JP2004338175A - Ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink jet recorder in which the temperature of a recording medium can be kept constant even if the suction air volume is varied at a platen and, as a result, ink is fixed well to the recording medium thus forming a good image. <P>SOLUTION: The ink jet recorder 1 for forming an image by ejecting ink from recording heads 5, 6, 7 and 8 to a recording medium 99 held on a platen 2 comprises a means 13 for sucking the recording medium at the platen with a specified air volume based on the type of the recording medium, a means 14 for detecting the temperature of the recording medium under suction through the sucking means, a means 15 for heating the recording medium, and a means 50 for controlling the heating means based on the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus, and more particularly to an inkjet recording apparatus that forms an image by ejecting ink from a recording head onto a recording medium held on a platen.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In general, an ink jet recording apparatus is used as an image forming apparatus in many cases because it has relatively low noise at the time of printing, has good printing quality, and can print on various recording media.
[0003]
In the inkjet recording apparatus, there is a configuration in which, when an image is formed by ejecting ink from a recording head, the recording medium is held on the platen by suctioning from a rear side of a platen having a large number of small holes. (For example, see Patent Document 1).
As described above, if the recording medium is ejected while sucking the recording medium from the rear side of the platen and holding the recording medium on the platen, the recording medium during image formation can be in a floating state, so that the ink landing A good image can be formed without displacement.
[0004]
However, in a configuration in which the recording medium is held by suctioning the recording medium from the back side of the platen, dents may occur in the recording medium depending on the relationship between the type of the recording medium and the amount of suction air when suctioning. As a result, the landing error of the ink may be increased, and the quality in image formation may be degraded.
For this reason, it is conceivable to perform suction according to the type of the recording medium by changing the amount of suction air at the time of suction on the platen based on the type of the recording medium, for example, the thickness and rigidity of the recording medium.
[0005]
On the other hand, if the temperature of the recording medium when the ink ejected from the recording head lands on the recording medium is too low, the ink may not be fixed well. Therefore, conventionally, a heating means is provided on the platen, and the heating means heats the recording medium at a predetermined temperature by heating the recording medium at a predetermined temperature so that the ink ejected from the recording head is fixed to the recording medium satisfactorily. What has been proposed.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent No. 2559752 [0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, as described above, if the amount of suction air at the platen is changed, there is a high possibility that the temperature of the recording medium at the platen changes. For example, in the case of a thick recording medium, it is necessary to increase the amount of suction air in order to hold the recording medium on the platen. If the amount of suction air increases, the temperature of the recording medium on the platen decreases. However, the heating means provided on the conventional platen only heats the recording medium with a fixed heating amount, so that the temperature of the recording medium remains low, thereby preventing the ink from being fixed. Therefore, there arises a problem that a good image cannot be formed.
[0008]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printer that can maintain a constant temperature of a recording medium even when a suction air volume changes in a platen, and as a result, ink can be favorably fixed to the recording medium and a good image can be formed. It is an object to provide a recording device.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention according to claim 1 is
An inkjet recording apparatus that forms an image by ejecting ink from a recording head onto a recording medium held on a platen,
Suction means for sucking the recording medium at a predetermined airflow based on the type of the recording medium in the platen,
Temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the recording medium being suctioned by the suction means,
Heating means for heating the recording medium;
Control means for controlling the heating means based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection means,
It is characterized by having.
[0010]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, even if the suction air amount of the platen suction means changes based on the type of the recording medium, the recording medium can be heated according to the change in the suction air amount. The ink can be satisfactorily fixed to the recording medium, and a good image can be formed.
[0011]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the inkjet recording apparatus according to the first aspect,
The control means controls the heating means in accordance with the temperature of the recording medium being suctioned with the suction air flow rate determined based on the rigidity of the recording medium.
[0012]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the control unit controls the heating unit in accordance with the temperature of the recording medium being suctioned with the suction air flow rate determined based on the rigidity of the recording medium, and thus holds the recording medium. In addition to being able to reduce the dent amount of the recording medium with high accuracy, the ink can be satisfactorily fixed on various recording media, and a good image can be formed.
[0013]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the inkjet recording apparatus according to the first or second aspect,
The control means controls the heating means in accordance with the temperature of the recording medium being suctioned with the suction air flow rate determined based on the thickness of the recording medium.
[0014]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the control unit controls the heating unit in accordance with the temperature of the recording medium being suctioned at the suction air flow rate determined based on the thickness of the recording medium. In addition, the dent amount of the recording medium can be reduced with high accuracy, and the ink can be satisfactorily fixed on various recording media, so that a good image can be formed.
[0015]
The invention according to claim 4 is the inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The ink is a photo-curable ink.
[0016]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, even if a photocurable ink that is easily affected by the temperature of the recording medium is used, the ink can be satisfactorily fixed to various recording media, and a good image can be obtained. Can be formed.
[0017]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the illustrated example.
[0018]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus 1, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic control configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a platen in the inkjet recording apparatus 1.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 1, the ink jet recording apparatus 1 is a serial type ink jet recording apparatus, and has a flat platen 2 that supports a non-recording surface opposite to a recording surface of a recording medium 99. Transport rollers 3a and 3b are provided before and after, respectively. The transport rollers 3a and 3b rotate in a predetermined direction around the axis before and after the platen 2, respectively, and the recording medium 99 is transported in the transport direction A with the rotation of the transport rollers 3a and 3b. It has become so.
[0020]
Above the platen 2, an image recording unit 4 for recording an image on the recording surface of the recording medium 99 is provided. The image recording unit 4 has a guide member 12 extending in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction A (hereinafter, referred to as “scanning direction B”), and the guide member 12 supports a carriage 11. The carriage 11 is reciprocally movable in the scanning direction B while being guided by the guide member 12.
[0021]
The carriage 11 has four recording heads 5, 6 for ejecting process color inks of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toward the recording surface of the recording medium 99. , 7, 8 are mounted, and the four recording heads 5, 6, 7, 8 can be simultaneously moved by the reciprocating movement of the carriage 11. A plurality of nozzles (not shown) for ejecting ink as liquid droplets are provided below the recording heads 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively. Nozzles are arranged along the transport direction A of the recording medium 99 for every 8 to form a nozzle surface (not shown).
[0022]
Further, two ultraviolet irradiators 9 and 10 as light irradiating means are mounted on both right and left sides of the carriage 11, respectively, and the ultraviolet irradiators 9 and 10 are also mounted on the carriage similarly to the recording heads 5, 6, 7, and 8. 11 can be moved by reciprocating movement. Each of the ultraviolet irradiation devices 9 and 10 is provided with an ultraviolet light source 9a and 10a (shown in FIG. 2), respectively. The ultraviolet irradiation devices 9 and 10 are turned on by the ultraviolet light sources 9a and 10a, respectively. UV light can be directed toward the recording surface of each. As the ultraviolet light source, a high-pressure mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp, a black light, a cold cathode tube, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), or the like is applied.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 3, the platen 2 has a plurality of small holes 2a. Further, on the rear side, a suction fan 13 is provided as suction means for sucking the recording medium 99 with a predetermined airflow based on the type of the recording medium 99. By operating the suction fan 13 at a predetermined air volume, the recording medium 99 is sucked from the small hole 2a and held.
Further, the platen 2 is provided with a heater 15 as heating means for heating the recording medium 99 by heating the platen 2 to increase the temperature. In the present embodiment, the heater 15 is provided in a mesh shape so as to cover between the small holes 2 a provided in the platen 2.
Further, the platen 2 is provided with a temperature sensor 14 as temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the platen 2 and estimating the temperature of the recording medium 99 based on the detected temperature. In the present embodiment, the temperature sensor 14 is provided at an end of the platen 2.
[0024]
Next, control means in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic control configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus 1.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 2, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is provided with control means 50 for controlling each drive unit. The control means 50 includes a drive source 3 of the transport device, recording heads 5, 6, 7, and 8, ultraviolet light sources 9a and 10a of ultraviolet irradiation devices 9 and 10, a carriage drive source 11a of the carriage 11, and a suction fan as suction means. 13, a temperature sensor 14 as a temperature detecting means, a heater 15 as a heating means, and a storage means 51 for storing information necessary for the operation of the ink jet recording apparatus including information on a suction air volume of the suction fan 13 based on a type of the recording medium 99. The input means 52 for inputting an instruction at the time of image formation, such as the type of the recording medium 99, is electrically connected. In addition, other than these, each drive unit of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is connected to the control unit 50.
[0026]
With such a configuration, the control unit 50 controls various devices in accordance with a control program and control data written in the storage unit 51 based on an instruction from the input unit 52.
[0027]
In particular, the control unit 50 determines the suction air volume of the suction fan 13 according to the type of the recording medium 99 input by the input unit 52, for example, the rigidity and the thickness, and controls the temperature sensor 14 during suction by the suction fan. , The temperature of the recording medium 99 is received as information, and in response to this, control is performed to issue an instruction to turn on, off, or weaken the heater 15 so that the temperature of the recording medium becomes a predetermined temperature. ing.
For example, in the case of a thick recording medium 99, it is necessary to increase the amount of suction air from the suction fan 13 in order to hold the recording medium 99 on the platen 2. If the amount of suction air increases, the temperature of the recording medium 99 on the platen 2 decreases. . Therefore, the temperature of the recording medium 99 being suctioned is estimated from the temperature of the platen by the temperature sensor 14, and the heater 15 is turned on in accordance with the degree of the decrease in the temperature.
[0028]
The suction air volume of the suction fan 13 may be controlled such that the dent amount of the recording surface of the recording medium 99 is 100 μm or less when the inkjet recording apparatus 1 has a printing resolution of 720 dpi or 360 dpi.
The suction air volume of the suction fan 13 according to the present embodiment is obtained by presetting the air volume according to the type of the recording medium registered in advance and storing the air volume in the storage unit 51, but is not limited thereto. Instead, the configuration may be such that the rigidity, thickness, etc. of the recording medium are measured by a sensor or the like, and the air volume is determined accordingly.
[0029]
Next, “ink” used in the present embodiment will be described.
As the ink used in the present embodiment, in particular, the “photo-curing technology (selection of resin / initiator and measurement / evaluation of blending conditions and curing degree- (Technical Society information)”) described in “Photo-curing System (No. Ink applicable to “Curing system using photoacid / base generator (Chapter 4)”, “Photoinduced alternating copolymerization (Chapter 2)”, etc. It may be cured by radical polymerization.
[0030]
Specifically, the ink used in the present embodiment is a photocurable ink having a property of being cured by being irradiated with ultraviolet rays as light, that is, an ultraviolet curable ink. ), A photoinitiator, and a coloring material. However, when the ink used in the present embodiment is an ink conforming to the “light-induced alternating copolymerization (Second Section)”, the photoinitiator may be omitted.
[0031]
The photocurable ink is roughly classified into a radical polymerizable ink containing a radical polymerizable compound and a cationic polymerizable ink containing a cationic polymerizable compound as a polymerizable compound. Each of the inks can be applied as an ink used in the embodiment, and a hybrid ink in which a radical polymerization ink and a cation polymerization ink are combined may be applied as the ink used in the present embodiment. In this embodiment, a cationic polymerization ink is used.
[0032]
Next, the “recording medium 99” used in the present embodiment will be described.
The recording medium 99 used in the present embodiment includes various types of paper such as plain paper, recycled paper, glossy paper, coated paper, and YUPO, various fabrics, various nonwoven fabrics, resins, metals, A recording medium made of a material such as glass is applicable. As a form of the recording medium 99, a roll shape, a cut sheet shape, a plate shape, or the like can be applied. In the present embodiment, a long resin film wound in a roll shape is used as the recording medium 99.
[0033]
In particular, as a recording medium used in the present embodiment, a transparent or opaque non-absorbable resin film used for so-called soft packaging can be applied. Specific types of resin for the resin film include polyethylene terephthalate, polyester, polyolefin, polyamide, polyesteramide, polyether, polyimide, polyamideimide, polystyrene, polycarbonate, poly-ρ-phenylene sulfide, polyetherester, and polyvinyl chloride. , Poly (meth) acrylate, polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon and the like are applicable, and furthermore, copolymers of these resins, mixtures of these resins, and those obtained by crosslinking these resins are also applicable. In particular, the choice of stretched polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polypropylene, or nylon as the resin type of the resin film is important in terms of transparency, dimensional stability, rigidity, environmental load, cost, etc. of the resin film. It is preferable to use a resin film having a thickness of 2 to 100 μm (preferably 6 to 50 μm). Further, the surface of the resin film support may be subjected to a surface treatment such as a corona discharge treatment and an easy adhesion treatment.
[0034]
Further, as the recording medium used in the present embodiment, known opaque recording media such as various kinds of paper coated on the surface with a resin, a film containing a pigment, and a foamed film can be applied.
[0035]
Next, the operation of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.
First, when the type of the recording medium 99 in the ink jet recording apparatus 1 is input from the input unit 52, the control unit 50 extracts the suction air volume information of the suction fan 13 corresponding to the recording medium 99 from the storage unit 51, and 13 is instructed to perform suction with the suction air volume. Further, the temperature of the platen 2 is detected by the temperature sensor 14 and the temperature of the recording medium 99 is estimated. Then, based on the temperature, the heater 15 is operated to heat the recording medium 99 so that the recording medium 99 has a predetermined temperature.
[0036]
Then, after the temperature of the recording medium reaches each predetermined temperature, the image forming operation in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is performed.
During the image forming operation of the inkjet recording apparatus 1, on the other hand, the respective transport rollers 3 a and 3 b operate and rotate, and the recording medium 99 moves from the rear to the front with the non-recording surface supported by the platen 2. It is transported along the transport direction A. On the other hand, the carriage 11 operates to reciprocate just above the recording medium 99 along the scanning direction B, and the four recording heads 5, 6, 7, 8 and the two ultraviolet irradiation devices 9 mounted on the carriage 11 , 10 are also moved by the reciprocating movement of the carriage 11.
[0037]
While the carriage 11 is moving, the four recording heads 5, 6, 7, and 8 eject ink from each nozzle toward the recording surface of the recording medium 99, and the two ultraviolet irradiation devices 9 and 10 operate the recording medium 99. The recording surface is irradiated with ultraviolet light. In particular, while the carriage 11 is moving from left to right in FIG. 1, the ultraviolet light source 9a of the ultraviolet irradiation device 9 on the left is turned on, and the carriage 11 moves from right to left in FIG. During this operation, the ultraviolet light source 10a of the ultraviolet irradiation device 10 is turned on. That is, the ultraviolet light source 9a of the ultraviolet irradiation device 9 or the ultraviolet light source 10a of the ultraviolet irradiation device 10 on the downstream side of the recording heads 5, 6, 7, and 8 in the moving direction of the carriage 11 is turned on to emit ultraviolet light. As a result, the ink ejected from each of the recording heads 5, 6, 7, and 8 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays immediately after landing on the recording medium 99, is immediately cured, and is fixed on the recording surface of the recording medium 99.
[0038]
Thereafter, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 repeats each of the above operations, and a desired image composed of a plurality of dots of each process color is sequentially recorded on the recording surface of the recording medium 99. Thereafter, the recording medium 99 is transported by the transport device and is discharged to a discharge tray (not shown).
[0039]
As described above, according to the inkjet recording apparatus of the present embodiment, even when the suction air volume of the platen suction fan changes based on the type of the recording medium, the recording medium is heated according to the change in the suction air volume. Therefore, the ink can be satisfactorily fixed to various recording media, and a good image can be formed.
[0040]
Further, in the present embodiment, the control unit controls the heater in accordance with the temperature of the recording medium being suctioned with the suction air flow rate determined based on the rigidity of the recording medium. In addition to being able to reduce the dent amount of the recording medium, the ink can be satisfactorily fixed to various recording media, and a good image can be formed.
[0041]
Further, in the present embodiment, the control means controls the heater in accordance with the temperature of the recording medium being suctioned with the suction air flow rate determined based on the thickness of the recording medium, so that the recording medium is held and the precision is maintained. In addition to being able to reduce the dent amount of the recording medium well, the ink can be satisfactorily fixed on various recording media, and a good image can be formed.
[0042]
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, even if a photocurable ink that is easily affected by the temperature of the recording medium is used, the ink can be fixed satisfactorily to various recording media, and a good image is formed. be able to.
[0043]
Although the present embodiment has been described using a serial-type inkjet recording apparatus, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to, for example, a line-type inkjet recording apparatus.
[0044]
Further, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and design changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
[0045]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, even if the suction air amount of the platen suction means changes based on the type of the recording medium, the recording medium can be heated according to the change in the suction air amount. The ink can be satisfactorily fixed to the recording medium, and a good image can be formed.
[0046]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the control unit controls the heating unit in accordance with the temperature of the recording medium being suctioned with the suction air flow rate determined based on the rigidity of the recording medium, and thus holds the recording medium. In addition to being able to reduce the dent amount of the recording medium with high accuracy, the ink can be satisfactorily fixed on various recording media, and a good image can be formed.
[0047]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the control unit controls the heating unit in accordance with the temperature of the recording medium being suctioned at the suction air flow rate determined based on the thickness of the recording medium. In addition, the dent amount of the recording medium can be reduced with high accuracy, and the ink can be satisfactorily fixed on various recording media, so that a good image can be formed.
[0048]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, even if a photocurable ink that is easily affected by the temperature of the recording medium is used, the ink can be satisfactorily fixed to various recording media, and a good image can be obtained. Can be formed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic control configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a platen in the inkjet recording apparatus of FIG. 1;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink jet recording apparatus 2 Platen 2a Small hole 3 Driving source 3a, 3b of conveyance apparatus 4 Conveyance roller 4 Image recording units 5, 6, 7, 8 Recording head 9, 10 Ultraviolet irradiation apparatus (light irradiation means)
9a, 10a Ultraviolet light source 11 Carriage 11a Carriage drive source 12 Guide member 13 Suction fan (suction means)
14. Temperature sensor (temperature detection means)
15 heater (heating means)
50 control means 51 storage means 52 input means 99 recording medium A transport direction B scanning direction

Claims (4)

An ink jet recording apparatus that forms an image by ejecting ink from a recording head to a recording medium held on a platen,
Suction means for sucking the recording medium at a predetermined airflow based on the type of the recording medium in the platen,
Temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the recording medium being suctioned by the suction means,
Heating means for heating the recording medium;
Control means for controlling the heating means based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection means,
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1,
The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the heating unit in accordance with the temperature of the recording medium being suctioned at a suction air flow rate determined based on the rigidity of the recording medium. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the heating unit in accordance with the temperature of the recording medium being suctioned with the suction air flow rate determined based on the thickness of the recording medium. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the ink is a photocurable ink.

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