JP2003191458A - Recorder and method of recording - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recorder that can markedly reduce physical distribution cost of a commercial product by a method wherein an arbitrary printing can be directly performed on a corrugated fiberboard of a three-dimensional structure body at a site for storing or shipping the commercial product, such as a manufacturing plant and a physical distribution warehouse. <P>SOLUTION: This recorder comprises a recording section having a recording head, a carrier section for moving the recording section along a shaft section by holding the recording section, at least one shaft section for sliding the carrier section, a control section for controlling the recording section and the carrier section, an ink containing section integrally attached to the recording section, a distance measuring section for measuring a distance between the face to be recorded of the three-dimensional structure body and the recording head. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus for directly printing on a three-dimensional structure, for example, a recording apparatus and a recording method for printing desired information or a pattern on a three-dimensional structure such as a cardboard box. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink jet printing apparatus which has been used for a consumer has an ink jet recording head facing a flat recording medium while performing recording while scanning the recording medium in a fixed direction. Recording is completed on the recording medium by moving the recording medium in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the inkjet recording head for each scan of the recording head. Further, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-132640, a recording apparatus that uses a fixed type long recording head having nozzles in a range of a recording width or more and moves a recording medium to create a printed matter also performs high-speed printing. Has been adopted as a commercial printer that is required.

On the other hand, as a method of printing information and design of contents on the outer layer surface of a cardboard box or the like, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-9
It is known that predetermined printing is performed by a flexographic printing method or the like on a corrugated cardboard sheet as described in No. 2554. The printed corrugated cardboard sheet is cut and processed into a box by a corrugated board box making machine for use.

[0004]

As described above, conventionally, when printing contents on a cardboard box or the like, common parts such as a design, a name, and a manufacturer's name indicating the contents are previously printed by flexo printing or the like. Preprinted information such as serial number, product destination, lot number, etc. peculiar to the content can be printed with a stamp, printer, etc. after assembling the corrugated cardboard, or by attaching a label with the printed information. Has been.

However, when the contents stored in the corrugated cardboard box are many kinds, the number of kinds of corrugated cardboard to be preprinted and stocked becomes large, so that a wide space for storing the cardboard is required or the design is changed. There was a problem such as not being able to respond promptly to.

On the other hand, even when the unique information is printed, the cost of the device such as the stamp is low when directly numbering the box, but the work cost is required because of manual labor, and the printing is considerably uneven. As a result, defective products were produced, leading to an increase in product cost. In addition, as for the printing machine based on the inkjet method that has been used, a printer that uses the charge control type inkjet method has been used.
In order to print characters by deflecting ink droplets ejected from one nozzle, it is only used as a print output machine in a narrow area such as alphanumeric characters in a high-speed conveyor line, Not used for printing designs, logos, notes, etc.

Further, when printing variable information peculiar to a label and attaching it to a corrugated cardboard or the like, an output machine for printing the label and a system for removing the liner of such a label and attaching it to the box are separately prepared. Not only is it indispensable, but the cost of the label itself is high and a large amount of dust such as liner is generated, which is not preferable in terms of resource saving.

On the other hand, in an ink jet printing apparatus which is used for office work, after a flat recording medium is fed to a recording portion by a feed roller, it is sandwiched by a conveying roller and a pinch roller and conveyed below a recording head. To be done. The recording head is configured to hold a certain distance from the recording medium by moving along a shaft provided in the recording device so as to be orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording medium. Due to such a transport mechanism, a recording medium that can be transported by an office printer is limited to a flat recording medium having a thickness of about several millimeters. Therefore, it is impossible to directly print on a three-dimensional structure such as a cardboard box with such a mechanism, and it is essential to drastically change the method of conveying the recording medium and the method of moving the inkjet recording head. .

Further, the material of the corrugated cardboard box for physical distribution has various coatings on its surface according to its use, and has various background colors and absorptivity. Therefore, when a clear image is printed by the inkjet recording method, the operator must select a recording method according to the material and input information to the control unit.

The information printed on the cardboard box includes common printing information such as logos, designs, and notes, and lot numbers.
It often contains variable information such as destination, manufacturing date, and expiration date. In order to obtain such variable information, it is necessary to previously input the variable information into a computer connected to the recording device or read the variable information from a specific file. If the conveyor stops due to some trouble, it is necessary to confirm whether the data to be printed and the contents of the corrugated board are correct after recovery.

Further, since such an ink jet recording apparatus for office use is mainly intended to output a high-quality photographic image, there is one using a dye ink in which a water-soluble dye is dissolved in water or a water-soluble solvent. It is not suitable for printing cardboard, which often gets wet with water or is exposed to light and gas for a long time, because it causes bleeding and fading.

In view of the above situation, the present invention allows arbitrary printing to be performed directly on a cardboard box which is a three-dimensional structure at a site such as a manufacturing factory or a site such as a distribution warehouse where products are stored and shipped. By making it possible, the present invention provides an inkjet recording apparatus capable of significantly reducing the distribution cost of goods.

Further, according to the present invention, an information storage element storing a printing method, unique print information, etc. is attached to a recording medium (corrugated cardboard, etc.), and printing is performed through a communication means included in the element before printing. An inkjet recording apparatus that prints correct information on various recording media by an optimal printing method by communicating information by communication means of the recording apparatus,
And a recording method.

[0014]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an ink jet printing apparatus of the present invention has a recording section having an ink jet recording head having a plurality of ejection ports, and a recording section which holds the recording section and is arranged along a shaft section. A carrier part for moving the recording part, at least one shaft part for sliding the carrier part, a control part for controlling the recording part and the carrier part, an ink storage part integrally attached to the recording part, the ink At least one ink, an ink replenishing unit for replenishing the storage unit with ink, a cleaning unit for cleaning the inkjet recording head, a distance measuring unit for measuring the distance between the recording surface of the three-dimensional structure and the inkjet recording head. The inkjet recording apparatus includes a remaining amount detection unit.

Further, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention comprises a communication section having a function of communicating with a non-contact integrated circuit having a data storage function and a non-contact communication function attached to a recording medium. It is a recording device.

Further, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is an ink jet recording apparatus characterized by comprising an information reading section having a function of reading information previously stored in the non-contact integrated circuit.

Further, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is an ink jet recording apparatus characterized by comprising a writing section having a function of writing information in the non-contact integrated circuit.

Further, the ink jet recording method of the present invention is an ink jet recording method for printing on a recording medium using an ink jet recording head having a plurality of ejection ports, which is a data storage function and non-contact attached to the recording medium. A first step of communicating with a non-contact integrated circuit having a communication function to read unique information stored in advance in the non-contact integrated circuit, and a second step of creating print data based on the read unique information. And a third step of performing printing based on the print data.

Further, the ink jet recording method of the present invention is an ink jet recording method for printing on a recording medium using an ink jet recording head having a plurality of ejection ports, wherein the data storage function and non-contact communication attached to the recording medium are provided. Communicating with a contactless integrated circuit having a function,
An inkjet recording method, comprising: a first step of reading control information stored in advance in the non-contact integrated circuit; and a second step of controlling a printing method based on the read control information. is there.

Further, the control information includes the type of the recording medium, color designation information, or a print start position, and the control means controls the recording means to execute recording based on the control information. And an ink jet recording method.

Further, in the ink jet recording method of the present invention, in the ink jet recording system in which an ink jet recording head having a plurality of ejection ports is used for printing, a first step of executing printing and the recording medium An ink jet recording method comprising: a second step of communicating with a non-contact integrated circuit having a data storage function and a non-contact communication function attached to, and writing information to the non-contact integrated circuit.

Further, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is an ink jet recording apparatus characterized by using a recording liquid containing a pigment.

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to provide a printed matter excellent in water resistance, weather resistance and quality on any surface of a three-dimensional structure such as a corrugated board at a high speed, thus saving space. It is possible to reduce costs, save resources, and reduce distribution costs.

Further, according to the ink jet recording apparatus and the recording method of the present invention, the non-contact integrated circuit is attached to the three-dimensional structure, and the unique variable information of the three-dimensional structure is stored in the integrated circuit in advance. Since the recording device can acquire data by communication means and print it,
Not only is it unnecessary to input the unique information into the computer connected to the recording device, but also the correct information of the contents can be printed under the optimum printing conditions. Further, the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention has a recording section having an inkjet recording head having a plurality of ejection ports, a carrier section for holding the recording section and moving the recording section along an axis, and sliding the carrier section. At least one shaft for, a distance measuring unit for measuring the distance between the recording surface of the three-dimensional structure and the inkjet recording head,
The recording control unit controls the recording unit according to the distance between the recording surface by the distance measuring unit and the inkjet recording head.

Further, the recording apparatus of the present invention comprises a recording section having a recording head, a carrier section holding the recording section, a moving means for moving the carrier section, a recording surface of a three-dimensional structure and the recording head. And a recording control unit that controls the recording unit according to the distance between the recording surface and the recording head by the distance measuring unit.

Further, the recording apparatus of the present invention comprises a recording section having a recording head, a carrier section holding the recording section, a distance measuring section for measuring a distance between a recording surface of an object and the recording head, and the distance measuring. A control unit that controls the distance between the recording surface of the object and the recording unit according to the distance between the recording surface of the recording unit and the recording head.

Further, the recording apparatus of the present invention comprises a recording section having a recording head and a recording control section for controlling recording on the recording surface of the three-dimensional structure by the recording section.

[0028]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In an embodiment of the present invention, an inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention holds a recording unit 1 having an inkjet recording head having a plurality of ejection ports, and holds the recording unit 1, and moves the recording unit along an axis separately provided. The carrier part 2 and the carrier part 2
A shaft part 3-1 for sliding in the Z-axis direction, a shaft part 3-2 for sliding the carrier part 2 together with the shaft part 3-1 in the X-axis direction, and further shaft parts 3-1, 3-2, carrier parts. Shaft part for moving 2 together in Y direction 3-
3, recording unit 1, carrier unit 2, shaft units 3-1, 3-2
3-3, a control unit 4, an ink storage unit 5 integrally mounted on the recording unit 1, an ink replenishment unit 6 for replenishing the ink storage unit 5 with ink, and a cleaning unit for cleaning the inkjet recording head. 7. At least a distance measuring unit 8 for measuring the distance between the three-dimensional structure and the inkjet recording head, and an ink remaining amount detecting unit 9 are provided. In addition to the recording device, FIG. 1 further includes a computer 22, a control unit 4, and a cardboard box 1 for a three-dimensional structure.
A belt conveyor 10 that conveys 1 is provided.

Each component of the recording apparatus will be described in detail. An inkjet recording head used in the recording unit 1 of an inkjet recording apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-484.
The method of performing recording by ejecting ink by thermal energy as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 80 is most preferable in that a large number of nozzles can be linearly arranged in a highly integrated manner at a relatively low cost. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the inkjet recording head used in the present invention. A heating element 25 corresponding to each nozzle is provided, and when a predetermined energy is applied to the heating element by the head drive circuit, the heating element is heated to generate bubbles in the ink, and its action. Thus, ink droplets are ejected from the ejection port 29. The heating element is formed on the silicon substrate 26 by a method similar to the semiconductor manufacturing process. Reference numeral 27 is a nozzle partition wall for constituting each nozzle, 28 is a common liquid chamber for supplying ink to each nozzle, and 30 is a top plate. Further, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-130004, by dividing the flow path inside the recording head by the number of colors and arranging ejection ports of a plurality of colors on the orifice plate, a plurality of colors can be formed by one recording head. Since it is possible to perform color printing, a recording head of such a form is also suitable for printing with a relatively small printing width.

In the case of printing that does not require resolution or high speed, a piezo type ink jet recording head can be used. The resolution of the recording head depends on the type of printed matter, but when printing a two-dimensional barcode or design, a resolution of 300 DPI or higher is required. The recording width of the recording head is at least 2 inches or more in order to realize high-speed throughput. When using an independent head for each color as described above to perform full-color printing, three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan are used.
A set of recording heads is required, but in the case of monochrome printing or multi-color printing of special colors, at least as many recording heads as the types of ink used are required. It is also possible to separately use a recording head for light color ink of each color and a recording head for black ink. Further, in order to increase the printable width, it is possible to arrange two or more heads horizontally and fill the same ink. Further, in this embodiment, full-color printing is possible by using the recording heads of four colors of black, cyan, magenta and yellow. Such a recording head is connected to the ink containing portion 5, and is held by the carrier portion 2 and slides on the shaft portion 3-1 to record on an arbitrary position of a three-dimensional structure such as a cardboard box. It can be performed.
When the print width is narrower than the nozzle width of the recording head, the A surface (see FIG. 3) of the carrier part 2 is used as the mounting surface to the shaft part 3-1 to record in the direction orthogonal to the conveyor conveying direction. Since the nozzle rows of the head are arranged, it is possible to perform printing with a constant width without moving the carrier portion 2 along the shaft portion 3-1, and it is possible to perform higher-speed printing. Next, the ink container 5 will be described. In order to prevent the print quality from deteriorating due to ink leakage from the ejection port of the recording head and defective ink supply to the ejection port, and to stabilize the performance of the inkjet recording apparatus, the head pressure of the ink in the recording head is set to the atmospheric pressure. Low (-120 mmAq to -20 mmA
It is necessary to keep about q). In this embodiment, a mechanism for generating a negative pressure by accommodating a polypropylene fiber body in a part of the ink accommodating portion and obtaining a predetermined ink holding force is used, but a polyurethane foam, a leaf spring or the like is used to generate a negative pressure. It is also possible to generate pressure. The ink containing portion 5 has an atmosphere communicating hole and an ink filling port connected to the ink replenishing portion when replenishing the ink, and has a configuration as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-251587. The valve is configured to open only when coupled with the ink refill in position. It is also possible to generate a negative pressure by arranging the liquid surface of the ink in the ink storage portion 5 lower than the nozzle surface. Printing can be performed by temporarily stopping the belt conveyor that conveys the cardboard box and moving the carrier along the shaft 3-2 in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, but the width of the printed pattern is limited. If it is larger, a shaft portion 3-3 orthogonal to the shaft portion 3-2 is provided, the shaft portion 3-2 is moved along the shaft portion 3-3, and the shaft portion 3-2 is slid on the shaft 3-2 any number of times. A predetermined recording width can be printed.
These shafts are driven by using individual motors 8 for driving the X, Y and X axes, a timing belt, a ball screw, a flat belt and the like. The control unit 8 can move the recording head to an arbitrary position by controlling the motor according to the output of the encoder ENC installed in the individual motor 8 or the output of the stepping motor.

Further, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-178683, it is possible to reduce the cost by connecting each shaft portion with a pulley and a timing belt and driving with one motor. .

The control unit 4 executes drive control of three axes, ejection control of the recording head, and exchange of print data with the external computer HC (22). FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of the control unit 4. The main electrical circuit is the main PCB
(Printed Circuit Board) and power supply unit DU. The control unit 4 is connected to the recording head 1 via a cable and a drive box to print data, control data,
Send and receive ink remaining amount detection data. Here, the power supply unit DU is connected to the main PCB and supplies various driving power supplies. In addition, the main PCB
Is a printed circuit board unit that executes drive control of each unit of the inkjet recording apparatus in this embodiment, and is provided with a main controller MC in which a control memory is provided.
It is provided with a processing unit CPU that reads a program stored in ROM and controls and processes each unit, and a memory RAM that stores control data, timer values, and the like. Further, the main controller MC is provided with a communication unit TU that communicates with the host computer HC. In addition, memory RAM (R), RAM (K), RAM (C), RAM that stores image data to be recorded
(M), RAM (Y), a control memory ROM in which programs corresponding to the control procedures shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 13 described later are stored, an RF-ID reader / writer RW for communicating with an RF-ID tag, An antenna ANT communicating with the RF-ID tag 24 and a head drive circuit HDC are connected to the main controller MC.
Furthermore, the distance measuring unit 8 between the recording medium and the recording head, XYZ 3
Remaining amount detection unit 9 for detecting the remaining amount of ink in the shaft drive motor and ink storage unit, power supply unit DU and main controller
MC is connected. The ink remaining amount detection unit 9 is installed inside the ink storage unit 5 attached to the recording unit, and outputs a signal to the control unit 4 when the ink remaining amount becomes less than a certain amount, and the carrier unit 2 After being moved to the replenishing section 6 and coupled with the coupling section of the ink replenishing section, a predetermined amount of ink is replenished using the above-mentioned ink remaining amount detecting section. As the remaining ink amount detecting section, a method of arranging several electrodes inside the ink containing section 5 described in JP-A-11-091121 and measuring the conductivity between the electrodes to detect the remaining ink level Is inexpensive and reliable. When using a non-conductive ink, a method of optically detecting the presence or absence of ink, a method of providing a pressure sensor or the like in the ink tank and detecting a pressure that changes according to the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank, It is possible to use the method of counting print dots, but in the method that cannot be used together with the ink full detection at the time of ink replenishment,
It is necessary to provide a full tank detecting means in the ink containing section 5. Ink replenishment is executed when an ink replenishment request is issued for at least one color of ink, but it may be possible to shorten the time required for ink replenishment by simultaneously replenishing other inks depending on the remaining ink amount. It will be possible. The ink replenishment section is disclosed in JP-A-07-251587 and JP-A-09-104457.
The configuration described in the publication is suitable. Also,
The ink replenishing unit may also have a remaining amount detecting unit. In the present invention, it is important to keep the distance between the recording head and a predetermined recording surface of the three-dimensional structure constant in order to obtain a high-quality printed matter such as a pattern or a two-dimensional bar code.

This is because, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-167838, a slight variation in nozzle unit caused by a difference in manufacturing process of recording heads affects the ink ejection amount and the ejection direction of each nozzle. In the end, it causes density unevenness of the printed image and deteriorates the image quality. In particular, these variations are largely due to variations in the ejection direction of ejected ink droplets, and therefore, if the distance between the recording head and the surface to be recorded increases, the printing quality is greatly affected. On the other hand, if the distance between the recording head and the recording surface is too small, the recording head is slid on the recording surface, which not only contaminates the recording surface but also damages the recording head. Therefore, by providing the distance measuring unit 8 that measures the distance between the recording head and the recording surface, it is possible to form a high-quality image at an arbitrary position of the three-dimensional structure without bringing the recording head into contact with the recording medium. Is. The distance measuring unit 8 used in the present invention utilizes an active type distance measuring method used in an autofocus camera, and as shown in FIG. 4, a projection lens fixed to a predetermined position of the recording apparatus. 14, a light receiving lens 15 and a light projecting element 16
The light projected from the light emitting lens 14 through the light projecting lens 14 is reflected by the subject, and is imaged on the light receiving element 17 through the light receiving lens 15. Since the image forming position on the light receiving element 17 changes according to the distance of the subject, the semiconductor position detecting device or the like detects the light receiving position and calculates the distance.
The distance measuring method used in the present invention is not limited to this method, and it is also possible to use a method using ultrasonic waves. Further, by detecting the end face of the three-dimensional structure using the distance measuring unit 12, the conveyor can be stopped at a predetermined position from the end face and printing can be executed. Further, since the distance measuring unit 12 is formed integrally with the carrier unit 2, by sliding the carrier unit 2 along the shaft portion 3-3, it is possible to detect the end surface orthogonal to the conveying direction of the conveyor. That is, it becomes possible to perform printing at a desired position on the three-dimensional structure. The environment in which the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is used is often dusty in a distribution warehouse or factory, and is often placed under a severe temperature and humidity environment.
Alternatively, the print quality of the recorded matter is deteriorated due to the adhesion of ink drops and the like, and ink drops are not frequently ejected. In order to solve such a problem, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, a cleaning member 18 made of an elastic body for cleaning the recording head surface, and a cap portion 21 for holding the elastic body.
A cleaning unit including a pump unit 20 that is connected to the cap to generate a negative pressure in the cap to discharge the thickened ink in the nozzle, and a waste ink storage unit 23 that is connected to the pump to collect the discharged ink as waste ink. Part 8 is provided. Silicon rubber, polyether polyurethane, polyester urethane, styrene rubber, HNBR rubber, EPDM rubber and the like are suitable as the material of the cleaning member 18, but a predetermined contact force is exerted on the face surface of the recording head, It is important not to damage the face of the. The elastic member elastically comes into contact with the face surface of the recording head by moving the carrier portion 2 from left to right in the figure to perform cleaning. The non-contact communication section 12 used in the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention is shown in FIG.
A non-contact integrated circuit (R) having a data storage function and a non-contact communication function, which is attached to a three-dimensional structure in advance, corresponding to the RF-IF communication antenna shown in the control section outline
It enables communication with F tags, etc., and RF tags
Information to be acquired from 24 is taken into the main controller MC via the communication antenna and the RF-ID reader / writer RW. The main controller MC and the head drive circuit convert the acquired print data and control data into control signals and image information, and send the control signals and image information to the drive units of the respective recording heads and the respective shafts to execute predetermined printing on the three-dimensional structure To do. The antenna 12 attached to the recording apparatus of the present invention is in a plane parallel to the antenna of the RF-ID tag 24 attached to the cardboard box 11 of the three-dimensional structure in order to enable the best communication state. An antenna 12 is attached to the bottom surface of the recording unit 2. At that time, it is also possible to write information from the control unit to the non-contact integrated circuit, if necessary. As the control information stored in the non-contact integrated circuit of the RF-ID tag 24 attached to the three-dimensional structure, the material of the recording medium, the printing method, the designation of the color, the size information of the cardboard box and the recording surface are recorded. Examples include size information. Particularly in a corrugated cardboard box, the type of the surface coating layer differs depending on the application, and therefore printing control depending on the type, for example, in the case of a medium that easily bleeds, processing such as thinning out dots for printing is important. Therefore, the type and printing method of the corrugated board 11 are stored in advance in the non-contact integrated circuit of the RF-ID tag 24, and the optimum printing control can be automatically set by reading out at the printing stage. As a result, even if various types of cardboard boxes are randomly transported to one belt conveyor, optimal printing can be performed without the operator having to input each one.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a printing flowchart of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1. The operation of the embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart. When the belt conveyor 10 moves and the end face of the cardboard box 11 of the three-dimensional structure placed on the belt conveyor 10 is detected by the distance measuring unit 8 (601), it is defined in the memory RAM in the main controller MC of the recording device. The timer value is set in the timer area, and the main controller MC issues an instruction to the host computer 22 to stop the belt conveyor 10 after a predetermined time has passed (602 to 603). When the belt conveyor 10 stops, the distance measuring unit 12 measures the distance between the recording head 1 and the recording surface of the cardboard box 11 of the three-dimensional structure so that the distance falls within the set value range set in the print information in advance. The carrier part 2 is moved along the shaft part 3-1. (605 to 607) In the next step, the shaft portion 3-2 is moved along the shaft portion 3-3 to the print start position set in the print information. (608) In the next step, the carrier section 2 moves along the shaft section 3-2, the information to be printed is read from the print information stored in the host computer 22 or the control section 4, and the printing for one line is executed. To do. After the printing of one line is completed, the shaft portion 3-2 moves along the shaft portion 3-3 and similarly prints the next line. (609
It is also possible to execute printing for the nozzle width with one movement, but when printing a high-definition image,
When printing on a corrugated cardboard having poor absorbency, it is also preferable to print by a multi-scan method. It is possible to change the printing method unique to the corrugated cardboard 11 without the operator inputting a setting value by storing the settings of the printing method in advance in the RF tag 24 or the like and reading them out before printing. . When there is no print data in the memory RAM, the main controller MC issues an instruction to the connected computer 22 to start the belt conveyor 10, and the printing ends.

Next, referring to FIG. 7, an operation of the embodiment will be described with reference to an example of a printing flow when an RF tag in which printing information is stored in advance is attached to a cardboard.

The recording device reads stored information such as a printing method and print data from the RF tag 24 attached to the corrugated board 11 via the non-contact communication section 12, and prints the information in a predetermined area of the memory RAM in the main controller MC. , Store and set print data and the like. (704 to 705) Further, not only the printing method and the printing data but also the information for automatically starting the application to be used is stored in the RF tag 24 so that the printer or the computer can store the information.
It is also possible to print the information extracted from 22 with an individual application. Further, information may be transmitted from the recording device side as necessary and written in the data storage section of the RF tag 24. If the surface A of FIG. 3 is slid with respect to the shaft portion, the nozzle arrangement direction and the conveyance direction are orthogonal to each other, so printing with a width smaller than the width of the nozzle row can be performed without stopping the belt conveyor 10 and high speed. Printing becomes possible.

In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, by using the pigment ink, the printed matter may get wet with water,
It is possible to maintain good printing without being exposed or exposed to sunlight outdoors for a long time, or even if the print is stored in a storage warehouse for a long time without the print fading or blurring.

The pigment ink used in the present invention includes:
It is preferable to contain the pigment in a weight ratio of 1 to 20%, preferably 2 to 12%. Carbon black used for black ink includes furnace method, channel method,
Alternatively, high specific surface area carbon produced by activating petroleum coke with a large amount of alkali, and fluorine treatment from the gas phase to the above carbon black materials, plasma of polymerizable monomer having hydrophilicity It may be carbon black which has been subjected to treatment, such as graft polymerization from a liquid phase of a hydrophilic monomer.

Pigments used for the yellow ink include CIPigment Yellow 1, CIPigment Yellow 2, CI
Pigment Yellow 3, CIPigment Yellow 12, CIPigment
Yellow 13, CIPigment Yellow 14, CIPigment Yello
w 16, CIPigment Yellow 17, CIPigment Yellow 73,
CIPigment Yellow 74, CIPigment Yellow 75, CIPi
gment Yellow 83, CIPigment Yellow 93, CIPigment
Yellow 95, CIPigment Yellow 97, CIPigment Yellow
98, CIPigment Yellow 109, CIPigment Yellow 11
0, CIPigment Yellow 114, CIPigment Yellow 128, C.
I.Pigment Yellow 129, CIPigment Yellow 151, CIPig
ment Yellow 154, CIPigment Yellow 155, pigments used as magenta ink include CIPigment Re
d 5, CIPigment Red 7, CIPigment Red 12, CIPigme
nt Red 48 (Ca), CI Pigment Red 48 (Mn), CI Pigment R
ed 57 (Ca), CIPigment Red 57: 1, CIPigment Red 11
2, CIPigment Red 122, CIPigment Red 123, CIPig
ment Red 168, CIPigment Red184, CIPigment Red 20
2, CIPi as a pigment used as cyan ink
gment Blue 1, CIPigment Blue 2, CIPigment Blue
3, CIPigment Blue 15: 3, CIPigment Blue 15: 34, C.
I.Pigment Blue 16, CIPigment Blue 22, CIPigment
Examples thereof include Blue 60, CIVat Blue 4, CIVat Blue 60, and the like, but are not limited thereto. In addition, those newly manufactured for the present invention can also be used.

The water-soluble polymer resin used in the ink of the present invention is an alkali-soluble water-soluble resin and has a weight average molecular weight of 1,000 to 30,000, preferably 3
It is in the range of 000 to 15,000. When the resin has a weight average molecular weight of more than 30,000, the viscosity of the dispersion becomes large, and when used in an inkjet recording system, the ejection characteristics are poor. If the weight average molecular weight is less than 1000, a sufficient dispersion effect due to steric hindrance cannot be obtained, resulting in poor dispersion stability. Specifically, hydrophobic monomers such as styrene, styrene derivatives, vinylnaphthalene, vinylnaphthalene derivatives, alkyl esters of allyl acid, alkyl esters of methacrylic acid, and α, β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids and their aliphatic alcohols. Copolymers composed of hydrophilic monomers such as esters, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, and their derivatives, and salts thereof. The copolymer may have any structure such as random, block or graft, and the acid value is in the range of 80 to 430, preferably 100 to 300.

As the water-soluble polymer resin used in the present invention, water-soluble polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol and carboxymethyl cellulose, naphthalene sulfonic acid formaldehyde condensate, polystyrene sulfonic acid and the like can be used. Is.

However, the alkali-soluble water-soluble resin is advantageous in that the viscosity of the dispersion liquid can be lowered and the dispersion is easy. The amount of these water-soluble polymer-dispersed resins used is the weight of the pigment; the weight of the dispersant = 10: 6 to 10: 0.
The range is 5. The suitable ratio is experimentally determined by using the selected pigment and the water-soluble polymer resin, but the amount of the resin dissolved without adsorbing to the pigment is 2% by weight or less in the ink. good.

As the basic substance for solubilizing the above alkali-soluble resin in water, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, ethylmonoethanolamine, ethyldiethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine, triisopropanolamine. It is possible to use organic amines such as alkanolamines and ammonia, and inorganic bases such as potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide.
The optimum base species varies depending on the type of pigment and dispersant selected, but is preferably non-volatile, stable and highly water-retentive. The amount of the base used is basically an amount calculated from the acid value of the polymer dispersant, and is used as the amount of the base necessary for neutralizing it. In some cases, more than the equivalent amount of acid may be used. It is carried out for the purpose of improving dispersibility, adjusting pH of ink, adjusting recording performance, and improving moisturizing property. The pigment as described above is dispersed in a water-soluble polymer aqueous medium.

The recording liquid of the present invention is mainly composed of water, and a water-soluble solvent is mixed and used. The total amount of the water-soluble solvent is approximately 5 to 40% by weight with respect to the entire ink. In preparing the aqueous pigment ink of the present invention, the selection of the solvent system is important in order to control the storage stability, the moisturizing property at the nozzle tip, and the fixing property on the recording paper.

As the water-soluble organic solvent usable in the present invention, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, 1,
2-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,4
-Butanediol, dimethylsulfoxide, diacetone alcohol, glycerin monoallyl ether, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, polyethylene glycol 300, thiodiglycol, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 2-pyrrolidone, γ-butyrolactone, 1,
3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, sulfolane,
Trimethylolpropane, trimethylolethane, neopentyl glycol, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoisopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monoallyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether ,
Triethylene glycol monoethyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, β-dihydroxyethyl urea, urea, acetonylacetone, pentaerythritol, 1,4-cyclohexanediol, hexylene glycol, ethylene glycol monopropyl ether, Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monoisobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monophenyl ether, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monoisobutyl ether, triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, triethylene glycol dimethyl ether, triethylene glycol didiethyl ether, te Laethylene glycol dimethyl ether, tetraethylene glycol diethyl ether, propylene glycol monobutyl ether, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monopropyl ether, dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether, tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether, glycerin monoacetate, glycerin diacetate, Glycene phosphorus triacetate, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, cyclohexanol, 1,2-cyclohexanediol, 1-butanol, 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol, 3-hexene-2,5-diol, 2,3-butanediol,
1,5-pentanediol, 2,4-pentanediol, 2,5-hexanediol, ethanol, n-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-methoxy-2-propanol, furfuryl alcohol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol and the like. .

In addition to the above-mentioned materials, the water-based pigment ink of the present invention may contain a surfactant, a preservative, an antioxidant, and other auxiliary materials for controlling physical properties. As the surfactant, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkylphenol ethers, polyoxyethylene alkyl esters, acetylene glycol compounds and the like are preferable. These surfactants have various purposes of addition, such as improvement in penetrability into paper, wettability with ejection device members, flow characteristics, and auxiliary agent for dispersion stability.

As a method for producing the ink of the present invention, first, a water-soluble polymer resin is dissolved in an aqueous base solution, a pigment is added to this aqueous solution, and the surface of the pigment is wetted by premixing, and then the dispersing means described later. Dispersion using
Centrifugation, pressure filtration using a membrane, etc. are performed to remove coarse particles, and a desired dispersion liquid is obtained. Next, the above-mentioned solvent is added to this dispersion, and if necessary, other additives (surfactant, pH adjuster, preservative, etc.) are added and stirred to prepare a recording liquid.

The surface treatment of the water-insoluble coloring material of the present invention can be carried out in advance. For example, surface treatment with alcohols such as etalol and propanol, surfactant treatment, pigment derivative treatment for substituting an acidic group or basic group, pigment coating reaction treatment for coating the pigment surface with another substance, condensation reaction or graft reaction Surface chemical reaction treatment to introduce substituents, silane coupling agent, titanate coupling agent, zirconate coupling agent, coupling reaction treatment for surface treatment with aluminate coupling agent, plasma reaction treatment, CVD Processing etc. can be performed.

The ink used in the present invention is preferably washed and purified to remove impurities before use. Commercially available pigments contain a large amount of organic and inorganic impurities.Since these impurities adversely affect nozzle clogging, kogation, storage stability, recording reliability, etc., in order to remove these, It is preferably washed and purified before use. Examples of the washing / purifying method include filtration, centrifugation, a separation membrane method, an ion exchange resin treatment method, a reverse osmosis method, an activated carbon method, a zeolite method, water washing, and solvent extraction. Washing and purification may be performed before mixing the raw materials, after preparing the dispersion liquid, after preparing the ink, or in multiple stages.
In particular, since it is considered that the route of mixing such impurities is from the coloring material, the dispersion medium at the time of dispersion, and the dispersion container, the treatment before mixing the raw materials or after adjusting the dispersion liquid is effective. In the present invention, not only the water-based pigment ink as described above but also the oil-based pigment ink can be used. As the solvent used in the oil-based pigment ink, aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, ester-based, ketone-based, silicone oils, mineral oils, waxes, higher fatty acids, higher alcohols, etc. are used alone or in combination. To be As the pigment dispersion resin, acrylic resin such as methacrylic acid ester resin, polyacrylic acid ester resin, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer resin, olefin resin, phenol resin, xylene resin, polyamide resin, polyester resin, ketone. Resin, alkyd resin, rosin resin,
Petroleum resin, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, vinyl acetate resin, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, ethylene-vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, etc. can be used.

The ink used in the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. [Black ink] (Preparation of pigment dispersion liquid) A solution of styrene / acrylic acid / ethyl acrylate copolymer (acid value 180, weight average molecular weight 9000) in potassium hydroxide (neutralization ratio 150%, resin solid content 2.5 parts) 80
Part, and 15 parts of carbon black (MCF-88, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical) washed with pure water to a solution consisting of 5 parts of ethylene glycol, pre-mixed, and then dispersed for 3 hours using a sand mill to create an aqueous dispersion. did. The dispersion was centrifuged with a centrifuge to remove coarse particles and the like, and as a result, a pigment dispersion having a solid content of about 16% was obtained. (Preparation of recording liquid) 40 parts by mass of the above dispersion solution 8 parts by mass of diethylene glycol 8 parts by mass of glycerin 8 parts by mass of polyethylene glycol 8 parts by mass of acetylenol EH (manufactured by Kawaken Fine Chemicals Co., Ltd.) 35 parts by mass of ion-exchanged water The above composition was stirred for 3 hours. After filtering with a 1 micron membrane filter, impurities such as calcium were removed through the ion exchange resin layer to obtain a desired recording liquid.

[Yellow ink] (Preparation of pigment dispersion) Styrene / acrylic acid / ethyl acrylate copolymer (glass transition temperature 74
CIPigme was washed with pure water to a solution containing 80 parts of lithium hydroxide solution (neutralization ratio 130%, resin solid content 2.5 parts) and ethylene glycol of 5 parts at a temperature of 180 ° C., an acid value of 180, and a weight average molecular weight of 12000.
After adding 15 parts of nt Yellow 138, premixing was performed, followed by dispersing for 5 hours using a sand mill, and after dispersing, centrifugation (10000 rpm, 1 hour) was performed to remove coarse particles. Further, the ion-exchange resin layer was used to remove inorganic impurities to prepare an aqueous dispersion. The solid content of this dispersion was about 14%. (Preparation of Ink) 50 parts by mass of the above-mentioned dispersion diethylene glycol 8 parts by mass glycerin 10 parts by mass isopropyl alcohol 1 part by mass acetylenol EH (manufactured by Kawaken Fine Chemicals) 0.8 parts by mass ion-exchanged water 30.2 parts by mass After stirring the composition for 3 hours , Filtered through a 1 micron membrane filter. Further, impurities such as calcium were removed through the ion exchange resin layer to obtain a desired recording liquid. [Magenta] (Preparation of pigment dispersion liquid) 80 parts of a styrene / acrylic acid / ethyl acrylate copolymer (acid value 180, weight average molecular weight 10000) potassium hydroxide solution (neutralization ratio 130%, resin solid content 2.5 parts)
Part, a solution containing 5 parts of ethylene glycol, CI Pigment R
After adding 15 parts of ed122, dispersion was performed for 4 hours with a sand mill to obtain a dispersion. This dispersion was centrifuged (10000 rpm, 0.5 hour) to remove coarse particles, to prepare an aqueous dispersion.
The solid content of this dispersion was about 14%. (Preparation of Ink) 40 parts by mass of the above-mentioned dispersion 40 parts by mass of ethylene glycol 5 parts by mass of glycerin 10 parts by mass of diethylene glycol 8 parts by mass of acetylenol EH (manufactured by Kawaken Fine Chemicals Co., Ltd.) 0.5 part by mass of ion-exchanged water 36.5 parts by mass After stirring the composition for 3 hours , Filtered through a 1 micron membrane filter. Further, impurities such as calcium were removed through the ion exchange resin layer to obtain a desired recording liquid. [Cyan ink] (Preparation of pigment dispersion liquid) Potassium hydroxide solution of styrene / acrylic acid / ethyl acrylate copolymer (glass transition temperature 77 ° C, acid value 140, weight average molecular weight 12000) (neutralization rate 125%, resin 80 parts of solid content (2 parts), 5 parts of ethylene glycol 5 parts washed with pure water CI Pigment Blue 15: 3 15 parts, after premixing, dispersed for 3 hours in a sand mill, to create an aqueous dispersion did. The solids content of this dispersion is approximately 14
%Met. (Preparation of ink) 40 parts by mass of the above-mentioned dispersion diethylene glycol 8 parts by mass glycerin 8 parts by mass triethylene glycol 8 parts by mass diethylene glycol monobutyl ether 0.5 parts by mass acetylenol EH (manufactured by Kawaken Fine Chemicals Co., Ltd.) 1 part by mass ion-exchanged water 35 parts by mass After stirring the product for 3 hours, it was filtered through a 1-micron membrane filter and impurities such as calcium were removed through the ion exchange resin layer to obtain a desired recording liquid.

[0051]

Second Embodiment FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the present invention in which the nozzle surface of the recording head is arranged so as to face the vertical surface of the three-dimensional structure and printing is performed on the side surface of the three-dimensional structure. There is.
The control flow of each shaft portion and carrier portion is shown in FIG. If the control flow of FIG. 7 is used, in this embodiment, the belt conveyor moves even while the distance between the recording surface of the three-dimensional structure and the recording head is set within a predetermined range, so that the belt is moved within the adjustment time. There is a problem that the recording start position of the recording medium is passed. Therefore, when the distance measuring unit 8 newly measures the time from the time when the end face of the three-dimensional structure is detected and the distance is adjusted after the predetermined time t1 calculated from the print data, the belt conveyor is stopped. Added routines (806, 807). In this example, the above black ink was used as the ink for printing.

[0052]

As described above, according to the recording apparatus of the present invention, it becomes possible to print the information relating to the contents on an arbitrary surface of the three-dimensional structure such as a corrugated cardboard box, so that the preprinting cost can be reduced. It is possible to drastically reduce the cost related to the storage space of pre-printed materials and the output of variable information.

Further, by storing the unique information such as print data and print control information in advance in the non-contact integrated circuit attached to such a three-dimensional structure and reading it out at the time of printing, there is no error in printing and the operator can It is possible to obtain printed matter in an optimal manner without being resident.

Further, according to the recording apparatus of the present invention, the surface of a three-dimensional structure such as a corrugated cardboard box that is left in a harsh environment such as a factory or a warehouse is not easily faded by light or gas and bleeds even under high humidity. It is possible to provide a printed matter with almost no problem.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the structure of the inkjet recording head of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a recording unit and a carrier unit.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a recording unit and a carrier unit.

[Figure 5] Bottom view of the recording unit

[Fig. 6] Sectional view of the ink storage unit

FIG. 7 is an overall schematic diagram of a control unit of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an outline of a distance measuring unit used in the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a cleaning unit used in the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a printing flowchart of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a printing flowchart of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a printing flowchart of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Recording section 2 Carrier section 3-1, 3-2, 3-3 Shaft 4 Control unit 5 Ink storage 6 Ink supply section 7 Cleaning section 8 Distance measuring unit 9 Ink remaining amount detector 10 belt conveyor 11 cardboard boxes 12 Contactless communication unit 13 Waste ink storage container 14 Emitter lens 15 Light receiving lens 16 Emitter 17 Light receiving element 18 wiper blade 19 Wiper blade holding member 20 pumps 21 cap 22 Computer 23 cable 24 RF Tag 25 heating element 26 Silicon substrate 27 partition 28 Common liquid chamber 29 Discharge port 30 Top plate 31 drive box 32 drive cable

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F-term (reference) 2C056 EA13 EA24 EA29 EB01 EB11                       EB13 EB29 EB37 EB50 EB59                       EC11 EC33 EC69 FA03 FA04                       FA09 FB01 FB08 FC01 FC02                       FC06 HA38 HA60 JA01 JA13                       JB04 JC06 JC13 JC20 KB37                       KC11 KC13 KC16

Claims (23)

[Claims] 1. A recording section having an ink jet recording head having a plurality of ejection ports, a carrier section for holding the recording section and moving the recording section along a shaft section, and at least one shaft for sliding the carrier section. Unit, a control unit that controls the recording unit and the carrier unit, an ink storage unit that is integrally mounted on the recording unit, an ink replenishment unit that replenishes the ink storage unit with ink, and a cleaning of the inkjet recording head. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: a cleaning unit for performing a distance measurement unit for measuring a distance between a recording surface of a three-dimensional structure and the inkjet recording head; and at least one remaining ink amount detecting unit. 2. The communication unit according to claim 1, further comprising a communication unit having a function of communicating with a non-contact integrated circuit having a data storage function and a non-contact communication function attached to a recording medium. Inkjet recording device 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an information reading unit having a function of reading information stored in advance in the non-contact integrated circuit. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a writing unit having a function of writing information in the non-contact integrated circuit. 5. An ink jet recording method for printing on a recording medium using an ink jet recording head having a plurality of ejection openings, the non-contact integration having a data storage function and a non-contact communication function attached to the recording medium. A first step of communicating with a circuit to read unique information stored in advance in the contactless integrated circuit; a second step of creating print data based on the read unique information; and based on the print data An ink jet recording method comprising a third step of performing printing by printing. 6. A recording method for printing on a recording medium using a recording head, wherein the recording medium is communicated with a non-contact integrated circuit having a data storage function and a non-contact communication function, the non-contact A recording method comprising: a first step of reading control information stored in advance in an integrated circuit; and a second step of controlling a printing method based on the read control information. 7. The control information includes the type of the recording medium, color designation information, or a print start position, and controls the recording means to execute recording based on the control information. The recording method according to claim 6. 8. A recording method for printing on a recording medium using a recording head, comprising a first step of executing printing, and a non-contact having a data storage function and a non-contact communication function attached to the recording medium. A recording method comprising a second step of communicating with a contact integrated circuit and writing information to the contactless integrated circuit. 9. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a recording liquid containing a pigment is used. 10. A recording unit having an ink jet recording head having a plurality of ejection ports, a carrier unit for holding the recording unit and moving the recording unit along an axis, and at least one for sliding the carrier unit. Axis part, a distance measuring part for measuring the distance between the recording surface of the three-dimensional structure and the inkjet recording head, and the recording part according to the distance between the recording surface by the distance measuring part and the inkjet recording head. An inkjet recording apparatus including a recording control unit that controls the recording medium. 11. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a communication unit having a function of communicating with a contactless integrated circuit having a data storage function and a contactless communication function attached to a recording medium. 12. A means for determining information to be recorded on the recording medium based on information stored in a non-contact integrated circuit having a data storage function and a non-contact communication function attached to the recording medium. Claim 11 characterized in that
Inkjet recording device described 13. A recording unit having a recording head, a carrier unit holding the recording unit, moving means for moving the carrier unit, and a distance for measuring a distance between a recording surface of a three-dimensional structure and the recording head. A recording apparatus comprising: a measuring unit; and a recording control unit that controls the recording unit according to the distance between the recording surface and the recording head by the distance measuring unit. 14. The recording apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a communication unit having a function of communicating with a unit having a data storage function and a non-contact communication function attached to the three-dimensional structure. 15. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising means for determining information to be recorded on the recording medium based on information stored in the unit. 16. The recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the unit is attached to the recording medium of the object. 17. A recording section having a recording head, a carrier section holding the recording section, a distance measuring section for measuring a distance between a recording surface of an object and the recording head, and a recording surface by the distance measuring section. A recording apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls a distance between a recording surface of the object and the recording unit according to a distance from the recording head. 18. The recording apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a communication unit having a function of communicating with a unit having a data storage function and a non-contact communication function attached to the object. 19. The recording apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising means for determining information to be recorded on the recording medium based on information stored in the unit. 20. The recording apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the unit is attached to the recording medium of the object. 21. A recording apparatus comprising a recording unit having a recording head, and a recording control unit for controlling recording on the recording surface of a three-dimensional structure by the recording unit. 22. The recording apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a communication unit having a function of communicating with a unit having a data storage function and a non-contact communication function attached to the three-dimensional structure. 23. The recording apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising means for determining information to be recorded on the recording surface based on information stored in the unit.