JP2006192779A - Recording medium handling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording medium handling apparatus which can correctly monitor a temperature of a recording medium and can carry out a more appropriate heat treatment to the recording medium in the recording medium handling apparatus equipped with both a heater which subjects the sheet-shaped recording medium printed thereon with an image to the heat treatment in a non-contact state, and a temperature monitoring means set adjacent to the recording medium for monitoring the temperature of the recording medium during heating by the heater. <P>SOLUTION: The temperature monitoring means G1 is equipped with a heat sensitive element 17a and a supporting member 16 which supports the heat sensitive element at a predetermined position. The supporting member 16 has a plate-like heat receiving part 16a with the heat sensitive element 17a attached, and a mounting part 16b for fixing the supporting member 16 in the recording medium handling apparatus. A heat blocking part 16c which regulates heat transfer between the heat receiving part 16a and the mounting part 16b is formed between both parts. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a heater that heat-treats a sheet-like recording medium on which an image is printed in a non-contact state, and a temperature monitoring unit that is disposed adjacent to the recording medium in order to monitor the temperature of the recording medium being heated by the heater. And a recording medium processing apparatus.

  As this type of recording medium processing apparatus, there is one described in Patent Document 1 shown below as prior art document information related to the present invention. In the recording medium processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a sheet-like recording medium printed with sublimation ink is conveyed through a heating unit surrounded by a case member, so that the components of the sublimation ink are heated. And is fixed to a predetermined layer in the recording medium. An infrared heater is disposed opposite the recording medium in the heating unit, and a temperature sensor for monitoring the temperature of the recording medium is disposed adjacent to the recording medium.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-237053 (paragraph number 0024, FIG. 2)

  By the way, in the recording medium processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, it is not described how to fix the temperature sensor as the temperature monitoring means. In addition to the radiant heat radiated from the heater, the heat held by the structural member such as the case member is transmitted to the temperature sensor via the support structure, so that the temperature of the recording medium is controlled. As a result, the recording medium could not be monitored accurately, and as a result, the recording medium could not be properly heat-treated.

  Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to accurately monitor the temperature of the recording medium in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the recording medium processing apparatus according to the prior art exemplified above, and to apply a more appropriate heat treatment to the recording medium. An object of the present invention is to provide a possible recording medium processing apparatus.

A first characteristic configuration of the present invention includes a heater that heats a sheet-like recording medium on which an image is printed in a non-contact state, and the recording medium that monitors the temperature of the recording medium that is being heated by the heater. A recording medium processing apparatus comprising temperature monitoring means disposed adjacent to the recording medium processing apparatus,
The temperature monitoring means includes a thermal element and a support member that supports the thermal element at a predetermined position,
The support member includes a plate-shaped heat receiving portion to which the thermosensitive element is attached, and an attachment portion for fixing the support member in the recording medium processing apparatus, and the attachment portion is provided around the heat receiving portion. The heat blocking part which regulates the heat transfer with is formed.

  Therefore, in the recording medium processing apparatus according to the first characteristic configuration of the present invention, the plate-shaped heat receiving portion to which the heat-sensitive element is attached is formed of a good heat conductor such as metal, and the area of the heat receiving portion is appropriately set, so that the heater It is possible to improve the heat receiving sensitivity of the heat sensitive element with respect to the heat radiated from the heat sensor, and to expand the range in which the temperature monitor can pick up the temperature from the small area of the heat sensitive element to the area of the heat receiving part. Further, by making the heat receiving portion into a plate shape, for example, the response to the temperature change of the temperature monitoring means becomes better than in the block shape. In addition, since a heat-blocking portion that restricts heat transfer with the mounting portion is formed around the heat-receiving portion, it can be removed from any fixing structure (such as a frame structure in the device) of the recording medium processing apparatus to which the support member is attached. It is possible to suppress heat from being transmitted to the thermosensitive element via the attachment portion, or to diffuse the heat received by the heat receiving portion to the attachment portion, thereby enabling more accurate temperature monitoring. The mounting position where the temperature can be accurately monitored is, for example, a position adjacent to the area in which the maximum width recording medium is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction, and the plate-shaped heat receiving unit conveys the sheet-shaped recording medium. If the position is within a plane parallel to the plane, the heat receiving condition received by the heat receiving portion from the heater becomes equal to that of the recording medium, which is convenient because the temperature monitoring means can monitor the temperature of the recording medium satisfactorily. In addition, the heat shielding part may be configured by a space in which air exists, or may be configured by a heat insulating member.

  According to a second characteristic configuration of the present invention, the support member is a single plate-like support integrally including a heat receiving portion, the attachment portion, and a connecting portion that connects the heat reception portion to the attachment portion. The heat blocking space is formed of a plate and includes a slit for separating the heat receiving portion from the mounting portion on the support plate.

  Therefore, in the recording medium processing apparatus according to the second characteristic configuration of the present invention, a part of a single plate-like member made of a good heat conductor such as a metal plate is used as an attachment portion in which a through hole for an attachment screw can be arranged. Since it is only necessary to form a slit that thermally shields the part secured as the heat receiving part from the mounting part, the temperature monitoring means can be configured with a very small number of parts and at a low production cost. Therefore, a temperature monitoring means that is compact and has sufficient mechanical strength can be obtained. In addition, by forming a slit that functions as a heat blocking space, it is possible to configure an effective heat blocking portion without using a special material.

  A third characteristic configuration of the present invention is provided with a transport mechanism for transporting the recording medium in the sub-scanning direction, wherein the heater is a bar heater extending in a direction crossing the sub-scanning direction, and the heat receiving portion is It is in the point which exhibits the strip | belt shape extended along the conveyance direction of the said recording medium.

  Therefore, in the recording medium processing apparatus according to the third characteristic configuration of the present invention, the recording medium is transported in the sub-scanning direction by the transport mechanism while the rod heater is continuously driven, so that the recording medium having an arbitrary length is transported over the entire surface. The heat treatment can be performed under a certain uniform heating condition. In addition, since the heat receiving portion has a strip shape extending in the conveyance direction of the recording medium, the mounting angle of the bar heater is slightly deviated depending on the mounting accuracy and the thermal element is the thermal center line of the bar heater. Even if the recording medium is displaced along the sub-scanning direction, the peak temperature in the temperature distribution obtained by the rod heater can be accurately monitored. As a result, the dimensional accuracy required at the time of mounting the rod-shaped heater is relatively low, so that the recording medium processing apparatus can be easily manufactured.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments using the drawings.

A recording medium processing apparatus as one embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
(Overall configuration of recording medium processing apparatus)
The recording medium processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a printer P that forms an image on a sheet-like recording medium M with ink containing a sublimable dye, and the recording medium M discharged from the printer P by heating the dye. It comprises a heat fixing unit F for fixing.

(Configuration of recording medium)
The recording medium M includes a sheet-like base material having a predetermined rigidity, and an ink receiving layer that is adhered and adhered to the upper surface of the base material via an adhesive layer or the like. A base material consists of a base sheet formed with synthetic resin materials, such as PET, and a highly weather-resistant protective layer integrally provided on the upper surface of the base sheet. The protective layer is made of, for example, a fluororesin. The protective layer has a low affinity with the water-based ink used for image formation by the printer P, but the ink receiving layer has a sufficiently high affinity with the water-based ink.
As will be described later, the recording medium M prints an image on the ink receiving layer with a water-based ink containing a sublimable dye by the printer P, and heat-treats the heat-fixing unit after printing to record the sublimable dye. It is designed on the assumption that it is sublimated inside M and fixed.

(Fixing of sublimation dyes)
In the printer P, water-based ink containing a sublimable dye is placed near the surface of the ink receiving layer of the recording medium M at room temperature. When the recording medium M discharged from the printer P is heated by the heat fixing unit F under an appropriate heating condition (about 180 ° C.), the sublimable dye sublimates from the ink located near the surface of the receiving layer, and the receiving layer It moves to the inside, passes through the protective layer, reaches the interface between the base sheet and the protective layer, or the inside near the surface of the base sheet, and is fixed therein. When the fixing is completed, the ink receiving layer can be easily peeled off from the substrate in a sheet form at an arbitrary time. In the state where the ink receiving layer is peeled off, the dye fixed in the base material of the recording medium M is protected from the front surface by a weather-resistant protective layer and from the back surface by a base sheet, and at the same time, at least the top surface of the base material. From the side, it can be seen well through a highly transparent protective layer.

(Printer configuration)
The printer P includes a storage unit 2 that rotatably supports a long recording medium M wound up in a roll shape. The printer P is pulled out of the storage unit 2 by a transport mechanism 3 composed of several pairs of transport rollers. An image is formed on the recording medium M conveyed in the sub-scanning direction by the ink jet print head 4 that can reciprocate in the main scanning direction orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction. The print head 4 is provided with a cutter C that cuts the recording medium M along the main scanning direction.

  Below the printer P, a first winding device R1 for temporarily winding the printed recording medium M discharged from the printer P onto the winding core T in a roll shape is provided. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first winding device R1 rotates a cylindrical winding core T, a pair of support cones 7 fitted to the inner surfaces of both ends of the winding core T, and the support cone 7. A pair of support brackets 6 that can be supported is provided, and an output shaft of a drive motor E1 including a stepping motor is provided on the back surface of one support cone 7 via a transmission mechanism (not shown) including a torque releaser and a connecting gear. Are connected. The control device 50 provided in the recording medium processing apparatus 1 basically rotates the drive motor E1 in accordance with the conveyance speed of the conveyance mechanism 3 so that the printed recording medium M is wound on the winding core T. Go.

  A loop forming portion L is provided between the print head 4 and the first winding device R1. The loop forming portion L forms and holds the slack portion of the recording medium M, thereby preventing the tension applied to the recording medium M from the first winding device R1 from affecting the conveying speed by the conveying mechanism 3. To do. The loop forming portion L includes a pair of conveying rollers 5 that press-support the recording medium M. The conveying rollers 5 are connected to the conveying mechanism 3 after the recording medium M is pressure-bonded in a state where the slack portion is formed. It is rotationally driven by a conduction mechanism (not shown) so as to basically have a conveyance speed synchronized with the conveyance mechanism 3.

(Configuration of drying mechanism)
Between the print head 4 and the loop forming portion L, a first drying means D1 for drying the ink on the recording medium M is provided, and the ink on the recording medium M is also provided near the first winding device R1. The second drying means D2 for drying the is provided.
The first drying unit D1 and the second drying unit D2 dry the ink under a temperature condition (about 50 to 45 ° C.) that does not sublimate the sublimable dye in the ink, so that the undried ink is transferred from the transport roller 5. It serves to prevent transfer to the peripheral surface or the subsequent back surface on the recording medium M.

The first drying means D1 monitors the surface temperature of the mid-infrared lamp heater H1 disposed along the width direction of the recording medium M and the portion of the recording medium M heated to the highest temperature by the mid-infrared lamp heater H1. Target G1 (an example of temperature monitoring means).
As shown in FIG. 2, the four medium-infrared lamp heaters H1 have overlapping portions along the width direction of the recording medium M, and pass through the widest recording medium M (1,270 mm). It is arranged in a zigzag pattern so as to cover both outer regions than the region. However, the distance from the mid-infrared lamp heater H1 to the recording medium M is constant. Each of the mid-infrared lamp heaters H1 includes a rectangular container-like casing 12, a pair of heating elements 13 that are surrounded by the glass tube 14 and spaced apart in the conveyance direction of the recording medium M in the casing, It consists of a pair of reflectors 15 for concentrating mid-infrared rays emitted from the heating element 13 in the direction of the recording medium M. As the heating element 13 of the mid-infrared lamp heater H1, one that emits mid-infrared light having a wavelength (2 to 4 μm) well suited to the water absorption band is selected. Needless to say, the number and arrangement of the mid-infrared lamp heaters can be changed as appropriate.

  The target G1 is arranged on the left side in FIG. 2 further than the passing area of the recording medium M having the largest width when viewed from the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium M, and the target G1 from the mid-infrared lamp heater H1. Is disposed so that the distance from the mid-infrared lamp heater H1 to the recording medium M is substantially equal. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the target G <b> 1 includes a stainless steel rectangular plate 16 (an example of a support member) arranged in parallel with the recording medium M, and a screw 18 a and a nut near the center of the plate 16. And a thermistor 17a (an example of a thermal element) attached by 18b or the like. The plate 16 has two strips 16c (an example of a heat blocking space and a heat blocking portion) extending in parallel with the long side of the rectangle, and a strip-shaped heat receiving portion 16a located near the center of the rectangle, and left and right of the rectangle. It divides | segments into the attachment part 16b located. The thermistor 17a is tightly fixed to the heat receiving portion 16a. The thermistor 17a may be attached to the plate 16 using an adhesive or the like in addition to the screw and nut method.

  The target G1 is fixed to a part of the frame or the like of the printer P by screws inserted through two screw holes 16d located diagonally to each other in the mounting portion 16b. The slit 16c serves to thermally shield the heat receiving portion 16a from the mounting portion 16b, in other words, heat from the frame or the like is transmitted to the thermistor 17a via the mounting portion 16b, and the heat receiving portion 16a including the thermistor 17a. Plays the role of suppressing the diffusion of heat to the frame. The heat blocking part of the target G1 is formed by cutting out a part of the plate material 16 (two places sandwiching the heat receiving part 16a) as a support member of the thermistor 17a. The target G1 is installed such that the belt-shaped heat receiving portion 16a extends substantially along the conveyance direction of the recording medium M.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 3, the emission distribution of the mid-infrared lamp heater H1 has a peak area extending downward from the sub-scanning direction of the recording medium M. Therefore, if the mounting angle of the mid-infrared lamp heater H1 is If the position of the thermistor 17a is deviated in the direction indicated by the arrow J in FIG. 3, the position of the thermistor 17a tends to deviate from the peak area or the thermal center line of the mid-infrared lamp heater H1. However, since the band-shaped heat receiving portion 16a of the target G1 is installed so as to extend substantially along the conveyance direction of the recording medium M, the attachment angle of the thermistor 17a is slightly displaced along the sub-scanning direction of the recording medium M. However, if an arbitrary part of the belt-shaped heat receiving portion 16a is within the peak region of the mid-infrared lamp heater H1, the peak temperature in the temperature distribution obtained by the mid-infrared lamp heater H1 can be accurately monitored.
As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 50 includes target temperature setting means 51 for setting the target heating temperature of the target G1, and for the target G1, a keyboard (not shown) connected to the control device 50 is used. An operator or the like is configured to set a target temperature. Here, the target temperature of the target G1 is set to 50 ° C. The control device 50 controls the energization amount to the mid-infrared lamp heater H1 so that the detected temperature of the thermistor 17a becomes 50 ° C. while inputting the temperature signal from the thermistor 17a of the target G1.

  The second drying means D2 disposed between the loop forming portion L and the first winding device R1 has basically the same configuration as the first drying means D1 described above. The mid-infrared lamp heater H2 of the second drying means D2 is fixedly disposed so as to face the peripheral surface of the roll of the recording medium M formed on the winding core T by the first winding device R1. The target G2 (an example of the temperature monitoring unit) of the second drying unit D2 also has the same structure as the target G1, and is disposed further to the left than the pass band of the recording medium M having the largest width. However, the target G2 is such that the belt-shaped heat receiving portion 16a is positioned within the conveyance surface of the recording medium M when the winding diameter on the winding core T is minimum, and the belt-shaped heat receiving portion 16a is a mid-infrared lamp. It arrange | positions so that it may extend perpendicularly | vertically with the extending direction of the heater H2. The structure of each mid-infrared lamp heater H2 is the same as that of the mid-infrared lamp heater H1.

  As the diameter of the roll on the winding core T increases with the progress of printing, the distance from the mid-infrared lamp heater H2 to the recording medium M decreases accordingly. Is configured to automatically change the target temperature of the target G2 to the low temperature side as the diameter of the roll on the winding core T increases. As a specific configuration, as shown in FIG. 5, the target temperature setting means 51 of the control device 50 changes the target temperature of the target G2 based on the diameter of the roll on the winding core T with respect to the target G2. Is configured to do. This target temperature setting means 51 calculates the total rotation amount of the conveying roller 5 of the loop forming portion L based on the number of rotation pulses of the drive motor E1 of the first winding device R1, and further performs winding based on this total rotation amount. A roll diameter calculating means 52 for calculating the diameter of the roll on the core T, and a LUT (look-up table) 53 in the memory 50a in which the diameter of the roll and a target temperature suitable for the diameter are associated with each other.

The control device 50 drives and controls the mid-infrared lamp heater H2 so that the target G2 has the temperature determined by the target temperature setting means 51. That is, when the diameter of the roll on the winding core T is minimum, such as at the beginning of printing, the mid-infrared lamp heater H2 is driven and controlled so that the thermistor 17b of the target G2 reaches the initial target temperature (45 ° C. here). When the printing proceeds to some extent, the target temperature setting means 51 determines that the winding diameter is intermediate based on the number of rotation pulses of the drive motor E1, and lowers the target temperature to 40 ° C. based on the LUT 53. When printing further proceeds and the distance to the mid-infrared lamp heater H2 approaches the minimum, the target temperature setting means 51 determines that the winding diameter is near the maximum value from the number of rotation pulses of the drive motor E1, and based on the LUT 53. Change the target temperature to 35 ℃. By such control by the control device 50, regardless of the diameter of the roll on the winding core T, the surface temperature of the recording medium M is maintained at approximately 45 ° C. for a predetermined time before being wound on the winding core T. The
Between the first drying means D1 and the loop forming portion L, there is provided a discharge port F for taking out a small-sized recording medium M such as an A4 plate in a dried state by the first drying means D1. .

(Configuration of heat fixing unit)
As shown in FIG. 1, a heating region Q that is thermally blocked from the outside by a heat insulating layer (not shown) is provided inside the heat fixing unit F. Inside the heat fixing unit F, there is provided a transport mechanism 20 for transporting a recording medium M provided from a supply unit S, which will be described later, in the heating region Q. The transport mechanism 20 is composed of several heat-resistant transport roller pairs 21. The recording medium M transported by the transport mechanism 20 moves while sliding on the smooth upper surface of the flat support panel 22.
A first heating mechanism for heating the air in the heating region Q to a predetermined sublimation temperature (here, about 180 ° C.) is provided in the heating region Q. The first heating mechanism is configured to uniformly distribute the temperature distribution in the heating region Q, and the heating unit 23 including a plurality of rod-shaped heating elements disposed upstream of the center of the heating region Q above the conveyance surface of the recording medium M. In order to achieve this, it has a stirring fan 24 disposed downstream of the center of the heating region Q. In the heating area Q, apart from the first heating mechanism, there is a second heating mechanism for fixing the sublimation ink to the recording medium M mainly from the back side (base sheet side) through contact. Is provided. The second heating mechanism includes a planar heater (not shown) that heats the support panel 22 from below, and the upper surface of the support panel 22 is held at about 180 ° C. by the planar heater.

The discharge portion of the recording medium M provided on the downstream side of the heating area Q includes an inclined guide plate 25 that extends downward with a steep inclination posture, and a first discharge roller that presses and conveys both the front and back surfaces of the recording medium M. A pair 26, a deflection plate 27 for correcting the direction of the recording medium M sent out from the first discharge roller pair 26 in a direction close to the horizontal, and a recording medium M pushed out from the deflection plate 27 in a substantially horizontal direction. 2 discharge roller pair 28. The surface of the inclined guide plate 25 is heated to a temperature of 100 ° C. or less by a planar heater disposed on the back surface.
On the upstream side of the heat fixing unit F, a supply unit S for supplying the printed recording medium M taken up by the first winding device R1 of the printer P to the heat fixing unit F is disposed. The supply unit S sandwiches the roll holding unit 30 for setting the roll of the recording medium M taken up by the first winding device R1 and the part of the recording medium M unwound from the roll from above and below. A roller pair 35 is provided.

  The roll holding unit 30 includes a cylindrical winding core T, a pair of support cones 32 fitted to the inner surfaces of both ends of the winding core T, and a pair of support brackets 31 that rotatably support the support cone 32. The one support cone 32 is provided with a friction mechanism 33 for restricting free rotation of the roll. The support cone 32 of the roll holding unit 30 is not connected to the drive motor. The idling torque value of the friction mechanism 33 is provided so as to be manually changeable from the outside. Normally, the tensile force applied to the recording medium M is applied to the heating and fixing unit so that defects such as wrinkles do not occur in the recording medium M. It is set to be 20% or less of the conveying force of the conveying mechanism 20 in F.

(Configuration of the second winding device)
On the downstream side of the heat fixing unit F, a second winding device R2 for winding the fixed recording medium M discharged from the heat fixing unit F is disposed. Similar to the first winding device R1, the second winding device R2 has a cylindrical winding core T ', a pair of support cones 39 fitted to the inner surfaces of both ends of the winding core T', and a support cone 39. And a pair of support brackets 38 that rotatably support the output shaft of the drive motor E2 via a transmission mechanism including a torque releaser 40 and a connecting gear (not shown) on the back of one support cone 39. It is connected.
The idling torque value of the torque releaser 40 is also provided so as to be manually changeable from the outside. Usually, the recording medium M is pulled by the second winding device R2 so that defects such as wrinkles do not occur in the recording medium M. The force is set to be 30% or less of the conveyance force of the conveyance mechanism 20 in the heat fixing unit F.

[Another embodiment]
<1> The heat blocking portions of the targets G1 and G2 are as illustrated in FIG. 6 regardless of the method of cutting out a part of the plate material 16 (two places sandwiching the heat receiving portion 16a) that is a support member of the thermistor 17a. It is also possible to form in a form. In the target G10 of FIG. 6, a part of the plate-like member 51 is cut into two lines, so that the heat receiving part 51a and the pair of edge parts 51c are divided into the heat receiving part 51a and the pair of edge parts 51c. Is performed along the fold line 52 so that the valley fold and the mountain fold are alternately bent with respect to the mounting portion 51b at the front and rear ends, so that the heat receiving portion 51a is provided with a screw hole 51d and the like. The thermistor 17a is attached to the back surface of the heat receiving portion 51a with screws 18 and nuts 18b.

<2> Furthermore, it is possible to implement the target as temperature monitoring means in the form illustrated in FIG. In the target G11 of FIG. 7, a circular heat receiving portion 54a to which the thermistor 17a is attached is disposed in the vicinity of the central portion of the plate material 54 that is a support member of the thermistor 17a. A peripheral portion of the plate material 54 is an attachment portion 54b, and the target G11 is attached using a screw hole 54d provided in the attachment portion 54b. Between the attachment portion 54b and the heat receiving portion 54a (an example of the vicinity of the heat receiving portion 54a), an annular heat blocking space 54c (an example of a heat blocking portion) for restricting heat transfer between the two portions is formed. ing. The circular heat receiving portion 54a also functions to improve the response of the temperature monitoring means to the ambient temperature change.

<3> Alternatively, the target as the temperature monitoring means may be implemented in the form illustrated in FIG. In the target G12 of FIG. 8, the plate member 64 that is a support member of the thermistor 17a includes a circular heat receiving portion 64a to which the thermistor 17a is attached, a rectangular attachment portion 64b, and a connecting portion that connects the heat receiving portion 64a to the attachment portion 64b. 64e is integrally provided. The target G12 is attached using a screw hole 64d provided in the attachment portion 64b. The connecting portion 64e has a small cross-sectional area that is less than half that of the heat receiving portion 64a and the mounting portion 64b. In other words, the boundary portion between the heat receiving portion 64a and the attachment portion 64b has a narrow and “constricted” shape. Therefore, a heat blocking space 64c (an example of a heat blocking portion) is formed between the mounting portion 64b and the heat receiving portion 64a to restrict heat transfer between the two portions.

<4> A heat-sensitive element according to the present invention and a support member that supports the heat-sensitive element at a predetermined position. The support member includes a plate-shaped heat receiving portion to which the heat-sensitive element is attached; and the support member in the recording medium processing apparatus. A temperature monitoring means having a heat blocking portion for restricting heat transfer between the two portions between the heat receiving portion and the mounting portion. As a part of the heating device provided for advancing the sublimation reaction, it can be used for monitoring the temperature of the recording medium M in the heat fixing unit F.

  This is a technology of a recording medium processing apparatus provided with a heater that heat-processes a printed recording medium in a non-contact state. In particular, as a technique capable of providing an apparatus provided with a monitoring means capable of accurately monitoring the temperature of the recording medium. Used.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a recording medium processing apparatus provided with a printer according to the present invention. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a printer constituting the recording medium processing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 2 is a cutaway side view showing a heater and a target provided in the printer of FIG. Plan view showing the target of FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a control device related to the printer of FIG. The perspective view which shows another embodiment of a target The perspective view which shows another embodiment of a target The perspective view which shows another embodiment of a target

Explanation of symbols

M Recording medium P Printer 4 Print heads D1, D2 First and second drying means R1, R2 First and second winding portions H1, H2 Mid-infrared lamp heater (bar heater)
G1, G2 Target 16 Plate material (support member)
16a Heat receiving portion 16b Mounting portion 16c Slit (Heat blocking space, Heat blocking portion)
17a Thermistor (thermal element)
50 Control Device 50a Memory 51 Target Temperature Setting Unit 52 Roll Diameter Calculation Unit 53 LUT
F Heat fixing unit

Claims (3)

A heater that heats a sheet-like recording medium on which an image is printed in a non-contact state, and a temperature monitoring unit that is disposed adjacent to the recording medium in order to monitor the temperature of the recording medium being heated by the heater. A recording medium processing apparatus comprising:
The temperature monitoring means includes a thermal element and a support member that supports the thermal element at a predetermined position,
The support member includes a plate-shaped heat receiving portion to which the thermosensitive element is attached, and an attachment portion for fixing the support member in the recording medium processing apparatus, and the attachment portion is provided around the heat receiving portion. Recording medium processing apparatus in which a heat shut-off portion for restricting heat transfer to the recording medium is formed.   The support member includes a single plate-like support plate integrally including the heat receiving portion, the mounting portion, and a connecting portion that connects the heat receiving portion to the mounting portion, and the heat receiving portion receives the heat receiving portion. The recording medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a heat blocking space including a slit that separates a portion from the mounting portion is formed as the heat blocking portion.   A transport mechanism for transporting the recording medium in the sub-scanning direction, wherein the heater is a bar heater extending in a direction crossing the sub-scanning direction, and the heat receiving portion extends along the transport direction of the recording medium. The recording medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium processing apparatus has a strip shape.

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