JP2005305820A - Inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inkjet recording device which can record an image from the end part of a recording medium with a simple constitution by preventing the shift of the image recorded in each main scanning in the main scanning direction of the record starting position, and can obtain a product high in quality and low in a production cost. <P>SOLUTION: The inkjet recording device comprises a recording head 9 forming an ink ejecting nozzles, a carriage drive mechanism 4 for reciprocatingly moving the recording head 9 in the main scanning direction X, a carrying mechanism 11 for carrying a recording medium 8 in a sub-scanning direction Y orthogonally crossing the main scanning direction X, an end position detecting means for detecting the end position in the main scanning direction X of the recording medium 8, and a control unit 13 for adjusting the record starting position to record an image by the recording head 9 at the next one main scanning. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus, and more particularly to an inkjet recording apparatus that records an image with high accuracy in a main scanning direction.

  In recent years, inkjet recording apparatuses have come to be used more frequently because images can be formed easily and inexpensively compared to methods that require plate making, such as gravure printing methods and flexographic printing methods. Yes.

  Such an ink jet recording apparatus has a recording head formed with nozzles for discharging ink, and reciprocally moves the recording head in the main scanning direction while discharging the ink from the recording head to the recording medium. There is a serial recording type inkjet recording apparatus that records an image by transporting a recording medium in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction.

  In an inkjet recording apparatus of a serial recording method, the recording medium may be conveyed to a recording area where recording is performed by ejecting ink from the recording head in a state where the recording medium is displaced in the main scanning direction. If an image is recorded by scanning the recording head from a certain position in the main scanning direction, the entire image is recorded with a shift in the main scanning direction.

In order to eliminate such inconvenience, conventionally, a mark is detected by a sensor that detects a line feed mark and a digit position mark printed in advance on a recording medium, and a recording start position by a recording head is determined based on the detection result. An apparatus is known (see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-230661

  However, when the recording medium is, for example, a cloth, it is difficult to print a line feed mark or a digit position mark in advance, and there is a problem that it is difficult to apply the recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1. .

  However, if an image is recorded by scanning the recording head from a certain position in the main scanning direction, especially when the recording medium is a long fabric, the recording medium is meandered and conveyed in the main scanning direction. Therefore, the recording start position of the image recorded for each main scan is shifted in the main scan direction of the recording medium, and the quality is significantly deteriorated.

  In addition, in order to record an image in a recording medium, it is necessary to take extra margins at both ends in the main scanning direction of the recording medium, and there is a problem that an image cannot be recorded from the leading end of the recording medium. It was. In this case, the extra blank portion is cut and discarded after the image recording is completed, which causes a problem that the manufacturing cost increases.

  Therefore, the present invention can prevent a shift in the main scanning direction of the recording start position of an image recorded for each main scan with a simple configuration, and can record an image from the end of the recording medium. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of obtaining a product with low quality and low manufacturing cost.

  In order to solve the above problems, an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a recording head formed with nozzles for ejecting ink, a moving mechanism for reciprocating the recording head in the main scanning direction, and a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction. Based on the detection result by the end detection means, the end position detection means for detecting the end position of the recording medium in the main scanning direction, the transport mechanism for transporting the recording medium in the sub scanning direction And a recording position adjusting means for adjusting a recording start position for recording an image by the recording head in one main scan.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the image recording start position is adjusted for each main scan in accordance with the end position of the recording medium in the main scan direction. Is prevented from shifting in the main scanning direction.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first aspect, the recording medium is a fabric.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, even when the recording medium is a fabric, the image recording start position is adjusted for each main scanning according to the end position in the main scanning direction. A shift in the main scanning direction of the recording start position of an image recorded for each scan is prevented.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, with a simple configuration, it is possible to prevent the recording start position of the image recorded for each main scanning from being shifted in the main scanning direction, and to obtain a high quality product. it can. In addition, since there is no need to provide extra margins, manufacturing costs can be reduced. Furthermore, an image can be recorded from the end of the recording medium.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if the fabric as the recording medium is meandered and conveyed to the recording area where ink is ejected from the recording head, recording is performed for each main scanning. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the shift of the recording start position of the image in the main scanning direction and to obtain a high-quality product. In addition, since there is no need to provide extra margins, manufacturing costs can be reduced. Furthermore, an image can be recorded from the end of the recording medium.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

  FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, which is a serial head type ink jet recording apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 has a rod-shaped guide rail 2, and a carriage 3 is supported on the guide rail 2. The carriage 3 reciprocates along the guide rail 2 in the main scanning direction X by a carriage drive mechanism 4 (see FIG. 2).

  Further, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is provided with a scale portion 6 that constitutes an encoder 5 for detecting the moving position and moving speed of the carriage 3 along the guide rail 2. A sensor unit 7 of the encoder 5 that reads a mark provided on the scale unit 6 is provided on the rear surface of the carriage 3.

  The carriage 3 includes, for example, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), black (K) light yellow (LY), light magenta (LM), light cyan (LC), and light black (LK). A recording head 9 provided with a nozzle (not shown) for ejecting the ink to the recording medium 8 is mounted.

  The recording head 9 reciprocates in the main scanning direction X when the carriage driving mechanism 4 operates and the carriage 3 moves. The carriage driving mechanism 4 has a moving mechanism that moves the recording head 9. Constitute.

  As the recording medium 8, a long cloth or the like is preferably used.

  The central part of the movable range of the carriage 3 is a recording area for recording on the recording medium 8, and a platen 10 for horizontally supporting the recording medium 8 from the non-recording surface is provided in this recording area. .

  Further, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is provided with a transport mechanism 11 (see FIG. 2) for feeding the recording medium 8 in the sub-scanning direction Y orthogonal to the main scanning direction X. The conveyance mechanism 11 intermittently conveys the recording medium 8 by repeating conveyance and stopping of the recording medium 8 in accordance with the operation of the carriage 3 during image recording.

  An upstream end of the carriage 3 in the sub-scanning direction is provided with an end detection sensor 12 that detects the end of the recording medium 8 in the main scanning direction X. The end detection sensor 12 is configured by arranging a light emitting element and a light receiving element on the same surface, detects light emitted from the light emitting element and reflected by the recording medium 8 or the platen 10 by the light receiving element, and reflects the reflected light. The end of the recording medium 8 is detected by the difference in intensity.

  FIG. 2 shows a control device for controlling the ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The control device includes, for example, a CPU, a RAM, and a ROM (all not shown), and records in the ROM. A control unit 13 is provided for developing the processed program in the RAM and executing the processed program by the CPU.

  The control unit 13 controls the operation of each member based on the status of the carriage drive mechanism 4, the encoder 5, the end detection sensor 12, the transport mechanism 11, the recording head 9, and the like according to the processing program described above. It comes to control.

  In particular, in the inkjet recording apparatus 1, the control unit 13, the encoder 5 and the end detection sensor 12 constitute end position detection means for detecting the front end position of the recording medium 8 in the main scanning direction X. That is, when the end detection sensor 12 detects the leading end on the upstream side in the forward direction A of the recording medium 8, the control unit 13 causes the encoder 5 to detect the position of the carriage 3 at that time, and the detected carriage The position of the leading end of the recording medium 8 is detected from the position 3.

  Then, the control unit 13 serves as a recording position adjusting unit, and in the next main scanning, the carriage driving mechanism 4 and the recording head so that the recording head 9 starts recording an image from the detected leading end position of the recording medium 8. 9 is controlled.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  When recording an image, the controller 13 operates the carriage drive mechanism 4 to move the carriage in the forward direction A, the end detection sensor 12 detects the leading end of the recording medium 8, and the encoder. 5, the position of the carriage 3 at that time is detected. Then, the front end position of the recording medium 8 is detected from the position of the carriage 3 when the front end of the recording medium 8 is detected by the control unit 13.

  Then, the carriage drive mechanism 4 is operated by the control unit 13, and the carriage 3 moves in the backward direction B so that the recording start position of the image by the recording head 9 becomes the detected leading end position of the recording medium 8. . At the same time, the transport mechanism 11 is operated by the control unit 13 and the recording medium 8 is transported in the sub-scanning direction Y.

  Then, the carriage drive mechanism 4 is operated by the control unit 13 and the carriage 3 is moved in the forward direction A, while ink is ejected from the recording head 9 based on predetermined image data, and the ejected ink is recorded on the recording medium. 8 is landed and an image for one main scanning is recorded.

  At this time, the end portion of the recording medium 8 is detected by the end detection sensor 12, and the position of the carriage 3 at that time is detected by the encoder 5, and the carriage when the front end portion of the recording medium 8 is detected is detected. 3, the leading end position of the recording medium 8 is detected.

  Then, the control unit 13 moves the carriage 3 in the backward direction B and transports the recording medium 8 in the sub-scanning direction Y so that the recording start position of the image becomes the detected leading end position of the recording medium 8. The

  Then, the carriage drive mechanism 4 is operated by the control unit 13 and the carriage 3 is moved in the forward direction A, while ink is ejected from the recording head 9 based on predetermined image data, and the ejected ink is recorded on the recording medium. 8 is landed and an image for the next main scanning is recorded.

  Here, since the end detection sensor 12 is provided on the upstream side of the carriage 3 in the sub-scanning direction Y, the tip position of the recording medium 8 to be detected is the current recording for one main scanning. This is the leading end position in the area where the recording medium 8 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction Y and an image is recorded in the next main scanning.

  As a result, the image for one main scan is recorded, and at the same time, the leading end position in the area where the next recording is performed on the recording medium 8 is detected. An image is recorded from the tip position detected during scanning.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, even if the fabric that is the recording medium 8 is meanderingly conveyed to the recording area where ink is ejected from the recording head 9 and recording is performed, recording is performed for each main scan. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the recording start position of the image to be recorded from being shifted in the main scanning direction X, and a high-quality product can be obtained. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a margin, an image can be recorded from the end of the recording medium 8, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the image recording is started from the leading end of the recording medium 8. However, the recording may be started from a position where a certain margin is provided from the leading end of the recording medium 8. . Even in such a case, the recording start position of the recording medium 8 in the main scanning direction X due to the meandering of the recording medium 8 is prevented, a good image can be obtained, and an extra margin needs to be provided. There is no cost reduction.

  In the present embodiment, the leading end portion of the recording medium 8 is detected to detect the leading end position of the recording medium 8. However, the trailing end portion of the recording medium 8 is detected to detect the moving distance of the carriage 3 and the like. The tip position of the recording medium 8 may be detected from the width of the recording medium 8. Further, both end positions of the recording medium 8 are detected, and the both end positions of the recording medium 8 are detected from the moving distance of the carriage 3 and the width of the recording medium 8, respectively, and an image is recorded in both reciprocating directions. Good.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the end position detection means is configured by the end detection sensor 12, the encoder 5, and the control unit 13. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the sub-scanning direction of the platen 10 A plurality of light emitting elements and light receiving elements that are opposed to each other across the recording medium 8 and extend in the main scanning direction X on the upstream side in Y. Depending on the position where the light emitted from the light emitting elements is received by the light receiving element, The end position of the recording medium 8 may be detected.

It is a figure which shows the structure of one Embodiment of the inkjet recording device to which the ink landing position adjustment method by this invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the inkjet recording device by this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet recording device 4 Carriage drive mechanism 5 Encoder 8 Recording medium 9 Recording head 11 Conveyance mechanism 12 End part detection sensor 13 Control part

Claims (2)

A recording head formed with nozzles for ejecting ink;
A moving mechanism for reciprocating the recording head in the main scanning direction;
A transport mechanism for transporting the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction;
End position detection means for detecting the end position of the recording medium in the main scanning direction;
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a recording position adjusting unit that adjusts a recording start position at which an image is recorded by the recording head in the next main scanning based on a detection result by the end detection unit.   The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a fabric.

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