JP2003311942A - Inkjet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inkjet printer in which a print work can be carried out readily and surely by oneself in a minimum work space utilizing the space of a small shop, e.g. a street corner shop, and which can be transported easily using a small quantity of small packaging material. <P>SOLUTION: The inkjet printer for printing an image on a print object 6 moving along a print object mounting section 25 is provided with a return mode for reversing the carrying direction of the print object 6 so that it can be thrown in from any side and for returning the printed print object 6 to the throw-in side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet printing apparatus capable of easily printing an image on a printing object having various thicknesses including a sheet material, a cloth product, a solid material, etc. The present invention relates to an inkjet printing apparatus that is suitable for use in a print service industry, etc., because printing work can be performed easily even in a space.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Ink is ejected from an ejection port formed in an ink jet head based on image information onto a printing surface (printing surface) of a printing object having various thicknesses regardless of a cloth product or a solid material. An inkjet printing apparatus for printing a desired image on the printing surface is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-207263. In such a printing apparatus, it is necessary to move the print object relative to the inkjet head through the print stage while maintaining a proper gap. Also, in this type of printing apparatus, the inkjet head is moved in the main scanning direction and the print target (printing material) is moved in the sub-scanning direction to perform printing on the entire print surface of the print target, that is, The serial printing method is widely adopted.

A line printing method is also used in which a line type ink jet head is used and printing is performed only by moving a print target in the sub-scanning direction. Regardless of such a serial method or a line method, in the inkjet printing apparatus described above, the length of the apparatus main body is the length in the sub-scanning direction of the image to be printed, especially when the printing target is a plate-like solid object. It was generally decided by the size. Therefore, the size of the printing apparatus is restricted by the length of the image to be printed, and a printing apparatus capable of printing an image of a certain size or more has a large installation area and working space, and The cost and size also depended on the length of the image.

Further, in the conventional ink jet printing apparatus of this type, the direction of the sub-scanning movement of the printing object is limited to one direction, and the printing unit (the printing unit for printing on the printing surface of the printing object by the ink jet head). The positional relationship (front-back position) in the sub-scanning direction of the loading stage for loading the printing target before printing and the discharging stage for discharging the printing target after printing is also fixed with respect to the printing operation unit). You can freely select the front and back direction of the stage and discharge stage,
It was impossible to return the print target that was input and printed to the input side and discharge it.

[0005]

In recent years, by taking advantage of the features of ink jet printing apparatuses, image information can be obtained not only for sheet materials such as paper but also for solid materials such as wood and resin or cloth such as sewn T-shirts. A desired image is printed on the basis of the above, and accordingly, these prints are increasingly performed as a service industry.

However, in such a print service industry, if an on-demand service is to be provided, business cannot be established unless a store is opened in a street corner such as an urban area. Therefore, a large space is usually secured like a print factory in the suburbs. It is not possible. Further, in the above-mentioned print service industry, since the order quantity is not constant, a non-operation period occurs in which the printing apparatus is not used. In that case,
The printing device is the place of use or another storage place (storage place)
In any case, if the printer occupies the same space as the printing status (status during printing operation) even when the printing device is not used, there will be wasted space for the printing device. , You will not be able to use the space efficiently.

Further, when performing a print service business using the above printing apparatus, a business trip service is also provided at an event site, a theme park, a tourist spot, etc. In that case, the printing apparatus must be carried frequently. . Therefore, in that case, if the size is the same as in the printing operation, the space required for transportation becomes large, and the transportation cost also increases. Further, in the above print service industry, there is usually only one worker at the time of printing, and the operating range of the worker is inevitably limited in a narrow work space considering effective use of space. Therefore, in a street corner shop for performing the above-mentioned print service business, in order to minimize the space and effectively utilize the space, when performing the printing work using the printing device, even a single worker, It is required to be able to perform various printing operations without moving.

The present invention has been made in view of the above technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to effectively use the space of a narrow store such as a street corner shop, and to use various kinds of work space with a minimum of one person. To provide an ink jet printing apparatus capable of easily and surely performing the printing work described in (1) above, thereby reducing the required space and reducing the equipment cost.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an invention relating to an ink jet printing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an ink jet head mounted so as to face a print object placing portion, and a print object placing. A conveyance means for moving the print object in the sub-scanning direction through the placing portion, and a gap adjusting means for adjusting the gap between the print object and the inkjet head to a predetermined value are provided. It is characterized in that the sub-scanning movement can be reversed so that the print target can be loaded from either side in the sub-scanning direction of the print target stacking unit.

In the above-mentioned ink jet printing apparatus, it is preferable that the printing object fed from the loading side returns to the loading side after printing. In that case, a configuration is such that printing is performed while the print target input from the input side moves forward, and the print target returns to the input side by reversing the moving direction of the print target after printing. Alternatively, the print object input from the input side passes through the print unit, the moving direction is reversed, printing is performed while moving backward, and the print object returns to the input side after printing. It is preferable.

Further, it is preferable that the above-mentioned ink jet printing apparatus has an input means capable of selecting from which side of the print object stacking section, the front or rear side of the print object stacking section, is input. further,
In the inkjet printing apparatus described above, it is preferable that the print target be transported while being mounted on a dedicated transport tray. In this case, it is preferable to have a configuration having a positioning mechanism for positioning the tray with respect to the print target placement portion.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals denote the same or corresponding parts throughout the drawings. 1 to 14 showing an embodiment of an inkjet printing apparatus to which the present invention is applied
Shown in. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a right side portion showing an embodiment of an inkjet printing apparatus to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the inkjet printing apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an inkjet printing apparatus of FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of a left side portion of FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of a central portion of the inkjet printing apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a broken plan view mainly showing a table lifting drive mechanism of the inkjet printing apparatus of FIG. is there.

In this embodiment, a thin plate-shaped print object 6 is placed on the tray 5 and conveyed while a desired image is printed on the print surface. However, for example, when printing on a thick print target, it is also possible to directly place the print target on the print target placement section 25 composed of an elevating table and print without using the tray. When the print target is placed on the tray 5, the print target can be printed on a soft member such as a T-shirt or a handkerchief.

1 to 5, in an ink jet printing apparatus according to the present embodiment, holding bases 2 are fixed on both left and right sides of a base plate 1, and on the holding bases 2, almost the entire width of the base plate 1 ( Carriage chassis 3 in the shape of a gate extending from the right end to the left end)
Is fixed, and a carriage unit 4 having an inkjet head 51 along the carriage chassis 3.
Are mounted so as to be capable of reciprocating in the directions of arrows A1 and A2 (double-headed arrow A). By the movement of the carriage unit 4 in the direction of the double arrow A, the main scanning at the time of printing of the inkjet head 51 is performed. The inkjet head 5
The print target 6 to be printed by 1 is conveyed in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction (main scanning) of the carriage unit along a print target mounting portion composed of a lift table 25 that can be raised and lowered as described later. By doing so, the sub-scan at the time of printing is performed.

The ink jet head 51 is for generating bubbles in the ink by utilizing thermal energy and ejecting the ink based on the bubbles. More specifically, the inkjet head 51 ejects ink by utilizing thermal energy, and includes an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy. Further, the inkjet head 51 causes film boiling in the ink by the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter, and ejects the ink from the ejection port by utilizing the pressure change due to the growth and contraction of bubbles generated at that time. The print target is printed.

FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view schematically showing the structure of the ink ejection portion of the ink jet head 51.
In FIG. 11, a plurality of ejection openings are provided at a predetermined pitch on the ejection opening surface 81 facing the printing surface of the printing object 6 with a predetermined clearance (for example, about 0.3 to about 4.0 mm). 82 is formed, and an electrothermal converter (heat generating resistor, etc.) 85 for generating energy for ink ejection is arranged along the wall surface of each liquid passage 84 that connects the common liquid chamber 83 and each ejection port 82. It is set up. Inkjet head 51
Are mounted on the carriage unit 4 in such a positional relationship that the ejection ports 82 are arranged in a direction intersecting the main scanning direction (arrows A1 and A2 directions). In this way, the corresponding electrothermal converter 85 is driven (energized) based on the image signal or the ejection signal to cause the ink in the liquid passage 84 to film-boil, and the ink generated from the ejection port 82 is ejected by the pressure generated at that time. The inkjet head 51 is configured.

In the present embodiment, the print object placing portion 25 has a three-part structure, and is composed of three tables, a first sub-table 7, a main table 8 and a second sub-table 9. . FIG. 6 shows a hinge part 10 for connecting the first sub-table 7 and the second sub-table 9 to the main table 8 in a rotatable (foldable) manner and a flat print object placing part 25. It is a partial plan sectional view showing a stopper portion 12.

1 to 6, the first sub-table 7
Is rotatably connected to the front part of the main table 8 via a hinge shaft 10, and the second sub-table 9 is rotatably connected to the rear part of the main table 8 via a hinge shaft 10. The first sub-table 7 constitutes a loading stage into which the print target 6 is loaded during normal printing, and the main table 8 serves as a print stage on which the print surface of the print target 6 is printed. The second sub-table 9 constitutes a discharge stage from which the print target 6 is discharged during normal printing.

That is, the printing object placing portion 25
Is a loading stage 7 into which the print target 6 is loaded, a print stage 8 as a printing unit, and the print target 6
Is divided into three parts, namely, a discharging stage 9 and a discharging stage 9. The charging stage 7 and the discharging stage 9 are configured to be folded around a portion of the print stage 8 in the front and rear direction. In FIG. 6, the loading stage 7 and the discharging stage 9 are foldable with respect to the print stage 8 around a connecting portion composed of a hinge shaft 10, and the connecting portion is made of a low-friction material that supports the hinge shaft 10. A pressure member 11 is provided which generates a predetermined resistance torque with respect to the rotation of the bearing member 33 and the connecting portion. Thus, when the first sub-table 7 and the second sub-table 9 are rotated (folded), an appropriate frictional resistance acts, and these sub-tables are tilted toward the main table 8 side or opened flatly. Occasionally, these sub-tables are being considered to prevent them from dropping suddenly, which is a safety measure.

1 to 6, the first sub-table 7
When the second sub-table 9 is opened in a flat posture in which the print target 6 can be conveyed, the front end portions (both front end portions) of the sub-tables 7 and 9 on the main table 8 side are located on both sides of the main table 8. The first sub-table 7 and the second sub-table 9 are configured to have the same height as the main table 8 by contacting the stoppers 12 provided at the front and rear portions (four places in total). A crown-shaped pulley 13 is rotatably disposed on each of the outer side portions of both sides of the first sub-table 7 and the second sub-table 9. An endless conveyor belt 14 is wound around these pulleys 13. In the illustrated example, one endless conveyor belt 14 is wound around each of the pulleys 13 provided at each of the left and right front end portions and the rear end portions of the print object placement portion 25, and the left and right 2 A continuous conveyor belt 14 of books is configured.

In FIG. 6, in the connecting portion using the hinge shaft 10, a cylindrical spacer 31 as a bearing member is mounted between the sub tables 7 and 9 and the main table 8.
The bolt-shaped hinge shaft 10 is inserted (inserted) from the main table 8 side to the sub table 7 or the sub table 9 side through the hole of the spacer 31, and the washer 32 and the disc spring (additional force) are added from the male screw side of the hinge shaft 10. The pressure member) 11 is fitted and the nut 33 is tightened from the outside. Depending on the tightening degree of the nut 33 and the spring force of the disc spring (pressurizing member) 11, the rotation resistance torque value when rotating (eg, folding) the first sub-table 7 and the second sub-table 9 is appropriate. Is set to any value. The spacers 31 and the washers 32 are made of materials having a low friction coefficient and excellent in slidability.

Further, by mounting a rotary damper using oil or the like on the rotation connecting portion using the hinge shaft 10 or the like, a predetermined rotation resistance torque is applied when the sub-tables 7 and 9 are rotated. May be generated. According to the structure of the connecting portion using the hinge shaft 10 as described above, it is possible to appropriately rotate (fold or open) the first sub-table (loading stage) 7 or the second sub-table (discharging stage) 9. A resistance torque (friction resistance) can be obtained, and it is possible to prevent the first sub-table 7 and the second sub-table 9 from suddenly dropping and colliding with the stopper portion 12.
It is possible to improve the operability when rotating the. FIG. 10 is a side view showing the inkjet printing apparatus in a state in which the first sub-table 7 and the second sub-table 9 are rotated on the main table 8 and folded.

The endless belt 14 as a conveying means for conveying the print target 6 in the sub-scanning direction uses a conveyor belt drive motor 16 composed of a stepping motor as a drive source, and a reduction gear train 15 attached to the main table 8.
The traveling is driven by the frictional force of the transport roller 17 (FIG. 4) that is driven so as to be able to rotate forward and backward via the. In that case, the traveling force (traveling force) of the conveyor belt 14 is
It is generated by sandwiching the conveyor belt 14 between (FIG. 4) and the conveyor roller 17 and pressing the conveyor roller 18 against the conveyor roller 17 by the conveyor pressure spring 19 (FIG. 4).

In FIG. 4, the conveyor belt 14 is given a predetermined tension by pressing a roller member (tension roller) 44 against the conveyor belt. In this case, the roller member 44 is the conveyor belt 1
4 is pressed by the spring force in the direction in which the conveyor roller 17 is wound around the conveyor roller 17. That is, the tension roller 44
Is rotatably attached to the tip of a belt tension lever 43 that is rotatably supported by a fixed shaft 45 provided on the print stage (main table) 8.
The belt tension lever 43 is biased in the clockwise direction in the drawing by a tension spring 42, which is a torsion coil spring mounted around the fixed shaft 45, and is pressed against the conveyor belt 14.

1 to 6, the first sub-table 7 corresponds to a loading stage for loading a print target (a thin plate-shaped print target placed on the tray 5 in the illustrated example) 6, The main table 8 corresponds to a print stage that prints by ejecting ink from the inkjet head 51 onto the print surface of the print target 6 that is sub-scanned by the conveyor belt 14, and the second sub-table 9 Corresponds to a discharge stage for taking out (discharging) the printed print target 6. The print object placing portion 25 formed by connecting the first sub-table 7, the main table 8 and the second sub-table 9 constitutes a lift table which can be lifted and lowered by a lift drive mechanism described later. In addition, the raising and lowering of the print object placing portion 25 also has a function of adjusting a gap (gap) between the ejection port surface 81 of the inkjet head 51 and the print surface of the print object 6 to a predetermined value as described later. And therefore has a print object placement unit 25
The elevating mechanism also constitutes a gap adjusting means.

A tray positioning shaft 48 as a positioning mechanism for positioning the tray 5 in the carrying direction is fixed to the base plate 1, and the tray positioning shaft 48 is printed through a through hole formed in the main table 8. It is configured so that it can project onto the object placement portion 25. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the tray positioning shafts 48 are fixed to the left and right positions (a total of 4 positions) on the front and rear portions of the main table 8 in the carrying direction. When the print object placing portion 25 (its main table 8) is higher than a predetermined height, the tray positioning shaft 4 is set.
8 does not project above the upper surface of the main table 8, but the tray positioning shaft 48 causes the tray positioning shaft 48 to move when the print object placing portion 25 is lowered to a predetermined height or lower such as the lowest point.
It is configured to project to the upper surface of.

On the other hand, a positioning hole 55 through which the tray positioning shaft 48 can be inserted is formed on the lower surface of the tray 5. In this way, the print target 6 can be positioned with respect to the printing device by inserting (inserting) the tray positioning shaft 48 into the positioning hole 55 of the tray 5 on which the print target 6 is placed. Instead of the positioning mechanism including the tray positioning shaft 48 and the positioning hole 55, another positioning mechanism may be used, such as positioning by providing plate-shaped guide plates on both sides of the lifting table 25.

When printing is performed on the print surface of the print object 6, first, the tray 5 on which the print object 6 is placed in advance is placed on the conveyor belt 14 by the first sub-table (loading stage) 7, or The print target 6 is loaded into the inkjet printing apparatus by placing the print target 6 on the tray 5 placed on the conveyor belt 14 in the first sub-table (loading stage) 7. When throwing in this print target 6,
The elevating table 25 is at the lowered position, and the tray positioning shaft 4 protruding from the upper surface of the print stage 8
The tray 5 is positioned at the loading position as shown in FIG. 1 by inserting the leading end of the tray 8 into the positioning hole 55 formed in the tray 5.

Next, the elevating table 25 is raised until the positioning hole 55 is completely removed from the tray positioning shaft 48, and then the conveyor belt drive motor 16 is operated to drive the conveyor belt 14 to drive the tray. 5
And the print target 6 on the tray 5 is moved to the main table 8 side as a print stage. In the area of the plate stage corresponding to the main table 8,
Gap adjusting means is provided which operates as described below. The gap adjusting unit detects the gap (gap) between the inkjet head 51 (the ejection port surface 81 thereof) and the print target 6 (the print surface) immediately before the start of printing, and the print target is detected based on the detection result. The space (gap) is adjusted by adjusting the height position of the object placing portion (elevating table) 25.

That is, when the tray 5 on which the print object 6 is placed moves to the main table 8 side, the tip of the tray 5 is placed on the main table 8 to detect the print (printing) start position. Top sensor lever 2
0 (FIG. 4) and the top sensor lever 20 is pushed down to shield the photosensor 52 (FIG. 4) from light. When the photo sensor 52 is shielded from light, the up-and-down drive motor 21 (FIGS. 3 and 5), which is provided on the base plate 1 and includes a stepping motor capable of forward and reverse rotations, is driven, and the drive force is reduced by the up-and-down reduction gear train 22. It is transmitted to the timing belt 23, and the timing belt 23 is driven to travel.

By running the timing belt 23,
Left and right front and rear pinion gears 24 connected to front and rear pulley shafts of the timing belt via a gear train are rotationally driven. These pinion gears 24 are rack gears (not shown) attached to the main table 8 (four front, rear, left and right).
, And each rack gear is pushed up by the rotation of the pinion gear 24, so that the main table 8 rises. In this case, for example, by providing a guide mechanism configured to engage the shaft portions (pins) protruding from the left and right of the main table 8 with the vertical guide grooves formed in the left and right holding bases 3. The vertical movement of the main table 8 can be performed accurately and smoothly. As the main table 8 is raised, the hinge shaft 10 is moved relative to the main table 8.
Also, the print object placing portion including the elevating table 25 including the first sub-table 7 and the second sub-table 9 connected in the same height and flatly by the stopper 12 also rises.

The carriage chassis 3 fixed to the base plate 1 is provided with a height detection unit 53 for detecting the height of the lifting table 25. The height detection unit 53 is provided in the inkjet head 51.
It also serves as a gap detection means for detecting a gap between (the ejection port surface 81) and the print target 6 (the print surface thereof). When the elevating table 25 rises, the height detecting roller 26 of the height detecting unit 53 provided on the carriage chassis 3 fixed to the base plate 1 is lifted. The height detection roller 26 has a rotating shaft 27.
It is rotatably supported at the tip of a height detection lever 28 which is rotatably supported. The height detection lever 28 is normally held at a predetermined inclined position by turning by its own weight and an appropriate stopper. A height detection flag 29 is integrally provided on the opposite side of the height detection lever 28. Also, the carriage chassis 3
A photo sensor 30 that is turned on / off (opened / light-shielded) by the height detection flag 29 is provided therein.

In such a height detecting unit 53, when the elevating table 25 is raised and the height detecting roller 26 is lifted, the height detecting lever 28 is rotated counterclockwise in the drawing. The height detection flag 29 switches the photo sensor 30 from the light blocking state to the open state. When the photo sensor 30 is switched from the light-shielded state to the open state, it is determined that the print target 6 has risen to the rising end (the rising limit position)
From there, the lifting table 25 is lowered until the gap between the inkjet head 51 and the print target 6 becomes a proper gap (proper gap).

Thereafter, the print control circuit (not shown) controls the operation of the carriage drive motor and the conveyor belt drive motor 16 (not shown), and based on the image information in synchronization with the movement (main scanning) of the carriage unit 4. By driving the inkjet head 51, predetermined image information is printed (printed) at a predetermined position on the print surface (print surface) of the print target (print material) 6. That is, by controlling the ink ejection from the inkjet head 51 in synchronization with the main scanning of the print target 6 (movement of the carriage) and the sub-scanning of the print target 6 (movement of the conveyor belt 14), the print target 6 is controlled. Print a predetermined image (including characters and symbols) on the object 6
Is executed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the carriage chassis 3 is provided with floating preventing means 54 for suppressing floating of the print target 6 (print surface thereof) at a position immediately before printing by the ink jet head 51. Has been. The floating prevention means 54 pivotally supports a rotatable roller 47 on the tip of a plate-shaped member 46 rotatably supported by the carriage chassis 3, and the plate-shaped member 46 is illustrated by a spring 45. The roller 47 is configured to be pressed against the print surface of the print target 6 by urging it clockwise. The floating prevention unit 54 is arranged over the entire print surface of the print target 6 in the main scanning direction of the inkjet head 51 so as to prevent the print surface from floating. Further, the rotatable roller 47 is
This is to reduce the frictional resistance (sliding resistance) when the print target 6 moves while preventing the floating.

In this state, the print target 6 is moved (sub-scanned) while printing (printing) is performed on the print target based on predetermined image information. To lower the elevating table 25, the tray positioning shaft 48 protruding the positioning hole 55 formed on the rear side (left side in the drawing) of the tray 5 in the transport direction from the front side (right side in the figure) of the print stage 8 in the transport direction. To fit. With the tray 5 thus positioned on the elevating table 25, the printed print object 6 on the tray 5 is taken out (discharged).

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view exemplifying a tray suitable for carrying an object to be printed and moving it in the sub-scan in the ink jet printing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
8 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a thin plate-shaped print object is placed on the tray of FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a sewn fabric product such as a T-shirt or a handkerchief on the tray of FIG. ) On (attached or set)
It is a typical perspective view showing a state. That is, in the inkjet printing apparatus according to the present embodiment, it is possible to print on the print surfaces of various print objects having different thicknesses, shapes and materials (for example, hard and soft) similarly, and the thickness of the print objects By using trays having different heights in accordance with the above, the range of printable objects to be printed can be further expanded.

Therefore, in the ink jet printing apparatus to which the present invention is applied, a forward / reverse rotatable motor such as a stepping motor is used as the conveyor belt driving motor 16, and the conveyor belt 14 conveys the sub-object of the print target 6 by the conveying means. The scanning movement can be reversed so that the print object 6 can be put in or discharged from any side of the print object placing portion (elevation table) 25 in the sub-scanning direction. There is. That is, the print target 6 can be input from either side of the inkjet printing apparatus in the front-rear direction, and discharged from either side. Also,
The direction of the sub-scanning movement when printing on the print surface of the print target 6 by the inkjet head 51 can be appropriately selected in either the front or rear direction of the inkjet printing apparatus.

12 to 14 are explanatory views showing the sequence (operation step) of the printing operation in the ink jet printing apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 12 shows the one side in which the input side and the discharge side are separately provided. FIG. 13 shows the case of printing in the flow (the direction from the left side to the right side in the illustrated example). In FIG. 13, the input side and the discharge side are the same side (the right side in the illustrated example) and printing is performed in the input direction (leftward direction). First, the printing operation in the first return mode in which printing is performed when returning to the loading side is shown. In FIG. 14, printing is performed in the loading direction (rightward direction) with the loading side and the discharging side on the same side (left side in the illustrated example). , Showing a print operation in the second return mode in which the print is returned to the discharge side after printing. In each of the following printing operations in each mode, the lifting table (print object placing portion) 25 is at the lowest point immediately before the printing operation is started, and the positioning hole 55 of the tray 5 and the base plate 1 are placed. Tray positioning shaft 48
Shall be in a fitted state.

When printing in the one-way flow of FIG. 12, as described above, the tray positioning shaft 48 comes out of the positioning hole 55, and the print object 6 is lifted to a height at which it can contact the height detection roller 26. 25 (step S1), the conveyor belt drive motor 16 is driven to advance the tray 5 on the conveyor belt 14 to the print stage 8 side (step S2), and a predetermined position (the height contacting the height detection roller 26). (S detection position), the elevating table 25 is raised to adjust the gap between the inkjet head 51 and the print target 6 to an appropriate gap suitable for inkjet printing (step S).
3). Next, the inkjet head 51 is driven based on image information in synchronization with the main scanning of the carriage unit 4 (inkjet head 51) by a carriage drive motor (not shown), and the print target 6 is moved forward (sub-scanning) at a predetermined timing. While printing), printing is performed on the print surface (step S4).

When the printing on the print object 6 is completed, the elevating table 25 is lowered to a height substantially the same as the forward movement of step S2 (step S5), and the tray 5 and the print object (print object) 6 are moved to the discharge stage 9 side. It is moved forward (step S6) to a predetermined position (positioning hole 5 on the rear side).
5 is moved forward to a position where it is aligned with the front positioning shaft 48), the lifting table 25 is lowered to the lowest point,
The tray 5 is set to the ejection position by fitting the positioning hole 55 to the positioning shaft 48 (step S7), and the printed print target 6 is ejected.

Next, the printing operation in the first return mode will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 shows a case where the charging side and the discharging side are the right stage (discharging stage 9). In FIG. 13, from the state where the tray 5 on which the print target 6 is placed is positioned on the discharge stage (second sub table) 9, the elevating table 25 is raised until the tray positioning shaft 48 comes out of the positioning hole 55 ( In step S11), the conveyor belt drive motor 16 is driven (driven in the reverse direction) to move the tray 5 on the endless conveyor belt 14 in the backward direction (feeding direction), pass through the print stage 8, and pass through the first sub. It is moved to the table side (step S12). The height of the lifting table 25 during the backward movement in step S12 is selected at a height position where the print target 6 does not come into contact with the height detection roller 26.

After moving the tray 5 to a predetermined position on the first sub-table 7, the elevating table 25 is raised to bring the print object 6 into contact with the height detection roller 26, and further the ink jet head 51 and the print head. The gap with the object 6 is adjusted to an appropriate gap (step S1
3), the inkjet head 51 is driven based on image information in synchronization with main scanning of the carriage unit 4 (inkjet head 51) by a carriage driving motor (not shown), and the conveyor belt driving motor 16 is driven at a predetermined timing. Printing (printing) is performed while reversing (from reverse rotation to normal rotation) and advancing (sub scanning) the print target 6 (step S14). When the printing on the print target 6 is completed, the elevating table 25 is lowered (step S15), and then the tray 5 and the print target (printed product) 6 are moved forward to the discharge stage 9 side (step S16) to a predetermined position (rear). Side positioning hole 55
Is moved forward to a position where the positioning shaft 48 on the front side is aligned), the elevating table 25 is lowered to the lowest point, and the positioning hole 55 is fitted to the positioning shaft 48 to set the tray 5 to the ejection position (step). S17), the printed print object 6 is discharged.

Next, the printing operation in the second return mode will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 shows a case where the charging side and the discharging side are left stages (charging stage 7). In FIG. 14, the tray positioning shaft 48 is removed from the positioning hole 55, and the lifting table 25 is raised to a height at which the print target 6 can come into contact with the height detection roller 26 (step S21).
6 is driven in the normal direction to move the tray 5 on the conveyor belt 14.
To the print stage 8 side (step S2
2) When it is advanced to a predetermined position (a height detection position where it contacts the height detection roller 26), the elevating table 25 is raised to make the gap between the inkjet head 51 and the print target 6 an appropriate gap suitable for inkjet printing. Adjust (step S23). Next, the inkjet head 51 is driven based on image information in synchronization with the main scanning of the carriage unit 4 (inkjet head 51) by a carriage drive motor (not shown), and the print target 6 is moved forward (sub-scanning) at a predetermined timing. While printing), printing is performed on the print surface (step S24).

When printing on the print object 6 is completed, the elevating table 25 is lowered to a height position where the print object 6 does not come into contact with the height detection roller 26 (step S25), and then the conveyor belt drive motor 1
The drive direction of 6 is reversed (from the normal rotation direction to the reverse rotation direction), and the tray 5 on the endless conveyor belt 14 and the print target (printed material) 6 are retracted to the first sub-table (loading stage) 7 side ( In step S26), the elevating table 25 is lowered to the lowest point when it is retracted to a predetermined position (the position where the front side positioning hole 55 is aligned with the rear side positioning shaft 48), and the positioning hole 55 is fitted into the positioning shaft 48. By doing so, the tray 5 is set to the discharge position (step S2
7) The printed print object 6 is discharged.

The printing operation shown in FIGS. 12 to 14 can be performed by appropriately changing the input side and the output side, and can also be performed by appropriately combining different modes. That is, the inkjet printing apparatus to which the present invention is applied is provided with an input unit that can select from which side of the print object stacking unit 25, the front or rear side of the print object stacking unit 25, is input. An operator controls the printing apparatus based on a signal from the means so that the various printing modes described above can be appropriately performed. In addition, according to the print mode as described above, in particular, by showing the customer that the image ordered by the customer at the street corner print shop is printed on the print target 6 and appears little by little, the customer can wait for the waiting time. There is also a psychological effect of not letting the user feel that the length is long, and it is possible to realize an effective print mode that becomes two birds with one stone together with the space saving effect of the print shop.

In the embodiment described above, the ink jet head 51 mounted so as to be opposed to the print object placing section 25, and the conveying means for moving the print object 6 in the sub-scanning direction through the print object placing section. (Conveyance belt 14 and its drive mechanism), gap adjusting means (elevation drive motor 21 and its transmission mechanism) for adjusting the gap between the print object and the inkjet head to a predetermined value,
An ink jet printing apparatus comprising: a transfer means capable of reversing the sub-scanning movement of the print target by the transporting means, and inserting the print target from either side of the print target stacking unit in the sub-scanning direction. It is configured.

Further, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the print target 6 input from the input side is configured to return to the input side after printing, and in particular, the first print mode in FIG. Then, printing is performed while the print target 6 input from the input side moves forward, and the print target is returned to the input side by reversing the moving direction of the print target after printing. It is configured, and in the second print mode of FIG.
The print target 6 input from the input side is configured to reverse the moving direction after passing through the print unit, perform printing while moving backward, and return the print target to the input side after printing. ing.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the input means capable of selecting from which side of the print object stacking section 25, the front or rear side of the print object stacking section 25, and the operation of various print modes are controlled. A control means for controlling is provided. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the print target 6 is configured to be transported while being attached to the dedicated transport tray 5, and the tray 5 is mounted on the print target mounting portion 25. A positioning mechanism (tray positioning shaft 48 and positioning hole 55) for predetermined positioning is provided. However, depending on the material (hardness etc.) and thickness of the print target 6, the tray 5 may be omitted and the print target may be placed directly on the conveyor belt 14. It belongs to the scope of the invention. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the inkjet head 51 is generated by driving the electrothermal converters 85 arranged corresponding to the respective ejection ports 82 as described above on demand based on image information. There is used a method in which thermal energy is used to generate bubbles in the ink in the ejection port and the pressure change due to the growth and contraction of the bubbles is used to eject the ink.

That is, according to the embodiment described above,
By configuring the drive means (the conveyor belt drive motor 16 and the like) for driving the endless conveyor belt 14 so as to be rotatable in the forward and reverse directions, the print object input stage and the print object discharge stage can be set on the same side. Since it is possible to print in the print mode, that is, the return mode in which the print target 6 after printing returns to the input side, it is possible to use the discharge side as the input side as well. Even a person can print with a few movements, and the space efficiency of the print shop can be significantly improved. The print mode can be selected by freely selecting it from a screen menu or the like of a personal computer type information providing device (not shown), and the selected print mode is transferred to the printing device together with image information to be printed. . Such a selection operation can be easily executed by operating the print mode selection switch provided on the printing apparatus side.

At this time, since the rotatable height detecting roller 26 is rotatably supported by the tip of the height detecting lever 28 of the height detecting unit 53, the print object 6 is moved forward and along the conveying path. When moving in either of the backward direction, the tip of the detection lever 28 is moved to the print target 6
However, the height of the print target 6 can be detected with a small resistance even when the sub-scanning in any direction is performed, and the height of the print target 6 can be detected. Based on this, accurate gap adjustment can be performed, and good high-quality image printing can be performed. Further, since the positioning mechanism for the tray 5 including the positioning shaft 48 projecting from the upper surface of the print stage 8 through the hole passing through the print stage 8 and the positioning hole 55 formed on the lower surface of the tray 5 is provided, the tray on which the print target 6 is placed is placed. 5 can be easily and accurately positioned with respect to the inkjet head 51 in the sub-scanning direction, which also makes it possible to perform high-precision and high-quality image printing.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the print object placing portion (elevating stage) 25 is provided with the first sub-table (print object inserting stage) 7, the main table (print stage) 8 and the second sub-table ( Print object discharge stage) 9 and divided into 3 parts, and can be rotated by hinge shaft 10 and stopper 12 (foldable)
Since it is configured to be flat and flat, the occupied area when not in use can be made significantly smaller (for example, up to about 60%) than when in use, and the storage space of the printing device can be significantly reduced. is there. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the print object 6 can be positioned and held by the positioning mechanisms 48 and 55 on both the input side and the discharge side of the print object placement portion 25. Can be eliminated or reduced with respect to the ejection port surface 81 of the ink jet head 51, and the positional relationship between the ink jet head 51 and the print surface in both the one-way flow print mode and the print mode by the return operation. Can be positioned accurately, good quality print images can be obtained in any print mode, and while selecting the operation mode according to the installation environment,
It is possible to produce an optimal work space for a small street corner shop and improve work efficiency.

Further, the charging stage 7 and the discharging stage 9
Is foldably connected to the print stage 8 by a connecting portion using the hinge shaft 10, and the bearing member 3 made of a low friction material for bearing the hinge shaft 10 is connected to the connecting portion.
1 and the pressurizing member 11 that generates a predetermined resistance torque with respect to the rotation of the connecting portion, an appropriate resistance torque is obtained when the loading stage 7 and the discharge stage 9 are rotated, It is possible to prevent the stage 7 and the discharge stage 9 from suddenly dropping and crashing into the stopper portion 12, and to improve the operability when rotating these stages 7 and 9.

Further, the conveyor belt 14 as a conveyor means.
Is one that is continuously extended in the conveyance direction of the print target 6 on the print target placement unit 25 (in the example of the drawing, left and right 1
Since it is composed of endless conveyor belts (one by one), it is possible to omit the drive force transmission mechanism from the drive source to each conveyor belt, which is necessary when the conveyor belt is divided.
In addition, by eliminating fluctuations in the conveyance speed of the print target 6 at the belt transfer portion that occurs when the conveyance belt is divided, a stable conveyance speed is ensured and good printing with no change in image magnification is performed. You can

Further, the conveyor belt drive motor 16 for driving the endless conveyor belt 14 and the drive transmission means (the reduction gear train 15, etc.) are arranged at the print stage 8 located at the central portion in the conveyance direction of the print object placing portion 25. Since I placed it in
The endless conveyor belt 14 can be made as close to the horizontal state as possible, and the difference in tension between the two conveyor belts 14 (left and right) due to the variation in length between the conveyor belts can be reduced. It is possible to reduce or eliminate the speed difference of the transport belt 14 caused by. As a result, it is possible to reduce the skew amount of the print target 6 and to print a good image with high accuracy. Further, since a tension mechanism (belt tensioner) for contacting the rotatable pressing member (roller member) 44 pressed by the spring force with the slack side of the endless conveyor belt 14 in the direction in which the conveyor belt is stretched is provided. The slack of the left and right conveying belts 14 can be eliminated, and a stable conveying speed can be obtained.

In this way, according to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, when used in a street corner shop or the like, it is possible to effectively use the space of a small shop and easily perform good printing in a minimum working space by one person. Since it can be stored in a compact posture when not in use, the storage space can be reduced and it can be easily transported. In addition, since it can be made compact when not in use, packaging materials etc. at the time of product shipment can be made small and small, and by reducing the cost of packaging materials and mass transportation,
The transportation cost can be kept low, and the use of global resources can be reduced as much as possible to realize an eco-friendly low-priced printing device. For example, when printing at a street corner shop, you can easily and on-demand to meet customer requests. Provided is an inkjet printing apparatus which can easily respond.

In the above-described embodiment, the serial print type printing apparatus for printing while moving the ink jet head 51 in the direction intersecting the conveying direction of the print object 6 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. ,
Drum type serial type printing device that prints while performing main scanning in the rotation direction, or full line type inkjet head that has a length corresponding to the maximum width of the print target, and prints only in sub-scanning. The present invention can be effectively applied to other scanning type printing devices such as a line printing device, and similar effects can be achieved. As the ink jet head in the above line printing apparatus, one that satisfies the width described above by combining a plurality of print heads may be used, or one that satisfies the width described above by a single print head. good.

Further, the present invention can be carried out freely regardless of the structure and number of ink jet heads.
In addition to a printing apparatus that uses one inkjet head, a color printing apparatus that uses a plurality of inkjet heads that use different color inks, or a gradation that uses a plurality of inkjet heads that use inks of the same color but different concentrations The same can be applied to the inkjet printing apparatus for recording and further the inkjet printing apparatus in which these are combined, and the same effect can be achieved.

Further, the present invention uses a replaceable head cartridge in which an ink jet head and an ink tank are integrated, a structure in which the ink jet head and the ink tank are separately provided, and the space between them is connected by an ink supply tube or the like. The invention can be similarly applied to any arrangement of the inkjet head and the ink tank, and the same effect can be obtained. Note that the present invention can be applied to, for example, an inkjet head that uses an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element, but among them, an inkjet head that uses thermal energy to eject ink is used. This is an excellent effect in an inkjet printing apparatus. This is because such a method can achieve high density and high definition of printing.

Further, as the constitution of the ink jet printing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable to add an ejection recovery means of the ink jet head, a preliminary auxiliary means or the like because the effect of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specifically, heating is performed by using capping means, cleaning means, pressurizing means or suction means for the ink jet head, an electrothermal converting element, a heating element other than this, or a combination thereof. Examples include a preheating means for performing the above, a preliminary ejection means for ejecting ink other than the printing, and the like.

[0061]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the invention of the ink jet printing apparatus of claim 1, the ink jet head mounted so as to be opposed to the print object placing section and the print object placing section are provided. A sub-scanning movement of the print target by the transporting means, comprising: a conveying unit for moving the print target in the sub-scanning direction; and a gap adjusting unit for adjusting a gap between the print target and the inkjet head to a predetermined value. Since it is configured to be reversible, and the print target can be loaded from any of the front and rear sides of the print target stacking unit in the sub-scanning direction, the space of a narrow store such as a street corner shop can be effectively utilized,
A single person can easily and reliably perform printing work in a minimum work space. By reducing the required space and making equipment funds inexpensive, eco-friendly printing that minimizes the use of global resources. An inkjet printing apparatus capable of realizing a service industry is provided.

According to the inventions of claims 2 to 4, in addition to the above configuration, a print object input from the input side returns to the input side after printing, and a print target input from the input side. The printing is performed while the object is moving forward, and the printing target is returned to the loading side by reversing the moving direction of the printing target after the printing, or the printing target is loaded from the loading side. Since the print direction is reversed after passing through the print unit and the print object is returned while moving backward, the print target returns to the input side after the print, so that the above effect can be achieved more efficiently. A printing device is provided.

According to the fifth to seventh aspects of the invention, there is further provided a structure having an input means capable of selecting from which side of the print object stacking section the front and rear sides of the print object stacking section are to be loaded. Is configured to be transported while being mounted on a dedicated transport tray, or configured to have a positioning mechanism for positioning the tray with respect to the print target placement portion, so that the above-mentioned effects can be more efficiently achieved. An achievable inkjet printing device is provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a right side portion showing an embodiment of an inkjet printing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the inkjet printing apparatus of FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional side view of a left side portion of the inkjet printing apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of a central portion of the inkjet printing apparatus of FIG.

5 is a cutaway plan view mainly showing a table lifting drive mechanism of the inkjet printing apparatus of FIG.

6 is a connecting portion for connecting the first sub-table and the second sub-table to the main table of the inkjet printing apparatus of FIG. 1 in a foldable manner, and a stopper portion for flattening a print object placement portion. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a tray suitable for carrying a print target and moving it in the sub-scan direction in the inkjet printing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

8 is a schematic perspective view showing a state where a thin plate-shaped printing target object is placed on the tray of FIG. 7. FIG.

9 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a sewn fabric product (print target) such as a T-shirt or a handkerchief is placed on the tray of FIG. 7.

10 is a side view showing a state in which the first sub-table and the second sub-table are rotated and folded onto the main table in the inkjet printing apparatus of FIG.

11 is a schematic partial perspective view showing a partially broken structure of an ink ejection portion of the inkjet head shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a one-way flow print mode in one embodiment of an inkjet printing apparatus to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a print operation in a first return mode in which the input side and the discharge side are the same side, printing is not performed in the input direction, and printing is performed when returning to the input side.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a printing operation in a second return mode in which printing is performed in the loading direction with the loading side and the discharging side being the same side and the printing side returns to the discharging side.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 base plate 2 holding table 3 carriage chassis 4 Carriage unit 5 trays 6 Print target 7 Loading stage (first sub-table) 8 Print stage (main table) 9 Discharge stage (second sub-table) 10 Hinge axis 11 Belleville 12 Stopper 13 pulley 14 Conveyor belt (conveying means) 15 Reduction gear train 16 Conveyor belt drive motor 17 Conveyor roller 18 Transport rollers 19 Transport pressure spring 20 Top sensor lever 21 Photo sensor 22 Elevating / decelerating gear train 23 Timing belt 24 pinion gear 25 Print target placement part (elevation table) 26 Height detection roller 27 rotation axis 28 Height detection lever 29 Height detection flag 30 photo sensor 31 Spacer 32 washers 33 nuts 42 Tension spring 43 Belt tension lever 44 tension roller 45 fixed axis 48 Tray positioning axis (positioning mechanism) 51 inkjet head 52 Photo sensor 53 Height detection unit 54 Floating prevention means 55 Positioning hole (positioning mechanism) 81 Discharge port surface 82 Discharge port 83 Common liquid chamber 84 liquid path 85 Electrothermal converter

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Tadashi Hiramatsu             1248, Shimokagemori, Chichibu-shi, Saitama             N Electronics Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 2C056 EA23 FA03 HA12 HA28 HA29                 2C058 AB09 AC07 AE07 AF03 AF08                       AF09 AF20 AF23 AF29

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An ink jet head mounted so as to be able to face a print object placing section, a conveying means for moving a print object in a sub-scanning direction through the print object placing section, a print object and an ink jet head. And a gap adjusting means for adjusting the gap between the print objects to a predetermined value, the sub-scanning movement of the print object by the conveying means can be reversed, and the print object is moved forward and backward in the sub-scanning direction of the print object stacking unit. An inkjet printing apparatus characterized in that it can be introduced from either side of the. 2. The ink jet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print target that is input from the input side returns to the input side after printing. 3. The printing target is returned from the loading side to the loading side by performing printing while the printing target is fed forward and reversing the moving direction of the printing target after printing. 2. The method according to claim 2, wherein
The inkjet printing apparatus described in 1. 4. The print object input from the input side reverses the moving direction after passing through the print unit, performs printing while moving backward, and returns the print object to the input side after printing. 2. The method according to claim 2, wherein
The inkjet printing apparatus described in 1. 5. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising an input unit capable of selecting from which side of the print target stacking unit, the front or rear side of the print target stacking unit, is input. Inkjet printing device. 6. The print object is conveyed while being attached to a dedicated conveyance tray.
5. The inkjet printing device according to any one of 5 above. 7. The inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a positioning mechanism for positioning the tray with respect to the print target placement section. 8. The ink jet head uses the thermal energy to generate bubbles in the ink, and the bubbles grow.
The ink jet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink is ejected by utilizing a pressure change due to contraction.