JP2002326416A - Ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an ink jet recorder in which an extra process is eliminated by making possible to print with high image quality without restraining distortion of a cloth and to simplify the structure of a carrier for ink jet printer. SOLUTION: A feed roller 3 for carrying a cloth 1 is disposed on the downstream side of a recording head 7 in the carrying direction of the cloth 1. Since tension of the cloth 1 being fed to a writing table 6 can be regulated, an extra process is eliminated and since crease and distortion of the cloth can be eliminated by simplifying the structure, high image quality can be ensured in the print.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention has means for transporting various recording media, and is particularly applicable to the transport of cloth.
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus (also referred to as an ink jet printer) that improves the image quality printed on a fabric.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ink jet printer is characterized in that it is easy to form a color image and widen an image receiving body. In order to take advantage of this feature, cloths having softness have been used as image receiving bodies alongside paper and films. One example is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-254.
FIG. 12 shows an example disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 370, and its outline will be described. The fabric 1 is drawn from the original winding 2 in the direction of the arrow via the feed roller 3, the drawing table 6, and the draw roller 5. Then, a predetermined image is printed on the cloth 1 by ejecting ink from a print head 7 provided above the drawing table 6. Then, the feeding roller 3 is provided upstream of the print head 7, the fabric 1 is sandwiched between the feeding roller 3 and the pinch roller 8, and the fabric is drawn from the original winding 2. Similarly, in the conventional example shown in FIG. 11, the fabric 1 is sandwiched between the feeding roller 3 provided on the upstream side of the print head 7 and the pinch roller 8, and the fabric 1 is pulled out from the original winding 2. .

However, there is no problem with a rigid recording medium such as paper or film.
Is a cloth, and the cloth itself is soft. Therefore, in order to obtain high image quality, the cloth 1 must be flattened on the drawing table 6 so as not to be distorted or wrinkled. In the example shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the fabric 1 to be pulled out from the original winding 2 is pulled out in a state where it is released without applying tension, and the fabric 1 is released by being pinched between the pinch roller 8 and the feeding roller 3. Fabric 1 is fed out. However, in the process of transporting the fabric 1, it is extremely difficult to transport the fabric 1 without causing distortion or wrinkles, and special technical considerations are required to obtain high image quality. It has these inherent problems.

Heretofore, several techniques for solving this problem have been disclosed. For example, a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2925013 discloses a technique in which a polyester film coated with an acrylic micro-adhesive is adhered to a fabric so as to prevent distortion and wrinkles from occurring, and the fabric is printed. Japanese Patent No. 254370 discloses that a roller for conveying a fabric is made of a soft or semi-rigid foam, and an elastic member is provided for contacting and flattening the surface of the fabric. A technique of flattening a cloth near a recording head by conveying the paper while changing it upward or downward in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-3109.
No. 86 discloses a technique in which a fabric and a breathable sheet made of a non-woven fabric are superposed and conveyed and printed.

[0005] In each of the prior arts described above, the deformation of the cloth during the transport process is forcibly pressed to flatten the cloth, and an extra step of coating a polyester film with an acrylic adhesive or bonding it to a cloth. Is necessary. In addition, a special processing of the transport roller is required, in which the roller for transporting the fabric is made of a soft or semi-rigid foam, and furthermore, an elastic member is provided which makes contact with the surface of the fabric to flatten the fabric. The transport route is complicated while the transport direction is changed upward or downward at a predetermined angle, and the fabric and the air-permeable sheet made of non-woven fabric are superposed and transported and printed. There is a problem that the fabric printing apparatus becomes complicated because a two-way conveyance path of the non-woven sheet, a superposition accuracy of both sheets, and a post-treatment of the breathable sheet are required.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an ink jet recording apparatus which enables high quality printing without restricting the distortion of the fabric, eliminates extra steps, and has a simplified structure.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming table provided at a position facing a recording head and in contact with a back surface of a recording medium. Convey the recording medium along the table,
In an ink jet recording apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink from a recording head, a means for transporting the recording medium is provided downstream of the recording head with respect to a transport direction of the recording medium. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the transfer means includes:
2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the roller is a roller that comes into contact with the back surface of the recording medium.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the transfer means includes:
It is characterized in that the belt is in contact with the back surface of the recording medium.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the transfer means includes:
The frictional force between the recording medium and the recording medium is increased.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, an image forming table is provided at a position facing the recording head and in contact with the back surface of the recording medium, and the recording medium is conveyed along the image forming table. In an ink jet recording apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink, a means for transporting the recording medium is provided downstream of the recording head with respect to the transport direction of the recording medium so that the transport means is cleaned. And a cleaning member.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, an image forming table is provided at a position facing the recording head and in contact with the back surface of the recording medium, and the recording medium is conveyed along the image forming table. In an ink jet recording apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink, a means for transporting the recording medium is provided downstream of the recording head with respect to the transport direction of the recording medium. The surface is a convex surface having a predetermined radius of curvature.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, an image forming table is provided at a position facing the recording head and in contact with the back surface of the recording medium, and the recording medium is conveyed along the image forming table. In an ink jet recording apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink, means for conveying the recording medium is provided downstream of the recording head with respect to the conveying direction of the recording medium, and the conveying means is drawn with a predetermined radius. It is characterized by being able to swing along a curve.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Special considerations are needed when the recording medium is a fabric, as compared to paper or film. As shown in FIG.
When a certain tension P is applied to the fabric 1, the fabric 1 expands by ΔL in the direction of the tension P, and simultaneously reduces by ΔW in the width direction. Therefore, when the image is recorded on the deformed cloth 1 ′ (L ′ × W ′) and returns to the cloth 1 (L × W) where P is zero, the recorded image becomes an image distorted due to the deformation of the cloth. Become. In the embodiment of the present invention, the cloth 1 is conveyed so as to obtain high image quality while preventing such distortion and wrinkles from occurring.

[0015] In particular, the present invention is effective in suppressing the occurrence of random distortion and wrinkles that cannot be corrected.

Depending on the way of transport, the fabric may extend in the longitudinal direction and also in the width direction.
Here, for the sake of convenience of explanation, a case where it extends in the longitudinal direction and contracts in the width direction is shown as an example.

In FIG. 1, a fabric 1 wound around a former roll 2
Are arranged so as to be fed by the feeding roller 3 and the pinch roller 8 via the drawing table 6, and the print head 7 (also referred to as a recording head) is arranged at a position facing the drawing table 6. Thus, the cloth 1 is fed from the original winding 2 along the guide surface 10 by the rotation of the feeding roller 3 and is conveyed onto the drawing table 6 in a state of being sandwiched between the feeding roller 3 and the pinch roller 8. At this time, the tensile force P applied to the cloth 1 is the rotational resistance of the original winding 2 and the frictional force between the guide surface 10 and the drawing table 6.

The adjustment of the tension P becomes possible only by providing the feeding roller 3 on the downstream side of the print head 7 in the direction of transport of the fabric. That is, by adjusting the number of revolutions of the original winding 2 and the number of revolutions of the feeding roller 3, the original winding 2
Is adjusted to adjust the tension P. In addition, original winding 2
By adjusting the number of revolutions of the feed roller 3 and making the amount of the cloth 1 fed by the original winding 2 equal to the amount of the cloth 1 fed by the feed roller 3, the tension P applied to the cloth 1 is equal to that of the guide surface 10. Only the frictional force with the drawing table 6 is obtained.

The adjustment of the tension P is adjusted according to the type of the cloth 1. Examples of the type of the fabric 1 include silk, cotton,
Fabric 1 depending on the material such as synthetic fiber and the weave of this material
(See FIG. 10), and the tension P
To adjust.

The embodiment shown in FIG.
And the print head 7 are opposed to each other.
The guide roller 9 is arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction of the fabric. That is, a guide roller 9 is provided in place of the guide surface 10 in FIG. 1, and the frictional force on the guide surface 10 is reduced to zero. Therefore, when the respective rotation speeds are adjusted so that the feeding amount of the fabric 1 by the original winding 2 and the feeding amount of the fabric 1 by the feeding roller 3 are equal, the tension P applied to the fabric 1 becomes equal to the drawing table 6. Only the frictional force between This embodiment is suitable for a soft cloth 1 such as silk. Other parts are the same as those in FIG. 1, and thus the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The embodiment shown in FIG.
And the print head 7 are opposed to each other.
And the drawing table 6
A pinch roller 8 is provided above. That is, the tension P applied to the fabric 1 only between the drawing table 6 and the pinch roller 8 by controlling the rotation speed of the feeding roller 3 while nipping the fabric 1.
Is adjusted. Therefore, the tension P can be adjusted irrespective of the rotational resistance of the original winding 2, and the adjustment of the tension P can be simplified. The other parts are the same as those in FIG. 1, and thus the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The embodiment shown in FIG.
And the print head 7 are opposed to each other, a belt 13 is hung between a driving roller 11 and a driven roller 12, and the fabric 1 is fed. In this case, the pinch roller 8 is not provided because the belt 13 has higher frictional resistance than the feeding roller 3. For other parts, see FIG.
Therefore, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts, and the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS.
The feeding roller 3 and the belt 13 are formed by using an adsorption rubber or by performing a process such as flocking, double-sided tape, and application of glue,
The frictional force with the cloth 1 is increased. This makes it possible to eliminate slippage between the cloth 1 and adjust the tension P applied to the cloth 1 more reliably.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the fabric 1 wound around the original winding 2 is arranged so as to be fed out by the feed roller 3 and the pinch roller 8 via the drawing table 6, and the print head 7 is set to the drawing table 6 It is located at the upper facing position. Further, the pinch roller 8 comes into contact with the print surface of the fabric 1, and for example, ink or dust that has not yet dried adheres to the pinch roller 8, which may stain the print surface of the fabric 1. 8 is provided with a cleaning member 14 for cleaning the surface. This prevents the recording surface of the fabric 1 from being stained by ink or dust on the recording surface of the fabric 1 adhered to the pinch roller 8, and keeps the surface of the pinch roller 8 always in a clean state. And the adjustment of the tension P applied to the fabric 1 is stabilized. This cleaning member 14
Can be applied to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 using the pinch roller 8.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the fabric 1 wound around the original winding 2 is arranged so as to be fed by the feed roller 3 via the drawing table 6, and the print head 7 is positioned at the facing position on the drawing table 6. Has been placed. A cleaning member 14 is provided on the feeding roller 3, and an ink receiving groove 15 is formed on the image forming table 6. That is, when the cloth 1 is thin, the ink ejected from the print head 7
Penetrates to the back side of the paper and may seep out. in this way,
The ink oozing on the back surface of the fabric 1 is received by the ink receiving grooves 15 so as to be scraped off by the transport movement of the fabric 1, thereby reducing stains on the drawing table 6 and the feeding roller 3, and ink adhering to the feeding roller 3. The dust and the like are removed by the cleaning member 14, and the frictional force of the feeding roller 3 is kept constant to stably adjust the tension P applied to the cloth 1. The cleaning member 14 and the ink receiving groove 15 can be applied to the embodiment shown in FIGS.

Further, since the ink receiving groove 15 is provided at a position facing the print head 7 and on the back side of the fabric 1, dirt due to ink on the print head 7 and the upstream side thereof is reduced. In other words, the portion of the cloth 1 to be recorded is in a beautiful state, so that the influence on the recording can be eliminated and the frictional force between the cloth 1 and the drawing table 6 and the guide surface 10 can be kept constant. . Therefore, even if the ink oozes on the back surface of the fabric 1, the influence on the adjustment of the tension P applied to the fabric 1 can be minimized.

The cloth passing through the ink receiving groove 15 is in direct contact with the feeding roller 3. Therefore, the closer the feeding roller 3 is to the head, the better, and according to the experimental results, the distance between the head end and the first contact of the fabric with the roller 3 is preferably 70 mm or less.

The embodiment shown in FIG.
Is a curved surface having a predetermined radius of curvature R2. And
The contact surface of the cloth 1 on the feeding roller 3 is made to coincide with a tangent line T to the end of the curved surface of the drawing table 6. Thus, the fed fabric 1 is placed on the drawing table 6.
Even if the tension P is somewhat large, the vertical and horizontal deformations (ΔL, ΔW) of the fabric 1 can be minimized by the frictional force with the drawing table 6. That is, the deformation amount Δ of the cloth 1
L and ΔW are almost zero, and the drawing table 6
Adjustment of the tension P such that wrinkles and distortions do not occur in the fabric 1 is facilitated.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the feeding roller 3 in FIG. 7 is oscillated. That is,
The rotation center C1 of the arm 16 is located on the upstream side of the print head 7, and the feeding roller 3 provided at the end of the arm 16
Swings along a locus X drawn by the center of. The swing range of the arm 16 is an angle α at which the fabric 1 does not contact the print head 7. By swinging the feeding roller 3 in this manner, the feeding roller 3 was swung to the position 3 'to feed out the fabric 1, and the feeding roller 3 was returned from the position 3' to the position 3 without rotating. Sometimes, the fabric 1 is placed on the drawing table 6 with a slight tension P applied to the fabric 1.
Can be spread out. In addition, if the swing angle α is fixed, the tension P applied to the cloth 1 can be kept constant, and the control of the number of revolutions of the feeding roller 3 and the original winding 2 becomes unnecessary, and the control device can be simplified. Can be.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the rotation center C1 of the arm 16 is located on the downstream side of the print head 7. In the case of this embodiment, the tension P applied to the fabric 1 when the fabric 1 is pulled out by the feeding roller 3 'and returned to the position of the feeding roller 3 without rotating.
Is loosened. That is, when the tension P is applied to the cloth 1 by being pulled out by the feed roller 3 ′ and the arm 16 is swung to the position of the feed roller 3 without rotating, the cloth 1 is deformed by the elastic force of the expansion and contraction of the cloth 1. 1 can be fed out while being laid on the drawing table 6 while returning to the original state (while ΔL and ΔW are set to zero).

The embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 can be applied to the embodiments shown in FIGS. Further, correction of an image when the surface of the drawing table 6 is an arc having a radius of curvature R2 is achieved by, for example, jetting the jet direction of the print head 7 toward the center C2 of the radius of curvature R2. Although the above description has been given with reference to fabric as an example of a recording medium, the present invention is also applicable to paper and film.

It is needless to say that the present invention can also be applied to a case where the deformation due to the conveyance of the fabric is such that it is elongated in the longitudinal direction and elongated in the width direction, or reduced in the longitudinal direction and elongated in the width direction.

The frictional force F referred to in each of the embodiments described above.
Is represented by the following equation. F = μR (where μ is the maximum static friction coefficient and R is the load)

The relationship between the frictional force and the elongation of the cloth is shown in FIG.
As shown by, the frictional force is 300 g or less in the case of a woven fabric, and 100 g or less in the case of a knitted fabric such as a stretch. Of course, when the rotational resistance of the original winding in FIG. 1 is ignored and there is rotational resistance, the force F2 is applied.

The transport tension P may be P> F. However, in the case of FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, which will be described later, since the conveying force is only on one surface of the cloth, the conveying force must be FF> F when the frictional force is FF.

At this time, for example, when glue was applied to the belt of FIG. 4, it was found that the condition of FF-F> 200 g was good. The sizing agent used at this time is a solvent-based type and the trade name is Plaster (manufactured by Shin-Nakamura Chemical Co., Ltd.).

[0037]

As described in detail above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the means for conveying the recording medium is provided downstream of the recording head with respect to the conveying direction of the recording medium, so that the image forming table can be provided. Since it is possible to adjust the tension of the unreeled fabric, it is possible to eliminate extra steps, and simplify the structure to eliminate wrinkles and distortion of the recorded fabric,
High quality recording can be performed. Further, since it can be applied to fabric, it can also be applied to paper or film, and the versatility of the recording medium can be expanded.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the conveying means is a roller that comes into contact with the back surface of the recording medium, and the tension applied to the cloth can be adjusted by adjusting the number of rotations of the roller. It is possible to eliminate the wrinkles and distortion of the recorded fabric by eliminating the structure and simplifying the structure, and it is possible to perform high-quality recording. In addition, since it can be applied to fabric, it can be applied to paper and film,
The versatility of the recording medium can be expanded.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the conveying means is a belt which comes into contact with the back surface of the recording medium, the frictional force is increased, and the tension applied to the cloth by adjusting the conveying speed of the belt can be adjusted. As a result, extra steps can be eliminated, the structure can be simplified, wrinkles and distortion of the recorded fabric can be eliminated, and high-quality recording can be performed. Further, since it can be applied to fabric, it can also be applied to paper or film, and the versatility of the recording medium can be expanded.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the frictional force between the recording medium and the conveying means can be increased, and the tension applied to the cloth can be kept constant.
In addition, wrinkles and distortion of the recorded fabric can be eliminated by simplifying the structure, and high-quality recording can be performed. Further, since it can be applied to fabric, it can also be applied to paper or film, and the versatility of the recording medium can be expanded.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a cleaning member can be provided so as to eliminate dirt on the conveying means, and the tension applied to the cloth can be stabilized, so that an extra step is eliminated and the structure is reduced. Wrinkles and distortions of the printed fabric can be easily eliminated, and high-quality recording can be performed. Further, since it can be applied to fabric, it can also be applied to paper or film, and the versatility of the recording medium can be expanded.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the surface of the drawing table with which the recording medium comes into contact has a convex surface having a predetermined radius of curvature, thereby improving the adhesion between the drawing table and the cloth.
Since the adjustment of the tension applied to the fabric is facilitated, extra steps can be eliminated, the structure can be simplified, and wrinkles and distortion of the recorded fabric can be eliminated, and high-quality recording can be performed. Further, since it can be applied to fabric, it can also be applied to paper or film, and the versatility of the recording medium can be expanded.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the conveying means can be swung along a curve drawn with a predetermined radius, and the tension applied to the cloth is made constant, so that an extra step is eliminated and the structure is reduced. Wrinkles and distortions of the printed fabric can be easily eliminated, and high-quality recording can be performed. Also,
Since it can be applied to fabrics, it can also be applied to paper and films, and the versatility of recording media can be expanded.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment in which a guide roller is provided instead of a guide surface in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment in which a pinch roller is provided on an image forming table on an upstream side of a recording head in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an embodiment in which a belt is provided in place of a feeding roller in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment in which a cleaning member is provided on a pinch roller in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment in which a feeder roller is provided with a cleaning member and an image forming table is provided with an ink receiving groove in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment in which the surface of the drawing table in FIG. 1 is formed in an arc shape having a predetermined radius of curvature.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the embodiment in FIG. 7, in which the feed roller can be swung by an arm having a center of rotation on the upstream side of the recording head.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment in which the feeding roller is swingable by an arm having a rotation center on the downstream side of the recording head in FIG.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing characteristics of a fabric.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional example.

FIG. 12 is a side view of a conventional textile printing apparatus.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between frictional force and elongation of a cloth.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Fabric 2 ... Original winding 3 ... Feeding roller 5 ... Extraction roller 6 ... Drawing table 7 ... Recording head 8 ... Pinch roller 9 ... Guide roller 10 ... Guide surface 11 ... Driving roller 12 ... Follower roller 13 ... Belt 14 ... Cleaning member 15 ... Ink receiving groove 16 ... Arm

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yuya Kimoto 74-2-25 Oizumi Gakuen-cho, Nerima-ku, Tokyo Room 2103 Green Corp. (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Honda 2970 Ishikawacho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo Reference) 2C056 FB03 HA29 HA30 2C060 BA01 BC04 BC12 BC15 BC42 BC46 BC86 3F101 AB01 AB07 LA07 LB11 3F103 AA07 BA01 BB01 EA11

Claims (7)

[Claims] An image forming table is provided at a position facing a recording head and in contact with a back surface of the recording medium, the recording medium is conveyed along the image forming table, and ink is ejected from the recording head to eject the recording medium. In an ink jet recording apparatus for forming an image, a means for conveying a recording medium is provided downstream of a recording head with respect to a conveying direction of the recording medium. 2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conveying means is a roller which contacts a back surface of the recording medium. 3. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conveying means is a belt that contacts a back surface of the recording medium. 4. The transporting means according to claim 1, wherein the frictional force between the transporting means and a recording medium is increased.
3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1. 5. An image forming table is provided at a position facing the recording head and in contact with the back surface of the recording medium, the recording medium is conveyed along the image forming table, and ink is ejected from the recording head to perform recording. In an ink jet recording apparatus for forming an image on a medium, a means for conveying the recording medium is provided on the downstream side of the recording head with respect to the conveying direction of the recording medium, and a cleaning member is provided so as to remove stains on the conveying means. An ink jet recording apparatus characterized in that: 6. An image forming table is provided at a position facing the recording head and in contact with the back surface of the recording medium, the recording medium is conveyed along the image forming table, and ink is ejected from the recording head to perform recording. In an ink jet recording apparatus for forming an image on a medium, a means for conveying the recording medium is provided on the downstream side of the recording head with respect to the conveying direction of the recording medium, and the surface of the drawing table with which the recording medium comes into contact has a predetermined curvature. An ink jet recording apparatus having a convex surface having a radius. 7. An image forming table is provided at a position facing the recording head and in contact with the back surface of the recording medium, the recording medium is transported along the image forming table, and ink is ejected from the recording head to perform recording. In an ink jet recording apparatus for forming an image on a medium, a means for conveying the recording medium is provided downstream of the recording head with respect to the conveying direction of the recording medium, and the conveying means swings along a curve drawn with a predetermined radius. An ink jet recording apparatus characterized by being made possible.