned recording material, and a paper which is an ordinary recording material and a transparent film (for example, OH) used for OHP.
In addition to P sheets), it has recently been required to use long-fiber processed paper or woven fabric. Therefore, when recording on a recording material containing long fibers as described above with an inkjet recording apparatus, the set value of the gap between the recording head and the recording material is usually as small as 0.5 to 1 mm. In some cases, the ink immediately after recording is absorbed, the stretched recording material and the recording head rub against each other, and the recorded image is soiled to deteriorate the image quality.

Furthermore, when the recording material is wrinkled and floats due to poor conveyance of the recording material, the same rubbing occurs, and in the worst case, the edge of the recording material collides with the recording head and the recording material There was a problem of breaking. In particular, when a film or a woven fabric is used as the recording material, the strength of the recording material is extremely high. Therefore, the collision of the end portion of the recording material with the recording head has a great influence on the recording head holding mechanism, and the recording head is There is also a problem that the positional accuracy with respect to the recording material cannot be maintained.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and its purpose is to prevent rubbing contact between the recording material and the recording head with a simple structure. The present invention provides a recording apparatus capable of preventing the deterioration of the quality of a recorded image and the influence on the apparatus.

Further, the problem caused by the difference in the thickness of the recording material can be solved by the technique of the present invention. This will be described below as a problem when image data is recorded on a cloth as a recording material by the dyeing apparatus described above.

7 (A), (B), and (C), respectively.
As shown, the type of fabric thickness is l ₀ , L₁ , L₂ (L
₀ <L₁ <L₂ ), The fabric 60 is conveyed.
The recording head 10 causes the cloth 60 to adhere to the belt 37.
The surface of the fabric 60 and the recording head when ejecting ink drops onto the
The distance between the nozzle 10 and the discharge port is d₀ , D₁ , D ₂ 
(D₀ <D₁ <D₂ ) And so on. That conclusion
As a result, the ink ejected from the recording head 10 shown in FIG.
Ideal landing position of recorded dot landing position on the cloth 60
The deviation amount t from the table is as shown in FIG.
The distance d between the surface and the ejection port of the recording head 10 increases.
The distance between the cloth and the head becomes a critical record dot.
Landing deviation t_c For recording dot landing deviation amount of (μm) or more
Distance d_c If you move away more than
The recorded image on the cloth 60 is due to this recording dot deviation.
White stripes that are outside the allowable range,
May be significantly deteriorated.
It

On the contrary, if the distance between the surface of the cloth 60 and the discharge port of the recording head 10 becomes too short, the recording dot landing deviation amount t (μm) becomes small, but this time the kind of cloth 60 is different. In some cases, the fiber system protruding on the surface of the cloth 60 comes into contact with the ejection port 29 of the recording head 10, and as a result, normal ink droplets cannot be ejected from the ejection port of the recording head 10. It may occur.

Therefore, in the present invention, in order to record the same high quality recording image on a larger number of kinds of fabrics, the fabrics are automatically or manually operated according to the difference in the thickness of the fabrics. A means for providing a control means capable of varying the setting of the distance between the surface of the recording medium 60 and the recording head, and performing image recording by the inkjet recording head at a distance most suitable for the cloth thickness of the cloth to be recorded. Is also the purpose.

[0016]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is such that an ink is ejected from a recording head and a recording medium relative to a recording medium conveyed to a position facing the recording head. In a recording apparatus having a recording unit configured to perform image recording on the recording medium by scanning the recording medium, a detection unit that detects a conveyance abnormality of the recording medium, and the recording head and the recording medium according to a detection result of the detection unit. It is characterized by having a means for changing the distance between.

Further, the distance between the recording head and the recording medium is determined by the fact that the recording head can take a first position in a recording state and a second position in a standby state. But it's okay.

Further, the detecting means detects the abnormal conveyance of the recording medium by detecting the floating of the recording medium or the vicinity of the recording position, and the detecting means detects the abnormal conveyance of the recording medium. Instead, a recording medium thickness detecting means for detecting the thickness of the recording medium may be used.

The recording medium may be cloth or wallpaper, and the recording head is provided with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for ejecting ink,
In this case, the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter may be used to eject the ink from the ejection port by utilizing the film boiling generated in the ink.

The method for producing the ink jet recorded matter of the present invention is as follows:
In the method for producing an ink jet recorded product, the image is recorded on the recording medium by ejecting ink from the recording head and relatively scanning the recording medium conveyed to a position facing the recording head. At this time, a conveyance abnormality of the recording medium is detected, and the distance between the recording head and the recording medium is changed according to the detection result.

Further, the distance between the recording head and the recording medium may be determined by allowing the recording head to take a first position in a recording state and a second position in a standby state. The abnormal conveyance of the medium may be detected by detecting the floating of the recording medium at or near the recording position, or the thickness of the recording medium may be detected instead of the abnormal conveyance of the recording medium.

Further, the present invention further includes a step of fixing the ink on the recording medium after the image recording on the recording medium, and in this case, the recording medium on which the image recording is performed after the step of fixing the ink. It may further include a step of performing a cleaning process, or may further include a pretreatment step of adding a pretreatment agent to the recording medium before image recording by ejecting ink from the recording head.

The recording medium may be cloth or wallpaper, and the recording head may be an ink jet recording head provided with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for ejecting ink. In this case, the heat energy applied by the electrothermal converter may be used to eject the ink from the ejection port by utilizing the film boiling generated in the ink.

The ink jet recorded matter of the present invention is an image recorded by any of the methods for producing the ink jet recorded matter of the present invention.

[0025]

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention having the above structure, the detecting means detects the conveyance abnormality of the recording medium and, depending on the detection result, the recording head or the recording head unit having a plurality of recording heads In the invention, these are collectively referred to as the "recording head") and the distance between the recording medium is changed, so that the distance is suitable for recording only during recording, but abnormal conveyance of the recording medium occurs. In this case, the recording head can be largely retracted from the recording medium to prevent the image quality from being deteriorated due to the recording head rubbing against the recording medium.
Then, this distance can be changed to another set value suitable for the recording medium.

If the change in the distance between the recording head and the recording medium is defined as the change between the fixed first position in the recording state and the fixed second position in the standby state. , The change can be controlled easily, and the reliability of the device is improved.

When the abnormal conveyance of the recording medium is detected as the floating of the recording medium at or near the recording position, the floating of the recording medium means an abnormal approach between the recording medium and the recording head. The recording head can be moved away from the recording medium at the most appropriate time.

Further, a recording medium thickness detecting means for detecting the thickness of the recording medium is provided in place of the detecting means for detecting the conveyance abnormality of the recording medium, so that the recording head and the recording medium are independent of the thickness of the recording medium. The distance between is kept constant.

[0029]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a recording apparatus according to the present invention, in which 1 is a recording apparatus main body, 2 is a roll for holding a long recording material to be wound, and 4 is a predetermined recording material of roll 2. Cutters for cutting the length, 3 and 5 are a pair of conveying rollers for conveying the recording material in the conveying direction, respectively, and 6 is for accurately conveying and positioning the recording material by a predetermined amount corresponding to a recording and recording width of a recording head described later. It is a sub-scanning roller. With the above configuration, a conveyance path for the recording material supplied from the roll 2 is configured.

Reference numeral 7 is a cassette for stocking cut recording materials, and 8 is a guide portion for guiding and conveying the recording material from the cassette 7. The recording material conveyed from the cassette 7 is placed just before the conveying roller 5. Then, it joins the conveyance path of the recording material supplied from the roll 2. Reference numeral 9 denotes a carriage having a recording head (not shown) described below, which is supported by a pair of main scanning rails 15 so as to be movable in the vertical direction in the drawing. Reference numeral 41 denotes a platen located at a position facing the carriage 9 with the recording material sandwiched therebetween. The platen 41 prevents the recording material from floating during recording and keeps it flat, and prevents the recording material from contacting the recording head. For prevention, for example, suction by air or suction / suction means (not shown) such as an electrostatic suction plate is provided.

Next, the periphery of the recording head will be described with reference to FIG.

The carriage 9 has four recording heads 10 _C , 1 corresponding to cyan, magenta, yellow and black.
It is equipped with 0 _M , 10 _Y and 10 _BK . 11 is each recording head 1
An ink supply system that supplies ink to 0 _C , 10 _M , 10 _Y , and 10 _BK , and ink cartridges 11 _C , 11 _M , 11 _Y corresponding to cyan, magenta, yellow, and black,
With 11 _BK . Each ink cartridge 11 _C , 1
From 1 _M , 11 _Y , 11 _BK , by a pump not shown,
Tubes 12 _C , 12 _M , 12 connected to each
Each recording head 10 _C , 10 _M , 1 through _Y , 12 _BK
Ink is supplied to 0 _Y and 10 _BK . 69 is the carriage 9
A carriage 9 is driven by a motor that scans in the main scanning direction (left and right direction in the drawing) via a drive pulley 80, a pulley 82, and a belt 84 fixed to the motor 69. Reference numeral 70 denotes a motor that scans and drives the ink supply system 11 in the main scanning direction (left and right direction in the drawing) in synchronization with the carriage 9, and an ink supply system via a drive pulley 81, a pulley 83, and a belt 85 fixed to the motor 70. 11 is driven.

94 is the above-mentioned roll-shaped or cut-shaped paper, etc.
In the figure, the recording material of
It is transported upward. 20 is a factor that deteriorates image quality
To stabilize the ejection characteristics by removing the
This is a recovery device for performing the recovery process)
It is located outside the scanning range of the carriage 9 at that time. This recovery equipment
The table 20 is for each recording head 10._C , 10_M , 10_Y , 10
_BKOf the discharge port surface (the surface facing the recording material 94) of the cap member
Each recording head 10 in this state._C , 10 _M , 10
_Y , 10_BKOf ink by driving, or pressurization
Each recording head 10 by discharging the ink_C , 1
0_M , 10_Y , 10_BKAlso remove the clogging of the discharge port of
Of. Further, in the cap member of the recovery device 20
Then, a high-speed air flow is introduced to the discharge port surface, and this air flow causes
Residual ink, dust, and fluff that accompany the above-mentioned ink ejection.
Cleaning the discharge port surface by blowing air etc. from the discharge port surface
To do.

Reference numerals 92 and 93 denote recording materials 94 near the recording area.
Are a light projecting portion and a light receiving portion, respectively, for detecting the floating.

Next, the carriage 9 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the carriage shown in FIG.
It is a figure which shows, (a) of FIG. 3 is a recording state, (b) of FIG.
Indicates a retracted state. The carriage 9 is a pair of main scanning rails.
A movement supported on the main scanning rail 15 and moving on the main scanning rail 15.
Part 91 and each recording head 10 _C , 10_M , 10_Y , 10
_BKAnd a head unit 86 for holding. Move
A rail 89 is provided in the portion 91, and the head unit 86
Is supported by a rail 89 so as to be movable in the horizontal direction in the drawing.
It In addition, between the head unit 86 and the moving section 91
Is for urging the head unit 86 to the left in the drawing.
A spring 90 is provided, while a stopper is provided on the moving portion 91.
91a is provided, the stopper 91a and the head unit
One end of 86 abuts each recording head 10_C , 10_M ，
10_Y , 10_BKThe gap Δl between the platen 41 and the platen 41 is recorded
Is kept in an amount suitable for. 87 moves the head unit 86
The motor with the feed screw 88 connected to the output shaft
Motor, rotate the feed screw 88 by the motor 87.
By doing so, the head unit 86 is driven in the left-right direction in the drawing.
Be moved.

As shown in FIG. 3 (b), the head unit 86 is moved in the direction A in the figure, so that each recording head 1
The gap Δl ′ between the platen 41 and 0 _C , 10 _M , 10 _Y , 10 _BK becomes large, and the recording heads 10 _C , 10
_{The M} , 10 _Y , and 10 _BK do not rub against the recording material 94 (see FIG. 2) or collide with the end of the recording material 94.

Next, the operation sequence will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the carriage 9 and the ink supply system 1
1 is moved to a home position (hereinafter abbreviated as HP) for initial positioning (S1), and the recovery device 20 covers the discharge port surface of each of the recording heads 10 _C , 10 _M , 10 _Y , and 10 _BK to perform a discharge recovery process. Is performed (S2).

Next, the recording material is conveyed from the roll 2 or the cassette 7, and when the recording material 94 is detected by a recording material detection sensor (not shown) located immediately before the conveying roller 5, the conveying roller 5 in the conveying path. , And the sub-scanning roller 6 are driven by a predetermined amount, that is, the leading end of the recording material 94 reaches the sub-scanning roller 6 (S3). The carriage 9 and the ink supply system 11 are driven in the scanning direction (on the right side in FIG. 2) by motors 69 and 70, respectively, and move to the start position.

Here, the floating phenomenon of the recording material on the platen 41, which is an example of the abnormal conveyance of the recording material 94, is detected by the floating detection means (S5), and when the floating is detected,
The operation is stopped as it is, and a warning is displayed (S6).

On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no floating, the carriage 9 and the ink supply system 11 are respectively driven by the motor 6
The recording head 10 is driven in the scanning direction by 9, 70 and performs recording with a recording width indicated by 1 in FIG. 2 based on the image signal (S7). After recording one line, the floating of the recording material 94 on the platen 41 is detected in the same manner as in S5 (S8),
When it is determined that there is no floating, the carriage 9 and the ink supply system 11 are driven to return to the start position (S9), and the recording material 94 is accurately conveyed corresponding to the recording width 1 (S10). ..

The above recording (S7), floating detection (S8),
After a predetermined sequence of the sequence of carriage movement (S9) and recording material conveyance (S10) (S11), the carriage 9 and the ink supply system 11 move HP (S12) to recover the ejection port surface of the recording head 10 from the recovery device 20. It is covered with the cap member (S13) and the recording is completed.

When the floating of the recording material is detected in S8,
The head unit 86 with respect to the recording material,
The recording material 94 and each recording head 10_C , 10_M , 10
_Y , 10 _BKTo widen the gap (S15). afterwards,
HP movement of the carriage 9 and the ink supply system 11 (S16)
Then, cover the discharge port surface with the cap member of the recovery device 20 (S
17) A stop warning is displayed (S18).

Next, the floating detecting means for detecting the floating of the recording material will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

The light projecting section 92 includes a light emitting body such as an LED or a semiconductor laser, and the light receiving section 9 is provided along the platen 41.
It is projected toward 3. The light receiving unit 93 includes a photoelectric conversion element such as a photodiode and receives the light from the light projecting unit 92.

When the recording material 94 is in close contact with the platen 41 and does not float, the light from the light projecting section 92 reaches the light receiving section 93 without being blocked. On the other hand, when the recording material 94 floats as indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in the figure, the light from the light projecting section 92 is blocked by the recording material 94, whereby the floating of the recording material 94 is detected. is there. Further, such detection means may be duplicated.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the moving means of the carriage 9 is constituted by the motor 88 and the feed screw 87, but the present invention is not limited to this, and is shown in FIG. 6, for example. As shown, a solenoid 95 and a link 96 are used, and the attraction force of the solenoid 95 moves the carriage 9 to the right in the drawing to set the gaps between the recording heads 10 _C , 10 _M , 10 _Y and 10 _BK and the platen 41. You can change it.

The floating detecting means for detecting the floating of the recording material is not limited to this embodiment, and the platen 41 is used.
Alternatively, it may be detected by a change in suction pressure of an air pump for sucking the recording material.

Next, an example of a dyeing system using an ink jet recording system using a cloth as a recording medium will be described.

FIG. 15 is an example using the technique, and schematically shows the configuration of the system.

The configuration of this system is roughly the same as that of a reading unit 71 for reading an original image created by a designer and an image processing unit 7 for processing the original image data read by the reading unit 71.
2 and the image data created by the image processing unit 72
It is composed of a binarization processing unit 73 that performs a binarization process, and an image printing unit 74 that prints on the cloth based on the image data binarized by the binarization processing unit 73. CC in the reading unit 71
The original image is read by the D image sensor and is output to the image processing unit 72 as an electric signal. The image processing unit 72 creates drive data for driving the inkjet recording unit 75 that ejects four color inks of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, which will be described later, from the input original image data. At the time of creating the data, image processing for reproducing the original image with ink dots, color arrangement for determining the color tone, layout change, enlargement, reduction, and the like are selected. The image printing unit 74 includes an inkjet recording unit 75 that ejects ink according to the drive data, a fabric feeding unit 76 that feeds a fabric that is a recording medium to the inkjet recording unit 75, and a fabric that is arranged to face the inkjet recording unit 75. Recording transport unit 7 for precision transport
7 and a post-processing section 78 for post-processing and storing the recorded fabric.

Next, the ink jet recording section 75 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 16, the ink jet recording section 75 is roughly divided into a carriage 9 supported by two main scanning rails 15 so as to be movable in the arrow S direction, and a recording head 10 mounted on the carriage 9. And the recording head 10
Ink supply system 11 for supplying ink to the recording head 1
The recovery device 20 performs a discharge recovery process of 0, and an electrical system (not shown).

The ink supply system 11 stores and records ink.
It is for supplying the required amount to the head 10, and
Retains cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink
4 ink tanks 14_C , 14_M , 14_Y , 1
Four_BKAnd each ink tank 14 _C , 14_M , 14_Y , 14
_BK4 ports for sending the ink of
Pump 13_C , 13_M , 13_Y , 13_BKAnd so on. each
Ink tank 14_C , 14_M , 14_Y , 14_BKAnd record
The head 10 is a tube 12a. _C , 12
a_M , 12a_Y , 12a_BK, 12b_Y Tethered, usually
Is automatic only for the amount discharged from the discharge port by the capillary action
Is supplied to the recording head 10. Also, as described below
At the time of head recovery operation, each pump 13_C , 13_M , 1
Three_Y , 13_BKIs forcibly supplied to the recording head 10.
It

The recording head 10 and the ink supply system 11
Are partially mounted on the carriage 9. The carriage 9 is fixed to a part of a belt 16 provided between a pulley 17a and a pulley 17b fixed to a shaft 18 of a motor 19, and the carriage 9 is rotated along the main scanning rail 15 in accordance with rotation of the motor 19. It is configured to perform a reciprocating motion in the S direction.

The recovery device 20 is for stabilizing the ejection characteristics of the recording head 10, and is provided so as to face the recording head 10 at the home position HP. The recovery device 20 specifically operates as described below. When not operating, the recording head 10 is capped at the home position HP to prevent the ink from evaporating from the inside of the flow path of the recording head 10 by moving forward (capping operation), or inside the flow path before image recording is started. In order to discharge the air bubbles, dust, and the like, an operation of pressurizing the inside of the flow path of the recording head 10 by using an ink pump and forcibly discharging the ink from the discharge port is performed (pressure recovery operation).
At that time, it fulfills functions such as collecting the discharged ink.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of the recording head 10. The recording head 10 is subjected to semiconductor manufacturing process steps such as etching, vapor deposition, sputtering, etc.
The electrothermal converter 22, the electrode 23, which is formed on the substrate 21,
The channel wall 24 and the top plate 25 are included.

The recording ink is stored in the ink tank 14 (see FIG. 16).
(See FIG. 16) through the tube 12 (see FIG. 16) into the common liquid chamber 26 of the recording head 10. In the figure, reference numeral 27 is a supply pipe connector.

The ink supplied into the common liquid chamber 26 is supplied into the flow path 28 due to the capillarity, and is stably held by forming a meniscus at the discharge port surface 29 at the tip of the flow path 28. By energizing the electrothermal converter 22 here, the ink on the electrothermal converter 22 is heated and a bubbling phenomenon occurs, and ink energy is ejected from the ejection port surface 29 by the energy of the bubbling.

With the configuration as described above, the discharge port density is 1
A recording head 1 having a large number of ejection ports of 128 or 256 in a high-density ejection port arrangement of 6 / mm.
It is possible to manufacture 0.

FIG. 18 shows the image printing section 74 shown in FIG.
19 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the dyeing device of FIG.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the relevant part. The dyeing device includes a cloth feeding section 76 of the image printing section 74 and a recording / conveying section 77, and the recording / conveying section 77 has two ink jet recording sections 75 for sequentially recording on the conveyed cloth 60. ..

The pre-treated fabric 60 is wound around the winding core 76a in a roll shape and rotatably supported by the fabric feeding unit 76. In the fabric feeding unit 76, the fabric 60 is fed from the fabric feeding unit 76 to the recording / conveying unit 77. Be done. An endless conveyor belt 37 that is precisely step-driven is wound around the drive roller 31 and the winding roller 32 in the recording conveyor unit 77. The driving roller 31 is directly step-driven by a high-resolution stepping motor (not shown) to step-feed the conveyor belt 37 by the step amount. The sent cloth 60 is pressed and stuck to the surface of the conveyor belt 37 backed up by the winding roller 32 by the pressing roller 48.

The fabric 60 which has been step-fed by the conveyor belt 37 is the first ink jet recording section 75.
At, the platen 41 on the back surface of the transport belt 37 is positioned and recording is performed from the front side. Each time one line of recording is completed, a predetermined amount of step feed is performed, and then the conveyor belt 3
7 is heated by the heating plate 33 from the back surface, and dried by the hot air from the surface supplied and discharged by the hot air duct 34. Next, the next inkjet recording unit 7
5, the overlap recording is performed in the same manner as the first ink jet recording unit 75.

The fabric 60 on which the overlap recording is performed is peeled off from the conveyor belt 37, dried again by the heating plate 33 and the warm air duct 34 provided on the downstream side of the driving roller 31, and guided to the guide roller 35. And is taken up by the take-up roll 36. Then, the wound fabric 60
The product is removed from this device, and the product is subjected to post-treatment steps such as color development, washing, and drying in batch processing.

Here, the heating plate 33 and the warm air duct 34 described above will be described with reference to FIG. The heat transfer surface 33a of the heating plate 33 is pressed against the back surface of the transport belt 37 which is strongly tensioned, and the high temperature and high pressure steam passing through the inside of the hollow makes the transport belt 37 strong from the back surface. To heat. The transport belt 37 directly and effectively heats the cloth 60 attached to the surface thereof by heat conduction. The fins 3 for collecting heat are provided inside the heat transfer surface 33a of the heating plate 33.
3b is provided so that heat can be efficiently concentrated on the back surface of the conveyor belt 37. The side not in contact with the conveyor belt 37 is covered with a heat insulating material 35 to minimize the loss due to heat radiation.

On the other hand, the warm air duct 34 disposed on the front side of the cloth 60 has a supply duct 36 facing the cloth 60 and having a blowout opening 36a, and a suction port 37a facing the cloth 60. It is integrated with the suction duct 37. The supply duct 36 is located on the downstream side of the suction duct 37 with respect to the conveyance direction of the cloth 60, and blows dry hot air from the supply duct 36 to the cloth 60 that is being dried to supply air having a lower humidity. I am trying to improve the effect by applying it. The dry hot air blown from the supply duct 36 flows through the suction duct 37 in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the cloth 60, contains the moisture on the cloth 60, and is sucked. At this time, a much larger amount of suction than the amount of spraying is performed to prevent the evaporated water from leaking and condensing on surrounding mechanical devices. The supply source of the dry warm air is on the back side of FIG. 19, suction is performed from the front side, and the blowing port 36a and the suction port 37 are provided.
The pressure difference from a is made uniform over the entire longitudinal direction. In addition, the warm air duct 34 is the heating plate 33.
It is offset from the center of the fabric 60 on the downstream side in the transport direction of the fabric 60 so that the air hits a sufficiently heated place. By these, the inkjet recording unit 75
A large amount of water contained in the ink including the diluting liquid, which the cloth 60 has received in the recording by, is strongly dried.

At the time of recording, the length of the cloth 60 is finite, but when the final end of the cloth 60 comes off the winding core 76a, it is sewn to the end of the next cloth and recording is continued. be able to. For this purpose, sewn threads having a chromatic color are used, and a density detection sensor 56 is provided upstream of the pressing roller 48 in the conveyance direction of the cloth 60. When the concentration detecting sensor 56 detects the sutured portion,
When the stitching portion comes just before the first inkjet recording portion 75, recording is temporarily stopped. After that, the cloth 60 is fed by a fixed amount until the stitching portion is positioned immediately below the inkjet recording portion 75, and recording is started again. As a result, even if the thickness of the fabric 60 is increased by stitching, the recording head 10 (see FIG. 16) of the inkjet recording unit 75 does not rub against the stitched portion, and the fabric 60 is soiled or the recording head 10 is damaged. To prevent that.

Next, as an example of the thickness detecting means in the case of considering the thickness of the recording medium, the cloth thickness detecting means for automatically detecting the cloth thickness in the above-mentioned dyeing apparatus will be described.

FIG. 10 is a model diagram suitable for explaining the cloth thickness detecting operation according to this embodiment. In this example, a fabric thickness detecting means 58 having a contact pin 59 movably provided in the arrow F direction is arranged on the downstream side of the pressing roller 48 (see FIG. 18), and the fabric thickness of the transport belt 37 is reduced. When the cloth 60 is not present at the portion facing the detecting means 58, the contact pin 59 is in contact with the conveyor belt 37. Then, as shown in FIG. 10B, the cloth 60 is conveyed by the conveyor belt 37 to a position facing the cloth thickness detecting means 58, and the contact pin 59 is brought into contact with the cloth 60 on the conveyor belt 37. Thus, the fabric thickness 1 of the fabric 60 is measured.

After the thickness l of the cloth 60 on the conveyor belt 37 is automatically detected in this manner, the distance between the surface of the cloth 60 and the recording head 10 is automatically set to the optimum distance. I am trying to let you.

The operation of optimizing the distance between the cloth 60 and the recording head 10 using the signal detected by the cloth thickness detecting means 58 will be described below.

FIG. 11 shows the recording head 1 for automatically changing the distance between the surface of the cloth 60 and the recording head 10 by the signal of the cloth thickness 1 detected by the cloth thickness detecting means 58.
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration in which a carriage 9 on which 0 is mounted is movable in a direction perpendicular to a surface of a conveyor belt 37. As shown in FIG. 11, the carriage 9 on which the recording head 10 is mounted is in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor belt surface (direction of arrow B).
Carriage base 61 provided with a slide rail extending in the direction
It is provided on the top so as to be movable along the slide rail. Further, the carriage 9 is provided with a screwing member 62 that is screwed into a screw rail 63 coupled to an output shaft of a motor 64, and the carriage 9 is illustrated by rotating the motor 64 in response to a command from a control unit 79. Arrow B
It is configured to move in the direction.

Then, in advance, the cloth thickness detecting means 58
Based on the signal of the thickness 1 of the fabric 60 detected by the control unit 79, the rotation driving of the motor 64 is controlled by the control unit 79 to control the rotation amount of the screw rail 63 in the direction of the arrow C, so that the carriage belt of the carriage 9 is controlled. The amount of slide movement of the surface in the direction of the vertical arrow B is controlled to set the distance between the surface of the cloth 60 and the recording head 10 to the optimum distance.

By the way, in this embodiment, the thickness 1 of the cloth 60 is automatically detected, and the distance between the surface of the cloth 60 and the recording head 10 is automatically controlled to be the optimum set distance. However, for example, as mentioned above,
The operator determines the value of the thickness l of the cloth 60, selects the selection switch corresponding to the thickness l of the cloth from the operation unit 57 (see FIG. 15) by manual operation, and outputs the signal of the selection switch to the control unit. It is also possible to move the carriage 9 in the direction of arrow B by inputting it to 79 and driving the motor 64 so that the distance between the surface of the cloth 60 and the recording head 10 becomes the optimum set distance.

Next, FIG. 12 shows an optical detecting means 65 arranged downstream of the pressing roller 48 (see FIG. 18) and near the conveyor belt 37 as a cloth thickness detecting means for automatically detecting the cloth thickness. 6A and 6B are schematic views for explaining an example in the case of being provided in this example. In this example, light projecting units 67A and 67B configured by LEDs and pilot lamps and light receiving units 68A and 68B configured by photodiodes and the like, respectively. The optical detecting means 65 is composed of two sets of optical sensors 60A and 60B. The optical sensor 6 detects the fabric thickness.
6A, the output of the optical sensor 66A corresponding to the amount of light reaching the light receiving section 68A after being irradiated by the light emitting section 67A of the optical sensor 66B and irradiated by the light emitting section 67B of the optical sensor 66B. This is performed by the output difference from the output of the optical sensor 66B corresponding to the amount of light reaching the light receiving portion 68B after being reflected on the surface of 60. That is, as shown in FIG. 13, each optical sensor 66A, 6A
There is a proportional relationship between the sensor output difference of 6B and the fabric thickness, and the thickness of the fabric 60 is detected by obtaining the sensor output difference.

Then, as in this embodiment, the thickness of the cloth 60 is detected in a non-contact manner, so that the cloth 60
The surface of the can be prevented from being mechanically damaged.

Further, in the present embodiment, the optical detecting means 65 for measuring the thickness of the cloth 60 is provided with two sets of optical sensors 6.
Although it is configured to be composed of 6A and 66B, for example,
An optical detecting means 65 is constituted by a set of a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion, and the optical detecting means 65 is moved in a direction parallel to the scanning direction (S direction) of the carriage 9 on which the recording head 10 is mounted,
A method of detecting the thickness of the cloth 60 by measuring the amount of reflected light is also possible. Further, in this example, in order to detect the thickness of the cloth 60, a method of detecting the amount of light emitted from the light projecting section and reflected on the conveyor belt 37 and the cloth 60 by the light receiving section is adopted. The light projecting unit is composed of a semiconductor laser or the like, and a pulsed light beam is irradiated from the light projecting unit onto the conveyor belt 37 and the fabric 60, and the cloth is determined from the time difference between the reflected pulsed light beam reaching the light receiving unit. It is also possible to adopt a method of detecting the thickness of 60.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram for explaining another example in which the setting of the distance between the surface of the cloth 60 and the recording head 10 is changed according to the difference in the thickness of the cloth 60. In the figure, in this example, when the recording head 10 records an image on the cloth 60 while the cloth 60 is conveyed on the conveyor belt 37, the surface of the cloth 60 is changed depending on the difference in the thickness depending on the position of the cloth 60. The distance between the print head and the print head can be changed.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 14 (A) and 14 (B), depending on the type of the cloth 60, the fiber yarn at the time of weaving the cloth 60 may protrude in the end region of the cloth 60. When an image is to be recorded on such a cloth 60 with the distance between the recording heads 10 being the optimum distance d ₀ , the fibers of the cloth 60 and the ejection openings of the recording head 10 will be There is a possibility that they may come into contact with each other and the recording operation by the recording head 10 may become impossible. Therefore, in the case of such a cloth 60, image recording must be performed with the distance between the surface of the cloth 60 and the recording head 10 being larger than the optimum distance d ₀ , and as a result, recording on the recorded image is performed. White streak easily occurs due to dot landing deviation,
The quality of the recorded image is likely to deteriorate.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the cloth thickness detecting means 58 and the optical detecting means 65 described above detect the cloth end area where the fiber yarns are projected in advance,
In the cloth end region, the carriage 9 is retracted in the direction of arrow B so that the position of the recording head 10 is separated from the surface of the cloth 60, and the carriage 9 moves in the direction of arrow S,
After the recording head 10 has passed through the fabric end area, the carriage 9 is advanced in the direction of the arrow N until the distance between the recording head 10 and the surface of the fabric 60 reaches the optimum distance. An image recording operation is performed on the cloth 60.

As in this example, when the distance between the surface of the fabric 60 and the recording head 10 is variable according to the difference in the thickness depending on the position of the fabric 60, when the fabric end region is woven. The high quality without causing white stripes due to the landing deviation of the recording dot even on the cloth 60 having the protruding fibers or the cloth having a different thickness in the middle of the reciprocating recording width by the recording head 10. It is possible to record various images. The fabric 60 dyed in this way has a good appearance and good appearance.

In the operation sequence described in FIG. 4, S5
Alternatively, an example is shown in which the recording operation is stopped when the floating of the recording material (cloth) from the platen (conveying belt) is detected in S8.

Further, by using the detecting means for detecting the change of the floating amount of the recording material along the scanning direction of the carriage, the recording material and the recording head are kept constant while keeping the distance between the recording head constant. An example will be described in which whether or not to continue the recording operation (movement of the carriage) is determined according to the distance (the amount of floating of the recording material from the platen) or the floating angle of the recording material from the platen. The control for keeping the distance between the recording head and the recording material constant is the same as that of the above-mentioned embodiment, and therefore its explanation is omitted here, and here, the recording operation (carriage) is performed according to the floating amount and the floating angle. The operation sequence for determining whether or not to continue (moving) is described.

As shown in FIG. 20, an ultrasonic sensor 101 (or an optical sensor) may be provided on the carriage 105 as a detecting means for measuring the change in the floating amount of the recording material (cloth) along the main scanning direction of the carriage 105. ) Is arranged in the direction of the recording material 102. Then, as the carriage 105 moves, changes in the floating amount of the recording material 102 along the main scanning direction of the carriage 105 are measured.

The actual operation at this time will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the carriage 105
Ultrasonic sensor 101 in accordance with the movement of the sensor in the main scanning direction.
Then, the amount of floating of the recording material 102 from the platen 104 in the front of the recording head 103 in the recording direction is measured while recording (S20). Here, prior to recording, the carriage 105 is scanned to measure the floating amount of the recording material 102,
The data may be stored in the control unit.

Next, among several floating amount measuring points in the main scanning direction, the floating amount data of adjacent measuring points are compared,
The floating angle of the recording material 102 from the platen 104 is obtained (S21).

Then, it is determined whether or not the floating amount of the recording material 102 measured in S20 exceeds a predetermined floating amount X ₀ shown in FIG. 22 (a) (S22). When the measured floating amount is a value X ₁ that exceeds the predetermined floating amount X ₀ , a warning is issued to the outside, the carriage 105 is moved to the home position (HP), and the recording head 103 is capped (S23). On the other hand, the measured floating amount is a predetermined amount X
_When the value X _{2 is 0} or less, it is determined whether or not the lifting angle obtained in S21 exceeds a predetermined lifting angle θ ₀ (S24). When the obtained lifting angle is the angle θ ₁ which exceeds the predetermined lifting angle θ ₀ , an alarm is issued to the outside, the carriage 105 is moved to the home position (HP), and the recording head 103 is capped (S23). On the other hand, when the obtained lifting angle is the angle θ ₂ which is equal to or smaller than the predetermined lifting angle θ ₀ , recording on the recording material 102 is continued (S25).

Here, the predetermined floating amount X ₀ is a value mainly determined by the correlation between the main scanning speed of the carriage 105 and the moving speed of the recording head 103 in the direction away from the recording material 102. That is, it is necessary that the floating amount is such that the recording head 103 can be retracted so that the recording head 103 and the recording material 102 do not come into contact with each other.

The predetermined lifting angle θ ₀ is the distance between the recording head 103 and the recording material 102 (usually about 1 m).
m), the size of the recording heads 103, and in the case of including a plurality of recording heads 103, adjacent recording heads 103
Is a value appropriately determined by the interval (the interval between adjacent ejection port arrays). For example, as shown in FIG. 22B, the radius of curvature of the recording material 102 varies even when the floating amount of the recording material 102 is X ₂ , and when the radius of curvature R ₁ is small, the recorded image is distorted in the main scanning direction. It is not suitable because it adversely affects the quality, but with a large radius of curvature R ₂ , the inclination is a gentle angle, which does not substantially affect the recording quality, and recording can be continued without interrupting the recording operation. You can In consideration of the above, it is necessary to determine the optimum lifting angle θ ₀ .

According to the above sequence, an excellent effect can be obtained when recording on continuous paper or a long cloth, particularly when performing an unmanned recording operation, and the recording head 103 is maintained while maintaining a desired recording quality. It is possible to prevent the recording head 103 from being damaged by the contact between the recording material 102 and the recording material 102.

Further, it is more preferable to add the following steps when dyeing the fabric 60.

That is, as the cloth 60 to be dyed by the ink jet recording system, (1) the ink can be developed to a sufficient density, (2) the dyeing rate of the ink is high, and (3) the ink is on the cloth. To dry quickly,
Performances such as (4) occurrence of irregular ink bleeding on the cloth and (5) excellent transportability in the apparatus are required. Therefore, in order to satisfy these required performances, in the present invention, the fabric may be optionally
Pretreatment can be performed in advance. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-53492 discloses a fabric having an ink receiving layer, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-46589 proposes a fabric containing a reduction inhibitor and an alkaline substance. There is. Examples of such pretreatment include a treatment in which the cloth is made to contain a substance selected from alkaline substances, water-soluble polymers, synthetic polymers, water-soluble metal salts, urea and thiourea.

Examples of the alkaline substance include alkali metal hydroxides such as sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide,
Examples thereof include amines such as monoethanolamine, diethanolamine and triethanolamine, and carbonic acid or alkali metal bicarbonates such as sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. Furthermore, there are organic acid metal salts such as calcium acetate and barium acetate, and ammonia and ammonia compounds. Further, sodium trichloroacetate which becomes an alkaline substance under steaming and dry heat can be used. Particularly preferred alkaline substances are sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate used for dyeing reactive dyes.

Examples of the water-soluble polymer include starch substances such as corn and wheat, cellulosic substances such as carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and hydroxyethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, gum arabic,
Locust bean gum, tragacanth gum, guar gum,
Examples thereof include polysaccharides such as tamarind seeds, protein substances such as gelatin and casein, and natural water-soluble polymers such as tannin-based substances and lignin-based substances.

Examples of synthetic polymers include polyvinyl alcohol compounds, polyethylene oxide compounds, acrylic acid water-soluble polymers, maleic anhydride water-soluble polymers, and the like. Among these, polysaccharide polymers and cellulose polymers are preferable.

Examples of the water-soluble metal salts include compounds having a pH of 4 to 10 which produce typical ionic crystals, such as halides of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals. Typical examples of such compounds include NaCl and Na ₂ SO for alkali metals.
₄ , KCl, CH ₃ COONa and the like, and examples of the alkaline earth metal include CaCl ₂ and M.
Examples thereof include gCl ₂ . Of these, salts of Na, K and Ca are preferable.

The method of incorporating the above substances and the like into the cloth in the pretreatment is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a dipping method, a pad method, a coating method and a spraying method which are usually performed.

Furthermore, since the dyeing ink applied to the ink-jet dyeing cloth is merely attached to the cloth when it is applied to the cloth, a dye-fixing step (dyeing step) for dyeing the fiber is subsequently performed. Is preferred. Such a reaction fixing step may be a conventionally known method, for example, a steaming method, an HT steaming method, a thermofix method, or an alkali pad steam method or an alkali blotch steam method when a cloth that has been previously alkali-treated is not used. ,
The alkaline shock method, the alkaline coldfick method and the like can be mentioned.

Further, the unreacted dye and the substance used for the pretreatment can be removed by washing after the above reaction fixing step according to a conventionally known method. In addition,
It is preferable to use a conventional fixing treatment together with this washing.

In the embodiments described above, the case where the cloth is used as the recording member has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and wallpaper may be used as the recording medium. In this case, the wallpaper may be paper, cloth, or a material made of a plastic sheet such as a chlorinated plastic resin.

Next, the ink jet recording method utilizing heat energy will be described.

In the present invention, it is suitable to use an ink jet recording system, but in particular, among the ink jet recording systems, an ink jet system recording head and a recording apparatus for forming flying droplets by utilizing thermal energy for recording. It brings an excellent effect in.

With regard to its typical structure and principle, see, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4740.
What is done using the basic principles disclosed in 796 is preferred. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and continuous type, but especially in the case of the on-demand type, liquid (ink)
By applying at least one drive signal to the electrothermal converter arranged corresponding to the sheet or liquid path holding the , Because it generates heat energy in the electrothermal converter to cause film boiling on the heat-acting surface of the recording head, and as a result, bubbles in the liquid (ink) that correspond one-to-one to each drive signal can be formed. It is valid. Liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection openings by the growth and contraction of the bubbles to form at least one droplet. It is more preferable to make this drive signal into a pulse shape because bubbles can be grown and contracted immediately and appropriately, so that a particularly responsive liquid (ink) ejection can be achieved.

As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. If the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 of the invention relating to the rate of temperature rise on the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the structure of the recording head, in addition to the combination structure of the discharge port, the liquid passage, and the electrothermal converter (the straight liquid passage or the right-angled liquid passage) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications, The present invention also includes configurations using US Pat. No. 4,558,333 and US Pat. No. 4,459,600, which disclose configurations in which the heat-acting surface is arranged in a bending region.

In addition, JP-A-59-123670, which discloses a structure in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of the electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and a pressure wave of thermal energy is absorbed. The present invention is also effective as a configuration based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-138461, which discloses a configuration in which an opening corresponds to a discharge portion.

Further, as a full line type recording head having a length corresponding to the width of the maximum recording medium which can be recorded by the recording apparatus, the length can be increased by combining a plurality of recording heads as disclosed in the above-mentioned specification. The present invention can exert the above-mentioned effects more effectively, although it may have a configuration that satisfies the above requirements or a configuration as one recording head integrally formed.

In addition, by being attached to the apparatus main body, it can be electrically connected to the apparatus main body and can be supplied with ink from the apparatus main body by a replaceable chip type recording head or the recording head itself. The present invention is also effective when a cartridge-type recording head provided with an ink tank is used.

Further, it is preferable to add recovery means for the recording head, preliminary auxiliary means, etc., which are provided as a configuration of the recording apparatus of the present invention, because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. If these are specifically mentioned,
Capping means, cleaning means, pressurizing or sucking means for the recording head, preheating means using an electrothermal converter or another heating element or a combination thereof, and a preliminary ejection mode for performing ejection other than recording It is also effective to perform stable recording.

Further, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to the recording mode of only the mainstream color such as black, but the recording head may be integrally formed or a plurality of combinations may be used. Alternatively, the present invention is extremely effective for an apparatus provided with at least one of full colors by color mixing.

In the embodiments of the present invention described above, the ink is described as a liquid, but it is an ink that solidifies at room temperature or below and softens at room temperature, or is a liquid, or the above-mentioned. In the inkjet method, the temperature of the ink itself is generally adjusted within a range of 30 ° C. or higher and 70 ° C. or lower to control the temperature of the ink so that the viscosity of the ink is within a stable ejection range. Any liquid may be used.

In addition, the temperature rise due to the thermal energy is positively prevented by using it as the energy for changing the state of the ink from the solid state to the liquid state, or the ink is solidified in a standing state for the purpose of preventing evaporation of the ink. In some cases, whether ink is used, the ink is liquefied by application of thermal energy according to the recording signal and is ejected as a liquid ink, or the one that has already started to solidify when it reaches the recording medium. The use of an ink having a property of being liquefied only by heat energy is also applicable to the present invention. In such a case, the ink is disclosed in JP-A-54-5684.
No. 7 or JP-A No. 60-71260, a mode in which it faces the electrothermal converter in a state of being held as a liquid or solid in the recess or through hole of the porous sheet. May be In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

In addition, as a form of the recording apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to one provided integrally or separately as an image output terminal of information processing equipment such as a word processor or a computer, a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, May take the form of a facsimile device having a transmission / reception function.

[0116]

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention,
By providing a detection unit that detects a conveyance abnormality of the recording medium and a unit that changes the distance between the recording head and the recording medium according to the detection result of the detection unit, recording is performed when the conveyance abnormality of the recording medium occurs. Increase the distance between the head and the recording medium,
It is possible to prevent the recording head from colliding with the recording medium.
As a result, it is possible to prevent the recording medium from being contaminated and the like, and to prevent the recording head holding mechanism from being adversely affected.

If the distance is set to two types, that is, the recording state and the standby state, the apparatus and its control can be simplified.

Further, if the distance between the recording head and the recording medium is increased when the floating of the recording medium is detected, this distance is increased at the most appropriate time.

In addition, a recording medium thickness detecting means for detecting the thickness of the recording medium is provided instead of the detecting means for detecting the conveyance abnormality of the recording medium, so that the position of the recording head suitable for the thickness of the recording medium can be determined. Therefore, it becomes possible to record a high-quality image without white lines.

Regarding recording on a cloth or wallpaper, by using an ink jet recording system in which a minute ink is ejected to form an image, a screen plate used for screen printing is not required, and the cloth or the wallpaper is not used. In addition to being able to greatly reduce the number of steps and the number of days until printing, the apparatus can be downsized, and high-quality images can be printed and recorded on a fabric or wallpaper according to requirements.

In the method for producing an ink jet recorded product according to the present invention, the conveyance abnormality of the recording medium is detected at the time of image recording, and the distance between the recording head and the recording medium is changed according to the result, whereby the conveyance abnormality of the recording medium is detected. It is possible to produce a recorded matter on which a high-quality image is formed even when the occurrence of the above occurs. In particular, by detecting an abnormal conveyance of the recording medium by detecting the floating of the recording medium, it is possible to prevent rubbing between the recording head and the recording medium, and it is possible to produce a printed matter free from stains due to this rubbing.

Further, by detecting the thickness of the recording medium and changing the distance between the recording head and the recording medium according to the result, a high-quality image without white stripes can be obtained regardless of the thickness of the recording medium. A recorded matter on which an image is formed can be produced.

The recorded matter produced by the method for producing an inkjet recorded matter of the present invention has a high-quality image formed without stains or white streaks, and can be made to have a good appearance.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a configuration of an embodiment of a recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the periphery of the recording head shown in FIG.

3A and 3B are diagrams showing a configuration of the carriage shown in FIG. 2, in which FIG. 3A shows a recording state and FIG. 3B shows a standby state.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation sequence of the recording apparatus shown in FIG.

5 is a diagram showing a positional relationship of the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit shown in FIG. 2 with respect to a platen.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of a carriage of another embodiment of the recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the positional relationship between the recording head and the cloth with respect to the cloth of various thicknesses in the dyeing apparatus using the recording apparatus. FIG. 7A shows the case where the cloth is thin. (B) shows the case where the thickness of the cloth is medium, and (C) shows the case where the thickness of the cloth is thick.

FIG. 8 is a graph for explaining a recording dot deviation.

FIG. 9 shows the distance between the cloth and the recording head and the recording dot.
6 is a graph showing the relationship with the amount of landing deviation.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing an operation of an example of the cloth thickness detecting means of the dyeing device using the recording device of the present invention, and FIG.
Shows the state of the contact pin when there is no cloth, and FIG. 7B shows the state of the contact pin when there is cloth on the conveyor belt.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a carriage of an example of a dyeing apparatus using the recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing an example in which an optical detecting means is used as the cloth thickness detecting means.

13 is a graph showing the relationship between the sensor output difference of the optical detection means shown in FIG. 12 and the fabric thickness.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of movement control of a recording head according to fabric thickness, in which FIG.
FIG. 3B is a plan view thereof.

FIG. 15 is a configuration diagram of a dyeing system using the recording apparatus of the present invention.

16 is a schematic perspective view of the inkjet recording unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an essential part with a part of the recording head shown in FIG. 16 cut away.

18 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a dyeing device in the image printing section of the dyeing system shown in FIG.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged perspective view of an essential part of the dyeing device shown in FIG.

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram for determining whether or not to continue the recording operation according to the floating amount and the lifting angle of the recording material.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart of an operation sequence for determining whether or not to continue the recording operation according to the floating amount and the lifting angle of the recording material.

22A and 22B are diagrams showing a state of the recording material when the recording material is floating from the platen, FIG. 22A shows various floating amounts, and FIG. 22B shows various floating amounts at the same floating amount. It is a figure which shows an angle.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Recording Device Main Body 2 Roll 3, 5 Conveying Roller 4 Cutter 6 Sub-scanning Roller 7 Cassette 8 Guide Part 9, 105 Carriage 10, 10 _C , 10 _M , 10 _Y , 10 _BK , 103 Recording Head 11 Ink Supply System 11 _C , 11 _M , 11 _Y , 11 _BK ink cartridges 14C, 14M, 14Y, 14BK ink tank 15 main scanning rail 20 recovery device 21 substrate 22 electrothermal converter 23 electrode 24 flow path wall 25 top plate 26 common liquid chamber 28 flow path 29 Discharge port surface 31 Drive roller 32 Winding roller 33 Heating plate 34 Warm air duct 36 Take-up roll 37 Conveyor belts 41, 104 Platen 48 Pressing roller 57 Operation part 58 Cloth thickness detecting means 59 Contact pin 60 Cloth 61 Carriage base 62 Screw Compound member 63 Screw rail 64 Motor 65 Optical Knowledge means 66A, 66B Optical sensor 67A, 67B, 92 Light emitting part 68A, 68B, 93 Light receiving part 71 Reading part 72 Image processing part 73 Binarization processing part 74 Image printing part 75 Inkjet recording part 76 Cloth feeding part 77 Recording Transport section 78 Post-processing section 79 Control section 86 Head unit 87 Motor 88 Feed screw 89 Rail 90 Spring 91 Moving section 91a Stopper 94, 102 Recording material 95 Solenoid 96 Link 101 Ultrasonic sensor

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Reference number within the agency FI Technical indication location B41J 29/48 E 8804-2C (72) Inventor Yasushi Miura 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo No. Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Nobuhiko Ogata 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc.

Claims (20)

[Claims] 1. While ejecting ink from a recording head,
In a recording apparatus having a recording unit for recording an image on the recording medium by relatively scanning the recording medium conveyed to a position facing the recording head, a detection unit for detecting a conveyance abnormality of the recording medium. And an ink jet recording apparatus comprising means for changing the distance between the recording head and the recording medium according to the detection result of the detection means. 2. The distance between the recording head and the recording medium is
The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording head is configured to be determined by being able to take a first position in a recording state and a second position in a standby state. 3. The ink jet recording according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means detects a conveyance abnormality of the recording medium by detecting the floating of the recording medium or the vicinity of the recording position. apparatus. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a recording medium thickness detecting means for detecting the thickness of the recording medium is used instead of the detecting means for detecting the conveyance abnormality of the recording medium. 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a cloth. 6. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is wallpaper. 7. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording head includes an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for ejecting ink. 8. The ink jet recording according to claim 7, wherein the recording head ejects the ink from the ejection port by utilizing the film boiling generated in the ink by the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter. apparatus. 9. While ejecting ink from a recording head,
In a method of manufacturing an inkjet recorded product in which an image is recorded on the recording medium by relatively scanning the recording medium conveyed to a position facing the recording head, a conveyance abnormality of the recording medium is detected during the image recording. Then, the method for producing an inkjet recorded product, characterized in that the distance between the recording head and the recording medium is changed according to the detection result. 10. The distance between the recording head and the recording medium is determined by the fact that the recording head can take a first position in a recording state and a second position in a standby state. The method for producing an inkjet recorded matter according to claim 9. 11. The conveyance abnormality of the recording medium is detected by detecting the floating of the recording medium at or near the recording position.
0. A method for producing an ink jet recorded matter according to 0. 12. A method for detecting an abnormal conveyance of a recording medium,
The method for producing an inkjet recorded matter according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the thickness of the recording medium is detected. 13. After recording an image on a recording medium,
13. The method for producing an inkjet recorded product according to claim 9, further comprising a step of fixing ink on the recording medium. 14. The method for producing an ink jet recorded matter according to claim 13, further comprising a step of washing the recording medium on which the image is recorded after the step of fixing the ink. 15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising a pretreatment step of adding a pretreatment agent to the recording medium before image recording by ejecting ink from the recording head.
13. The method for producing an inkjet recorded matter according to any one of 1. 16. The recording medium is a cloth, and the recording medium is a cloth.
6. The method for producing an inkjet recorded matter according to any one of 5 above. 17. The recording medium is a wallpaper, as claimed in claim 9.
6. The method for producing an inkjet recorded matter according to any one of 5 above. 18. The recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the recording head is an inkjet recording head including an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for ejecting ink. 19. The ink jet recording according to claim 18, wherein the recording head ejects the ink from the ejection port by utilizing the film boiling generated in the ink by the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter. How to make things. 20. An ink jet recorded matter on which an image is recorded by the method for producing an ink jet recorded matter according to any one of claims 9 to 19.