JP2003103853A - Ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink jet recorder which can eliminate collation errors and the trouble of collation by enabling printing prints of receipts, return bags or the like while relating the prints to prints of photographic images in a mini laboratory for photographic printing service or the like. SOLUTION: The ink jet recorder is provided with a plurality of transfer parts which can transfer a plurality of recording media A2 and B through a plurality of transfer paths 11 and 12 arranged in parallel to each other respectively, and an ink head 1 capable of recording images in a direction H nearly intersecting a transfer direction F of each recording medium in the plurality of transfer paths. Since it is possible to transfer the plurality of recording media separately by the plurality of parallel arranged transfer paths and to record to the plurality of recording media, it becomes possible to print the photographic image to one recording medium and to print character information related to the photographic image information to another recording medium at the same timing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inkjet recording type recording apparatus for ejecting ink onto recording paper, and more particularly to a business type inkjet recording apparatus which requires a receipt or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a minilab or the like for a photo print service, each time a photo print is ordered, the receipt or the return bag is printed by using a printer different from the image print device. It was then common to match the printed photo with it. Therefore, the print photograph may not match the receipt or the return bag due to a collation error or the like. In addition, the manual verification is complicated and time consuming.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention enables a photographic image print and a print such as a receipt or a return bag to be printed in association with each other in a minilab or the like for a photographic print service as described above, and a collation error can occur. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus that eliminates the need for collation without any trouble.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention comprises a plurality of conveying means capable of respectively conveying a plurality of recording media through a plurality of conveying paths provided in parallel with each other. And a recording unit configured to record an image in a direction substantially intersecting the transport direction of each of the recording media in the plurality of transport paths.

According to this ink jet recording apparatus, a plurality of recording media can be separately conveyed by a plurality of parallel conveying paths, and recording can be performed on a plurality of recording media.
A plurality of pieces of image information related to each other can be recorded on each recording medium in synchronization with the recording means, and the trouble of collating each recording medium can be saved. For example, it is possible to print a photographic image on a recording medium and print character information related to the photographic image information on another recording medium at the same time. For this reason, since it is not necessary to collate both of them, it is possible to eliminate the collation error and save the labor of collation. Further, since recording can be performed on a plurality of recording media by a common recording unit, for example, a printer or the like for printing a receipt, a packaging bag, or the like is unnecessary, and the configuration of the entire device can be downsized.
Further, the cost of the device can be reduced.

In this case, the plurality of recording media can be made to have different paper qualities. For example, for printing a photographic image, a recording paper for a photographic image is used, and character information related to the photographic image information is printed on plain paper. You can do it. For this reason, it is preferable that the plurality of recording media have different recording resolutions.

Further, the recording means ejects ink onto the recording medium to record an image on the recording medium in the conveying path, and moves to another conveying path before an image is formed on another recording medium. It is preferable to provide an ink head capable of recording.

The information recorded on the recording medium may be photographic image information, and the information recorded on another recording medium may be character information related to the photographic information image.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a main part of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the inkjet recording apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the inkjet recording apparatus of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ink jet recording apparatus has a first conveyance path 11 and a first conveyance path 11 through which the photographic image recording sheets A1 to A3 cut into a predetermined size pass in sequence. 11, the recording sheets A1 to A3 for photographic images are conveyed in the conveying direction F.
An image recording paper transport unit 25 (FIG. 2) that drives a pair of transport rollers 3 and 4 that are transported to a motor by a motor (not shown), and a receipt recording paper B pulled out from a roll body 10 wound in a roll shape. A second transport path 12 that passes through and a receipt paper transport unit 26 that drives a pair of transport rollers 5 and 6 that transport the receipt recording paper B in the transport direction F on the second transport path 12 by a motor (not shown) (see FIG. 2), an ink head 1 capable of ejecting ink to each recording sheet in each of the transport paths 11 and 12 to perform recording, and a guide rail 2 for guiding the ink head 1 substantially orthogonal to the transport direction F. An ink head moving unit 24 (FIG. 2) that moves in a direction H (width direction of the recording paper) by a motor (not shown) or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first transport path 11 and the second transport path 12 are arranged substantially parallel to each other, and each transport path 1
In Nos. 1 and 12, each recording paper is conveyed in the same conveyance direction F. Further, the ink head 1 is a serial head in which a large number of nozzles for respectively ejecting inks of four colors of YMCK are arranged, and at the time of recording on the recording paper, while moving in the width direction H (main scanning direction) of the recording paper in FIG. When the ink is ejected onto the recording paper and is recorded on another recording paper, the ink is moved from the first transport path 11 to the second transport path 12 and vice versa.

The nozzle of the ink head 1 is composed of a piezo element that is sheared and deformed by the application of a voltage, and is sheared and deformed according to the voltage level of the input drive signal to eject an ink to form an image on a recording medium. It is designed to write. The nozzle structure for ejecting ink may be other than the shear deformation method using a piezo element (piezoelectric element), and can be arbitrarily selected from known methods such as a high voltage method and a bubble burst method. Further, the ink head may be composed of a line head that does not move in the main scanning direction at the time of recording an image. In this case, the line head is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the transport direction F, and is connected to the first transport path 11 and the first transport path 11. It can be configured to be movable between the two transport paths 12.

The photographic image recording papers A1 to A3 each have a heat-meltable resin layer made of latex particles or the like formed on the image recording surface thereof, and a pigment ink is used as the ink ejected from the ink head 1. A glossy color image can be formed by applying heat and pressure at a fixing unit (not shown) arranged on the downstream side in the transport direction F of FIG. Further, since the pigment ink is used, long-term image storability can be realized without fading due to light or oxygen in the recording medium after recording. In addition, the recording paper B for receipt has character information (orderer, billing amount,
Since it is only necessary to print the date, the number of prints, etc., it may be plain paper. Further, instead of the receipt recording paper B, for example, a photo return bag (DP bag) or a DP bag attached seal sheet may be used.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. 1 has a control unit 20 for controlling the entire apparatus.
And a memory 21 such as a hard disk device for storing an image data signal regarding photographic image information of a print order and a signal of character information related to the print order received from the outside and a user to store various control information. The operation panel 22 that can be input,
A head drive circuit 23 that generates a drive signal for driving the ink head 1 so as to eject ink from the ink head 1 based on an image data signal or a character information signal from the image memory 11.

The control unit 20 in FIG. 2 controls the ink head moving unit 24 to control each movement of the ink head 1 in the direction H, and also controls the image recording paper conveying unit 25 and the receipt paper conveying unit 26. The conveyance of each recording sheet by each of the conveying rollers 3 to 6 is controlled so that the recording sheet is conveyed in the conveying direction F and sub-scanned in synchronization with the completion of writing of one line by the ink head 1.

Next, the operation of the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the inkjet recording device receives or inputs photographic image information of an electronic camera or the like as photographic image information of a print order,
Further, the receipt information related to the print order is received or input, and the photographic image information and the receipt information are associated and stored in the memory 21 (S01). Next, this photographic image information is read out and the first conveyance path 11 is read as shown in FIG.
The ink is ejected from the ink head 1 onto the recording paper A2 to record an image, and a photographic image is printed on the recording paper (S
02).

Next, it is judged whether or not all the photographic image information has been printed (S03), a plurality of photographic images are sequentially printed until the printing is completed, and after the printing of the photographic images is completed,
After moving the ink head 1 to the side of the second transport path 12 (S04), the receipt information related to the photo information printed in step S02 is read from the memory 21 and the receipt information which is character information is printed on the recording paper B. Do (S
05). If the information on the next print order is stored in the memory 21 (S06), step S02.
To return the ink head 1 to the first transport path 11 side,
Perform the next print.

As described above, after the printing of the photographic image of the print order is completed, the receipt information related to the print order can be printed continuously and can be recorded in synchronization with each other. There is no need to collate with the receipt, there is no collation error, and the labor of collation can be saved, contributing to labor saving. In addition, since it is possible to record on the recording paper for photographs and the recording paper for receipts with a common ink head, it is not necessary to separately prepare a printer and print on a receipt or a packaging bag as in the conventional case. Can be miniaturized, and the cost of the device can be reduced.

In addition, in general, in a commercial application such as a minilab, a plurality of photographic prints are usually made for one order, so the photographic return bag (DP bag) or the DP bag attached seal sheet is printed. In case of 1 per order
Just prepare a sheet. Therefore, the receipt information may be printed after the end of each photographic print as in steps S02 to S05, or before the photographic print is started.

Further, according to the configuration of the present invention, since the recording of the photographic image information and the recording of the receipt and the like can be performed in parallel, for example, the receipt and the like can be recorded in parallel with the printing of the last photographic image of one order. It is also possible to record related character information, or to record related character information such as a receipt in parallel with the printing of the first photographic image of one order, and it is possible to realize efficient recording time per order. is there.

In the operating state (S02) in which the ink head records only photographic image information, the first transport path 1
It is sufficient to perform reciprocal scanning up to a position corresponding to the width of 1 or the width of the sheet paper conveyed on the first conveyance path 11,
Similarly, an operation step in which only a receipt, a bag for returning a photograph (DP bag), a seal sheet for attaching a DP bag, etc. are recorded (S
In 05), reciprocal scanning may be performed up to the width of the second transport path 12 or a position corresponding to the width of the sheet transported on the second transport path 12. When printing is performed in parallel at the same time, reciprocal scanning is performed across the first transport path 11 and the second transport path 12.

Further, since the recording resolution of the receipt recording paper B in the second conveying path 12 may be coarser than that of the photographic image, the conveying speed in the conveying direction F may be increased,
Further, the moving speed of the ink head 1 in the main scanning direction may be increased, and the receipt information can be printed at high speed.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these.
Various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. For example, it goes without saying that three or more transport paths for the recording medium may be provided. Further, although FIG. 1 shows the mode by scanning recording of the ink head across the first transport path and the second transport path, when the ink head is composed of a line head, the line head is Of course, it may be arranged so as to extend over the first transport path and the second transport path.

[0024]

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to record a plurality of pieces of image information related to each other on each recording medium in synchronization with the recording means, and it is possible to save the trouble of collating each recording medium. For example, in a minilab or the like for a photo print service, a photo image print and a print such as a receipt or a return bag can be printed in synchronization with each other, and there is no collation error, and the labor of collation can be saved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a main part of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the inkjet recording apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the inkjet recording apparatus in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ink head 3-6 Transport roller pair 11 First transport path 12 Second transport path 24 Ink head moving part 25 Image recording paper transport section 26 Receipt paper transport section A1 to A3 photo image recording paper B Receipt recording paper F Recording medium conveyance direction H Direction orthogonal to the transport direction H

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F-term (reference) 2C056 FA10 HA29                 2C058 AB12 AC07 AC11 AD01 AE02                       AE04 AE09 AF15 HA02 HB37                 2C480 CA01 CA08 CA56                 3F049 AA10 DA12 LA07 LB03

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of transporting means capable of respectively transporting a plurality of recording media through a plurality of transporting paths provided in parallel with each other, and a direction substantially intersecting a transporting direction of each recording medium in the plurality of transporting paths. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: a recording unit configured to record an image. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of recording media have different paper qualities. 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of recording media have different recording resolutions. 4. The recording means ejects ink onto the recording medium to record an image on the recording medium in the conveying path, and moves to another conveying path before forming an image on another recording medium. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an ink head capable of recording. 5. The information recorded on the recording medium is photographic image information, and the information recorded on another recording medium is character information related to the photographic information image. 5. The inkjet recording device according to any one of 1.