CN111070889A - Ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method - Google Patents

Ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method Download PDF

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Publication number
CN111070889A
CN111070889A CN201910976837.2A CN201910976837A CN111070889A CN 111070889 A CN111070889 A CN 111070889A CN 201910976837 A CN201910976837 A CN 201910976837A CN 111070889 A CN111070889 A CN 111070889A
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CN
China
Prior art keywords
unit
web
heating
humidification
recording
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CN201910976837.2A
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Chinese (zh)
Inventor
秋田宏
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Konica Minolta Inc
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Konica Minolta Inc
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Publication of CN111070889A publication Critical patent/CN111070889A/en
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet

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  • Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)

Abstract

The invention provides an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method, which can more reliably inhibit image quality reduction. An inkjet recording apparatus includes: a humidifying section that applies a liquid to a web to humidify a recording surface of the web on which an image is to be recorded; a heating unit that heats the recording surface humidified by the humidifying unit; a pressurizing unit that pressurizes the recording surface during at least a part of a period from when the humidifying unit starts humidifying to when the heating unit finishes heating; and a recording section that ejects ink from a predetermined ink ejection surface to a recording surface on which the pressurization by the pressurization section and the heating by the heating section have been completed, and records an image on the recording surface.

Description

Ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method
Technical Field
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method.
Background
In addition, there is an ink jet recording apparatus that ejects ink onto a predetermined recording surface of a web as a recording medium and records an image on the recording surface. In such an ink jet recording apparatus, ink is ejected in a state where an ink ejection surface provided with openings of nozzles that eject ink is opposed to a recording surface of a web. Therefore, when the recording surface of the web is fluffed, the fluff comes into contact with the ink ejection surface, and the ink is not normally ejected from the nozzles, resulting in a reduction in the quality of the recorded image.
For this, there is a technique of: before ink is ejected onto a web, the recording surface of the web is pressed with a roller or the like to smooth the pile in advance (for example, patent document 1).
Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2017-128828
However, in the above-described conventional technique, the pile may rise after pressurization and come into contact with the ink ejection surface, and there is a technical problem that the image quality degradation due to the pile of the fabric may not be suppressed.
Disclosure of Invention
The invention aims to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method capable of more reliably inhibiting image quality reduction.
In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 provides an inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
a humidifying section that applies a liquid to a web to humidify a recording surface of the web on which an image is to be recorded;
a heating unit that heats the recording surface humidified by the humidifying unit;
a pressurizing unit that pressurizes the recording surface during at least a part of a period from when the humidifying unit starts humidifying to when the heating unit ends heating;
and a recording unit that ejects ink from a predetermined ink ejection surface to the recording surface on which the pressurization by the pressurization unit and the heating by the heating unit have been completed, and records an image on the recording surface.
The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1,
the pressure section terminates the pressure application before the heating section terminates the heating.
The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in the ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
a humidification control unit for controlling the operation of the humidification unit,
the humidification control unit imparts a liquid to the fabric in an amount corresponding to the type of the fabric by the humidification unit.
The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that, in the ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3,
the categories classify the fabric based at least on the raw material of the fabric.
The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4,
the humidification control unit controls the operation of the humidification unit such that the amount of liquid given per unit area of the web made of natural fibers is greater than the amount of liquid given per unit area of the web made of chemical fibers.
The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that, in the ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3,
the categories classify the fabric based at least on its brand name ( handle).
The invention of claim 7 is the inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, including:
a humidification control unit that controls an operation of the humidification unit;
a first detection unit that detects a liquid content of the recording surface of the web before humidification by the humidification unit;
the humidification control unit adjusts the amount of liquid to be supplied to the web per unit area by the humidification unit based on the content of liquid detected by the first detection unit so that the content of liquid in the recording surface humidified by the humidification unit approaches a predetermined first reference content.
The invention of claim 8 is the inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, including:
a humidification control unit that controls an operation of the humidification unit;
a second detection unit that detects a content of the liquid on the recording surface of the web after the web is humidified by the humidification unit and before the web is heated by the heating unit;
the humidification control unit adjusts the amount of liquid applied to the web per unit area by the humidification unit so that the difference is reduced, based on the difference between the liquid content detected by the second detection unit and a predetermined first reference content.
The invention of claim 9 is the inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, including:
a heating control unit that controls an operation of the heating unit;
a third detection unit that detects a content of the liquid on the recording surface of the web after the heating by the heating unit and before the ink is ejected by the recording unit;
the heating control unit adjusts the heating temperature of the heating unit for the recording surface so that the difference is reduced, based on the difference between the content of the liquid detected by the third detection unit and a predetermined second reference content.
The invention according to claim 10 is the inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
comprises a conveying part for conveying the fabric,
the humidifying section humidifies the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying section,
the pressing section presses the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying section,
the heating section heats the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying section,
the recording unit ejects ink to the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying unit to record an image.
In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 11 provides an ink jet recording method for recording an image on a textile by an ink jet recording apparatus including a recording unit for ejecting ink from a predetermined ink ejection surface, the method including:
a humidifying step of humidifying a recording surface of a web on which an image is to be recorded by applying a liquid to the web;
a heating step of heating the recording surface humidified in the humidifying step;
a pressurizing step of pressurizing the recording surface during at least a part of a period from a start of the humidifying step to an end of the heating step;
and a recording step of ejecting ink from the ink ejection surface to the recording surface heated by the heating step and the pressurization step, and recording an image on the recording surface.
The invention according to claim 12 is characterized in that in the ink jet recording method according to claim 11,
in the pressing step, the pressing is completed before the heating in the heating step is completed.
The invention according to claim 13 is characterized in that in the ink jet recording method according to claim 11 or 12,
in the humidifying step, the liquid is supplied to the fabric in an amount corresponding to the type of the fabric.
The invention according to claim 14 is characterized in that in the ink jet recording method according to claim 13,
the categories classify the fabric based at least on the raw material of the fabric.
The invention according to claim 15 is characterized in that in the ink jet recording method according to claim 14,
in the humidifying step, the recording surface is humidified so that the amount of liquid applied per unit area of the web made of natural fibers is larger than the amount of liquid applied per unit area of the web made of chemical fibers.
The invention according to claim 16 is characterized in that in the ink jet recording method according to claim 13,
the categories classify the fabric based at least on its brand name.
The invention according to claim 17 is the inkjet recording method according to any one of claims 11 to 16,
comprises a first detection step of detecting a liquid content of the recording surface of the web before humidification in the humidification step,
in the humidifying step, the amount of liquid to be supplied per unit area of the web is adjusted based on the content of liquid detected in the first detecting step so that the content of liquid in the recording surface after humidification in the humidifying step approaches a predetermined first reference content.
The invention according to claim 18 is the inkjet recording method according to any one of claims 11 to 17,
comprises a second detection step of detecting a liquid content of the recording surface of the web after humidification in the humidification step and before heating in the heating step,
in the humidifying step, the amount of liquid to be supplied per unit area of the web is adjusted so that the difference is reduced, based on the difference between the content of the liquid detected in the second detecting step and a predetermined first reference content.
The invention according to claim 19 is the inkjet recording method according to any one of claims 11 to 18,
comprises a third detection step of detecting the content of the liquid on the recording surface of the woven fabric after heating in the heating step and before ink is ejected in the recording step,
in the heating step, the heating temperature of the recording surface in the heating step is adjusted so that the difference is reduced, based on the difference between the content of the liquid detected in the third detection step and a predetermined second reference content.
The invention according to claim 20 is the inkjet recording method according to any one of claims 11 to 19,
the ink jet recording apparatus includes a transport unit for transporting the web,
in the humidifying step, the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying section is humidified,
in the pressing step, the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying section is pressed,
in the heating step, the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying section is heated,
in the recording step, ink is ejected onto the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying unit to record an image.
According to the present invention, it is possible to more reliably suppress the image quality degradation.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an inkjet recording apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the head unit.
Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus.
Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a pile compression operation of the ink jet recording apparatus.
Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a first method of adjusting the supplied moisture amount in the humidification step.
Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a second method of adjusting the supplied moisture amount in the humidification step.
Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating a third method of adjusting the supplied moisture amount in the humidification step.
Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining a method of adjusting the heating temperature in the heating step.
Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to modification 1.
Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to modification 2.
Description of the reference numerals
1 ink jet recording apparatus
2 paper feed part
3 paper discharge part
10 conveying part
11-13, 15, 16 conveying roller
14 belt conveying part
20 humidifying part
21 spray supply part
22 humidifying pressure roller
30 pressure part
31 pressure heating roller
31a roller heating section
32 pressure roller
33 pressure adjusting part
40 heating part
41 heater
42 heating roller
50 recording part
51 head unit
511 recording head
512 ink jet face
513 spray nozzle
514 head control part
61 first detection part
62 second detection part
63 third detection part
70 drying part
80 control ≦
91 conveying drive part
92 operation display part
93 communication part
94 bus
M fabric
Ma fluff
S recording surface
Detailed Description
Hereinafter, embodiments of an inkjet recording apparatus and an inkjet recording method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an inkjet recording apparatus 1.
The inkjet recording device 1 includes a paper feeding unit 2, a paper discharging unit 3, a conveying unit 10, a humidifying unit 20, a pressurizing unit 30, a heating unit 40, a recording unit 50, a first detecting unit 61, a second detecting unit 62, a third detecting unit 63, a drying unit 70, a control unit 80 (see fig. 3), and the like. The ink jet recording apparatus 1 ejects ink from nozzles provided in the recording section 50 onto a recording medium M (hereinafter, simply referred to as "web M") such as a web being conveyed by the conveying section 10, and records an image on the web M.
The fabric M has a belt-like shape having a width in the width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the conveyance unit 10 of about 1 to 2 meters and a length in the conveyance direction of about several tens to several thousands of meters. The web M may have a structure in which a plurality of recording medium sheets having a length of about several tens of meters are joined. Note that the size of the fabric M is not limited thereto, and a smaller fabric or a larger fabric may be used.
The web M is placed on the paper feeding unit 2 in a state of being repeatedly folded, is pulled out from the paper feeding unit 2 by the conveying unit 10, is recorded with an image by the recording unit 50, and is then placed on the paper discharging unit 3 in a state of being repeatedly folded. Note that, instead of this, a system of winding (unwinding) the web M from a roll around which the web M is wound and supplying the web M to the conveying section 10 may be employed.
The conveying unit 10 includes conveying rollers 11 to 13, 15, and 16, a belt conveying unit 14, and the like, and conveys the web M in a predetermined conveying direction. The respective parts of the conveying section 10 are arranged in the order of conveying rollers 11 to 13, a belt conveying section 14, and conveying rollers 15 and 16 from the upstream side in the conveying direction.
The transport rollers 11 to 13, 15, and 16 are driven by a transport motor, not shown, to rotate about a rotation axis parallel to the width direction in a state where the web M is sandwiched between a pair of rollers or in a state where the web M is wound around a part of the outer peripheral surface of a single roller, thereby transporting the web M in the transport direction. The conveying rollers 11 to 13, 15, and 16 are provided at positions higher than a conveying surface of the belt conveying section 14 for conveying the fabric M.
A mist supply unit 21 constituting the humidifying unit 20 is provided between the conveying roller 11 and the conveying roller 12 in the conveying direction.
The mist supply unit 21 humidifies the recording surface S of the web M by spraying water (liquid) in a mist form onto the recording surface S (see fig. 4) on which an image is to be recorded (the surface facing upward in fig. 1) of the web M being conveyed. In addition, the spray supply unit 21 can adjust the amount of moisture to be supplied to the web M per unit time (and hence per unit area) under the control of the control unit 80.
By humidifying the recording surface S of the web M by the spray supply unit 21, the stiffness (softness and elasticity) of the piles Ma (see fig. 4) on the recording surface S can be reduced.
The specific structure of the spray supply unit 21 is not particularly limited, and the following structure may be used: a plurality of minute water supply nozzles for spraying mist-like water are arranged in the width direction, and water is supplied to the plurality of water supply nozzles at a predetermined water pressure via a water supply pipe. As means for adjusting the amount of water to be supplied to the fabric M, means for changing the water pressure of water to be supplied to the water supply nozzles, means for adjusting the number of water supply nozzles that spray water by closing a part of the water supply nozzles, and the like can be used.
The web M humidified by the mist supply unit 21 passes through the transport rollers 12 and 13, is transported downward, and is supplied to the transport surface of the belt transport unit 14.
The belt conveying unit 14 includes a driving roller 141, a driven roller 142, a conveying belt 143, and the like.
The driving roller 141 is driven by a conveyance motor, not shown, to rotate about a rotation axis parallel to the width direction. The conveying belt 143 is an endless belt supported on the inside by the driving roller 141 and the driven roller 142, and moves around in accordance with the rotation of the driving roller 141. The driven roller 142 rotates about a rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis of the driving roller 141 as the conveying belt 143 moves around. As the conveying belt 143, a conveying belt made of a material that is flexibly curved at a contact surface with the driving roller 141 and the driven roller 142 and can reliably support the fabric M is used, and for example, a belt made of resin such as rubber, a steel belt, or the like can be used. By providing the conveyor belt 143 with a material and/or a structure that adsorbs the web M, the web M can be more stably placed on the conveyor belt 143.
A pressure/heat roller 31 composed of a pair of rollers sandwiching the conveying belt 143 is provided in a portion (upper portion in fig. 1) of the circulating path of the conveying belt 143 from the driving roller 141 to the driven roller 142. The pressure heating roller 31 rotates while sandwiching the web M conveyed downward toward the conveying surface of the conveying belt 143 by the conveying roller 13 and the conveying belt 143 with a predetermined pressure. Further, one of the press and heat rollers 31 (here, the upper roller) is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction in fig. 1, and the pressure applied to the web M can be adjusted in accordance with the vertical movement. The pressure heating roller 31 is moved in the vertical direction by the pressure adjustment unit 33 (see fig. 3) under the control of the control unit 80.
Further, a cylindrical roller heating section 31a along the rotation axis is provided in the upper roller of the pair of rollers constituting the pressure heating roller 31. A heat medium such as high-temperature steam or hot water passes through the inside of the roller heating section 31a, and the heat of the heat medium is transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the roller to heat the outer peripheral surface. The pressure-heating roller 31 heats the recording surface S of the web M to a predetermined temperature by transferring the heat of the outer peripheral surface to the web M.
The pressure-heating roller 31 is provided to be able to adjust the heating temperature of the web M. Specifically, the temperature and the flow rate of the heat medium flowing through the roller heating section 31a are changed under the control of the control section 80, thereby adjusting the heating temperature of the pressure-heating roller 31 to the web M.
Note that the pressure heating roller 31 may be constituted by a single roller that presses the conveying belt 143 and the web M from the upper surface side. In this case, a support member for supporting the conveying belt 143 and the web M against the pressure from the pressure-heating roller 31 is provided on the side opposite to the pressure-heating roller 31 with the conveying belt 143 therebetween.
In the present embodiment, the pressure section 30 and the heating section 40 are constituted by the pressure heating roller 31. The pressure heating roller 31 constitutes a part of the conveying unit 10.
In this way, the pressure/heat roller 31 presses and heats the recording surface S of the web M while sandwiching the web M, thereby smoothing and compressing the naps Ma on the recording surface S of the web M and removing undulation from the conveying surface such as wrinkles of the web M. The compression operation and compression action of the press heat roller 31 on the pile Ma will be described in detail later.
The recording unit 50 ejects ink from nozzles onto the recording surface S of the web M being transported while being adsorbed on the transport surface of the transport belt 143, based on image data, and records an image. The recording unit 50 includes four head units 51Y, 51M, 51C, and 51K corresponding to a plurality of colors, and in this case, four ink units 51Y, 51M, 51C, and 51K corresponding to four colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) (hereinafter, any one of these is also referred to as "head unit 51"). The plurality of head units 51 are disposed so that the ink ejection surface provided with the openings of the nozzles faces the recording surface S of the web M at an appropriate interval (2.5 mm in the present embodiment). At least a portion of the conveyor belt 143 facing the recording unit 50 is supported by a support member, not shown, having a flat surface, so as to form a horizontal surface.
Note that the number of head units 51 may be three or less or five or more.
Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the head unit 51, and is a plan view of the head unit 51 as viewed from the side opposite to the conveyor belt 143. The head unit 51 includes a plate-like support portion 51a and a plurality of (eight in this case) recording heads 511 fixed to the support portion 51a in a state of being fitted into through holes provided in the support portion 51 a. The recording head 511 is fixed to the support portion 51a in a state where an ink ejection surface 512 provided with openings of the nozzles 513 is exposed from the through hole of the support portion 51a toward the outer peripheral surface side.
In the recording head 511, a plurality of nozzles 513 are arranged at equal intervals in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the web M (in the present embodiment, in a width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction). In the present embodiment, each of the recording heads 511 has four rows (nozzle rows) of nozzles 513 arranged one-dimensionally at equal intervals in the width direction. The four nozzle rows are arranged with their positions in the width direction shifted from each other so that the nozzles 513 do not overlap in position in the width direction. Note that the number of nozzle rows included in the recording head 511 is not limited to four, and may be three or less, or five or more.
The eight recording heads 511 of the head unit 51 are arranged alternately so that the arrangement range of the nozzles 513 in the width direction is continuous. The nozzles 513 included in the head unit 51 are arranged in a range in the width direction so as to cover the width in the width direction of the image recordable region in the web M. The head unit 51 is used in a fixed position when forming an image, and the head unit 51 forms an image in a single pass by ejecting ink from the nozzles 513 to each position at a predetermined interval in the transport direction in accordance with the transport of the web M. The ink ejection mechanism for ejecting ink from each nozzle 513 may be a piezoelectric mechanism using a piezoelectric element, or a thermal mechanism for heating and ejecting ink.
The web M on which the image is recorded by the recording unit 50 is conveyed in a state of being adsorbed to the conveyor belt 143 and then peeled upward at a predetermined position. Specifically, the web M is pulled at a predetermined pressure from the conveying roller 15 provided at a position higher than the conveying surface of the conveying belt 143, and the web M is peeled from the conveying surface at a predetermined position on the conveying surface of the conveying belt 143.
A drying section 70 for drying the ink ejected onto the web M is provided between the transport roller 15 and the transport roller 16 in the transport direction. The drying section 70 includes a pair of heating rollers 71 that sandwich the web M and heat the web M at the kneading section. The heat roller 71 is provided with a cylindrical roller heating section 71a along the rotation axis. A heat medium such as high-temperature steam or hot water passes through the inside of the roller heating portion 71a, and the heat is transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the roller to heat the outer peripheral surface. The heating roller 71 heats the web M to a predetermined temperature by transferring the heat of the outer peripheral surface to the web M, and dries and fixes the ink on the recording surface.
Note that the method of drying the ink by the drying section 70 is not limited to this, and a method of drying the fabric M by radiating heat to the fabric M in a non-contact manner may be used.
The first detection unit 61, the second detection unit 62, and the third detection unit 63 (hereinafter, also referred to as "detection unit 60" when not distinguished from each other) each detect the water content (the content of water as liquid) of the recording surface S of the web M.
The first detection unit 61 is provided at a position between the paper feed unit 2 and the mist supply unit 21 in the transport direction, and detects the moisture content of the recording surface S of the web M before humidification by the mist supply unit 21.
The second detection unit 62 is provided at a position between the mist supply unit 21 and the pressure-heating roller 31 in the transport direction, and detects the moisture content of the recording surface S of the web M after humidification by the mist supply unit 21 and before heating by the pressure-heating roller 31.
The third detecting portion 63 is provided at a position between the pressure and heat roller 31 and the recording portion 50 in the transport direction, and detects the water content of the recording surface S of the web M after heating by the pressure and heat roller 31 and before ink is ejected by the recording portion 50.
The detection principle and the specific configuration of the detection unit 60 are not particularly limited as long as the water content of the recording surface S can be detected. For example, the detection unit 60 may be a detection unit that irradiates the recording surface S with infrared light and receives reflected light thereof, and detects the moisture content of the recording surface S based on the amount of absorption of infrared light in a specific wavelength region in which infrared light is absorbed by moisture. Alternatively, the resistance type detecting unit 60 may be used which detects the resistance value of the fabric M by passing a current through the fabric M and determines the moisture content based on the resistance value; a capacitance type detecting unit 60 that detects the capacitance of the fabric M by passing an alternating current through the fabric M and determines the moisture content based on a change in the capacitance; a microwave-type detecting section 60 for irradiating the fabric M with microwaves and determining the moisture content based on the amount of absorption of the microwaves by the moisture.
Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus 1.
The inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a control unit 80 (humidification control unit, heating control unit), a humidification unit 20 having a mist supply unit 21, a pressurization unit 30 having a pressure adjustment unit 33, a heating unit 40 having a roller heating unit 31a, a head unit 51 having a recording head 511 and a head control unit 514, a first detection unit 61, a second detection unit 62, a third detection unit 63, a transport drive unit 91, an operation display unit 92, a communication unit 93, a bus 94, and the like.
The control unit 80 controls the overall operation of the inkjet recording apparatus 1. The control Unit 80 includes a CPU81(central processing Unit), a RAM82(Random Access Memory), a ROM83(Read Only Memory), a storage Unit 84, and the like.
The CPU81 reads out various control programs and setting data stored in the ROM83, stores them in the RAM82, and executes the programs to perform various arithmetic operations. The CPU81 controls the overall operation of the inkjet recording apparatus 1.
The RAM82 provides the CPU81 with a memory space for operations, storing temporary data. The RAM82 may also include non-volatile memory.
The ROM83 stores programs for various controls and setting data executed by the CPU 81. Note that a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory may be used instead of the ROM 83.
The storage unit 84 stores image data to be recorded input from an external device via the communication unit 93, operation data including operation settings related to a recording operation of the image data, and the like. The storage unit 84 may be, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a DRAM (Dynamic Random access memory).
The pressure adjustment unit 33 drives a stepping motor, not shown, based on a control signal from the control unit 80, thereby moving one of the pressure and heat rollers 31 in the up-down direction of fig. 1, and adjusting the pressure applied to the recording surface S of the web M by the pressure and heat roller 31.
The head control section 514 outputs image data and a control signal to a head driving section in the recording head 511 at an appropriate timing corresponding to the transport position of the web M based on a control signal supplied from the control section 80, thereby ejecting ink from the nozzles 513 of the recording head 511.
The first, second, and third detection units 61, 62, and 63 detect the moisture content of the recording surface S of the web M based on the control signal supplied from the control unit 80, and output the result to the control unit 80.
The transport drive unit 91 controls the operation of the transport motors attached to the transport rollers 11 to 13, 15, and 16 and the drive roller 141 of the belt transport unit 14, respectively, independently of each other based on the control signal supplied from the control unit 80, and rotates the rollers to transport the web M at an appropriate speed.
The operation display unit 92 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, an input device such as an operation key or a touch panel disposed to overlap a screen of the display device. The operation display unit 92 displays various information on the display device, converts an input operation of the input device by the user into an operation signal, and outputs the operation signal to the control unit 80.
The communication unit 93 communicates with an external device to transmit and receive information. The communication unit 93 performs communication control corresponding to various communication standards of wired or wireless communication by the LAN. The received data includes the above-described operation data. The transmitted data includes state information of the progress of the image recording operation corresponding to the job data.
The bus 94 is a signal path for transmitting and receiving signals between the control unit 80 and each unit.
Next, the pile compression operation of the web M in the ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. In the nap compressing operation of the inkjet recording apparatus 1, a nap compressing step including a humidifying step of humidifying the recording surface S of the web M, a compressing step of compressing the recording surface S, and a heating step of heating the recording surface S is performed.
Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a pile compression operation of the inkjet recording apparatus 1.
Fig. 4 (a) is a view showing the state of the pile Ma on the recording surface S of the web M before entering the pressure-heating roller 31. As shown in fig. 4 (a), on the recording surface S of the web M, piles Ma having the maximum height H stand from the surface of the recording surface S. The maximum height H and the softness, amount, etc. of the pile Ma generally vary according to the type of fabric M.
Here, the category of the fabric M classifies the fabric according to the raw material of the fabric M, the brand name of the fabric M, and the like.
Examples of the material of the fabric M include natural fibers such as cotton, hemp and silk, and chemical fibers such as polyester, nylon and acryl.
The brand name of the fabric M is, for example, a model number, a name, or the like that is determined by a manufacturer of the fabric M according to a product.
Note that the type of the fabric M is not limited to the type based on the material and the brand name, and may be a type in which the fabric M is classified based on any factors that may cause a difference in the characteristics of the fabric M, such as the manufacturing date, the lot number, the transport route, and the storage environment.
The type of the fabric M set in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is determined by, for example, a user performing a predetermined input operation on the operation display unit 92.
In the nap compressing operation, as shown in fig. 4 (a), mist-like water is first supplied to the recording surface S of the fabric M on which naps Ma stand by the spray supply unit 21 to humidify the recording surface S (humidifying step). This can reduce the rigidity of the pile Ma and make the pile Ma easily deformable.
Next, as shown in fig. 4 (b), the pile Ma standing on the recording surface S is flattened (laid down) at the nip portion of the pressure-heating roller 31 and is pressed and compressed, thereby being made to follow the recording surface S (pressing step). Here, the fluff Ma is humidified by the spray supply unit 21 in advance to be weakened in rigidity, and thus easily deformed into a flat surface shape following the pressure-heating roller 31. Therefore, the pile Ma can be flattened to a low posture along the recording surface S by the pressing, and can be easily compressed.
At the same time, the fluff Ma is heated by the pressure-heating roller 31 at the kneading section of the pressure-heating roller 31, and the moisture contained in the fluff Ma is removed (heating step). The pile Ma is in a state of being hardly deformed even by external force by removing moisture. Therefore, the shape of the pile Ma can be constantly maintained in a compressed state by heating and removing water while the pile Ma is compressed in a low posture along the recording surface S.
Fig. 4 (c) is a view showing a state where the recording surface S of the web M after compressing the pile Ma faces the head unit 51.
As shown in fig. 4 (c), the maximum height H of the pile Ma from the surface of the recording surface S is kept low by compressing the pile Ma, and a sufficient space is secured between the ink ejection surface 512 of the head unit 51 and the pile Ma, thereby preventing the occurrence of a problem that the pile Ma contacts the ink ejection surface 512. Further, since the shape is fixed by compressing the pile Ma after the stiffness of the pile Ma is weakened by temporary humidification and by heating (removing moisture) in this state, a problem that the pile Ma rises again is unlikely to occur until the recording surface S of the web M is conveyed to the position facing the head unit 51.
In this way, the ink is ejected from the nozzles 513 of the head unit 51 onto the recording surface S of the web M in a state where the naps Ma are compressed, and an image is recorded (recording step).
Next, a method of adjusting the supplied moisture amount in the humidification step and a method of adjusting the heating temperature in the heating step will be described. In the inkjet recording apparatus 1, the supply moisture amount is adjusted by the following first to third adjustment methods, and the heating temperature is adjusted by the following adjustment method.
< first method for adjusting supply moisture content >
Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a first method of adjusting the supplied moisture amount in the humidification step.
The first adjustment method is a method of determining the type of the web M and then supplying the web M with water in an amount corresponding to the type of the web M by the spray supply unit 21.
Fig. 5 shows the type of the web M, the humidification conditions, the pressurization conditions, the heating conditions, the maximum height H of the naps Ma before and after the nap compression process, and the like in the case where the nap compression process is performed on each of a plurality of different types of webs M.
Example 1 of fig. 5 is an example in which a pile compression process is performed on a fabric M made of a natural fiber material (cotton) and having the brand name "cotton a".
Example 2 is an example in which a pile compression process was performed on a fabric M made of a natural fiber material (cotton) and named "cotton B".
Example 3 is an example in which a pile compression process was performed on a fabric M made of a chemical fiber material (polyester) and named "polyester C".
In examples 1 to 3, as the fluff compression step, the pressurization step and the heating step were performed after the pressurization step as in the above-described embodiments.
On the other hand, the comparative example is an example in which the brand name "cotton a" is subjected to a fluff compression step consisting of only a pressing step and a heating step (i.e., not including a humidifying step).
In any of examples 1 to 3 and comparative examples, the distance from the recording surface S of the web M to the ink ejection surface 512 of the head unit 51 was 2.5mm, and the target value (upper limit) of the maximum height H of the pile Ma after the pile compression step was 2 mm.
As shown in fig. 5, the maximum height H of the pile Ma before humidification was 10mm in the fabric M of the brand name "cotton a" of example 1, 6mm in the fabric M of the brand name "cotton B" of example 2, and 3mm in the fabric M of the brand name "polyester C" of example 3. Thus, in general, the amount of the pile Ma is greater and longer in the fabric M of natural fibers than in the fabric M of chemical fibers.
In general, the higher the maximum height H of the naps Ma, the higher the fabric M, the higher the moisture content of the recording surface S after humidification needs to be in order to properly compress the naps Ma. Therefore, the target moisture content (first reference content) after humidification was set to 15% for the fabric M of the brand name "cotton a" of example 1, 11% for the fabric M of the brand name "cotton B" of example 2, and 6% for the fabric M of the brand name "polyester C" of example 3.
As shown in fig. 5, the moisture amount per unit area supplied in the humidification step is set to be larger as the moisture content of the web M having a higher target moisture content after humidification becomes higher. Specifically, the water content supplied in example 1 was 30g/m2In example 2, the amount of water supplied was 18g/m2In example 3, the amount of water supplied was 6g/m2。
The data of the target moisture content for each type of the fabric M and the supplied moisture amount corresponding to the target moisture content are stored in the storage unit 84.
The first method of adjusting the supplied moisture amount in the humidification step is performed by the controller 80 according to the following control procedure. That is, the control unit 80 first specifies the type of the fabric M to be recorded by the user's input operation to the operation display unit 92, and then acquires the supply water content corresponding to the specified type of the fabric M from the setting data stored in the storage unit 84. Then, the controller 80 controls the operation of the spray supplying unit 21 to spray the acquired supply moisture amount to the web M.
After the humidification step is thus performed, pressurization is performedA step of heating. The conditions of the pressurizing step and the heating step were set to the same conditions as in examples 1 to 3 and comparative example, and the average pressure applied to the recording surface S in the pressurizing step was 100kN/m2The heating temperature of the recording surface S in the heating step was 50 ℃.
As a result of performing the pile compression step, in examples 1 to 3, the maximum height H of the piles Ma after the pile compression step was 1.5 mm. That is, by giving the water to the web M in an amount corresponding to the type of the web M by the spray supply unit 21, the maximum height H of the pile Ma can be suppressed to the upper limit value (2mm) or less regardless of the type of the web M.
On the other hand, in the comparative example, the maximum height H of the pile Ma after the pile compression step was 4.0mm, which exceeded the upper limit value. This is considered to be because: since the humidifying step is omitted, the fluff Ma is less likely to be deformed when the fluff Ma is pressurized and heated than in examples 1 to 3.
< second method for adjusting supply moisture content >
Next, a second method of adjusting the supplied moisture amount in the humidification step will be described.
Depending on the water content of the web M before humidification by the spray supply unit 21, a desired water content may not be obtained after humidification only by the first adjustment method. Therefore, in the second adjustment method, the first detection unit 61 detects the moisture content of the web M before humidification by the spray supply unit 21, and adjusts the supply moisture amount based on the detected moisture content so that the moisture content after humidification approaches the target moisture content.
Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a second method of adjusting the supplied moisture amount in the humidification step.
Fig. 6 shows the moisture content of each fabric M, the humidification conditions, the maximum height II of the naps Ma before and after the naps compression step, and the like in the case where the supplied moisture amount is further adjusted according to the moisture content of the fabric M before humidification in example 1 of fig. 5. Note that since the printing pressure in the pressing step and the heating temperature in the heating step are the same as those in fig. 5, they are omitted in fig. 6.
In fig. 6, three kinds of fabrics M different in moisture content from each other before humidification are represented as fabrics M1 to M3.
The moisture content of the fabric M1 before humidification and the maximum height H of the pile Ma were medium (standard value for the fabric under the brand name "cotton a"). Specifically, the measured value of the water content before humidification was 5%, and the maximum height H of the pile Ma was 10 mm.
The measured value of the moisture content of the fabric M2 before humidification was low (3%), and therefore, the maximum height H of the pile Ma was high (12 mm).
The measured value of the moisture content of the fabric M3 before humidification was high (10%), and therefore, the maximum height H of the pile Ma was low (5.5 mm).
In the second method of adjusting the supplied moisture amount, the supplied moisture amount in the humidification step is adjusted so that the supplied moisture amount increases as the difference increases, based on the difference between the measured value of the moisture content before humidification by the first detection unit 61 and the target moisture content (15%) after humidification by the spray supply unit 21. In other words, the supplied moisture amount is adjusted based on the measured value of the moisture content before humidification so that the moisture content after humidification approaches the target moisture content.
That is, the moisture content of the fabric M1 was measured at a standard supply moisture content (30 g/M)2) Humidification is performed, and the moisture content of the fabric M2 with the low moisture content before humidification is supplied more than the standard moisture content (36 g/M)2) Humidification is performed, and the moisture content of the fabric M3 with high moisture content before humidification is less than the standard moisture content (15 g/M)2) Humidification is performed.
The second method of adjusting the supplied moisture amount in the humidification step is performed by the controller 80 according to the following control procedure. That is, the control unit 80 obtains the moisture content of the web M before humidification from the first detection unit 61, and calculates a difference from the target moisture content after humidification stored in the storage unit 84. Then, the control unit 80 controls the operation of the spray supply unit 21 based on the magnitude of the calculated difference, thereby applying the spray of the adjusted supply moisture amount to the web M.
In the example of fig. 6, the maximum height H of the pile Ma after the pile compression step was 1.5mm for any of the fabrics M1 to M3 as a result of performing the pile compression step while adjusting the supplied water amount in this manner, and the maximum height H of the pile Ma was suppressed to the upper limit value (2mm) or less regardless of the water content of the fabric M before humidification.
< third method for adjusting supply moisture content >
Next, a third method of adjusting the supplied moisture amount in the humidification step will be described.
The amount of water actually supplied to the web M by the spray supply unit 21 may deviate from a desired value due to a deviation in water pressure, clogging of a water supply nozzle for spraying the spray, or the like. Therefore, in the third adjustment method, the moisture content of the web M humidified by the spray supply unit 21 is detected by the second detection unit 62, and the supply moisture amount is adjusted based on the detected moisture content so that the humidified moisture content approaches the target moisture content.
Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating a third method of adjusting the supplied moisture amount in the humidification step.
FIG. 7 shows cases 1 to 3 in which the supply moisture amounts of the spray supply part 21 are different from each other due to variations and the like in embodiment 1 of FIG. 5. Fig. 7 shows the moisture content of the fabric M, the humidification conditions, and the maximum height H of the naps Ma before and after the nap compression step in cases 1 to 3, and also shows the dried state of the fabric M after the heating step.
Case 1 of fig. 7 is a case where humidification is appropriately performed by the spray supply unit 21. That is, in case 1, the supplied moisture amount is a standard value (30 g/m)2) As a result, the maximum height of the naps Ma after the nap compression step is 1.5mm, which is suppressed to the upper limit value (2mm) or less, and the dried state of the web M after heating by the pressure-heating roller 31 (heating section 40) is also good (○ in fig. 7), the good dried state means that the moisture content of the web M is within a range suitable for the ink ejection by the recording section 50.
On the other hand, case 2 is a supply moisture amount (24 g/m)2) Measurement of moisture content after humidification, which is less than the standard valueThe value was 13%, which is too small for the target moisture content (15%) after humidification. In case 2, the maximum height H of the pile Ma after the pile compression step was 3.0mm, which exceeded the upper limit (2 mm).
Therefore, in case 2, feedback is performed so as to increase the supply moisture amount of the spray supply unit 21. Specifically, when the second detection unit 62 has an excessively small measured value of the water content, the control unit 80 increases the supplied water content of the spray supply unit 21 based on the difference between the measured value of the water content and the target water content after humidification. As a result, the portion of the fabric M to be humidified thereafter can be humidified so as to have a water content ratio closer to the target water content after humidification.
On the other hand, case 3 is a supply moisture amount (36 g/m)2) The measured value of the moisture content after humidification was 17% more than the standard value, and the target moisture content after humidification (15%) was excessive. In case 3, the maximum height H of the naps Ma after the nap compression step is 1.5mm and is lower than the upper limit value (2mm), but since the water content is too high, the water cannot be sufficiently removed by the heating of the pressure-heating roller 31, and the dried state after the heating is poor (in fig. 7, "x"). As described above, if the moisture removal of the pressure heating roller 31 is insufficient, the ink ejected from the recording section 50 is not fixed in a desired form on the surface of the web M (for example, bleed occurs), resulting in a reduction in image quality.
Therefore, in case 3, feedback is performed so as to reduce the supply moisture amount of the spray supply unit 21. Specifically, when the measured value of the water content ratio measured by the second detection unit 62 is too large relative to the target water content ratio after humidification, the control unit 80 reduces the supply water content amount of the mist supply unit 21 based on the difference between the measured value of the water content ratio and the target water content ratio after humidification. As a result, the portion of the web to be humidified thereafter can be humidified so as to have a water content ratio closer to the target water content after humidification.
< method for adjusting heating temperature >
Next, a method of adjusting the heating temperature in the heating step will be described.
During the period from the feedback of the third adjustment method to the adjustment of the moisture content of the web M after humidification to a position matching the target moisture content, the moisture content after humidification may be too high, and the moisture may not be sufficiently removed by the heating of the pressure-heating roller 31, which may result in a failure in the dried state of the web M after heating. In addition, when there is an error in the heating temperature of the pressure-heating roller 31, the web M after heating may not be sufficiently dehydrated, resulting in a poor dry state. Therefore, in the inkjet recording apparatus 1, the third detection unit 63 detects the moisture content of the fabric M heated by the pressure-heating roller 31, and adjusts the heating temperature of the pressure-heating roller 31 based on the detected moisture content so that the heated moisture content approaches the target moisture content after heating.
Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining a method of adjusting the heating temperature in the heating step.
The case 3 shown in fig. 8 is the same as the case 3 in fig. 7, and the moisture content of the web M humidified by the spray supply unit 21 is too high (17%). In case 3, the pressure/heat roller 31 was heated at a normal heating temperature (50 ℃ C.), and as a result, water was not sufficiently removed by heating, and the measured value of the water content after heating was 7% or more of the target water content (5%). Therefore, the dried state after heating was poor ("×"). Here, the target water content after heating corresponds to the "second reference content".
Therefore, in case 3, feedback is performed so as to increase the heating temperature of the pressure heating roller 31. Specifically, when the measured value of the water content by the third detection unit 63 is too large relative to the target water content after heating, the control unit 80 increases the heating temperature of the pressure hot roller 31 based on the difference between the measured value of the water content by the third detection unit 63 and the target water content after heating.
In case 3a, the moisture content of the web M humidified by the spray supply unit 21 is too high (17%), but since the heating temperature of the pressure-heating roller 31 is increased to 60 ℃, the moisture content after heating is 5% of the target moisture content, and the dried state is good ("○").
By feedback-controlling the heating temperature based on the detection result of the third detection unit 63 in this way, the heated portion of the web M can be heated to bring the heated water content to a value closer to the target water content, and the recording surface S of the web M can be brought into a state suitable for ink ejection.
Note that, in fig. 8, an example has been described in which feedback for increasing the heating temperature is performed when the drying state is poor due to insufficient moisture removal from the heated web M, but in addition to this, feedback for decreasing the heating temperature may be performed when the drying state is poor due to excessive moisture removal from the heated web M.
In the present embodiment, the supplied moisture amount and the heating temperature are adjusted by applying all of the first to third methods for adjusting the supplied moisture amount and the method for adjusting the heating temperature, but at least a part of the adjustment of the supplied moisture amount by the first to third methods for adjusting the supplied moisture amount and the adjustment of the heating temperature by the method for adjusting the heating temperature may not be performed.
Among them, in the case where the adjustment of the supplied moisture amount by the second adjustment method of the supplied moisture amount is not performed, the first detection part 61 may be omitted.
In addition, when the supplied water amount is not adjusted by the third adjustment method of the supplied water amount, the second detection unit 62 may be omitted.
In addition, in the case where the adjustment of the heating temperature by the heating temperature adjustment method is not performed, the third detection portion 63 may be omitted.
As described above, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes: a humidifying unit 20 that humidifies a recording surface S on which an image is to be recorded in the web M by applying moisture to the web M; a heating unit 40 that heats the recording surface S humidified by the humidifying unit 20; a pressurizing unit 30 that pressurizes the recording surface S during at least a part of a period from when the humidifying unit 20 starts humidifying to when the heating unit 40 finishes heating; and a recording unit 50 that ejects ink from the ink ejection surface 512 onto the recording surface S on which the pressurization by the pressurization unit 30 and the heating by the heating unit 40 have been completed, and records an image on the recording surface S.
According to this configuration, by humidifying the recording surface S of the web M by the humidifying unit 20, the stiffness of the pile Ma can be reduced and the pile Ma can be easily deformed. Further, by pressing the recording surface S by the pressing portion 30 in such a state that the naps Ma is easily deformed, the naps Ma can be easily flattened to a low posture along the recording surface S and compressed. Further, the fluff Ma can be brought into a state in which it is difficult to deform by heating the recording surface S by the heating section 40 to remove moisture contained in the fluff Ma. That is, the shape of the pile Ma can be constantly maintained in a compressed state by heating. Thus, since the ink can be ejected with the ink ejection surface 512 of the recording unit 50 facing the recording surface S in a state where the naps Ma on the recording surface S are flattened to a low posture, it is possible to effectively suppress the occurrence of a problem in which the naps Ma adhere to the ink ejection surface 512. Therefore, the image quality degradation due to the contact of the pile Ma with the ink ejection surface 512 can be more reliably suppressed.
Further, if the web M is dried, peeling electrification is generated at the moment when the surface of the web M and the surface of the transport roller are separated from each other, and a problem of electrification of the web M is likely to occur, but in the present embodiment, the dryness of the web M can be suppressed by temporarily humidifying the web M as compared with a case of not humidifying the web, and therefore, the occurrence of a problem due to peeling electrification can be suppressed.
The ink jet recording apparatus 1 further includes a control unit 80 as a humidification control unit, and the control unit 80 controls the operation of the humidification unit 20 so that the humidification unit 20 supplies the web M with the moisture in an amount corresponding to the type of the web M (a first method for adjusting the supplied moisture amount). Accordingly, an appropriate amount of moisture necessary and sufficient for compressing the pile Ma can be applied to the fabric M according to the type of the fabric M. Therefore, the fluff Ma can be compressed in an appropriate state while suppressing the occurrence of a defect in which the compression of the fluff Ma is insufficient due to insufficient moisture and a defect in which the drying of the web M before the ink ejection is insufficient due to excessive moisture.
In addition, the category of the fabric M classifies the fabric M according to at least the raw material of the fabric M. Accordingly, an appropriate amount of moisture corresponding to the material of the fabric M can be imparted to the fabric M.
The control unit 80 as the humidification control unit controls the operation of the humidification unit 20 so that the amount of moisture supplied per unit area of the web M made of natural fibers is larger than the amount of moisture supplied per unit area of the web M made of chemical fibers (a first method for adjusting the amount of supplied moisture). Thus, in the natural fiber fabric M in which the maximum height H of the pile Ma is generally likely to be high, the pile Ma can be compressed appropriately. In addition, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a problem that the web M of chemical fibers, in which the maximum height H of the pile Ma is relatively easily lowered, is given excessive moisture and the dried state after heating is poor.
In addition, the category of the fabric M classifies the fabric M according to at least the brand name of the fabric M. Accordingly, the fabric M can be humidified with an appropriate amount of moisture based on the brand name of the fabric M which can be easily managed and recognized by the user.
The inkjet recording device 1 further includes a first detection unit 61 that detects the moisture content (moisture content) of the recording surface S of the web M before humidification by the humidification unit 20, and the control unit 80 serving as a humidification control unit adjusts the amount of moisture supplied to the web M per unit area by the humidification unit 20 based on the moisture content detected by the first detection unit 61 so that the moisture content of the recording surface S after humidification by the humidification unit 20 approaches the target moisture content (first reference moisture content) after humidification (second adjustment method of the supplied moisture amount). Accordingly, even when the moisture content of the web M before humidification varies due to variations in the environmental humidity of the ink jet recording apparatus 1, the humidity of the storage environment of the web M, and the material of the web M, a proper amount of moisture can be supplied to the web M to humidify the web M. Therefore, the fluff Ma can be compressed effectively, and the occurrence of a defect in the dry state after heating due to excessive humidification can be suppressed.
The inkjet recording apparatus 1 further includes a second detection unit 62 that detects the moisture content of the recording surface S of the web M after humidification by the humidification unit 20 and before heating by the heating unit 40, and the control unit 80 as a humidification control unit adjusts the amount of moisture to be applied to the web M per unit area by the humidification unit 20 so that the difference is reduced, based on the difference between the moisture content detected by the second detection unit 62 and the target moisture content (first reference content) after humidification (third adjustment method of the amount of supplied moisture). Thus, even when the supplied moisture amount of the humidifying unit 20 deviates from a desired value, the moisture content of the recording surface S of the web M can be brought close to the target moisture content. Therefore, the fluff Ma can be compressed effectively, and the occurrence of a defect in the dry state after heating due to excessive humidification can be suppressed.
The inkjet recording apparatus 1 further includes a third detection unit 63 that detects the moisture content of the recording surface S of the web M after heating by the heating unit 40 and before ink is ejected by the recording unit 50, and the control unit 80 as the humidification control unit adjusts the heating temperature of the recording surface S by the heating unit 40 so that the difference is reduced, based on the difference between the moisture content detected by the third detection unit and the target moisture content (second reference content) after heating (heating temperature adjustment method). Accordingly, even when the moisture content after humidification by the humidification unit 20 deviates from a desired value or the heating capacity of the heating unit 40 deviates from a desired state, the moisture content after heating can be set to a value closer to the target moisture content, and the recording surface S of the web M can be brought into a state suitable for ink ejection.
The inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a transport unit 10 that transports a web M, a humidifying unit 20 that humidifies a recording surface S of the web M being transported by the transport unit 10, a pressurizing unit 30 that pressurizes the recording surface S of the web M being transported by the transport unit 10, a heating unit 40 that heats the recording surface S of the web M being transported by the transport unit 10, and a recording unit 50 that ejects ink onto the recording surface S of the web M being transported by the transport unit 10 to record an image. This makes it possible to efficiently humidify, pressurize, heat, and record an image on the web M.
Further, the inkjet recording method executed by the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes: a humidifying step of humidifying a recording surface S on which an image is to be recorded in a web M by applying moisture to the web M; a heating step of heating the recording surface S humidified in the humidifying step; a pressurizing step of pressurizing the recording surface S during at least a part of a period from the start of the humidifying step to the end of the heating step; and a recording step of ejecting ink from the ink ejection surface 512 onto the heated recording surface S after the pressurization step and the heating step, and recording an image on the recording surface S. According to this method, the pile Ma on the recording surface S of the fabric M can be effectively compressed and fixedly maintained in this state. This can more reliably prevent the image quality from being degraded due to the contact of the pile Ma with the ink ejection surface 512.
< modification 1>
Next, modification 1 of the above embodiment will be described.
This modification is different from the above embodiment in that the pressure section 30 and the heating section 40 are provided independently of each other. Hereinafter, differences from the above embodiment will be described.
Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to modification 1.
In the ink jet recording apparatus 1 of the present modification, the pressure roller 32 constituting the pressure section 30 is provided, and the heater 41 constituting the heating section 40 is provided between the pressure roller 32 and the third detection section 63, instead of the pressure heating roller 31.
The pressure roller 32 has the same configuration as the pressure heating roller 31 except that it does not have a heating function.
The heater 41 generates heat by, for example, energizing a heating wire, and heats the recording surface S of the web M. The heater 41 has a heating capacity equivalent to the heating function of the pressure heating roller 31. Note that, as the heating section 40, another heating means such as a pair of heating rollers that sandwich the web M and the conveyor belt 143 from above and below and heat them may be used instead of the heater 41.
The pressurizing unit 30 of the present modification terminates the pressurization before the heating unit 40 terminates the heating. Thus, by heating after the pressurization is completed and the pile Ma is compressed to a low position, the shape of the pile Ma can be fixed in a more reliably compressed state.
< modification 2>
Next, modification 2 of the above embodiment will be described.
The present modification differs from the above embodiment in the manner of humidifying the web M by the humidifying unit 20 and the pressing position of the pressing unit 30. Hereinafter, differences from the above embodiment will be described.
Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to modification 2.
In the present modification, the humidification and pressurization of the web M are simultaneously performed by the humidification pressure roller 22 constituting the humidification portion 20 and the pressurization portion 30. That is, in the present modification, the humidifying unit 20 and the pressurizing unit 30 are integrally provided.
Further, a pair of heating rollers 42 (heating section 40) that only perform heating is provided instead of the pressurizing heating roller 31. The heating roller 42 has a roller heating section 42a having the same configuration as the roller heating section 31a in one roller.
The humidifying unit 20 and the pressing unit 30 of the present modification include a pair of humidifying pressure rollers 22 that humidify and press the fabric M while sandwiching the fabric M from above and below, an intermediate roller 23 that rotates in contact with the upper roller of the humidifying pressure rollers 22, a water supply roller 24 that rotates in contact with the intermediate roller 23, and a water storage unit 25 that stores water supplied to the surface of the water supply roller 24.
The pair of humidification pressure rollers 22, the intermediate roller 23, and the water supply roller 24 are cylindrical members that rotate along a rotation shaft extending in the width direction, and the outer peripheral surfaces have the same width in the width direction. The humidifying pressure roller 22, the intermediate roller 23, and the water supply roller 24 are configured to be able to hold water on the outer peripheral surface. Here, as a material capable of holding the outer circumferential surface of water, for example, a hydrophilic resin (for example, NBR) or the like can be cited.
The water supply roller 24 is disposed in a state in which a part of the outer peripheral surface thereof is immersed in the water stored in the water storage portion 25. The water supply roller 24 rotates about the rotation axis, draws up and holds the water stored in the water storage portion 25 on the outer circumferential surface, and supplies the water to the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate roller 23.
The intermediate roller 23 rotates in contact with the humidification pressure roller 22 in accordance with the rotation of the humidification pressure roller 22, and supplies water to the outer peripheral surface of the humidification pressure roller 22.
The humidifying and pressurizing roller 22 is rotated in a state where the outer peripheral surface including the moisture supplied from the intermediate roller 23 is brought into contact with the recording surface S of the web M, thereby humidifying and pressurizing the recording surface S.
In this way, by simultaneously humidifying and pressurizing the recording surface S of the web M, the stiffness of the pile Ma can be reduced by humidification, and the pile Ma can be compressed and flattened. Further, the compressed pile Ma is heated by the heating unit 40 to remove moisture, whereby the shape of the pile Ma can be constantly fixed in a compressed state.
< modification 3>
Next, modification 3 of the above embodiment will be described. This modification may be combined with other modifications.
This modification differs from the above embodiment in that the humidifying unit 20 humidifies the recording surface S by applying a predetermined pretreatment agent as a liquid to the web M instead of water. Hereinafter, differences from the above embodiment will be described.
Since the ink used in the ink jet recording apparatus 1 has a low viscosity so as to be ejected as droplets from the nozzles, if the ink is simply ejected onto the fabric M, bleeding of the ink occurs. Therefore, when an image is recorded on the fabric M by the ink jet recording apparatus 1, the occurrence of the defect of ink bleeding is suppressed by applying the pretreatment agent to the surface, to which the paste component is added in advance. Examples of the pretreatment agent include water-soluble polymers such as carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium polyacrylate, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, gum arabic, and starch.
The humidifying unit 20 of the present modification humidifies the recording surface S of the web M by applying the pretreatment agent to the web M instead of water. With this configuration, since the application of the pretreatment agent and the humidification of the web M can be performed simultaneously, the configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus 1 can be simplified, and the process for recording an image can be shortened.
In the present modification, as the first detection unit 61, the second detection unit 62, and the third detection unit 63, detection units that can detect the content of the propiconazole are used.
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and the modifications, and various modifications are possible.
For example, in the above-described embodiment and modifications, the description has been made using an example in which the liquid is applied to the recording surface S of the web M, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the recording surface S may be humidified by applying the liquid to the back surface (the surface opposite to the recording surface S) of the web M together with the recording surface S of the web M or in place of the recording surface S (in the case of applying the liquid only to the back surface of the web M, the liquid may be applied in an amount sufficient to humidify the recording surface S into a desired state by the liquid penetrating the web M).
Specifically, the humidifying section 20 may be constituted by a humidifying chamber in which humidified air is enclosed, and the recording surface S and the back surface of the web M may be humidified by conveying the web M on a conveying path passing through the humidifying chamber.
Alternatively, the fabric M may be directly immersed in a liquid stored in a predetermined liquid storage section to be humidified.
The timing of pressing the recording surface S by the pressing unit 30 is not limited to the timing shown in the above embodiment and the modifications. The pressurization of the recording surface S by the pressurization unit 30 may be performed in any period of time from the start of humidification by the humidification unit 20 to the end of heating by the heating unit 40.
In the above-described embodiment and the modifications, the example in which the conveying section 10 includes the belt conveying section 14 and the ink is ejected from the web M being conveyed by the belt conveying section 14 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, an image may be recorded by ejecting ink from an ink ejection surface facing the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller to the fabric M held on the surface of the transport roller.
At least one of the humidification, pressurization and heating of the web M may be performed by a device or a human hand provided outside the ink jet recording apparatus 1.
Further, other post-processing devices may be provided downstream of the recording unit 50 in addition to the drying unit 70. Examples of the post-treatment apparatus include an apparatus for steaming the fabric M so as to achieve good color development and adhesion of ink, a cleaning apparatus for washing off dirt, non-adhered ink, and the like, and a cutting apparatus for cutting the fabric M at a predetermined position.
The method is not limited to the method of humidifying, pressurizing, heating, and image-recording the web M being conveyed by the conveying section 10. For example, the web M may be humidified, pressurized, heated, and image-recorded while a single web M is placed on a fixed predetermined placement surface.
In addition, although the above embodiments have been described by taking the single-pass type inkjet recording apparatus 1 as an example, the present invention can be applied to an inkjet recording apparatus that records an image while scanning the recording head 511.
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Claims (20)

1. An inkjet recording apparatus, comprising:
a humidifying section that applies a liquid to a web to humidify a recording surface of the web on which an image is to be recorded;
a heating unit that heats the recording surface humidified by the humidifying unit;
a pressurizing unit that pressurizes the recording surface during at least a part of a period from when the humidifying unit starts humidifying to when the heating unit ends heating;
and a recording unit that ejects ink from a predetermined ink ejection surface to the recording surface on which the pressurization by the pressurization unit and the heating by the heating unit have been completed, and records an image on the recording surface.
2. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1,
the pressure section terminates the pressure application before the heating section terminates the heating.
3. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
the ink jet recording apparatus includes a humidification control unit for controlling the operation of the humidification unit,
the humidification control unit imparts a liquid to the fabric in an amount corresponding to the type of the fabric by the humidification unit.
4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 3,
the categories classify the fabric based at least on the raw material of the fabric.
5. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4,
the humidification control unit controls the operation of the humidification unit such that the amount of liquid given per unit area of the web made of natural fibers is greater than the amount of liquid given per unit area of the web made of chemical fibers.
6. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 3,
the categories classify the fabric based at least on its brand name.
7. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising:
a humidification control unit that controls an operation of the humidification unit;
a first detection unit that detects a liquid content of the recording surface of the web before humidification by the humidification unit;
the humidification control unit adjusts the amount of liquid to be supplied to the web per unit area by the humidification unit based on the content of liquid detected by the first detection unit so that the content of liquid in the recording surface humidified by the humidification unit approaches a predetermined first reference content.
8. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising:
a humidification control unit that controls an operation of the humidification unit;
a second detection unit that detects a content of the liquid on the recording surface of the web after the web is humidified by the humidification unit and before the web is heated by the heating unit;
the humidification control unit adjusts the amount of liquid applied to the web per unit area by the humidification unit so that the difference is reduced, based on the difference between the liquid content detected by the second detection unit and a predetermined first reference content.
9. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising:
a heating control unit that controls an operation of the heating unit;
a third detection unit that detects a content of the liquid on the recording surface of the web after the heating by the heating unit and before the ink is ejected by the recording unit;
the heating control unit adjusts the heating temperature of the heating unit for the recording surface so that the difference is reduced, based on the difference between the content of the liquid detected by the third detection unit and a predetermined second reference content.
10. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
the ink jet recording apparatus includes a transport unit for transporting the web,
the humidifying section humidifies the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying section,
the pressing section presses the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying section,
the heating section heats the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying section,
the recording unit ejects ink to the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying unit to record an image.
11. An ink jet recording method for recording an image on a web by an ink jet recording apparatus having a recording section for ejecting ink from a predetermined ink ejection surface, comprising:
a humidifying step of humidifying a recording surface of a web on which an image is to be recorded by applying a liquid to the web;
a heating step of heating the recording surface humidified in the humidifying step;
a pressurizing step of pressurizing the recording surface during at least a part of a period from a start of the humidifying step to an end of the heating step;
and a recording step of ejecting ink from the ink ejection surface to the recording surface heated by the heating step and the pressurization step, and recording an image on the recording surface.
12. The inkjet recording method according to claim 11,
in the pressing step, the pressing is completed before the heating in the heating step is completed.
13. The inkjet recording method according to claim 11 or 12,
in the humidifying step, the liquid is supplied to the fabric in an amount corresponding to the type of the fabric.
14. The inkjet recording method according to claim 13,
the categories classify the fabric based at least on the raw material of the fabric.
15. The inkjet recording method according to claim 14,
in the humidifying step, the recording surface is humidified so that the amount of liquid applied per unit area of the web made of natural fibers is larger than the amount of liquid applied per unit area of the web made of chemical fibers.
16. The inkjet recording method according to claim 13,
the categories classify the fabric based at least on its brand name.
17. The inkjet recording method according to any one of claims 11 to 16,
the ink jet recording method includes a first detection step of detecting a content of liquid on the recording surface of the web before humidification in the humidification step,
in the humidifying step, the amount of liquid to be supplied per unit area of the web is adjusted based on the content of liquid detected in the first detecting step so that the content of liquid in the recording surface after humidification in the humidifying step approaches a predetermined first reference content.
18. The inkjet recording method according to any one of claims 11 to 17,
the ink jet recording method includes a second detection step of detecting a content of liquid on the recording surface of the web after humidification in the humidification step and before heating in the heating step,
in the humidifying step, the amount of liquid to be supplied per unit area of the web is adjusted so that the difference is reduced, based on the difference between the content of the liquid detected in the second detecting step and a predetermined first reference content.
19. The inkjet recording method according to any one of claims 11 to 18,
the ink jet recording method includes a third detection step of detecting a content of liquid on the recording surface of the web after heating in the heating step and before ink is ejected in the recording step,
in the heating step, the heating temperature of the recording surface in the heating step is adjusted so that the difference is reduced, based on the difference between the content of the liquid detected in the third detection step and a predetermined second reference content.
20. The inkjet recording method according to any one of claims 11 to 19,
the ink jet recording apparatus includes a transport unit for transporting the web,
in the humidifying step, the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying section is humidified,
in the pressing step, the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying section is pressed,
in the heating step, the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying section is heated,
in the recording step, ink is ejected onto the recording surface of the web being conveyed by the conveying unit to record an image.
CN201910976837.2A 2018-10-19 2019-10-15 Ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method Pending CN111070889A (en)

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Application publication date: 20200428