JP2009072928A - Image forming apparatus, and control method for image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of securely removing residual matter on an intermediate transfer body without damaging the intermediate transfer body, and to provide a control method for the image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming means includes: an intermediate transfer body that carries an image thereon; a first cleaning means that applies a liquid to the intermediate transfer body, thereby cleaning the intermediate body; and a second cleaning means that has an adhering means greater in adhering force than the intermediate transfer body and brings the adhering means into contact with the intermediate transfer body, thereby cleaning the intermediate transfer body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming apparatus control method, and more particularly to cleaning of an intermediate transfer member in an intermediate transfer type image forming apparatus.

  In Patent Document 1, the foreign substance removing unit and the liquid wiping unit are configured to be able to be separated and contacted independently, and the cleaning condition is set according to the number of output sheets to reduce the load on the surface of the conveying member, and the durability of the cleaning member An invention for improving the above is disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 discloses an invention in which a liquid supply unit and a liquid wiping unit are provided on a conveyance member, and cleaning during different image formation or standby is performed to suppress deterioration due to rubbing and prevent a decrease in performance of the conveyance member. ing.

  Patent Document 3 discloses an invention in which a liquid wiping blade having a width wider than that of a liquid supply unit is provided on a conveying member, and a liquid absorbing unit having high wettability is disposed near the center of the blade, thereby preventing liquid overflow from the blade. Is disclosed.

  Patent Document 4 discloses an invention that stably removes a large amount of dust over a long period of time by performing adhesive roller cleaning while performing dust removal work by blowing air.

Patent Documents 5 and 6 disclose an intermediate transfer type ink jet printer that performs surface modification by applying energy to an intermediate transfer body having releasability, and the intermediate body is made of fluorine rubber or silicone rubber. An invention is also disclosed in which an ink thickening component is also imparted as a plasma treatment that contains.
JP 2006-198988 A JP 2004-175497 A JP 2006-198987 A JP 2000-288483 A JP 2005-14255 A JP 2005-14256 A

  The invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 only performs liquid cleaning in a short time, and although foreign matter removal using a web or the like exists as an auxiliary means, the residue slightly remaining on the conveying member cannot be removed. For this reason, when applied to an intermediate transfer member as a conveying member, transferability, texture, and the like are likely to deteriorate due to accumulation due to operation. Further, when hard dust such as sand dust adheres to the transport member due to intake air or dropping, the dust is caught between the foreign matter removing means or the liquid wiping means and the transport member, and the transport member is easily damaged.

  In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, only liquid cleaning is performed, and the residue that remains slightly on the conveying member cannot be removed. For this reason, when applied to an intermediate transfer member as a conveying member, transferability, texture, and the like are likely to deteriorate due to accumulation due to operation. Further, when hard dust such as sand dust adheres to the transport member due to intake air or dropping, the dust is caught between the foreign matter removing means or the liquid wiping means and the transport member, and the transport member is easily damaged.

  In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 3, the absorbing member is effective when the conveying member is narrow, but when the conveying member is wide, liquid overflow tends to occur and the conveying member is likely to be soiled. In the case of the intermediate transfer type, it also causes the pressure roller to become dirty.

In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 4, since the intermediate residue has strong adhesion, it is considered that the effect is low even when air is used in combination. Further, even if the adhesive force of the dust removing roller is increased, the dust removing roller is likely to adhere to the removing member and cause poor conveyance.

  In the inventions disclosed in Patent Documents 5 and 6, only liquid cleaning is performed, and the residue that remains slightly on the conveying member cannot be removed. For this reason, when applied to an intermediate transfer member as a conveying member, transferability, texture, and the like are likely to deteriorate due to accumulation due to operation. Further, when hard dust such as sand dust adheres to the transport member due to intake air or dropping, the dust is caught between the foreign matter removing means or the liquid wiping means and the transport member, and the transport member is easily damaged. Further, the intermediate transfer member with improved wettability tends to overflow the cleaning liquid in the width direction, and easily contaminates the pressure roller and the recording medium due to the accumulation of dirt.

  In the intermediate transfer type image forming apparatus, the cleaning of the intermediate transfer member at the time of continuous printing is effective for the liquid cleaning that can continuously dissolve and remove the residue. However, only normal liquid cleaning may leave a small amount of residue and reduce transferability and texture. For this reason, in order to remove the remaining residue, it is necessary to use a cleaning liquid that prolongs the cleaning time and easily affects the image quality.

  Further, the cleaning liquid applied to the intermediate transfer member is likely to spread more than the cleaning width by wiping or the like, and the pressure roller and the recording medium are also easily contaminated by the accumulation of dirt adhering to the vicinity of the edge. Even if wiping with non-woven fabric or extra fine fibers at the time of daily inspection etc., wiping unevenness is likely to occur when the intermediate transfer member is in a wet state, and slight dust etc. when the intermediate transfer member is in a dry state Scratches are likely to occur due to the presence of residues. Further, when hard dust such as sand adheres to the intermediate transfer member due to suction or dropping, the intermediate transfer member is easily damaged by being sandwiched between the liquid cleaning means and the intermediate transfer member.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an image forming apparatus and an image forming apparatus that can reliably remove the residue present on the intermediate transfer member without damaging the intermediate transfer member. It aims to provide a method.

  In order to achieve the object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an intermediate transfer member for carrying an image, and a first cleaning unit that applies a liquid to the intermediate transfer member to clean the intermediate transfer member. And a second cleaning means for cleaning the intermediate transfer body by bringing the adhesive means into contact with the intermediate transfer body. To do.

  According to the present invention, the intermediate transfer member can be surely cleaned while performing continuous image formation at high speed. Therefore, transferability and texture can be maintained, and problems such as device contamination and malfunction can be prevented. Further, the intermediate transfer member can be prevented from being damaged.

  As one aspect of the present invention, cleaning is performed by the first cleaning unit during image formation for forming an image on the intermediate transfer member, and cleaning by the second cleaning unit is performed during non-image formation when no image is formed on the intermediate transfer member. It has a control part which controls to perform cleaning by both the first cleaning means and the second cleaning means.

  According to the present invention, continuous processing of image formation is performed at a high speed while cleaning is performed by the first cleaning unit, and the intermediate is reliably performed by the second cleaning unit or both the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit. The transfer body can be cleaned.

  As an aspect of the present invention, the first cleaning unit includes a switching unit capable of switching the liquid to be applied between the image formation and the non-image formation.

  According to this aspect, the intermediate transfer member can be more reliably cleaned by diluting and removing the high boiling point solvent, the surfactant, the aggregation treatment agent, and the like, which are residues on the intermediate transfer member.

  As one aspect of the present invention, at least one intermediate transfer member contact unit that is a unit that contacts the intermediate transfer member and is a unit other than the adhesive unit is provided, and at least one of the intermediate transfer member contact units includes the The adhesive strength is smaller than that of the intermediate transfer member.

  According to this aspect, it is possible to easily clean the intermediate transfer member contact unit that is a unit other than the adhesive unit among the units that come into contact with the intermediate transfer unit. Examples of the “intermediate transfer member contact means” include a means for applying an aggregation treatment agent to the intermediate transfer member, a means for removing a solvent on the intermediate transfer member, and a primary image carried on the intermediate transfer member. There are means for transferring to a recording medium.

  As an aspect of the present invention, the second cleaning unit includes a rotation load unit that applies a rotation load to the adhesive unit.

  According to such an aspect, the residue removal performance is improved by the peeling effect due to the shearing force, and the intermediate transfer member can be more reliably cleaned.

  As an aspect of the present invention, a roller having a tooth shape that does not partially contact the intermediate transfer member is provided.

  According to this aspect, the intermediate transfer member can be stably cleaned without sticking to the intermediate transfer member and being restrained even by the adhesive means having a strong adhesive force.

  As one aspect of the present invention, at least a part of the intermediate transfer member has light transmittance, and the intermediate transfer is performed by using a light projecting / receiving unit that receives light reflected and projected toward the intermediate transfer member. It has a dirt detection means for detecting dirt on the body.

  According to this aspect, it is possible to perform appropriate cleaning corresponding to the contamination of the intermediate transfer member.

  In order to achieve the above object, a method for controlling an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a first cleaning step in which a liquid is applied to an intermediate transfer member for carrying an image to clean the intermediate transfer member and the intermediate transfer member. A second cleaning step of cleaning the intermediate transfer member by bringing an adhesive means having an adhesive strength greater than that of the transfer member into contact with the intermediate transfer member, and forming the first image at the time of forming an image on the intermediate transfer member; A cleaning process is performed, and the second cleaning process or both the first cleaning process and the second cleaning process are performed during non-image formation in which no image is formed on the intermediate transfer member.

  According to the present invention, the intermediate transfer member can be surely cleaned while performing continuous image formation at high speed. Therefore, transferability and texture can be maintained, and problems such as device contamination and malfunction can be prevented. Further, the intermediate transfer member can be prevented from being damaged.

  As one aspect of the present invention, a liquid application step for applying an image forming liquid containing a polymer component and a solvent component to the intermediate transfer member, and a pre-step of the second cleaning step, wherein the temperature of the intermediate transfer member is set And an intermediate transfer member temperature adjusting step to be adjusted.

  According to this aspect, the intermediate transfer member can be more reliably cleaned by adjusting the temperature of the intermediate transfer member and adjusting the state of the residue on the intermediate transfer member derived from the polymer component and the solvent component. Can do.

  As one aspect of the present invention, the second cleaning step is performed after the first cleaning step is performed during the non-image formation, and the first cleaning step is performed during the image formation. The second transfer liquid having a higher water ratio than the liquid is applied to clean the intermediate transfer member.

  According to this aspect, the intermediate transfer member can be more reliably cleaned by diluting and removing the high boiling point solvent, the surfactant, the aggregating agent, and the like, which are residues on the intermediate transfer member.

  As an aspect of the present invention, in the second cleaning step, the temperature of the intermediate transfer body is set to be lower than the melting temperature of the polymer component, and the adhesive means is brought into contact with the intermediate transfer body while applying a rotational load to the adhesive means. It is characterized by making it.

  According to this aspect, the residue removal performance is improved by the peeling effect due to the shearing force, and the intermediate transfer member can be more reliably cleaned.

  As one aspect of the present invention, the first cleaning step is performed after the second cleaning step immediately before shifting to the image forming time in the non-image forming step, and the second cleaning step. Then, the temperature of the intermediate transfer member is lower than the melting temperature of the polymer component.

  According to this aspect, when shifting from non-image formation to image formation, dust or the like on the intermediate transfer member can be removed in advance in the second cleaning step, and damage to the intermediate transfer member can be prevented more reliably.

  As one aspect of the present invention, among the intermediate transfer member contact means that is a means for contacting the intermediate transfer member and is a means other than the adhesive means, the intermediate transfer member contact means having a lower adhesive force than the intermediate transfer member It has the 3rd cleaning process which cleans.

  According to this aspect, it is possible to easily clean the intermediate transfer body contact means that is a means other than the adhesive means among the means that come into contact with the intermediate transfer body. Examples of the “intermediate transfer member contact means” include a means for applying an aggregation treatment agent to the intermediate transfer member, a means for removing the solvent on the intermediate transfer member, and a primary image formed on the intermediate transfer member. There are means for transferring to a recording medium.

  As an aspect of the present invention, in the second cleaning step, the adhesive force of the adhesive means is dispersed by preventing a part of the adhesive means from contacting the intermediate transfer member.

  According to this aspect, the intermediate transfer member can be stably cleaned without sticking to the intermediate transfer member and being restrained even by the adhesive means having a strong adhesive force.

  As one aspect of the present invention, at least a part of the intermediate transfer member has light transmittance, and the intermediate transfer is performed by using a light projecting / receiving unit that receives light reflected and projected toward the intermediate transfer member. It has a dirt detection process which detects dirt of a body.

  According to this aspect, it is possible to perform appropriate cleaning corresponding to the contamination of the intermediate transfer member.

  As an aspect of the present invention, in the intermediate transfer member temperature adjusting step, the temperature of the intermediate transfer member is set to at least one of a melting temperature of the polymer component or a boiling point of the solvent component. To do.

  According to this aspect, since the polymer component of the residue of the intermediate transfer member is melted or the solvent component of the residue of the intermediate transfer member is evaporated, the intermediate transfer member can be more reliably cleaned.

  As one aspect of the present invention, in the intermediate transfer member temperature adjusting step, heating and cooling of the intermediate transfer member are repeated so that the temperature of the intermediate transfer member rises and falls below the melting temperature of the polymer component. To do.

  According to this aspect, the intermediate transfer member can be more reliably cleaned by improving the releasability of the residue on the intermediate transfer member using a thermal cycle that takes into account the linear expansion coefficient, heat capacity, and thermal time constant. it can.

  According to the present invention, the residue present on the intermediate transfer member can be reliably removed without damaging the intermediate transfer member.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, application to an inkjet recording apparatus will be described as an example.

[Overall Configuration of Inkjet Recording Apparatus According to First Embodiment]
First, an ink jet recording apparatus which is an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the ink jet recording apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment records an image (primary image) on an intermediate transfer body 12 that is a non-penetrable medium, and then transfers the image onto a recording medium 14 such as plain paper. This is a recording apparatus to which a transfer method for forming an image (secondary image) is applied. As a main component, an aggregation treatment agent (an image forming liquid, hereinafter simply referred to as an image forming liquid) is applied to the intermediate transfer body 12. A treatment liquid application section 16 (which may be referred to as a “treatment liquid”) (corresponding to a portion to which the “liquid application apparatus” according to the present invention is applied), drying of the treatment liquid applied on the intermediate transfer body 12 and A heating unit 18 and a cooler 20 for performing cooling, a printing unit (ink ejection unit) 22 that applies a plurality of colors of ink (image forming liquid) to the intermediate transfer body 12, and an intermediate after ink ejection Liquid solvent (excess solvent) on the transfer body 12 A solvent removing unit 24 that removes the ink, a transfer unit 26 that transfers the ink image formed on the intermediate transfer body 12 to the recording medium 14, and a paper feeding unit that supplies the recording medium 14 to the transfer unit 26. 28 and a cleaning unit (first cleaning unit 30 and second cleaning unit 32) for cleaning the intermediate transfer body 12 after transfer.

  The composition of the treatment liquid and ink used in this example will be described in detail later, but the treatment liquid is an acidic liquid having an action of aggregating the coloring material contained in the ink. The ink is a colored ink containing colorants (pigments) of each color of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K).

  An endless belt is applied to the intermediate transfer member 12. This intermediate transfer member (endless belt) 12 is wound around a plurality of rollers (three stretching rollers 34A to 34C and transfer roller 36 are shown in FIG. 1, but the belt winding form is not limited to this example). When the power of a motor (not shown in FIG. 1 and shown as reference numeral 288 in FIG. 26) is transmitted to at least one of the stretching rollers 34A to 34C and the transfer roller 36, the intermediate transfer member 12 is driven in the counterclockwise direction (direction indicated by arrow A) in FIG. The tension roller indicated by reference numeral 34C is a tensioner that performs meandering correction and tensioning of the belt.

  In the intermediate transfer body 12, ink droplets of resin, metal, rubber, or the like do not penetrate into an image forming area (not shown) on which at least a primary image is formed on the surface (image forming surface) 12A facing the printing unit 22. Non-permeable. Further, at least the image forming area of the intermediate transfer body 12 is configured to form a horizontal surface (flat surface) having a predetermined flatness.

  Preferred materials used for the surface layer including the image forming surface 12A of the intermediate transfer body 12 include, for example, a polyimide resin, a silicon resin, a polyurethane resin, a polyester resin, a polystyrene resin, a polyolefin resin, and a polybutadiene resin. And publicly known materials such as polyamide resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, polyethylene resins, and fluorine resins.

  Further, it is preferable that the surface tension of the surface layer of the intermediate transfer body 12 is 10 mN / m or more and 40 mN / m or less. When the surface tension of the surface layer of the intermediate transfer body 12 is 40 mN / m or more, the difference in surface tension from the recording medium 14 onto which the primary image is transferred is eliminated (or extremely small), and the transferability of the ink aggregate is deteriorated. To do. Further, when the surface tension of the surface layer of the intermediate transfer body 12 is 10 mN / m or less, the surface tension of the processing liquid is more than the surface tension of the surface layer of the intermediate transfer body 12 in consideration of the wettability of the processing liquid. Therefore, it is difficult to make the surface tension of the processing liquid 10 mN / m or less, and the design freedom (selection range) of the intermediate transfer body 12 and the processing liquid is narrowed.

As the intermediate transfer body 12 in the present embodiment, an elastic material having a surface energy of about 15 to 30 mN / m (= mJ / m ² ) is applied to a base material such as polyimide from the viewpoint of durability and transferability of plain paper to about 30 to 150 μm. A coating with a thickness of is desirable, and coatings such as silicon rubber, fluororubber, and fluoroelastomer are suitable.

  The treatment liquid application unit 16 applies a treatment liquid (aggregation treatment agent) as an undercoat liquid to the intermediate transfer body 12 after the cleaning process by the first cleaning unit 30 described later, and is more intermediate than the printing unit 22. Arranged upstream in the transport direction. Although the detailed structure of the liquid application apparatus applied to the treatment liquid application unit 16 will be described later, the application of the treatment liquid to the intermediate transfer body 12 is preferably selectively applied to the image forming unit by reverse coating of the gravure roller 38.

  That is, the processing liquid application unit 16 of this example includes a gravure roller (“corresponding to a roller member”) 38 as an application roller and a processing liquid container 40. By rotating the gravure roller 38 in the direction opposite to the conveying direction of the intermediate transfer body 12 while the gravure roller 38 to which the processing liquid is adhered is in contact with the intermediate transfer body 12, the processing liquid is transferred to the image forming surface of the intermediate transfer body 12. It is applied to 12A.

  Further, it is preferable that the treatment liquid contains 1 to 5% by weight of a polymer resin (fine particles) for the purpose of improving coloring material fixing property and transferability when ink is ejected.

  A heating unit 18 is disposed on the downstream side of the treatment liquid application unit 16 and on the upstream side of the printing unit 22. As the heating unit 18 in this example, a heater whose temperature is controlled in a range of 50 to 100 ° C. is used. The treatment liquid applied onto the intermediate transfer body 12 by the treatment liquid application unit 16 is heated by passing through the heating unit 18, and the solvent component is evaporated and dried. As a result, a solid or semi-solid aggregation treatment agent layer (a thin film layer obtained by drying the treatment liquid) is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer body 12.

  The “solid or semi-solid flocculating agent layer” as used herein refers to one having a moisture content in the range of 0 to 70% as defined below.

  A cooler 20 is disposed on the downstream side of the heating unit 18 in the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body and on the upstream side of the printing unit 22. The cooler 20 is disposed on the back side of the intermediate transfer body 12. The cooler 20 can be controlled within a predetermined temperature range, and is controlled to 40 ° C. in the present embodiment, for example. The intermediate transfer body 12 on which the aggregating agent layer is formed by heat drying of the heating section 18 is lowered to about 40 ° C. by the cooler 20, thereby reducing the radiant heat from the intermediate transfer body 12 and Suppresses drying of ink in the nozzles of the head.

  The print unit 22 arranged at the rear stage of the cooler 20 is an ink jet type liquid discharge head (hereinafter referred to as “head”) corresponding to each ink color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). ] 22Y, 22M, 22C, 22K.

  Aggregation is performed by discharging pigment inks of each color (CMYK) from the heads 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22K of the printing unit 22 to the aggregation treatment agent layer on the intermediate transfer body 12 that has passed through the cooler 20 in accordance with image signals. Dropping is performed on the treatment agent layer. In the case of this example, the ink discharge volume by each of the heads 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22K is about 2 pl, and the recording density is the main scanning direction (width direction of the intermediate transfer body 12) and the sub-scanning direction (conveyance of the intermediate transfer body 12). Both directions are recorded at 1200 dpi. The ink may contain a polymer resin (fine particles) having film-forming properties. In such an embodiment, the abrasion resistance and storage stability are improved by the transfer process and the fixing process.

  When ink droplets are landed on the aggregating agent layer, the contact surface between the ink and the aggregating agent layer lands on a predetermined area due to the balance between the flying energy and the surface energy. The aggregation reaction starts immediately after the ink has landed on the aggregation treatment agent, but the aggregation reaction starts from the contact surface between the ink and the aggregation treatment agent layer. The agglomeration reaction occurs only in the vicinity of the contact surface, and the color material in the ink is agglomerated in a state where the adhesive force is obtained with a predetermined contact area at the time of ink landing, so that the color material movement is suppressed.

  Even if other ink droplets land adjacent to this ink droplet, the color material of the ink that has landed first is already agglomerated, so the color materials do not mix with the ink that landed later, Bleed is suppressed. After the color material is aggregated, the separated ink solvent spreads, and a liquid layer in which the aggregation treatment agent is dissolved is formed on the intermediate transfer body 12.

  As described above, the ink that has landed on the aggregation treatment agent layer forms an aggregate of pigment by an aggregation reaction and is separated from the solvent. The solvent (residual solvent) component separated from the pigment aggregate is removed from the intermediate transfer member 12 by the solvent removal roller 42 of the solvent removal unit 24 arranged at the subsequent stage of the printing unit 22.

  The solvent removing roller 42 used here is preferably one that traps liquid in a groove (cell) on the surface based on the same principle as a gravure roller for application. The liquid captured by the solvent removal roller 42 is removed from the solvent removal roller 42 by air injection or liquid injection.

  In this manner, in the aspect in which the solvent on the image forming surface 12A of the intermediate transfer body 12 is removed by the solvent removal roller 42, the solvent on the intermediate transfer body 12 is suitably removed, and therefore the transfer unit 26 applies the recording medium 14 to the recording medium 14. A large amount of solvent (dispersion medium) is not transferred. Therefore, even when paper such as plain paper is used as the recording medium 14, problems characteristic to aqueous solvents such as curls and cockles can be prevented.

  Further, by removing excess solvent from the ink aggregate by the solvent removing unit 24, the ink aggregate can be concentrated and the internal aggregating force can be further increased. As a result, the fusion of the resin particles contained in the ink aggregate is effectively promoted, and a stronger internal cohesive force can be imparted to the ink aggregate up to the transfer step by the transfer unit 26. Further, the effective concentration of the ink aggregates by removing the solvent can impart good fixability and gloss to the image even after the image is transferred to the recording medium 14.

  It is not always necessary to remove all the solvent on the intermediate transfer body 12 by the solvent removing unit 24. If the ink aggregate is excessively removed by excessively removing the ink aggregate, the adhesion of the ink aggregate to the transfer body becomes too strong, and an excessive pressure is required for the transfer. Rather, in order to maintain viscoelasticity suitable for transferability, it is preferable to leave a small amount.

  The effects obtained by leaving a small amount of the solvent on the intermediate transfer member 12 include the following. That is, since ink aggregates are hydrophobic and solvent components that are difficult to volatilize (mainly organic solvents such as glycerin) are hydrophilic, ink aggregates and residual solvent components are separated after solvent removal, and residual solvent components A thin liquid layer is formed between the ink aggregate and the intermediate transfer member. Therefore, the adhesive force of the ink aggregate to the intermediate transfer body 12 becomes weak, which is advantageous for improving transferability.

  Since the amount of ink ejected onto the intermediate transfer body 12 varies depending on the image content, mist ejection from the mist ejection nozzle 43 is performed to compensate for an image with a large amount of white background (an image with a small amount of ink). Thus, the amount of water on the intermediate transfer body 12 is stabilized within a predetermined allowable range.

  A dirt detector 44 for detecting dirt on the intermediate transfer body 12 and a preheater 46 as a preheating means are arranged downstream of the solvent removing section 24 in the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body and in front of the transfer section 26. Yes. The preheater 46 of this example is disposed on the back surface 12B side of the intermediate transfer body 12, and is configured to heat the intermediate transfer body 12 on which the primary image is formed from the back surface 12B side.

  The heating temperature range of the preheater 46 is 90 to 130 ° C., and is set to be higher than the heating temperature (90 ° C. in this example) at the time of transfer in the transfer portion 26. The image forming area of the intermediate transfer body 12 is preheated, and then the transferred image is transferred from the intermediate transfer body 12 onto the recording medium 14 by the transfer section 26, so that the transfer section 26 is compared with the case where no preheating is performed. The heating temperature can be set low, and the transfer time of the transfer section 26 can be shortened.

  The transfer unit 26 includes a transfer roller 36 having a heater (not shown in FIG. 1, representative of a plurality of heaters shown in FIG. 26 and indicated by reference numeral 289), and a heating and pressure nip disposed opposite thereto. And a pressure roller 48. The intermediate transfer body 12 and the recording medium 14 are sandwiched between the transfer roller 36 and the pressure roller 48, and are heated to a predetermined temperature while being pressurized at a predetermined pressure (nip pressure), whereby the intermediate transfer body 12 is heated. The primary image formed on the recording medium 14 is transferred to the recording medium 14.

  As a means for adjusting the nip pressure at the time of transfer in the transfer section 26, for example, a mechanism (drive means) for moving the transfer roller 36, the pressure roller 48, or both in the vertical direction of FIG.

  A preferable nip pressure at the time of transfer is 1.5 to 2.0 MPa, and a preferable heating temperature (roller temperature) is 80 to 120 ° C. In this example, both the transfer roller 36 and the pressure roller 48 are set to 90 ° C. If the heating temperature at the time of transfer roller transfer is too high, there is a problem such as deformation of the intermediate transfer body 12. On the other hand, if the heating temperature is too low, the transferability is deteriorated.

  In addition, it is preferable that the recording medium 14 is preliminarily (pre) heated to 70 to 100 ° C. by the paper feeding unit 28 before transfer, so that transferability is further improved. In the case of this example, a heater 50 is provided in the paper feeding unit 28 as a preheating means for the recording medium 14. The recording medium 14 preliminarily heated by the heater 50 is nipped and fed to the transfer unit 26 by a paper feed roller composed of a pair of adhesive rollers 52 and 53.

  As a configuration of the paper supply unit 28, a mode in which a magazine for rolled paper (continuous paper) is provided, or instead of or in combination with a magazine for rolled paper, paper is supplied by a cassette in which cut sheets are stacked and loaded. There is a mode to do. In the case of an apparatus configuration using roll paper, a cutter for cutting is provided, and the roll paper is cut into a desired size by the cutter. A plurality of magazines and cassettes having different paper widths and paper qualities may be provided.

  When a plurality of types of recording media can be used, an information recording body such as a barcode or a wireless tag that records the media type information is attached to the magazine, and the information on the information recording body is read by a predetermined reader. Thus, it is preferable to automatically determine the type of recording medium (media type) to be used and perform ink ejection control so as to realize appropriate ink ejection according to the media type.

  Specific examples of the recording medium 14 applied to this example include permeable media such as plain paper (including high-quality paper and recycled paper), ink-jet exclusive paper, and non-permeable or low permeable media such as coated paper. There are various media such as sealing paper with adhesive and release label on the back, resin film such as OHP sheet, metal sheet, cloth, wood and so on.

  The recording medium 14 sent to the transfer unit 26 is heated and pressed at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined nip pressure by the transfer roller 36 and the pressure roller 48, and the primary image on the intermediate transfer body 12 is transferred onto the recording medium 14. Is done. The recording medium 14 (printed material) that has passed through the transfer section 26 is separated from the intermediate transfer body 12 by the peeling claw 56 and is discharged out of the apparatus by a conveying means (not shown). Although not shown in FIG. 1, the paper output unit is provided with a sorter for collecting printed products according to print orders.

  The recording medium 14 (printed material) peeled off from the intermediate transfer body 12 may be subjected to a fixing process (not shown) before being discharged outside the apparatus. The fixing unit includes, for example, a heating roller pair whose temperature and pressure can be adjusted. By adding such a fixing step, the polymer fine particles contained in the ink are formed (a thin film in which the polymer fine particles are dissolved is formed on the outermost surface of the image), thereby further improving the abrasion resistance and storage property. improves. The heating temperature in the fixing process is preferably 100 to 130 ° C., and the applied pressure is preferably 2.5 to 3.0 MPa, and is optimized according to the temperature characteristics (film formation temperature: MFT) of the added polymer resin. Of course, in the transfer process in the transfer unit 26, if both transferability and film formation can be achieved, a mode in which the fixing unit is omitted is possible.

  After the transfer process by the transfer unit 26, the intermediate transfer body 12 that has passed through the peeling unit by the peeling claw 56 reaches the first cleaning unit 30.

  The first cleaning unit 30 cleans the intermediate transfer body 12 using water such as distilled water or purified water, a solvent recovered by the solvent removal unit 24, or a cleaning liquid obtained by adding a sea surface active agent to these liquids. The cleaning liquid ejecting unit 60 that ejects the cleaning liquid, the rotating brush 62 that makes contact with the image forming surface 12A of the intermediate transfer body 12 and rotates reversely with respect to the transport direction of the intermediate transfer body, and the surface of the intermediate transfer body 12 are wiped by sliding. The blade 64 is configured. A heater 65 is disposed on the back surface side of the intermediate transfer body 12 in the first cleaning unit 30. The first cleaning unit 30 mainly functions as a means for cleaning the intermediate transfer body 12 after the image transfer to the recording medium 14 is completed.

  The liquid cleaning process using the cleaning liquid performed in the first cleaning unit 30 is suitable for high-speed continuous processing, but a slight residue is likely to remain on the intermediate transfer body 12, and the edge portion of the intermediate transfer body 12 is stably cleaned. There is a limit. For this reason, the accumulation of residues due to long-term operation may cause problems such as transferability and texture deterioration, device contamination and malfunction.

  Alternatively, if hard dust such as sand dust adheres to the intermediate transfer member due to taking in outside air for cooling inside the machine, generating dust inside the machine, maintenance work, etc., a wiping member (rotating brush 62 or And the intermediate transfer body 12 may be damaged such as a scratch.

  From the viewpoint of coping with such a problem, the present embodiment includes a second cleaning unit 32 that uses an adhesive means (adhesive rollers 66 and 68 for dust removal). The second cleaning unit 32 includes adhesive rollers 66 and 68 capable of controlling movement of contact and separation with respect to the surface (12A) of the intermediate transfer body 12, and a cleaning web (or adhesive) that can be in contact with the adhesive rollers 66 and 68. Belt) 70. As shown in the figure, the second cleaning unit 32 is disposed at a position facing the stretching roller 34A. In FIG. 1, reference numerals 72 and 73 are pressing rollers.

  The adhesive rollers 66 and 68 are brought into contact with the intermediate transfer body 12 and rotated during non-image formation such as when the ink jet recording apparatus is started up, during standby, during batch processing, or before liquid cleaning during image formation. As a result, foreign matter on the intermediate transfer member 12 is attached to the adhesive rollers 66 and 68, foreign matter (dust) is removed from the intermediate transfer member, and the surface of the intermediate transfer member is cleaned.

  The foreign matter adhering to the surfaces of the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 is rotated by bringing the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 into contact with the cleaning web (or adhesive belt) 70 when the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 are separated from the intermediate transfer body 12. Thus, the foreign matter on the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 can be moved to the cleaning web (or adhesive belt) 70. As a result, the surfaces of the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 can be cleaned.

  Next, the configuration of the main part of the inkjet recording apparatus 10 will be further described in detail.

(Composition of printing part)
As shown in FIG. 1, the printing unit 22 corresponds to each color in the order of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) from the upstream side in the intermediate transfer member conveyance direction. The heads 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22K are arranged side by side.

  The ink storage / loading unit 74 includes ink tanks that store ink liquids respectively supplied to the heads 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22K. Each ink tank communicates with a corresponding head through a required flow path, and supplies a corresponding ink liquid to each head. The ink storage / loading unit 74 includes notifying means (display means, warning sound generating means) for notifying when the remaining amount of liquid in the tank is low, and has a mechanism for preventing erroneous loading between liquids. is doing.

  Ink is supplied from each ink tank of the ink storage / loading unit 74 to each head 22Y, 22M, 22C, 22K, and corresponds to the image forming surface 12A of the intermediate transfer body 12 from each head 22Y, 22M, 22C, 22K. Color ink to be ejected.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view of the printing unit 22. As shown in the figure, each of the heads 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22K has a length corresponding to the maximum width of the image forming area in the intermediate transfer body 12, and the entire width of the image forming area is formed on the ink discharge surface thereof. This is a full-line type head having a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles for ink ejection (not shown in FIG. 1 and indicated by reference numeral 81 in FIG. 3) are arranged. Each of the heads 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22K is fixedly installed so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the intermediate transfer member conveyance direction.

  According to the configuration in which the full line type head having the nozzle row covering the entire width of the intermediate transfer body 12 is provided for each discharge liquid, the intermediate transfer body 12 and the printing are performed in the transport direction (sub-scanning direction) of the intermediate transfer body 12. An image (primary image) can be formed in the image forming area of the intermediate transfer body 12 by performing the operation of relatively moving the portion 22 once (that is, by one sub-scan). As a result, high-speed printing is possible compared to the case where a serial (shuttle) type head that reciprocates in the direction perpendicular to the intermediate transfer member conveyance direction (main scanning direction; see FIG. 2) is applied. Can be improved.

  In this example, the configuration of CMYK standard colors (four colors) is illustrated, but the combination of ink colors and the number of colors is not limited to this embodiment, and light ink, dark ink, and special color ink are used as necessary. May be added. For example, it is possible to add an ink head that discharges light-colored ink such as light cyan and light magenta, and the arrangement order of the color heads is not particularly limited.

[Head structure]
Next, the structure of each head will be described. Since the structures of the color-specific heads 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22K are common, the heads are represented by reference numeral 80 in the following.

  3A is a plan perspective view showing an example of the structure of the head 80, and FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of a part thereof. In order to increase the dot pitch printed on the recording medium 14, it is necessary to increase the nozzle pitch in the head 80. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the head 80 of this example includes a plurality of ink chamber units (recording) including nozzles 81 serving as ink discharge ports, pressure chambers 82 corresponding to the nozzles 81, and the like. It has a structure in which droplet discharge elements 83 as element units are arranged in a zigzag matrix (two-dimensionally), so that in the longitudinal direction of the head (direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body 12). A high density of substantial nozzle intervals (projection nozzle pitch) projected so as to be aligned along the line is achieved.

  One or more nozzle rows are arranged over a length corresponding to the entire width of the image forming area of the intermediate transfer body 12 in a direction (arrow M in FIG. 3) substantially orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body 12 (arrow S in FIG. 3). The form which comprises is not limited to the example of illustration. For example, instead of the configuration of FIG. 3 (a), as shown in FIG. 4, a short head module 80 ′ in which a plurality of nozzles 81 are two-dimensionally arranged is arranged in a staggered manner and connected to each other. Therefore, a line head having a nozzle row having a length corresponding to the entire width of the image forming area of the intermediate transfer body 12 as a whole may be configured.

  The pressure chamber 82 provided corresponding to each nozzle 81 has a substantially square planar shape (see FIGS. 3A and 3B), and the nozzle 81 is provided at one of the diagonal corners. An outlet for supplying ink (supply port) 84 is provided on the other side. Note that the shape of the pressure chamber 82 is not limited to this example, and the planar shape may have various forms such as a quadrangle (rhombus, rectangle, etc.), a pentagon, a hexagon, other polygons, a circle, and an ellipse.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a three-dimensional configuration of one channel of droplet discharge elements (ink chamber unit corresponding to one nozzle 81) serving as a recording element unit in the head 80 (5- in FIG. 3A). 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5).

  As shown in FIG. 5, each pressure chamber 82 communicates with the common flow path 85 via the supply port 84. The common flow path 85 communicates with an ink tank (not shown in FIG. 5; equivalent to the reference numeral 74 in FIG. 1) as an ink supply source, and the ink supplied from the ink tank passes through the common flow path 85. It is supplied to the pressure chamber 82.

  An actuator 88 having an individual electrode 87 is joined to a pressure plate (vibrating plate also serving as a common electrode) 86 constituting a part of the pressure chamber 82 (the top surface in FIG. 3). By applying a driving voltage between the individual electrode 87 and the common electrode, the actuator 88 is deformed to change the volume of the pressure chamber 82, and ink is ejected from the nozzle 81 due to the pressure change accompanying this. The actuator 88 is preferably a piezoelectric element using a piezoelectric material such as lead zirconate titanate or barium titanate. After the ink is ejected, when the displacement of the actuator 88 returns, the pressure chamber 82 is refilled with new ink from the common channel 85 through the supply port 84.

  By controlling the driving of the actuator 88 corresponding to each nozzle 81 according to the dot data generated by the digital halftoning process from the input image, the ink droplets can be ejected from the nozzle 81. While conveying the intermediate transfer body 12 in the sub-scanning direction at a constant speed, the ink discharge timing of each nozzle 81 is controlled in accordance with the conveyance speed, whereby a desired image (here, transfer image) is transferred onto the intermediate transfer body 12. The previous primary image) can be recorded.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the ink chamber unit 83 having the structure described above is latticed in a fixed arrangement pattern along a row direction along the main scanning direction and an oblique column direction having a constant angle θ not orthogonal to the main scanning direction. The high-density nozzle head of this example is realized by arranging a large number in the shape.

  That is, the pitch P of the nozzles projected (orthographically projected) so as to be arranged in the main scanning direction by a structure in which a plurality of ink chamber units 83 are arranged at a constant pitch d along a certain angle θ with respect to the main scanning direction. D × cos θ, and in the main scanning direction, each nozzle 81 can be handled equivalently as a linear array with a constant pitch P. With such a configuration, it is possible to realize a substantial increase in the density of nozzle rows projected so as to be aligned in the main scanning direction.

  When the nozzles are driven by a full line head having a nozzle row having a length corresponding to the entire printable width, (1) all the nozzles are driven simultaneously, (2) the nozzles are sequentially moved from one side to the other. (3) The nozzle is divided into blocks, and each block is sequentially driven from one side to the other. The width direction of the intermediate transfer body 12 (the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body 12) is performed. ) Is defined as main scanning, which prints one line (a line composed of a single line of dots or a line composed of a plurality of lines of dots).

  In particular, when driving the nozzles 81 arranged in a matrix as shown in FIG. 6, the main scanning as described in the above (3) is preferable. That is, nozzles 81-11, 81-12, 81-13, 81-14, 81-15, 81-16 are made into one block (other nozzles 81-21,..., 81-26 are made into one block, Nozzles 81-31,..., 81-36 as one block,..., And the nozzles 81-11, 81-12,. One line is printed in the width direction of the transfer body 12.

  On the other hand, by moving the full line head and the intermediate transfer body 12 relative to each other, printing of one line (a line formed by one line of dots or a line composed of a plurality of lines) formed by the main scanning described above is repeated. What is done is defined as sub-scanning.

  The direction indicated by one line (or the longitudinal direction of the belt-like region) recorded by the main scanning is referred to as a main scanning direction, and the direction in which the sub scanning is performed is referred to as a sub scanning direction. In other words, in the present embodiment, the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body 12 is the sub-scanning direction, and the direction orthogonal thereto is the main scanning direction. In implementing the present invention, the nozzle arrangement structure is not limited to the illustrated example.

  In this embodiment, a method of ejecting ink droplets by deformation of an actuator 88 typified by a piezo element (piezoelectric element) is adopted. However, the method of ejecting ink is not particularly limited in implementing the present invention. Instead of the piezo jet method, various methods such as a thermal jet method in which ink is heated by a heating element such as a heater to generate bubbles and ink droplets are ejected by the pressure can be applied.

[Adjustment of coagulation treatment agent]
(Example of treatment liquid 1)
A treatment liquid (Example 1) was prepared with the composition shown in [Table 1]. The physical properties of the treatment liquid (Example 1) obtained by this adjustment were measured. As a result, the pH was 3.6, the surface tension was 28.0 mN / m, and the viscosity was 3.1 mPa · s.

(Example of treatment liquid 2)
Furthermore, the processing liquid (Example 2) which added surfactant with the composition shown in [Table 2] was adjusted. The physical properties of the treatment liquid (Example 2) obtained by this adjustment were measured. As a result, the pH was 3.5, the surface tension was 18.0 mN / m, and the viscosity was 10.1 mPa · s.

  The chemical formula of the fluorosurfactant 1 used in [Table 2] is shown in [Chemical Formula 1].

[Ink adjustment]
An adjustment example of the ink used in the present embodiment is shown below.

(Polymer dispersion) Preparation of cyan ink In a reaction vessel, 6 parts by mass of styrene, 11 parts by mass of stearyl methacrylate, 4 parts by mass of styrene macromer AS-6 (manufactured by Toa Gosei), 5 parts by mass of Plenmer PP-500 (manufactured by NOF Corporation) Then, 5 parts by mass of methacrylic acid, 0.05 part by mass of 2-mercaptoethanol, and 24 parts by mass of methyl ethyl ketone were prepared.

  On the other hand, 14 parts by mass of styrene, 24 parts by mass of stearyl methacrylate, 9 parts by mass of styrene macromer AS-6 (manufactured by Toa Gosei), 9 parts by mass of Plenmer PP-500 (manufactured by NOF Corporation), 10 parts by mass of methacrylic acid, 2 -A mixed solution was prepared by adding 0.13 parts by weight of mercaptoethanol, 56 parts by weight of methyl ethyl ketone, and 1.2 parts by weight of 2,2'-azobis (2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile).

  While stirring the mixed solution in the reaction vessel under a nitrogen atmosphere, the temperature was raised to 75 ° C., and the mixed solution in the dropping funnel was gradually dropped over 1 hour. After 2 hours from the end of the dropwise addition, a solution prepared by dissolving 1.2 parts by weight of 2,2′-azobis (2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) in 12 parts by weight of methyl ethyl ketone was added dropwise over 3 hours, and further at 75 ° C. for 2 hours. Aging was carried out at 80 ° C. for 2 hours to obtain a polymer dispersant solution.

  A part of the obtained polymer dispersant solution was isolated by removing the solvent, and the obtained solid content was diluted to 0.1% by mass with tetrahydrofuran to obtain a high-speed GPC (gel permeation chromatography) HLC- Three TSKgel SuperHZM-H, TSKgel SuperHZ4000, and TSKgel SuperHZ2000 were connected in series with 8220GPC, and the weight average molecular weight was 25,000 in terms of polystyrene.

  5.0 g of the obtained polymer dispersant in terms of solid content, 10.0 g of cyan pigment Pigment Blue 15: 3 (manufactured by Dainichi Seika), 40.0 g of methyl ethyl ketone, 8.0 g of 1 mol / L sodium hydroxide, ion-exchanged water 82.0 g and 300 mm of 0.1 mm zirconia beads were added to the vessel and dispersed with a ready mill disperser (manufactured by Imex) at 1000 rpm for 6 hours. The obtained dispersion was concentrated under reduced pressure using an evaporator until methyl ethyl ketone was sufficiently distilled off, and concentrated until the pigment concentration was 10%. The resulting cyan dispersion had a pigment particle size of 77 nm.

  Ink was prepared using cyan dispersion so as to have the composition shown in [Table 3]. After the preparation, coarse particles were removed with a 5 μm filter to prepare cyan ink (C1-1). As a result of measuring physical properties of the obtained cyan ink C1-1, it was found that the pH was 9.0, the surface tension was 32.9 mN / m, and the viscosity was 3.9 mPa · s.

  In the same manner as described above, magenta, yellow, and black inks were also prepared.

[Additional polymer]
Particles such as polymer resin are appropriately added to the treatment liquid (aggregation treatment agent) and ink described above. It is desirable to add particles having a particle diameter of 1 to 5 μm and a melting point of 60 to 120 ° C. for fixing the coloring material and improving the transfer to the processing liquid, and the ink has a particle diameter of 1 μm or less and a glass point transfer point of 40 to 60 for fixing the image. It is preferable to add 1 to 5% of particles at ° C. Table 4 shows an example.

[Configuration of treatment liquid application part]
(First example of liquid application device)
FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram illustrating a first example of a liquid coating apparatus applied to the treatment liquid coating unit 16. In the figure, the intermediate transfer body 12 is conveyed from left to right. The liquid application apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 7 presses the gravure roller 38 against the intermediate transfer body 12 to be conveyed, and the gravure roller 38 is in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body 12 (counterclockwise in FIG. 7). Device for selectively applying a treatment liquid to a desired area of the intermediate transfer body 12 by rotating at a predetermined constant speed (here, the application area in the intermediate transfer body conveyance direction is controlled). Stuff).

  In the liquid coating apparatus 100 of this example, the processing liquid is pumped up by the liquid feed pump 104 from the processing liquid supply tank 102 that stores the processing liquid, and the processing liquid is introduced into the processing liquid container 40. A drain flow path 106 is provided at a predetermined height from the bottom surface of the processing liquid container 40, and the overflowed liquid returns to the processing liquid supply tank 102 via the drain flow path 106, so that the processing in the processing liquid container 40 is performed. The liquid level of the liquid 108 is kept constant.

  The gravure roller 38 is a coating roller in which a large number of precise cells (see FIGS. 8A and 8B) carved in a pyramid shape or a lattice shape (pyramidal frustum shape) are formed at a predetermined density on the surface. And has a length (width dimension) equal to or greater than the width dimension of the coated surface of the intermediate transfer body 12. The arrangement form of the cells on the roller surface is not particularly limited, but a form in which the cells are arranged along an oblique line that is not orthogonal to the rotation direction is preferable. The cell shape, depth, cell volume, density, and the like are appropriately selected according to the amount of liquid to be applied (the thickness of the liquid film after application). The gravure roller is also called an anilox roller or a precision roller.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a part of the gravure roller 38 (the lower part in FIG. 7) is immersed in the processing liquid 108 in the processing liquid container 40, so that the processing liquid enters the cell and the surface of the roller is processed. Liquid adheres.

  In the processing liquid container 40, a squeegee blade 110 is erected as a means for scraping off surplus processing liquid from the surface of the gravure roller 38. The squeegee blade 110 is disposed so that the tip thereof is in contact with the gravure roller 38, and the tip is biased in a direction of pushing the peripheral surface of the gravure roller 38. The urging force may be due to elastic deformation of the squeegee blade 110 itself, or may be applied from the outside using a spring or other urging member (not shown).

  The excess liquid is scraped off by the squeegee blade 110 while rotating the gravure roller 38 immersed in the processing liquid 108, so that only the processing liquid held in the cell passes through the squeegee blade 110.

  In the present embodiment, from the viewpoint of controlling the application range of the processing liquid in the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body 12, in the liquid application device 100, on the downstream side of the squeegee blade 110 with respect to the rotation direction of the gravure roller 38. The shielding member 112 is disposed so as to restrict (limit) the opening range of the surface of the gravure roller 38 in the rotation direction, and the surface of the gravure roller 38 exposed between the shielding member 112 and the squeegee blade 110 (the opening range described above). On the other hand, as shown in the drawing, a replacement fluid ejecting unit 114 that ejects a liquid such as water or a gas such as air (hereinafter collectively referred to as “replacement fluid”) from obliquely above is provided.

  The replacement fluid ejection unit 114 has an ejection range in which the substitution fluid is sprayed over the entire width of the gravure roller 38. By ejecting the replacement fluid from the replacement fluid ejecting unit 114, the processing liquid is removed from the cell of the gravure roller 38. That is, when a liquid is used as the replacement fluid, the processing liquid in the cell is replaced with the replacement fluid liquid. On the other hand, when a gas such as air injection is used, the processing liquid is blown out from the cell (replaced by air).

  By controlling the removal range of the processing liquid from the gravure roller 38 by the ejection of the replacement fluid, the application range of the processing liquid to the intermediate transfer body 12 (area in the intermediate transfer body conveyance direction) can be controlled. By selectively ejecting the replacement fluid onto the area corresponding to the non-image forming portion on the intermediate transfer body 12, the processing liquid is not applied to the non-image forming portion on the intermediate transfer body 12, and the image The treatment liquid can be applied only to the formation part (see FIG. 16A).

  According to this aspect, application of the treatment liquid to an unnecessary area can be suppressed, and adhesion of the aggregation treatment liquid to the pressure roller 48 can be prevented even when an image is transferred and formed on cut paper. For this reason, operation | movement of an apparatus is stabilized and reliability, such as a stain | pollution | contamination and corrosion over time, also improves.

The surface of the gravure roller 38 (particularly, the concave portion) is subjected to a liquid repellent treatment such as electroless PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) eutectoid plating or PFA (paraformaldehyde) coating to give a surface energy of 25 to 40 mN / m (= mJ / m ² ) is preferable because the releasability of the aggregating agent is improved, and the surface tension of the aggregating agent is as low as 18 to 28 mN / m (= mJ / m ² ) (according to Tables 1 and 2). Therefore, it is possible to ensure applicability.

  The rotational drive means (not shown) of the gravure roller 38 is preferably a direct drive (direct shaft connection) by an inverter motor, but is not limited to such a configuration, and combinations of various motors and speed reducers (gears, etc.) A combination of various motors and winding transmission means such as a timing belt may be used.

  The gravure roller 38 is supported by a moving mechanism (contact / separation mechanism) (not shown) so as to be movable in the vertical direction in FIG. 7, and the gravure roller 38 is pressed against the intermediate transfer body 12 ( Control can be performed to switch between the nip state shown in FIG. 7 and the state where the intermediate transfer member 12 is separated (withdrawn).

  On the opposite side (upper side in FIG. 7) of the gravure roller 38 with the intermediate transfer body 12 interposed therebetween, press rollers 116 and 117 are arranged. The two pressing rollers 116 and 118 are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval in the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body 12, and the gravure roller 38 is arranged with two pressing rollers 116 and 118 in the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body 12. It is located approximately in the middle of 118.

  At the time of application, as shown in the figure, the gravure roller 38 is pressed against the intermediate transfer member 12 and the intermediate transfer member 12 is pushed up between the pressing rollers 116 and 118. The intermediate transfer body 12 sandwiched between the pressing rollers 116 and 118 and the gravure roller 38 is curved along the upper peripheral surface of the gravure roller 38, thereby improving the adhesion with the gravure roller 38 and securing a contact area. By controlling the pressing amount of the gravure roller 38 against the intermediate transfer member 12, the winding angle of the intermediate transfer member 12 with respect to the gravure roller 38 can be adjusted.

  In this nip state, the intermediate transfer member 12 is conveyed at a constant speed, and the gravure roller 38 is rotated in the reverse direction with respect to the intermediate transfer member conveyance direction, so that it is homogeneous on the image forming surface 12A of the intermediate transfer member 12 as a member to be coated. Thin film coating by film thickness is possible. At this time, as the intermediate transfer body 12 is conveyed, the pressing rollers 116 and 118 rotate in a rotation direction following the conveyance direction. Further, by separating the gravure roller 38 during non-coating, such as during standby, cleaning by the first cleaning unit 30 and the second cleaning unit 32 can be performed stably, and damage to the intermediate transfer body 12 can be reduced.

  In the liquid coating apparatus 100 of this example, when the density of the cells of the gravure roller 38 is set to 100 to 250 lines / inch, the visibility of the coating pattern is low, and a uniform thin film coating with a coating thickness of about 1 to 25 μm is possible. It is. Furthermore, if the cell density is set to 150 to 200 lines / inch, a homogeneous liquid film of about 2 to 10 μm can be formed, no liquid flow occurs on the intermediate transfer member, and the colorant fixing property at the time of ink ejection is also improved. It is more preferable at the point which becomes favorable.

  The roller member for application is not limited to the gravure roller 38, and as shown in FIG. 8C, a spiral roller 39 (for example, “manufactured by OSG Corporation” having a spiral groove formed on the surface thereof is used. It is also possible to use a coating bar such as “D-Bar” (trade name) or a known wire bar. The groove shape, pitch a, groove depth b, and the like of the spiral roller 39 are appropriately selected according to the amount of liquid to be applied (the thickness of the liquid film after application). For example, in the case of the liquid coating apparatus 100 of this embodiment, a spiral roller having a pitch a = 0.08 to 0.2 mm and a groove depth b = 5 to 20 μm is suitable.

  Furthermore, in the liquid coating apparatus 100 of the present example, the squeegee blade 110 and the replacement fluid ejecting unit 120 are disposed so that the processing liquid removed by ejecting the replacement fluid flows down substantially along the squeegee blade 110 from the ejection position. Has been. That is, in FIG. 7, the tip of the squeegee blade 110 abuts approximately at the 3 o'clock position of the gravure roller 38, and is displaced from the gravure roller 38 by the replacement fluid injected into the region between the squeegee blade 110 and the shielding member 112. The removed liquid (including the replacement fluid when the replacement fluid is a liquid) flows down in the direction of gravity along the slope 110A of the squeegee blade 110. Thereby, the liquid pool at the tip of the squeegee blade 110 is prevented, and the removal liquid is prevented from being scattered while improving the controllability of the removal.

  Further, the squeegee blade 110 of this example is also used as a partition member (partition wall member) that partitions the inside of the processing liquid container 40. In FIG. 7, the left side of the squeegee blade 110 is an area for storing the processing liquid 108 (a part that functions as a coating liquid dish), and the right side is a recovery area for recovering the removal liquid removed by the replacement fluid. A heater 122 for heating the processing liquid is provided at the bottom of the region of the processing liquid container 40 where the processing liquid 108 is stored, and a processing liquid discharge port 124 is formed. The processing liquid discharge port 124 is connected to a processing liquid recovery tank 128 via a processing liquid discharge valve 126.

  If the processing liquid discharge valve 126 is opened, the processing liquid 108 can be extracted from the processing liquid container 40, and the processing liquid is discharged into the processing liquid container 40 by closing the processing liquid discharge valve 126 and driving the liquid feed pump 104. 108 can be saved.

  On the other hand, a removal liquid discharge port 130 is formed at the bottom of the collection region of the removal liquid partitioned by the squeegee blade 110, and the removal liquid discharge port 130 is connected to the removal liquid collection tank 134 via the removal liquid discharge valve 132. It is connected to the.

  Thus, by forming a partition with the squeegee blade 110 itself, the aggregating treatment liquid and the removal liquid can be separated, and the removal liquid can be independently recovered. If air is used as the replacement fluid, it can be removed with a simple structure, and the surfactant or high boiling point slightly remaining on the intermediate transfer body 12 that has passed through the first cleaning unit 30 (see FIG. 1). Since the solvent serves as a lubricant, damage to the intermediate transfer body 12 can be prevented even when the coating liquid on the roller surface is removed using air. Furthermore, the liquid recovered as the removal liquid can be reused as the coating liquid for coating.

On the other hand, if a liquid or liquid mist is used as the replacement fluid, the lubrication effect is improved. In particular, if water such as purified water is used, the coagulation treatment agent is effectively diluted and washed to 15 to 30 mN / m (= mJ / m). ^In the intermediate transfer body 12 having the low surface energy of about ² ), the amount of the aggregating agent attached is small, and drying in the aggregating agent heating part is possible, so that more stable removal is possible.

  As an example of an injection member applied to the replacement fluid injection unit 114, in the case of air injection, as shown in FIG. 9, a line in which nozzles 140 having a diameter of about 0.5 to 1 mm are arranged in the width direction at a pitch of 1 to 3 mm on the injection surface. A spray 142 can be used. A plurality of such line sprays 142 are arranged as shown in FIG. 10 to achieve a required injection width, and a substantially uniform impact force (impact) 500 over the entire area of the spray surface within a pressure range of 0.1 to 0.5 MPa. ˜1500 mN can be provided.

  In the case of liquid injection, for example, a one-fluid flat spray nozzle having an orifice diameter of about 0.2 to 0.6 mm and an injection angle of 60 to 100 ° can be used. As shown in FIG. 11, since the fluid is ejected at the spray angle α in the flat spray nozzle, the substantial spray width Wsp of the spray range 148 is defined by the distance L between the discharge surface of the nozzle body 144 and the spray surface 146. Is done. The flat spray nozzle is not limited to a single mode, and a plurality of flat spray nozzles may be arranged in the width direction of the gravure roller 38. In this case, removal control in the width direction can be performed in addition to the transport direction.

  According to the inkjet recording apparatus 10 provided with the liquid coating apparatus 100 of this example, when the apparatus is on standby or stopped, the processing liquid discharge valve 126 is opened to extract the processing liquid 108 from the processing liquid container 40 and the gravure roller 38 is immersed. By rotating the gravure roller 38 while ejecting the replacement fluid for a certain time in a state where the state has been eliminated, the processing liquid on the roller surface is surely removed, and the residual processing liquid adheres to the roller surface due to the acidic residual processing liquid. Alteration can be prevented, and stable operation of the apparatus becomes possible.

(Second example of liquid application device)
Next, a second example of the liquid application device applied to the treatment liquid application unit 16 will be described. The one-fluid flat spray nozzle exemplified above can control the spray angle (spray angle) by adjusting the spray pressure. In addition, by using a pressurized two-fluid flat spray nozzle (two-fluid air atomizing nozzle) that sprays in a state of being atomized by mixing air and liquid, the jet can be controlled by controlling the combination of air pressure and liquid flow rate. The corner can be controlled.

  Therefore, by applying the treatment liquid to the gravure roller 38 using such an ejection angle variable ejection nozzle, only the application liquid application area in the intermediate transfer body conveyance direction can be obtained without arranging a plurality of removal nozzles in the width direction. It is also possible to change the applied width in the width direction orthogonal to this.

  The second example of the liquid application apparatus shown in FIG. 12 is an apparatus that can control the application range in the width direction and the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body 12. 12, members that are the same as or similar to the components described in FIG. 7 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  The liquid coating apparatus 150 according to the second example illustrated in FIG. 12 includes a processing liquid ejecting unit 152 as means for applying the processing liquid to the gravure roller 38. As the injection member of the treatment liquid injection unit 152, a one-fluid flat spray nozzle or a pressurized two-fluid flat spray nozzle capable of controlling the injection angle is applied. Specifically, for example, a one-fluid flat spray in which an orifice angle of about 0.2 to 0.4 mm and an injection angle of 60 to 100 ° are realized, and a pressurized two-fluid flat spray having the same size as this can be used.

  As illustrated in FIG. 12, the treatment liquid ejecting unit 152 ejects the treatment liquid from below the gravure roller 38 toward the vicinity of the tip of the squeegee blade 110. At that time, the jetting pressure is controlled so that the jetting angle is a given width that matches the width of the image forming area.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the liquid spray pattern by the flat spray has a liquid amount distribution in the width direction. Also, the injection amount (flow rate) changes depending on the injection pressure. However, in the case of this example, since the excess processing liquid is removed by the squeegee blade 110 so that a paper width range wider than the width of the effective image area can be applied, the application amount of the processing liquid to the gravure roller 38 is consequently reduced. It can be kept stable, and uniform application with controlled application width is possible.

  The configuration for selectively removing the processing liquid in the circumferential direction of the gravure roller 38 by fluid ejection from the replacement fluid ejecting unit 114 is as described in the first example.

  Further, the squeegee blade 110 in FIG. 12 is also used as a partition wall of the processing liquid container 40 and functions as a member that separates the processing liquid scraped off from the gravure roller 38 and the removing liquid removed by the replacement fluid. It is the same as one example.

  According to the liquid coating apparatus of the second example having the above-described configuration, the processing liquid application width in the width direction is controlled by the processing liquid ejecting unit 152, and the intermediate fluid transfer direction (the circle in the gravure roller 38) is controlled by the replacement fluid ejecting unit 114. The treatment liquid application range in the (circumferential direction) is controlled.

  FIG. 14 is an explanatory view schematically showing the relationship between the treatment liquid ejecting unit 152 and the replacement fluid ejecting unit 114. As shown in the drawing, the nozzles of the treatment liquid ejection unit 152 can switch at least two types of ejection widths (injection ranges in the width direction). Although FIG. 14 shows an example in which two types of injection widths are realized by the strength of the injection pressure, an aspect in which three or more types of injection widths are realized corresponding to the type of paper size of the recording medium 14 is also possible. . Information on the recording medium 14 may be automatically acquired by a sensor or the like, or may be acquired by being input by an operator.

  The nozzle of the replacement fluid ejecting unit 114 has an ejection width larger than the maximum ejection width (in the illustrated case, the ejection width when the ejection pressure is high) by the processing liquid ejecting unit 152. For the replacement fluid injection unit 114, the injection width is not required, so that the injection pressure is constant, and only the replacement fluid injection (on) / non-injection (off) is controlled. In the present embodiment, the ejection width of the replacement fluid ejecting unit 114 is fixed from the viewpoint of simplifying the apparatus configuration, but the ejection width of the replacement fluid ejecting unit 114 is changed according to the switching of the ejection width of the processing liquid ejecting unit 152. You may employ | adopt the structure switched.

  FIG. 15 is a configuration example of a liquid supply system when gas (air) is used as a replacement fluid. The nozzle body 160 of the replacement fluid ejecting unit 114 is connected to the compressor 170 via an electromagnetic valve 162, a manual valve 164, and a precision regulator 168. Compressed air from the compressor 170 is maintained at a predetermined pressure by the precision regulator 168, and air injection (on) / non-injection (off) from the nozzle body 160 is controlled by on / off control of the electromagnetic valve 162. Thereby, the air injection pressure from the nozzle body 160 becomes constant, and a predetermined injection width is realized.

  The nozzle body 180 of the treatment liquid ejecting unit 152 is connected to the liquid layer 186 in the pressure vessel 185 via the electromagnetic valve 182, the temperature controller 183, and the manual valve 184. A liquid for injection (in this case, a processing liquid) is stored in the sealed pressure vessel 185, and the gas layer 187 of the pressure vessel 185 is a variable precision regulator 188 capable of controlling pressure change. To the compressor 170.

  By controlling the variable precision regulator 188 to change the pressure in the pressure vessel 185, the pressure of the liquid delivered from the pressure vessel 185 is adjusted. The liquid sent out from the pressure vessel 185 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the temperature controller 183 and sent to the nozzle body 180 via the electromagnetic valve 182. The injection (on) / non-injection (off) of the liquid from the nozzle body 180 is controlled by the on / off control of the electromagnetic valve 182, and the injection pressure, that is, the injection from the nozzle body 180 is controlled by the pressure control of the variable precision regulator 188. The width is changed. When a two-fluid air atomizing nozzle is used as the nozzle body 180 of the treatment liquid ejecting unit 152, compressed air is supplied to the air supply unit 189 of the nozzle body 180 via a regulator (not shown). It becomes the composition which becomes.

  Although the details of the supply system in the case of using a liquid as the replacement fluid are not shown, a liquid supply system similar to the processing liquid is used instead of the air supply system to the nozzle body 160 shown in FIG. 15 (however, pressure control is not required). Applies.

  A control example of the application of the treatment liquid to the intermediate transfer body 12 according to the configuration of the first and second examples will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 16A shows the application range (application area) controlled in the transport direction of the intermediate transfer body 12 by applying the first example. FIG. 16B is a diagram in which the application range is controlled in the width direction and the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body 12 by applying the second example.

  The intermediate transfer body 12 has a larger width than the area of the effective image area 192 where the primary image to be transferred is formed, and a wider area than the effective image area 192 (coating corresponding to the recording medium size indicated by reference numeral 194). The processing liquid is applied to the area).

  FIG. 16C shows the timing of the ejection control of the replacement fluid in the first example and the second example (corresponding to the timing of the on / off control of the electromagnetic valve 162 shown in FIG. 15). FIG. 16D shows application control of the coating liquid (processing liquid) to the gravure roller in the first example and the second example.

  As shown in FIG. 16D, the gravure roller 38 itself is continuously applied with a coating liquid (treatment liquid), and the coating range in the transport direction is controlled by the control of the replacement fluid shown in FIG. (See FIGS. 16A and 16B).

  Further, in the configuration of the liquid coating apparatus 150 according to the second example, the spraying pressure of the processing liquid spraying unit 152 is controlled to change the coating range in the width direction in response to the change in the paper size of the recording medium 14.

  According to the liquid coating apparatuses 100 and 150 according to the present embodiment, the following operational effects can be obtained.

  (1) A replacement fluid is sprayed onto a partial area (area corresponding to the non-image forming portion) of the gravure roller 38 to which the coating liquid (processing liquid in this example) is applied, and the coating liquid adhered to the area is discharged. Since it is configured to be removed (replaced), it is possible to selectively remove the coating liquid (“treatment liquid”) attached to the non-image forming area.

  In addition, since the ejection of the replacement fluid is performed on the portion corresponding to the non-image forming area of the intermediate transfer body 12 with an ejection width wider than the application width of the processing liquid, reliable removal is possible.

  (2) The configuration and arrangement of the squeegee blade 110 and the arrangement of the replacement fluid ejecting section are devised so that the excess coating liquid and the ejecting fluid removed by the ejection of the replacement fluid flow down along the squeegee blade 110. The accumulation of the coating liquid at the tip of the squeegee blade 110 in contact with the gravure roller 38 is unlikely to occur, thickening is prevented, and good control of liquid breakage in the rotational direction can be realized.

  (3) The squeegee blade 110 itself forms a partition wall of the processing liquid container 40, and an independent discharge port (liquid recovery port indicated by reference numerals 124 and 130) is provided for each space partitioned by the partition wall. The coating liquid scraped off by the blade 110 can be separated from the liquid removed by the replacement fluid (if the replacement fluid is a liquid, the liquid mixture of the removed coating liquid and the replacement liquid). Can be recovered independently.

(4) The surface tension of the liquid ejected as the replacement fluid is 60 to 80 mN / m (water not containing a surfactant such as distilled water), and the surface energy of the intermediate transfer member is 15 to 30 mN / m (= mJ / m ² ). Since the surface tension of the replacement fluid is larger than the surface energy of the intermediate transfer member, the adhesion of the replacement fluid to the intermediate transfer member can be reduced, and the coating liquid components can be effectively diluted and removed. Is possible. Further, the intermediate transfer member having a low surface energy has a small amount of attached liquid and can be removed by heating.

  (5) As described in the second example, the application liquid is applied to the gravure roller 38 by spraying the liquid using a flat spray (flat type line spray), and the opening slit formed by the squeegee blade 110 and the shielding member 112. In addition to control, the application width can be controlled by jet pressure control.

  In particular, in a mode in which liquid spraying by flat spray is performed on the intermediate transfer body 12 after the liquid cleaning process by the first cleaning unit 30, since the thin film remaining in the liquid cleaning process becomes a lubricating layer, the coating liquid for the gravure roller 38 is used. Even at the non-attached portion, it is possible to prevent the intermediate transfer body 12 from being worn.

  (6) During non-image formation such as when the apparatus is on standby or stopped, no coating liquid is applied to the gravure roller (in the first example, the liquid is discharged from the processing liquid container 40, and in the second example, the processing liquid injection unit 152 In addition, by continuously applying a replacement fluid (gas or liquid) for a predetermined time, the surface of the gravure roller is cleaned, and the adhesion of the coating liquid and the attack by the coating liquid component (acid in this example) also occur. Can be reduced. In particular, cleaning is more effective if a liquid with few impurities such as distilled water is used as the replacement fluid.

[Configuration of the first cleaning section]
As shown in FIG. 1, the first cleaning unit 30 is a means for cleaning the intermediate transfer body 12 using a cleaning liquid. The cleaning liquid ejecting section 60 that ejects the cleaning liquid and the image forming surface 12A of the intermediate transfer body 12 are used. And a rotating brush 62 that rotates in reverse with respect to the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer member, and a blade 64 that slides and wipes the surface of the intermediate transfer member 12.

  A heater 65 is disposed on the back surface side of the intermediate transfer body 12 in the first cleaning unit 30. The heater 65 increases the permeability of the surfactant to the residue in the intermediate transfer body 12 and melts the residue such as polymer fine particles. As a specific example, at this time, the intermediate transfer member 12 is heated to 90 to 120 ° C. by the heater 65.

  Here, the residue in the intermediate transfer body 12 is derived from the processing liquid and ink.

  The residue on the intermediate transfer member 12 is peeled off by the rotating brush 62 that rotates in the reverse direction with respect to the intermediate transfer member conveyance direction. As the rotating brush 62, one in which nylon or a fluororesin is implanted can be considered.

  Further, the residue on the intermediate transfer body 12 is removed by a rubber blade 64 such as EPT (ethylene / propylene rubber), NBR (nitrile rubber), fluorine rubber, or urethane rubber.

  As described above, the first cleaning unit 30 mainly functions as a means for cleaning the intermediate transfer body 12 after the image transfer to the recording medium 14 is completed.

  The rotating brush 62 and the blade 64 are movably supported by a moving mechanism (contact / separation mechanism driving unit, reference numeral 327 in FIG. 28), and the rotating brush 62 and the blade 64 are attached to the intermediate transfer body 12. Control can be performed to switch between the pressed state and the separated (retracted) state from the intermediate transfer body 12.

  FIG. 17 is a configuration example of a liquid supply system when one liquid is ejected. The nozzle body 400 of the cleaning liquid ejecting unit 60 is connected to the storage container 410 via an electromagnetic valve 402, a temperature controller 404, a manual valve 406, and a liquid feed pump 408. Further, in order to detect ejection, an ejection detection sensor (not shown, a resistance detection sensor, a light transmission detection sensor, an ejection pressure detection sensor, etc.) for detecting the liquid ejected from the nozzle body 400 is used as a nozzle. It is disposed between the body 400 and the intermediate transfer body 12.

  Furthermore, the flow path between the nozzle body 400 and the electromagnetic valve 402 is branched and connected to the nozzle body 414 in order to ensure the ejection width of the ejection liquid (in this example, the cleaning liquid). The storage container 410 stores a jetting liquid (in this example, a cleaning liquid), and the storage container 410 collects the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle body 400 and the nozzle body 414 for reuse. The container 412 and the filter 416 are connected.

  Under such a configuration, the liquid delivered from the storage container 410 by controlling the liquid feed pump 408 is heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 50 to 90 ° C.) by the temperature controller 404, It is sent to the nozzle body 400 and the nozzle body 414 via the electromagnetic valve 402. Then, the on / off control of the electromagnetic valve 402 controls the injection (on) / non-injection (off) of the liquid from the nozzle body 400 and the nozzle body 414.

  FIG. 18 is a configuration example of a liquid supply system when two liquids are ejected. The nozzle body 420 of the cleaning liquid ejecting unit 60 is connected to the liquid layer 432 in the pressure vessel 430 through an electromagnetic valve 422, a switching valve 424, a temperature controller 426, and a manual valve 428. A liquid for injection (in this example, a cleaning liquid) is stored in the sealed pressure vessel 430, and the gas layer 434 of the pressure vessel 430 includes a variable precision regulator 436 capable of controlling pressure change. To the compressor 438.

  Further, it is connected to the liquid layer 446 in the pressure vessel 444 via the temperature controller 440 and the manual valve 442 through a separate path from the switching valve 424. A liquid for injection (in this example, purified water, distilled water, etc.) is stored in the sealed pressure vessel 444, and the gas layer 448 of the pressure vessel 444 can be subjected to pressure change control. It is connected to the compressor 438 through a precision regulator 450.

  Further, in order to detect ejection, an ejection detection sensor (not shown, resistance value detection type sensor, light transmission detection type sensor, injection pressure detection type sensor, etc.) for detecting the liquid ejected from the nozzle body 420 is used as a nozzle. It is disposed between the body 420 and the intermediate transfer body 12.

  Furthermore, in order to secure the injection width of the liquid for injection (in this example, cleaning liquid, purified water, distilled water, etc.), the flow path between the nozzle body 420 and the electromagnetic valve 422 is branched and connected to the nozzle body 452. I am letting.

  Under such a configuration, by controlling the variable precision regulator 436 to change the pressure in the pressure vessel 430, the pressure of the liquid (in this example, the cleaning solution) delivered from the pressure vessel 430 is adjusted. . The liquid sent out from the pressure vessel 430 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the temperature controller 426 and sent to the nozzle body 420 and the nozzle body 452 via the switching valve 424 and the electromagnetic valve 422. The injection (on) / non-injection (off) of the liquid from the nozzle body 420 and the nozzle body 452 is controlled by the on / off control of the electromagnetic valve 422, and the injection pressure, that is, the nozzle body is controlled by the pressure control of the variable precision regulator 436. The injection amount and the injection width from 420 and the nozzle body 452 are changed.

  Further, by controlling the precision regulator 450 to change the pressure in the pressure vessel 444, the pressure of the liquid delivered from the pressure vessel 444 is adjusted. The liquid delivered from the pressure vessel 444 (in this example, purified water, distilled water, etc.) is heated to a predetermined temperature by the temperature controller 440, and the nozzle body 420 and the nozzle are connected via the switching valve 424 and the electromagnetic valve 422. Sent to the body 452. The injection (on) / non-injection (off) of the liquid from the nozzle body 420 and the nozzle body 452 is controlled by the on / off control of the electromagnetic valve 422, and the injection pressure, that is, the nozzle body 420 is controlled by the pressure control of the precision regulator 450. Further, the injection amount and the injection width from the nozzle body 452 are changed.

  The cleaning liquid is preferably an aqueous liquid containing a high-boiling-point solvent containing the same surfactant as the aggregating agent or the ink-containing component, and the liquid recovered by the solvent removing unit 24 may be used. The cleaning liquid recovered in the recovery container 412 is preferably filtered through a filter 416 and reused, and the concentration may be adjusted with purified water or the like. An example of the prepared cleaning liquid is shown in [Table 5].

  Further, as an example of an injection member applied to the cleaning liquid injection unit 60, a line spray in which nozzles are arranged in the width direction on the injection surface as shown in FIG. 9 can be used. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the required spray width may be realized by arranging a plurality of line sprays.

  In order to further improve the cleaning performance, a plurality of rotating brushes 62 and blades 64 may be arranged.

[Configuration of the second cleaning section]
FIG. 19 is an enlarged view of a portion of the second cleaning unit 32. As shown in FIG. 19, the second cleaning unit 32 includes adhesive rollers 66 and 68 capable of controlling movement of contact and separation with respect to the surface (12 </ b> A) of the intermediate transfer body 12, and these adhesive rollers 66 and 68 are in contact with each other. And a cleaning web (or adhesive belt) 70 that can be used. As shown in the figure, the second cleaning unit 32 is disposed at a position facing the stretching roller 34A.

  As described above, the second cleaning unit 32 is disposed at a position facing the stretching roller 34A, whereby the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 are disposed at portions before and after the inflection point where the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body 12 changes. Will be. Therefore, tension is generated in the vicinity of the inflection point in the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body 12, and the residue on the intermediate transfer body 12 is easily peeled off. In FIG. 19, reference numerals 72 and 73 are pressing rollers, which are arranged as necessary.

  The adhesive rollers 66 and 68 have higher adhesive strength than the intermediate transfer body 12, and as a specific example, it is desirable that the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 be formed of butyl rubber or urethane rubber having an adhesive strength of 20 to 200 hpa (measurement method conforms to JIS-K-6256). . The adhesive rollers 66 and 68 are preferably set wider than the intermediate transfer body 12.

  Although the cleaning method will be described later, the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 are moved to the intermediate transfer body at the time of start-up of the ink jet recording apparatus, at the time of standby, during batch processing, or during non-image formation such as print initialization immediately before shifting to image formation. 12, the foreign matter on the intermediate transfer body 12 is adhered to the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 by removing the foreign matter (dust) from the surface 12 </ b> A of the intermediate transfer body 12.

  The foreign matter adhering to the surfaces of the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 is rotated by bringing the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 into contact with the cleaning web (or adhesive belt) 70 when the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 are separated from the intermediate transfer body 12. Thus, the foreign matter on the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 can be moved to the cleaning web (or adhesive belt) 70. As a result, the surfaces of the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 can be cleaned.

  FIG. 20 is an example in which the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 are divided into two combs and is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the adhesive rollers 66 and 68. As shown in FIG. 20, by dividing the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 into two combs, the adhesive force of the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 is divided and sticking to the intermediate transfer body 12 can be prevented.

  It is desirable to periodically remove the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 and polish and refresh the surface. The cleaning web 70 may always be in contact with the adhesive rollers 66 and 68.

  Moreover, you may use the thing of the structure which uses the web which gave the adhesive agent by multilayer winding instead of the adhesion rollers 66 and 68, and peels off the surface suitably.

[Construction of dirt detector]
FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of the dirt detection unit 44. As shown in FIG. 21, the dirt detecting unit 44 constitutes a laser displacement sensor. More specifically, the dirt detection unit 44 includes a semiconductor laser light source 460, a light projecting lens system 462, a drive circuit 464, a light position detection element 466, a light receiving lens system 468, a signal amplification circuit 470, and the like.

  The semiconductor laser light source 460 is driven by a drive circuit 464 and irradiates a measurement object with laser light via a light projection lens system 462. The laser beam irradiated and reflected on the measurement object is taken into the optical position detection element 466 through the light receiving lens system 468 to generate a detection signal, and the detection signal is amplified by the signal amplification circuit 470. Then, based on the amplified detection signal, a system controller 272 (FIG. 26), which will be described later, calculates a distance to the measurement object and a displacement amount from the reference position of the measurement object.

  As a specific example, a semiconductor laser with a wavelength of 410 nm or 670 nm may be used as the semiconductor laser irradiated from the semiconductor laser light source 460. Further, it is conceivable to use the principle of triangulation as the calculation of the distance to the measurement object.

  As described above, the intermediate transfer body 12 is obtained by forming a coating portion by applying silicon rubber, fluororubber, fluoroelastomer, or the like to a base material such as polyimide to a thickness of about 30 to 150 μm. And although a coating part usually has a light transmittance and it is easy to permeate | transmit a laser beam, if a residue adheres, surface reflection will arise and a change of a reflective distance will arise. Therefore, by calculating the amount of displacement of the measurement object from the reference position, even when the high boiling point solvent, acid, polymer particles, etc. remain thin (for example, 0.5 to 5 μm) as a whole, compared to the measurement of reflected light amount. Reliable and stable dirt detection.

  This will be described with reference to FIG. 21. The object to be measured is the intermediate transfer body 12, and a coating surface such as silicon rubber, fluororubber, or fluorine elastomer is formed on a base material surface such as polyimide to form a coated surface. is doing. The position of the coat surface is set as a reference position.

  Here, when there is no residue on the coated surface, the laser light irradiated to the intermediate transfer body 12 through the light projecting lens system 462 passes through the coated surface and the coating portion, and the substrate surface. Reflected by. Then, the reflected laser light is taken into the optical position detection element 466 through the light receiving lens system 468.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 21, a residue further exists on the coat surface and forms a residue surface. Therefore, the laser light applied to the intermediate transfer body 12 via the light projection lens system 462 cannot be transmitted through the residue and is reflected by the residue surface. Then, the reflected laser light is taken into the optical position detection element 466 through the light receiving lens system 468.

  Therefore, contamination detection is performed based on the difference between the displacement from the substrate surface to the coat surface (reference position) and the displacement from the substrate surface to the residue surface.

[Cleaning of intermediate transfer member]
22 to 25 are flowcharts showing an operation sequence related to cleaning of the intermediate transfer member.

  FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing an operation sequence in which cleaning is performed by the second cleaning unit 32 during non-image formation such as when the ink jet recording apparatus is started up, during standby, or during batch processing. As shown in FIG. 22, all members in contact with the intermediate transfer member 12 are separated from the intermediate transfer member 12 (step S1). Here, all members in contact with the intermediate transfer body 12 include the gravure roller 38 of the treatment liquid application unit 16, the solvent removal roller 42 of the solvent removal unit 24, the pressure roller 48 of the transfer unit 26, and the like. All members in contact with the image forming surface.

  Next, the contamination detection unit 44 measures the contamination of the intermediate transfer body 12 (contamination detection step, step S2). And it is judged from the measurement result whether cleaning is required (step S3). Specifically, in FIG. 21, when the difference between the displacement from the substrate surface to the coating surface (reference position) and the displacement from the substrate surface to the residue surface is a predetermined value or more, the second cleaning unit 32. Therefore, it is judged that cleaning is necessary. As a result of the determination, if cleaning is required (YES), cleaning (second cleaning process) is performed by the second cleaning unit 32 (step S4), and then the process ends. On the other hand, if the result of determination is that cleaning is not required (NO), the operation sequence is terminated as it is.

  The second cleaning unit 32 always cleans the non-image forming unit such as when the inkjet recording apparatus is started up, during standby, or during batch processing without measuring the contamination of the intermediate transfer body 12 by the contamination detection unit 44. It may be done.

  If there are many residues, the cleaning of the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 may be repeated, or may be used in combination with the cleaning by the first cleaning unit 30. When the cleaning by the first cleaning unit 30 is not performed, the rotary brush 62 and the blade 64 are separated (retracted) from the intermediate transfer body 12 by a moving mechanism (contact / separation mechanism driving unit, reference numeral 327 in FIG. 28). ) Is controlled.

  As described above, if the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 are used, a slight amount of adhering material such as color material and paper dust adhered to the intermediate transfer body 12 can be reliably removed over the entire width of the intermediate transfer body 12 as compared with liquid cleaning. Is possible.

  FIG. 23 shows the surface of the intermediate transfer body 12 as a print initialization just before shifting to the image formation in the non-image formation, for example, before entering the image formation state from the standby state after the startup of the ink jet recording apparatus. It is a flowchart figure which shows the operation | movement sequence which aims at stabilization of. As shown in FIG. 23, all members in contact with the intermediate transfer member 12 are separated from the intermediate transfer member 12 (step S11). Next, cleaning is performed by the second cleaning unit 32 (step S12). Next, cleaning (first cleaning process) is performed by the first cleaning unit 30 (step S13), and the operation sequence is terminated.

  As described above, the cleaning by the first cleaning unit 30 is performed after the cleaning by the second cleaning unit 32 immediately before the transition to the image formation in the non-image forming. Accordingly, even when hard dust such as sand dust adheres to the intermediate transfer body 12 due to taking in outside air for cooling the inside of the ink jet recording apparatus, generating dust inside the machine, maintenance work, etc., cleaning by the first cleaning unit 30 is performed. It can be prevented that hard dust is sometimes caught between the rotating brush 62 and the blade 64 and the intermediate transfer body 12 is damaged by scratches.

  In step S12, by setting the temperature of the intermediate transfer body 12 to be lower than the melting temperature of the residual polymer component, dust on the intermediate transfer body 12 can be obtained even if a small amount of polymer component remains on the intermediate transfer body 12. Welding can be prevented, and the intermediate transfer body 12 can be more reliably cleaned.

  FIG. 24 is a flowchart illustrating an operation sequence in which image formation is performed while the first cleaning unit 30 performs continuous cleaning. As shown in FIG. 24, the treatment liquid application unit 16 applies a treatment liquid (aggregation treatment agent) as an undercoat liquid to the intermediate transfer body 12 (liquid application step, step S21). Next, the applied treatment liquid is heated by passing through the heating unit 18, and the solvent component is evaporated and dried (step S22). As a result, a solid or semi-solid aggregation treatment agent layer (a thin film layer obtained by drying the treatment liquid) is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer body 12.

  Next, pigment ink of each color (CMYK) is ejected from each head 22Y, 22M, 22C, 22K of the printing unit 22 in accordance with an image signal, and droplets are ejected onto the aggregation treatment agent layer (liquid application process, step) S23). Next, the solvent (residual solvent) component separated from the pigment aggregate is removed from the intermediate transfer body 12 by the solvent removal roller 42 of the solvent removal unit 24 (step S24). Next, the primary image formed on the intermediate transfer body 12 is transferred to the recording medium 14 (step S25).

  Next, the intermediate transfer body 12 is cleaned by the first cleaning unit 30 (step S26). Next, it is determined whether or not to continue image formation (step S27). When image formation is continued (YES), the process returns to step S21 again. When image formation is not continued (NO), an operation sequence is performed. Exit.

  At the time of image formation, the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 of the second cleaning unit 32 are separated from the intermediate transfer body 12, and a low-speed take-up web using a nonwoven fabric impregnated with an aqueous or petroleum cleaning liquid, or the like, or The pressure-sensitive adhesive rollers 66 and 68 may be cleaned by urging the pressure-sensitive adhesive belt 66 and 68 to have a stronger pressure-sensitive adhesive belt.

  FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing an operation sequence for cleaning the intermediate transfer body 12 as post-printing processing during non-image formation after image formation (after batch processing). As shown in FIG. 25, all members in contact with the intermediate transfer member 12 are separated from the intermediate transfer member 12 (step S31).

  Next, cleaning is performed by the first cleaning unit 30 (step S32). At this time, cleaning is performed with a liquid (second liquid) having a higher moisture ratio than the cleaning liquid (first liquid) (having less components containing a high-boiling solvent or a surfactant). More specifically, before cleaning by the second cleaning unit 32, the switching valve 424 (FIG. 18) is adjusted in the first cleaning unit 30 to inject water such as purified water or distilled water from the cleaning liquid injection unit 60. To clean. As a result, the high-boiling solvent such as glycerin and diethylene glycol, the surfactant, and the acid contained in the ink as a residue on the intermediate transfer body 12 are diluted and removed, so that the cleaning by the second cleaning unit 32 is performed. Can be performed more effectively.

  When cleaning is performed by the first cleaning unit 30, the temperature of the intermediate transfer body 12 is lowered to prevent evaporation of the liquid having a high water ratio, or the gas layer 448 in the pressure vessel 444 is controlled by the precision regulator 450. The amount of water sprayed from the cleaning liquid ejecting unit 60 on the intermediate transfer body 12 may be increased by adjusting the pressure. Thereby, since the residue of the intermediate transfer body 12 is reduced, the cleaning by the second cleaning unit 32 can be performed even more effectively.

  Next, cleaning by heating and melting is performed by the second cleaning unit 32 (step S33). Here, cleaning by heating and melting will be described below.

  First, the intermediate transfer body 12 is rotated for 1 to 3 minutes while either the heater 65 or the heating unit 18 of the first cleaning unit 30 or both the heater 65 and the heating unit 18 of the first cleaning unit 30 are heated. From (intermediate transfer member temperature adjustment step), the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 are brought into contact with the intermediate transfer member 12 whose temperature has increased. At this time, the temperature of the heater 65 or the heating unit 18 is either one of the temperature at which the water in the residue evaporates or the temperature at which the polymer fine particles melt at the intermediate transfer body 12 or the temperature at the intermediate transfer body 12. It is desirable to set the temperature so that the moisture in the object evaporates and the polymer fine particles melt. More specifically, when the polymer fine particles are non-crystalline polymer fine particles, it is desirable to set the temperature to be equal to or higher than the glass transition point (for example, 50 ° C. or higher in the case of acrylic). Further, when the polymer fine particle is a crystalline polymer, it is desirable to set the temperature to be equal to or higher than the melting point (for example, 110 ° C. or higher for ethylene-based, 70 ° C. or higher for WAX-based). Note that the temperature of the intermediate transfer body 12 may be increased by lowering the conveying speed of the intermediate transfer body 12 than when forming the image.

  When the temperature is set in this way and dried by heating, the residue becomes semi-solidified. At this time, if the blade 64 of the first cleaning unit 30 tries to remove it, there is a risk of causing stick-slip or damage to the intermediate transfer body 12 due to friction. There is no risk of damaging the body 12, and the entire width can be reliably cleaned.

  If the rotating brush 62 of the first cleaning unit 30 is urged when the intermediate transfer body 12 is rotated while controlling the heater 65, the fine particle component such as molten polymer is peeled off from the intermediate transfer body 12 and is effective. Is. As a brush bristle material, in addition to nylon 66, durability can be improved by using a heat and liquid resistant material such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) or PFA (tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer).

  In addition, when the intermediate transfer member 12 is rotated while being heated by the heating unit 18, the cooler 20 disposed in the drying step of the aggregation treatment agent so that the temperature of the intermediate transfer member 12 rises and falls below the melting temperature of the polymer component. (Intermediate transfer member temperature adjustment step) is also preferably controlled, and the thermal transfer is repeatedly applied to the intermediate transfer member 12, so that the residue is easily peeled off from the intermediate transfer member 12 due to thermal distortion or rotational bending.

  As described above, the residue on the intermediate transfer body 12 is heated and melted to increase the viscosity, whereby the cleaning by the second cleaning unit 32 is more efficient.

  Next, cleaning by room temperature shearing is performed by the second cleaning unit 32 (step S34). Here, cleaning by room temperature shear will be described below.

  First, the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 are provided with a torque limiter (not shown) via an electromagnetic clutch or the like so that a rotational load can be applied to the adhesive rollers 66 and 68. Then, the intermediate transfer body 12 is driven below the melting temperature of the residual polymer particles, and the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 are driven to contact with the intermediate transfer body 12 so as to generate a shearing force. Thereby, a peeling force is generated and even a small residue can be removed. At this time, if the conveyance speed of the intermediate transfer body 12 is lowered from that during image formation, the residue can be removed more efficiently. As a specific example, it is desirable that the rotation load applied to the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 is 3 to 15 N / 300 mm, and the conveyance speed of the intermediate transfer body 12 is 50 to 300 mm / s.

  If the adhesive force of the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 is too strong, sticking to the intermediate transfer body 12 may occur. Therefore, as a method of dispersing the adhesive force of the adhesive rollers 66 and 68, for example, as shown in FIG. 20, it is conceivable to divide the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 into two combs. Accordingly, a part of each of the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 is not brought into contact with the intermediate transfer body 12, so that the adhesive force of the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 can be dispersed in the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body 12. FIG. 20 is an example in which the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 are divided into two combs and is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the adhesive rollers 66 and 68. A method of preventing sticking to the intermediate transfer body 12 by arranging the pressing rollers 72 and 73 as shown in FIG.

  Next, the intermediate transfer member contact member (intermediate transfer member contact means) is cleaned (third cleaning step, step S35). Here, the intermediate transfer body contact member refers to the image forming surface of the intermediate transfer body 12 such as the gravure roller 38 of the treatment liquid application unit 16, the solvent removal roller 42 of the solvent removal unit 24, and the pressure roller 48 of the transfer unit 26. It is a member that may come into contact.

  Here, the adhesive strength is set in the order of (adhesive rollers 66, 68)> (intermediate transfer member 12)> (intermediate transfer member contact member). As described above, by setting the adhesive force of each member, after the cleaning by the second cleaning unit 32, the gravure roller 38 of the treatment liquid application unit 16, the solvent removal roller 42 of the solvent removal unit 24, and the pressurization of the transfer unit 26 are performed. By bringing the intermediate transfer member contact member such as the roller 48 into contact with the intermediate transfer member 12, the intermediate transfer member contact member can be cleaned.

  It should be noted that the adhesive forces of the intermediate transfer member contact members such as the gravure roller 38 of the treatment liquid application unit 16, the solvent removal roller 42 of the solvent removal unit 24, and the pressure roller 48 of the transfer unit 26 do not necessarily satisfy the above inequality. There is no need to set to. If necessary, only the intermediate transfer member contact member that needs to be cleaned may be set so as to satisfy the above inequality.

  The intermediate transfer member contact member preferably has a liquid repellency of about 25 to 40 mN / m by applying a PFA coat or electroless PTFE eutectoid plating to the metal surface. Further, the adhesive strength is preferably set to a measurement method based on JIS-K-6256, with the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 set to 20 hpa or more, the intermediate transfer member 12 to 5 to 20 hpa, and the intermediate transfer member contact member to less than 5 hpa. In particular, if a fluorine-based elastomer (Shin-Etsu Chemical SIFEL600 series or the like) or the like is used as the intermediate transfer body 12, it is suitable because it has weak adhesiveness.

  In addition, if the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 are used, it is possible to reliably remove a small amount of adhering material such as color material or paper dust attached to the intermediate transfer body 12 as compared with liquid cleaning. The cleaning of the adhesive rollers 66 and 68 may be repeated or used together with the cleaning by the first cleaning unit 30.

[Explanation of control system]
FIG. 26 is a principal block diagram showing the system configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus 10. The inkjet recording apparatus 10 includes a communication interface 270, a system controller 272, a memory 274, a motor driver 276, a heater driver 278, a cooler control unit 279, a print control unit 280, an image buffer memory 282, a head driver 284, and the like.

  The communication interface 270 is an interface unit that receives image data sent from the host computer 286. As the communication interface 270, a serial interface such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), IEEE 1394, Ethernet (registered trademark), a wireless network, or a parallel interface such as Centronics can be applied. In this part, a buffer memory (not shown) for speeding up communication may be mounted. The image data sent from the host computer 286 is taken into the inkjet recording apparatus 10 via the communication interface 270 and temporarily stored in the memory 274.

  The memory 274 is a storage unit that temporarily stores an image input via the communication interface 270, and data is read and written through the system controller 272. The memory 274 is not limited to a memory made of a semiconductor element, and a magnetic medium such as a hard disk may be used.

  The system controller 272 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and its peripheral circuits, and functions as a control device that controls the entire inkjet recording apparatus 10 according to a predetermined program, and also functions as an arithmetic device that performs various calculations. . That is, the system controller 272 controls the communication interface 270, the memory 274, the motor driver 276, the heater driver 278, the cooler control unit 279, and the like to control communication with the host computer 286, read / write control of the memory 274, etc. And a control signal for controlling the motor 288 and the heater 289 of the transport system is generated.

  The ROM 275 stores programs executed by the CPU of the system controller 272 and various data necessary for control. The ROM 275 may be a non-rewritable storage unit or a rewritable storage unit such as an EEPROM. The memory 274 is used as a temporary storage area for image data, and is also used as a program development area and a calculation work area for the CPU.

  The motor driver 276 is a driver that drives the motor 288 in accordance with an instruction from the system controller 272. In FIG. 26, the motors arranged in the respective units in the apparatus are represented by reference numeral 288. For example, the motor 288 shown in FIG. 26 includes a motor for driving the drive roller in the stretching rollers 34A to 34C in FIG. 1, a motor for the movement mechanism of the solvent removal roller 42, the transfer roller 36 and the pressure roller 48. The motor of the moving mechanism is included.

  A heater driver 278 shown in FIG. 26 is a driver that drives the heater 289 in accordance with an instruction from the system controller 272. In FIG. 26, a plurality of heaters provided in the inkjet recording apparatus 10 are represented by reference numeral 289. For example, the heater 289 shown in FIG. 26 includes the heater of the heating unit 18 shown in FIG. 1, the preheater 46, the heater 65 of the first cleaning unit 30, and the like.

  The cooler control unit 279 of FIG. 26 is a control unit that performs temperature control of the cooler 20 (see FIG. 1) in accordance with an instruction from the system controller 272.

  The print control unit 280 has a signal processing function for performing various processes and corrections for generating a print control signal from the image data in the memory 274 under the control of the system controller 272, and the generated print It is a control unit that supplies data (dot data) to the head driver 284. Necessary signal processing is performed in the print controller 280, and the ejection amount and ejection timing of the ink droplets of the head 80 are controlled via the head driver 284 based on the image data. Thereby, a desired dot size and dot arrangement are realized.

  The print control unit 280 includes an image buffer memory 282, and image data, parameters, and other data are temporarily stored in the image buffer memory 282 when image data is processed in the print control unit 280. In FIG. 26, the image buffer memory 282 is shown in a mode associated with the print control unit 280, but it can also be used as the memory 274. Also possible is an aspect in which the print control unit 280 and the system controller 272 are integrated to form a single processor.

  An overview of the flow of processing from image input to print output is as follows. Image data to be printed is input from the outside via the communication interface 270 and stored in the memory 274. At this stage, for example, RGB image data is stored in the memory 274.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus 10, a pseudo continuous tone image is formed by changing the droplet ejection density and dot size of fine dots with ink (coloring material) to the human eye. It is necessary to convert to a dot pattern that reproduces the gradation (shading of the image) as faithfully as possible. Therefore, the original image (RGB) data stored in the memory 274 is sent to the print control unit 280 via the system controller 272, and the print control unit 280 performs halftoning processing using a threshold matrix, an error diffusion method, or the like. Is converted into dot data for each ink color.

  That is, the print control unit 280 performs processing for converting the input RGB image data into dot data of four colors K, C, M, and Y. Thus, the dot data generated by the print control unit 280 is stored in the image buffer memory 282. Note that the primary image formed on the intermediate transfer body 12 must be a mirror image of the secondary image finally formed on the recording medium 14 in consideration of inversion at the time of transfer. That is, the drive signals supplied to the heads 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22K are drive signals corresponding to the mirror image, and the print control unit 280 needs to invert the input image.

  The head driver 284 outputs a drive signal for driving the actuator 88 corresponding to each nozzle 81 of the head 80 based on the print data (that is, dot data stored in the image buffer memory 282) given from the print control unit 280. Output. The head driver 284 may include a feedback control system for keeping the head driving conditions constant.

  When the drive signal output from the head driver 284 is applied to the head 80, ink is ejected from the corresponding nozzle 81. An image (primary image) is formed on the intermediate transfer member 12 by controlling the ink discharge from the head 80 while conveying the intermediate transfer member 12 at a predetermined speed.

  Further, the system controller 272 controls the transfer control unit 292 and the treatment liquid application control unit 294, and controls the operations of the solvent removal unit 24, the first cleaning unit 30, and the second cleaning unit 32 described in FIG.

  The transfer control unit 292 shown in FIG. 26 performs temperature control and nip pressure control of the transfer roller 36 and the pressure roller 48 (see FIG. 1) of the transfer unit 26. Optimum values (control target values) of nip pressure and transfer temperature are obtained in advance for each type of recording medium 14 and ink type, and are stored in a predetermined memory (for example, ROM 275) as a data table. When the system controller 272 acquires information on the recording medium 14 to be used and information on the ink to be used by input by an operator, automatic reading from a predetermined sensor, or the like, the transfer roller 36 and the pressure roller 48 are referred to the data table. Temperature and nip pressure are controlled.

  The processing liquid application control unit 294 illustrated in FIG. 26 controls the operation of the processing liquid application unit 16 in accordance with an instruction from the system controller 272. When the liquid application apparatus 100 described with reference to FIG. 7 is applied to the treatment liquid application unit 16, as shown in FIG. 26, the drain valve 302, the liquid feed pump 104, the gravure roller contact / separation mechanism drive unit 304, and the gravure The roller rotation driving unit 306, the replacement fluid ejection valve 308, and the like are controlled by the processing liquid application control unit 294.

  The drain valve 302 includes the processing liquid discharge valve 126 and the removal liquid discharge valve 132 described with reference to FIG. Further, the replacement fluid injection valve 308 in FIG. 26 corresponds to an electromagnetic valve that performs injection (on) / non-injection (off) of the replacement fluid injection unit 114 described in FIG.

  The system controller 272 determines the image forming area and the non-image forming area on the intermediate transfer body 12 based on the image data to be printed, and does not apply the processing liquid to the portion corresponding to the non-image forming area. In addition, the on / off of the replacement fluid injection valve 308 is controlled. As a result, the processing liquid is selectively applied to the portion corresponding to the image forming area of the intermediate transfer body 12. In the case of this example, the combination of the system controller 272 and the treatment liquid application control unit 294 functions as “replacement fluid ejection control means”.

  When the liquid application apparatus 150 described with reference to FIG. 12 is applied to the treatment liquid application unit 16, it is variable as shown in FIG. 27 instead of the configuration of the drain valve 302 and the liquid feed pump 104 in FIG. 26. The precision regulator 310 and the processing liquid injection valve 312 are controlled. The variable precision regulator 310 shown here is a means for changing the injection pressure from the processing liquid injection unit 152 in FIG. 12, and corresponds to the reference numeral 188 in the example of FIG.

  27 is a means for switching injection (ON) / non-injection (OFF) from the processing liquid injection unit 152 in FIG. 12, and is denoted by reference numeral 182 in the example of FIG. The indicated solenoid valve is applicable.

  FIG. 28 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the first cleaning unit control unit 320. The first cleaning unit controller 320 shown in FIG. 28 controls the operation of the first cleaning unit 30 in accordance with an instruction from the system controller 272 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 28, the fluid control device 322, the liquid ejection valve 324, the rotary brush rotation drive unit 326, the contact / separation mechanism drive unit 327, and the like are controlled by the first cleaning unit control unit 320. Further, the fluid control device 322 in FIG. 28 corresponds to the liquid feed pump 408 shown in FIG. 17 and the compressor 438 shown in FIG. 28 corresponds to the solenoid valve 402 shown in FIG. 17, the solenoid valve 422 and the switching valve 424 shown in FIG.

  FIG. 29 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the second cleaning unit control unit 328. The second cleaning unit control unit 328 shown in FIG. 29 controls the operation of the second cleaning unit 32 in accordance with an instruction from the system controller 272 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 29, the second cleaning unit controller 328 controls the adhesive roller contact / separation mechanism driving unit 330, the adhesive roller rotation driving unit 332, the adhesive roller cleaning driving unit 334, and the like. The cleaning web (or adhesive belt) 70 is driven by an adhesive roller cleaning drive unit 334.

  A detection signal is input from the dirt detection unit 44 to the system controller 272.

  In the first embodiment described above, an example in which an aggregating treatment agent (treatment liquid) is applied and then dried to form a solid or semi-solid agglomerating agent layer, and ink is deposited thereon. However, an embodiment in which an aggregating agent is applied after ink ejection is also possible. Hereinafter, this aspect will be described as a second embodiment.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 30 is a configuration diagram of an inkjet recording apparatus 700 according to the second embodiment. 30, elements that are the same as or similar to the example described in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus 700 shown in FIG. 30, the undercoat liquid applied by the treatment liquid application unit 16 is different from the example of FIG. 1, and printing is performed instead of the heating unit 18 and the cooler 20 in FIG. A liquid discharge head (hereinafter referred to as “aggregated liquid head”) 702 for applying an aggregating treatment liquid (image forming liquid) 702 is disposed downstream of the unit 22.

  That is, the ink jet recording apparatus 700 shown in this example forms a first processing liquid layer with an undercoat liquid (hereinafter also referred to as “first processing liquid”) on the intermediate transfer body 12, and ink is contained in the first processing liquid layer. After the droplets are ejected, an aggregating treatment liquid (hereinafter also referred to as “second treatment liquid”) having a function of aggregating the ink droplets corresponding to the ink droplets in the first treatment liquid layer is ejected. A three-component image forming method is applied in which the colorant (pigment) in the ink is aggregated by dropping to form an ink aggregate.

  The first treatment liquid applied by the treatment liquid application unit 16 of the ink jet recording apparatus 700 is a liquid that does not have a function of aggregating ink droplets even when contacting with the ink droplets. A liquid obtained by removing a colorant (pigment) from the ink liquid used for the ink 22 can be used. Table 6 shows an example of adjusting the first treatment liquid.

  The aggregation processing liquid (second processing liquid) discharged from the aggregation liquid head 702 aggregates the pigment (coloring material) and polymer fine particles contained in the ink by changing the pH of the ink, thereby generating an ink aggregate. A treatment liquid having a function of causing the above is preferable.

  The aggregation processing liquid storage / loading unit 704 illustrated in FIG. 30 includes a tank that stores the second processing liquid supplied to the aggregation liquid head 702. The tank communicates with the aggregate liquid head 702 through a required flow path.

  As the coagulating liquid head 702 of this example, one having the same configuration as the head arranged in the printing unit 22 is applied. The aggregating liquid head 702 only needs to be capable of applying the aggregating treatment liquid to the intermediate transfer body 12 in a non-contact manner, and the droplet ejection density (resolution) is higher than that of the ink heads 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22K. A head having a structure in which a drop is applied may be applied, or a method other than the inkjet method such as a spray method may be applied.

  As components of the second treatment liquid, polyacrylic acid, acetic acid, glycolic acid, malonic acid, malic acid, maleic acid, ascorbic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, fumaric acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, sulfonic acid, orthophosphoric acid Pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, pyrone carboxylic acid, pyrrole carboxylic acid, furan carboxylic acid, pyridine carboxylic acid, coumaric acid, thiophene carboxylic acid, nicotinic acid, derivatives of these compounds, or salts thereof preferable.

  Further, as a preferred example of the second treatment liquid, a treatment liquid to which a polyvalent metal salt or polyallylamine is added can be mentioned. These compounds may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

  The second treatment liquid preferably has a pH of 1 to 6, more preferably 2 to 5, and particularly preferably 3 to 5 from the viewpoint of pH aggregation performance with the ink.

  The addition amount of the component for aggregating the pigment and polymer fine particles of the ink in the second treatment liquid is preferably 0.01% by weight or more and 20% by weight or less with respect to the total weight of the liquid. When the amount is 0.01% by weight or less, the concentration diffusion does not proceed sufficiently when the second processing liquid and the ink are in contact with each other, and the aggregation action due to the pH change may not occur sufficiently. Further, if it is 20% by weight or more, there is a concern that the discharge performance from the ink jet head deteriorates (for example, occurrence of discharge abnormality).

  The second treatment liquid preferably contains water and other additive-soluble organic solvents for the purpose of preventing clogging of the nozzles of the discharge head (702) due to drying. Such water and other additive-soluble organic solvents include wetting agents and penetrants. These solvents can be used alone or in combination with water and other additives.

  The content of water and other additive-soluble organic solvents is preferably 60% by weight or less based on the total weight of the second treatment liquid. When the amount is more than 60% by weight or more, the viscosity of the treatment liquid increases, and the dischargeability from the inkjet head may deteriorate.

  The second processing liquid may further contain a resin component in order to improve fixability and abrasion resistance. The resin component may be any resin component that does not impair the ejection properties from the head when the treatment liquid is ejected by the ink jet method and has storage stability, and water-soluble resins and resin emulsions can be used freely.

  Examples of the resin component include acrylic, urethane, polyester, vinyl, and styrene. In order to sufficiently develop the function of improving the fixing property, it is necessary to add a relatively high polymer to a high concentration of 1% by weight to 20% by weight. However, if it is attempted to dissolve the above material in a liquid and add it, the viscosity becomes high, and the discharge property is lowered. In order to add an appropriate material at a high concentration and suppress an increase in viscosity, a means of adding as a latex is effective. Latex materials include alkyl acrylate copolymers, carboxy-modified SBR (styrene-butadiene latex), SIR (styrene-isoprene) latex, MBR (methyl methacrylate-butadiene latex), NBR (acrylonitrile-butadiene latex), and the like. Conceivable.

  The glass transition temperature Tg of the latex is a value that has a strong influence upon fixing in the process, and is preferably 50 ° C. or higher and 120 ° C. or lower in order to achieve both stability at room temperature storage and transferability after heating. Further, the minimum film-forming temperature MFT is a value that has a strong influence upon fixing in the process, and is 100 ° C. or lower, more preferably 50 ° C. or lower in order to obtain sufficient fixing at a low temperature.

  A mode in which the second treatment liquid contains polymer fine particles having a polarity opposite to that of the ink and is further aggregated with the pigment and the polymer fine particles in the ink is also preferable. Further, the second processing liquid contains a curing agent corresponding to the polymer fine particle component contained in the ink, and after the ink and the second processing liquid contact, the resin emulsion in the ink component aggregates and crosslinks or polymerizes. Thus, the cohesiveness may be increased.

  The second treatment liquid may contain a surfactant. Examples of surfactants include fatty acid salts, alkyl sulfate esters, alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkyl naphthalene sulfonates, dialkyl sulfosuccinates, alkyl phosphate ester salts, naphthalene sulfonate formalin condensates, Anionic surfactants such as oxyethylene alkyl sulfate esters, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkyl allyl ethers, polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene alkylamines Nonionic surfactants such as glycerin fatty acid ester and oxyethyleneoxypropylene block copolymer are preferred.

  Further, SURFYNOLS (AirProducts & Chemicals), which is an acetylene-based polyoxyethylene oxide surfactant, is also preferably used. An amine oxide type amphoteric surfactant such as N, N-dimethyl-N-alkylamine oxide is also preferred. Furthermore, those listed as surfactants on pages (37) to (38) of JP-A-59-157636, Research Disclosure No. Those listed as surfactants in 308119 (1989) can be used as the surfactant in the second treatment liquid.

  Further, fluorine (fluorinated alkyl type) and silicon type surfactants as described in JP-A Nos. 2003-322926, 2004-325707, and 2004-309806 are used. Is also possible. These surface tension adjusting agents can also be used as antifoaming agents, and fluorine-based, silicon-based compounds, chelating agents represented by EDTA, and the like can also be used.

  When the above-mentioned surfactant is contained in the second processing liquid, it is effective to lower the surface tension of the second processing liquid and increase the wettability on the intermediate transfer member. The surface tension of the second treatment liquid is preferably 10 to 50 mN / m. In application by the ink jet method, the surface tension of the second treatment liquid is 15 from the viewpoint of droplet formation and discharge performance. More preferably, it is -45mN / m.

  The viscosity of the second treatment liquid is preferably 1.0 to 20.0 cP from the viewpoint of application by an inkjet method. In addition, you may add a pH buffer agent, antioxidant, an antifungal agent, a viscosity modifier, a electrically conductive agent, an ultraviolet-ray, an absorber, etc. to a 2nd process liquid.

  FIG. 31 is a block diagram of the ink jet recording apparatus 700 shown in FIG. In FIG. 31, elements that are the same as or similar to the example shown in FIG. 26 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  The ink jet recording apparatus 700 shown in FIG. 31 includes an aggregating liquid head 702 and a head driver 708 for driving the aggregating liquid head 702 as means for applying an aggregating liquid (second processing liquid). The head driver 708 generates a drive signal to be applied to the actuator 88 of the aggregate liquid head 702 based on the image data given from the print control unit 280, and applies the drive signal to the actuator 88 to drive the actuator 58. It is configured including a circuit. As described above, a mode in which the aggregation liquid is ejected according to the image data and the aggregation processing liquid is selectively ejected to the position where the ink is ejected by the printing unit 22 is a preferable aspect. A mode of applying uniformly using a spray nozzle is also possible.

  Note that the configuration described with reference to FIG. 27 may be employed instead of the treatment liquid application unit 16 illustrated in FIG. 31.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, an endless belt is used as the intermediate transfer member. However, an embodiment using a drum-shaped intermediate transfer member is also possible. In this case, it is desirable from the viewpoint of workability and thermal controllability to use a fluorine elastomer or the like on the surface of a thin aluminum tube reinforced with ribs.

  The image forming apparatus and the control method for the image forming apparatus of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course, you may also do.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment. Plan view of the main part around the printing unit Plane perspective view showing the internal structure of the head Plan view showing another configuration example of the head Sectional drawing which follows the 5-5 line in FIG. Plan view showing an example of nozzle arrangement of the head The block diagram which shows the 1st example of the liquid application apparatus applied to a process liquid application part The figure which shows the example of the cell shape formed in the surface of a gravure roller, and the example of a spiral roller Configuration diagram of a line spray showing an example of an ejection member applied to a replacement fluid ejection unit Diagram showing an example of line spray usage Illustration of flat spray nozzle The block diagram which shows the 2nd example of the liquid application apparatus applied to a process liquid application part Graph showing liquid volume distribution of liquid spray pattern by flat spray Explanatory drawing which showed typically the relationship between a process liquid injection part and a substitution fluid injection part The figure which shows the structural example of the liquid supply system in the case of using gas (air) as a substitution fluid Explanatory drawing which shows the example of control of the application range of the process liquid with respect to an intermediate transfer body Explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the liquid supply system in the case of ejecting 1 liquid in a 1st cleaning part. Explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the liquid supply system in the case of injecting 2 liquids in a 1st cleaning part. Enlarged view of the second cleaning section This is an example in which the adhesive roller is divided into two combs and is viewed from the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the adhesive roller Enlarged view of the dirt detector The flowchart figure which shows the operation | movement sequence which cleans by a 2nd cleaning part at the time of non-image formations, such as at the time of starting of an inkjet recording device, a standby, and batch processing. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an operation sequence for stabilizing the surface of the intermediate transfer member as print initialization immediately before shifting to image formation in non-image formation. The flowchart figure which shows the operation | movement sequence which performs image formation, performing cleaning continuously by the 1st cleaning part. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation sequence for cleaning the intermediate transfer member as post-printing processing during non-image formation after image formation (after batch processing). 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a principal block diagram showing a system configuration when the liquid coating apparatus described in FIG. 12 is applied. The block diagram which shows the structure of a 1st cleaning part control part. The block diagram which shows the structure of a 2nd cleaning part control part. Overall configuration diagram of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,700 ... Inkjet recording device, 12 ... Intermediate transfer body, 14 ... Recording medium, 16 ... Treatment liquid application part, 18 ... Heating part, 20 ... Cooler, 22 ... Printing part, 22K, 22C, 22M, 22Y ... Head , 26 ... transfer part, 30 ... first cleaning part, 32 ... second cleaning part, 36 ... transfer roller, 38 ... gravure roller, 44 ... dirt detection part, 48 ... pressure roller, 60 ... cleaning liquid injection part, 62 ... Rotating brush, 64 ... blade, 66 ... adhesive roller, 68 ... adhesive roller, 70 ... cleaning web (or adhesive belt), 81 ... nozzle, 82 ... pressure chamber, 88 ... actuator, 100, 150 ... liquid applicator, 110 ... Squeegee blade, 112 ... shielding member, 114 ... replacement fluid ejection unit, 152 ... treatment liquid ejection unit, 272 ... system controller, 294 ... treatment liquid coating The control unit, 702 ... aggregation liquid head

Claims (17)

An intermediate transfer member for carrying an image;
First cleaning means for applying a liquid to the intermediate transfer member to clean the intermediate transfer member;
A second cleaning unit that includes an adhesive unit that has a greater adhesive force than the intermediate transfer member, and that contacts the intermediate transfer member to clean the intermediate transfer member;
An image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
Cleaning is performed by the first cleaning unit when an image is formed on the intermediate transfer member, and cleaning is performed by the second cleaning unit or when the first cleaning unit is not formed when an image is not formed on the intermediate transfer member. Having a control unit that controls to perform cleaning by both of the second cleaning means;
An image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The first cleaning unit includes a switching unit capable of switching the liquid to be applied between the image formation and the non-image formation;
An image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Having at least one intermediate transfer member contact means which is a means for contacting the intermediate transfer member and other than the adhesive means;
At least one of the intermediate transfer member contact means has less adhesive force than the intermediate transfer member;
An image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The second cleaning means includes a rotation load means for applying a rotation load to the adhesive means;
An image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The adhesive means is a skewed roller that does not partially contact the intermediate transfer member;
An image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
At least a part of the intermediate transfer member has light transmittance,
Having a dirt detecting means for detecting dirt on the intermediate transfer body using a light projecting / receiving means for receiving the light projected and reflected toward the intermediate transfer body,
An image forming apparatus. A first cleaning step in which a liquid is applied to an intermediate transfer member for carrying an image to clean the intermediate transfer member; and an adhesive means having a higher adhesive force than the intermediate transfer member is brought into contact with the intermediate transfer member A second cleaning step for cleaning the intermediate transfer member;
The first cleaning step is performed during image formation for forming an image on the intermediate transfer member, and the second cleaning step or the first cleaning step and the second cleaning step during non-image formation without forming an image on the intermediate transfer member. Doing both
And a control method for the image forming apparatus. The method of controlling an image forming apparatus according to claim 8.
A liquid application step for applying an image forming liquid containing a polymer component and a solvent component to the intermediate transfer member;
An intermediate transfer member temperature adjusting step for adjusting the temperature of the intermediate transfer member, which is a pre-process of the second cleaning step.
And a control method for the image forming apparatus. The method of controlling an image forming apparatus according to claim 8 or 9,
Performing the second cleaning step after the first cleaning step during the non-image formation,
In the first cleaning step, the intermediate transfer member is cleaned by applying a second liquid having a moisture ratio higher than that of the first liquid applied during the image formation;
And a control method for the image forming apparatus. The method of controlling an image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 10,
In the second cleaning step, the temperature of the intermediate transfer member is made lower than the melting temperature of the polymer component, and the adhesive unit is brought into contact with the intermediate transfer member while applying a rotational load to the adhesive unit;
And a control method for the image forming apparatus. 12. The method for controlling an image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
The first cleaning step is performed after the second cleaning step is performed immediately before the transition to the image formation during the non-image formation,
In the second cleaning step, the temperature of the intermediate transfer member is made lower than the melting temperature of the polymer component,
And a control method for the image forming apparatus. The method for controlling an image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 12,
A third cleaning step of cleaning the intermediate transfer member contact unit having a lower adhesive force than the intermediate transfer member, out of the intermediate transfer member contact unit that is a unit that contacts the intermediate transfer member and is a unit other than the adhesive unit. Having
And a control method for the image forming apparatus. The method for controlling an image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 13,
In the second cleaning step, the adhesive force of the adhesive means is dispersed by not bringing a part of the adhesive means into contact with the intermediate transfer member;
And a control method for the image forming apparatus. 15. The method for controlling an image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
At least a part of the intermediate transfer member has light transmittance,
Having a dirt detection step of detecting dirt on the intermediate transfer body using a light projecting / receiving unit that receives the light projected and reflected toward the intermediate transfer body;
And a control method for the image forming apparatus. The method of controlling an image forming apparatus according to claim 9.
In the intermediate transfer member temperature adjustment step, the temperature of the intermediate transfer member is set to at least one of the melting temperature of the polymer component or the boiling point temperature of the solvent component,
And a control method for the image forming apparatus. The method of controlling an image forming apparatus according to claim 9.
In the intermediate transfer member temperature adjusting step, heating and cooling of the intermediate transfer member are repeated so that the temperature of the intermediate transfer member rises and falls below the melting temperature of the polymer component,
And a control method for the image forming apparatus.

Images