JP2011173713A - Recording medium conveyance apparatus and recording medium conveyance method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording medium conveyance apparatus and a recording medium conveyance method capable of stably conveying a recording medium in curved surface conveyance. <P>SOLUTION: The recording medium conveyance apparatus and the recording medium conveyance method include a conveyance body 76 of imparting curvature for placing and conveying the recording medium 22, a holding means 77 for holding the tip in the conveyance direction of the recording medium 22, a conveyance means having a plurality of suction holes for sucking the recording medium 22 under negative pressure and sucking from the suction holes, a noncontact type recording medium restricting means 83 for pressing in a noncontact fashion from the opposite side of the conveyance body 76 of the recording medium 22, and a control means for controlling a pressing position by the noncontact type recording medium restricting means 83 and a suction position by the suction means by a kind of recording medium 22. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording medium conveying apparatus and a recording medium conveying method, and more particularly to a recording medium conveying method and a recording medium conveying apparatus that can stably convey a recording medium in curved surface conveyance.

  In a system in which a recording medium is conveyed by a carrier having a curvature such as an impression cylinder, when an image is formed by ink jet, the recording medium does not float or wrinkle so that the recording medium does not contact the ink jet head. It is necessary to carry it in close contact with it.

  For example, in Patent Document 1 below, an apparatus including a unit for performing drying while adsorbing and transporting a recording medium to a rotating drum is proposed in order to closely hold the surface of the transport body. However, when suction conveyance is carried out by a conveyance body having a curvature such as a rotating drum, the trailing edge floats due to slack in the thin paper and the ink due to the penetration of ink moisture, and in the thick paper due to the high rigidity of the paper itself. Therefore, there is a problem that the recording medium cannot be adsorbed in a state where the recording medium is uniformly adhered to the surface of the conveyance body.

  Further, Patent Document 2 describes an image recording apparatus including a suction position changing unit that changes a suction position by a suction unit according to movement of a roller. However, in Patent Document 2, processing is performed for each ridge generated in the adsorbed state, and when a plurality of ridges are generated, there is a problem that productivity is remarkably lowered. Further, regarding the problem of adsorbing in a state of being in close contact with the surface of the transport body, it has not been a fundamental solution.

  Patent Document 3 describes an ink jet recording apparatus that suppresses a decrease in the temperature of a recording medium by changing the suction air volume according to the type (rigidity, thickness) of the recording medium. A printing apparatus and a printing method for pressing a recording medium against a conveying unit are described.

JP 2008-179012 A JP 2004-90490 A JP 2004-338175 A JP 2003-211652 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-193772

  However, it is difficult to correct when thin paper is adsorbed in a slack state simply by providing suction air volume control and air blowing means, and if the air blowing timing and adsorption timing are not appropriate, the paper will flutter There was a concern of adsorbing.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium conveying apparatus and a recording medium conveying method that can stably convey a recording medium in curved surface conveyance.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a conveying body provided with a curvature for loading and conveying a recording medium, a holding means for holding the leading end in the conveying direction of the recording medium, and the recording medium are loaded. Conveying means having a plurality of suction holes for pressure suction, suction means for sucking from the suction holes, and non-contact type recording medium suppressing means for pressing in a non-contact manner from the opposite side of the recording medium to the recording medium And a control means for controlling the pressing position by the non-contact type recording medium holding means and the suction position by the suction means depending on the type of the recording medium.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the non-contact type recording medium pressing unit that presses the recording medium in a non-contact manner is provided in combination with the suction unit provided on the conveyance body, and the suction position is controlled with respect to the pressing position depending on the type of paper. By doing so, the adsorption state of the recording medium can be stabilized even on the curved surface conveyance body, and the conveyance can be performed while suppressing the occurrence of slack and wrinkles.

  A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the control unit sets the suction position downstream of the pressing position with respect to the pressing position as the rigidity of the recording medium is lower.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the lower the rigidity of the recording medium is, the lower the suction position is on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the pressing position. And uniform adsorption. If the adsorption is started at a position close to the pressing position, the recording medium is not corrected, and the recording medium is adsorbed in a loose or loose state, so that it may be adsorbed in a partially floating state. Conceivable.

  On the contrary, when the recording medium has high rigidity, it is preferable that the suction position is the same position as the pressing position or the upstream side in the transport direction. Stable adsorption can be performed without floating the recording medium with the minimum pressing force and suction pressure necessary for suppressing the trailing edge of the recording medium. When the suction position is on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the pressing position, the recording medium that is in close contact with the transport body by the non-contact recording medium restraining means is separated from the transport body again, and the recording medium is It is conceivable that the carrier cannot be completely adsorbed. For this reason, the number of suction holes that are not blocked increases, the suction pressure decreases, and the recording medium cannot be restrained on the conveyance body. As a result, the rear end of the recording medium jumps up again after passing through the pressing position. It is possible.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the non-contact type recording medium restraining unit is a blowing unit that supplies wind, and the blowing unit has a wind direction upstream from a downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. It arrange | positions so that it may become the side.

  According to the third aspect, by supplying the wind from the downstream side to the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium by the blowing means, the recording medium can be fed along the surface of the conveyance body, and the wind can be supplied. It is possible to improve the pressing effect of the recording medium.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the suction unit performs suction stepwise from a leading end of the recording medium in a transport direction.

  According to claim 4, it is possible to prevent the recording medium from being adsorbed on the upstream side from the pressing position by performing the adsorption of the recording medium stepwise from the leading end in the transport direction. In addition, since the time from the pressing position to the suction position can be made substantially equal, generation of wrinkles can be suppressed even for a large-sized recording medium, and suction can be performed more reliably.

  A fifth aspect of the present invention according to the fourth aspect is characterized in that the suction unit is divided into a plurality of areas in the conveyance direction of the recording medium, and the suction force in each area can be controlled.

  According to the fifth aspect, since the suction unit can be divided into a plurality of areas in the recording medium conveyance direction and the suction force can be controlled in each area, the generation of wrinkles can be more effectively suppressed.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the transfer body is an impression cylinder, and the impression cylinder is connected to a transfer cylinder.

  According to the sixth aspect, by using the impression cylinder as the conveying body and conveying the recording medium from the transfer cylinder, the conveying can be performed with high accuracy.

  A seventh aspect of the present invention according to the sixth aspect is characterized in that the non-contact type recording medium holding means is provided inside the transfer cylinder.

  According to the seventh aspect, since the non-contact type recording medium suppressing means is provided in the transfer cylinder, the space for installing the non-contact type recording medium suppressing means can be reduced, and the entire apparatus can be saved. be able to. Further, since the pressing is performed by the wind from the state where the recording medium is in contact with the transfer drum, the suction can be performed at an early stage.

  An eighth aspect of the present invention is the method according to the seventh aspect, wherein the non-contact type recording medium holding means is provided on a first non-contact type recording medium holding means provided inside the transfer drum and an outer peripheral surface of the impression cylinder. It is a second non-contact type recording medium suppressing means.

  According to the eighth aspect, since the recording medium is pressed by the two non-contact recording medium suppressing means, the recording medium can be suppressed more reliably.

  A ninth aspect is characterized in that, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, an image is formed on the recording medium by an ink jet head.

  The recording medium conveying apparatus of the present invention can be suitably used for a recording medium on which an image is formed by an inkjet head. Since the recording medium is pressed against the conveyance body in a non-contact manner, the recording medium on which the image is formed by the inkjet head can be pressed without breaking the image.

  A tenth aspect of the present invention according to the ninth aspect is characterized in that a heating means for heating the wind by the blowing means is provided.

  According to the tenth aspect, by supplying the air heated by the heating means, the drying of the ink on the recording medium can be promoted, so that the amount of cuckling can be reduced and the generation of wrinkles can be suppressed. Can do.

  An eleventh aspect is the one according to the ninth or tenth aspect, wherein the non-contact type recording medium restraining means is divided into a plurality of areas in the width direction of the recording medium, and the pressing force in each area is controlled according to image data. It is possible.

  According to the eleventh aspect, the non-contact type recording medium restraining means is divided in the width direction of the recording medium, and the pressing force in each area is adjusted according to the image data, so that wrinkles at a portion where the droplet ejection amount is large are eliminated. It can be effectively suppressed.

  A twelfth aspect according to any one of the ninth to eleventh aspects, wherein the suction means is divided into a plurality of areas in the width direction of the recording medium, and the suction force of each area can be controlled according to image data. It is characterized by being.

  According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, the suction means is divided in the width direction of the recording medium, and the suction force in each area is adjusted according to the image data, thereby effectively suppressing wrinkles at locations with a large amount of droplet ejection. be able to.

  According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the recording medium is placed on a conveyance body provided with a curvature, and sucked through the suction hole from the conveyance body while holding the front end in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. The non-contact type recording medium includes: a conveying step for conveying the recording medium; a non-contact type recording medium pressing step for non-contact pressing from the opposite side of the recording medium to the recording medium; and the type of the recording medium. There is provided a recording medium conveying method comprising: a pressing position by a suppressing step; and a control step of controlling the suction position by suction.

  A fourteenth aspect is the one according to the thirteenth aspect, wherein the control step sets the suction position downstream of the pressing position with respect to the pressing position as the rigidity of the recording medium is lower.

  A fifteenth aspect of the present invention is the method according to the thirteenth or fourteenth aspect, wherein the non-contact type recording medium restraining means is a blowing step for supplying wind, and the blowing step is performed by changing the wind direction from the downstream side to the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. The wind is supplied so that

  A sixteenth aspect is characterized in that in any one of the thirteenth to fifteenth aspects, an image is formed on the recording medium by an ink jet head.

  The thirteenth to sixteenth aspects are obtained by developing the above-described recording medium conveying apparatus as a recording medium conveying method. According to the thirteenth to sixteenth aspects, the same effects as the recording medium conveying apparatus can be obtained.

  According to the recording medium conveying apparatus and the recording medium conveying method of the present invention, since it is possible to perform adsorption on the conveyance body in a state where wrinkles are suppressed in curved surface conveyance, the recording medium can be closely held on the surface of the conveyance body. , Can be transported stably.

It is a schematic block diagram of an inkjet recording device provided with the recording-medium conveying apparatus of this invention. It is an enlarged view of the recording medium conveyance apparatus (drying part) concerning 1st Embodiment. It is the schematic of a ventilation nozzle. It is a top view which shows direction and arrangement | sequence of a ventilation nozzle. It is an enlarged view which shows the modification of the recording medium conveying apparatus concerning 1st Embodiment. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a recording medium conveyance device according to a second embodiment. It is an enlarged view which shows the modification of the recording medium conveying apparatus concerning 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a recording medium conveyance device according to a third embodiment. It is an enlarged view of the recording medium conveyance apparatus concerning 4th Embodiment. It is a principal block diagram showing the system configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus.

  Preferred embodiments of a recording medium transport apparatus and a recording medium transport method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, an ink jet recording apparatus will be described as an example of a recording medium conveying apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any apparatus that conveys a recording medium in a curved surface can be used. Further, curved surface conveyance is not limited to drum conveyance, and can also be used for belt conveyance.

[Overall configuration of inkjet recording apparatus]
First, the overall configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the recording medium transport apparatus and the recording medium transport method of the present invention are applied will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing an inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. An inkjet recording apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus that forms an image on a recording surface of a recording medium 22, and mainly includes a paper feeding unit 10, a treatment liquid application unit 12, a drawing unit 14, a drying unit 16, an exposure curing unit 18, and a discharge. The unit 20 is configured. A recording medium 22 (sheets) is stacked on the paper supply unit 10, and the recording medium 22 is sent from the paper supply unit 10 to the treatment liquid application unit 12, and the treatment liquid application unit 12 processes the treatment liquid on the recording surface. Is applied to the recording surface by the drawing unit 14. The recording medium 22 to which ink has been applied is dried by the drying unit 16, dried by the exposure curing unit 18, and then transported by the discharge unit 20.

  Intermediate conveyance units (transfer cylinders) 24, 26, and 28 are provided between the respective units, and the recording medium 22 is transferred by the intermediate conveyance units 24, 26, and 28. That is, a first intermediate transport unit 24 is provided between the processing liquid application unit 12 and the drawing unit 14, and the recording medium from the processing liquid application unit 12 to the drawing unit 14 by the first intermediate transport unit 24. 22 delivery is performed. Similarly, a second intermediate transport unit 26 is provided between the drawing unit 14 and the drying unit 16. The recording medium 22 is transferred from the drawing unit 14 to the drying unit 16 by the second intermediate transport unit 26. Is done. Further, a third intermediate transport unit 28 is provided between the drying unit 16 and the exposure curing unit 18, and the recording medium 22 from the drying unit 16 to the exposure curing unit 18 is provided by the third intermediate transport unit 28. Delivery takes place.

  Hereinafter, each part of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 (the paper feeding unit 10, the treatment liquid application unit 12, the drawing unit 14, the drying unit 16, the exposure curing unit 18, the discharge unit 20, the first to third intermediate conveyance units 24 and 26, 28) will be described.

(Paper Feeder)
The paper feed unit 10 is a mechanism that supplies the recording medium 22 to the drawing unit 14. The paper feed unit 10 is provided with a paper feed tray 50, and the recording medium 22 is fed from the paper feed tray 50 to the processing liquid application unit 12 one by one.

(Processing liquid application part)
The processing liquid application unit 12 is a mechanism that applies the processing liquid to the recording surface of the recording medium 22. The treatment liquid includes a color material aggregating agent that agglomerates or deposits the color material (pigment) in the ink applied by the drawing unit 14, and the ink comes into contact with the color material when the treatment liquid comes into contact with the ink. Separation from the solvent is facilitated. A more detailed description of the treatment liquid will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the treatment liquid application unit 12 includes a transfer drum 52, a treatment liquid drum 54, a treatment liquid application device 56, an IR heater 58, and a hot air blowing nozzle 60. The transfer drum 52 is disposed between the paper feed tray 50 of the paper feed unit 10 and the processing liquid drum 54 and includes a claw-shaped holding means (such as a gripper) on the outer peripheral surface thereof. Is driven to rotate. The recording medium 22 fed from the paper feed unit 10 is received by the transfer drum 52 and transferred to the processing liquid drum 54.

  The treatment liquid drum 54 is a drum that holds and rotates the recording medium 22 and is driven to rotate. Further, the processing liquid drum 54 includes a claw-shaped holding means 55 on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and the holding means 55 can hold the tip of the recording medium 22. The recording medium 22 is rotated and conveyed by rotating the processing liquid drum 54 with the tip held by the holding means 55. A processing liquid coating device (corresponding to a coating device) 56, an IR heater 58, and a hot air blowing nozzle 60 are provided outside the processing liquid drum 54 so as to face the peripheral surface thereof. The treatment liquid coating device 56, the IR heater 58, and the hot air blowing nozzle 60 are sequentially arranged from the upstream side in the rotation direction of the treatment liquid drum 54 (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 1). The processing liquid is applied to the recording surface by the processing liquid application device 56. The film thickness of the treatment liquid is desirably sufficiently smaller than the droplet diameter of ink ejected from the inkjet heads 72M, 72K, 72C, 72Y of the drawing unit 14. For example, when the ink droplet ejection amount is 2 pl, the average droplet diameter is 15.6 μm. At this time, when the film thickness of the processing liquid is large, the ink dots float in the processing liquid without contacting the surface of the recording medium 22. Therefore, in order to obtain a landing dot diameter of 30 μm or more when the ink droplet ejection amount is 2 pl, it is desirable that the film thickness of the treatment liquid is 3 μm or less.

The recording medium 22 coated with the treatment liquid by the treatment liquid application device 56 is conveyed to the positions of the IR heater 58 and the hot air blowing nozzle 60. The IR heater 58 is controlled to a high temperature (for example, 180 ° C.), and the hot air blowing nozzle 60 blows the high temperature (for example, 70 ° C.) warm air toward the recording medium 22 at a constant air volume (for example, 9 m ³ / min). Composed. By the heating by the IR heater 58 and the hot air blowing nozzle 60, water in the solvent of the processing liquid is evaporated, and a thin film layer of the processing liquid is formed on the recording surface. By thinning the treatment liquid in this way, the dots of ink that are ejected by the drawing unit 14 come into contact with the recording surface of the recording medium 22 to obtain the required dot diameter, and the thinned treatment liquid component Reacts with the colorant to cause aggregation of the coloring material, and an effect of fixing to the recording surface of the recording medium 22 is easily obtained. The processing liquid drum 54 may be controlled to a predetermined temperature (for example, 50 ° C.).

(Drawing part)
As shown in FIG. 1, the drawing unit 14 includes a drawing drum 70 and ink jet heads 72M, 72K, 72C, and 72Y that are disposed in proximity to a position facing the outer peripheral surface of the drawing drum 70. The inkjet heads 72M, 72K, 72C, and 72Y correspond to inks of four colors, magenta (M), black (K), cyan (C), and yellow (Y), and are upstream in the rotation direction of the drawing drum 70. Arranged in order from the side.

  The drawing drum 70 is a drum that holds the recording medium 22 on its outer peripheral surface and rotates and conveys the recording medium 22 and is driven to rotate. Further, the drawing drum 70 includes a claw-shaped holding unit 71 on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and the holding unit 71 can hold the leading end of the recording medium 22. The recording medium 22 is rotated and conveyed by rotating the drawing drum 70 with the leading end held by the holding means 71. At this time, the recording medium 22 is transported so that the recording surface faces outward, and ink is applied to the recording surface from the inkjet heads 72M, 72K, 72C, 72Y.

  The inkjet heads 72M, 72K, 72C, and 72Y are full-line inkjet recording heads (inkjet heads) each having a length corresponding to the maximum width of the image forming area in the recording medium 22, and the ink ejection surfaces thereof are arranged on the ink ejection surface. Is formed with a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles for ink ejection are arranged over the entire width of the image forming area. Each inkjet head 72M, 72K, 72C, 72Y is fixedly installed so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording medium 22 (the rotation direction of the drawing drum 70).

  Corresponding color ink cassettes are attached to each of the inkjet heads 72M, 72K, 72C, 72Y. The ink droplets are ejected from the inkjet heads 72M, 72K, 72C, 72Y toward the recording surface of the recording medium 22 held on the outer peripheral surface of the drawing drum 70. As a result, the ink comes into contact with the treatment liquid applied to the recording surface in advance by the treatment liquid application unit 12, and the color material (pigment) dispersed in the ink is aggregated to form a color material aggregate. Thereby, the color material flow on the recording medium 22 is prevented, and an image is formed on the recording surface of the recording medium 22. At that time, since the drawing drum 70 of the drawing unit 14 is structurally separated from the processing liquid drum 54 of the processing liquid applying unit 12, the processing liquid may adhere to the ink jet heads 72M, 72K, 72C, 72Y. In addition, the cause of ink ejection failure can be reduced.

  In addition, as an example of the reaction between the ink and the treatment liquid, using a mechanism in which an acid is contained in the treatment liquid and the pigment dispersion is destroyed and aggregated by lowering the pH, the color material bleeds, the color mixture between the inks of each color, and the liquid upon landing of the ink droplet It is conceivable to avoid droplet ejection interference due to coalescence.

  In addition, the droplet ejection timing of each of the inkjet heads 72M, 72K, 72C, 72Y is synchronized with an encoder that detects the rotational speed disposed on the drawing drum 70. Thereby, the landing position can be determined with high accuracy. In addition, the fluctuation of the speed due to the deflection of the drawing drum 70 is learned in advance, and the droplet ejection timing obtained by the encoder 91 is corrected to obtain the deflection of the drawing drum 70, the accuracy of the rotation axis, and the speed of the outer peripheral surface of the drawing drum 70. Irregular droplet ejection can be reduced without depending on it.

  Furthermore, maintenance operations such as cleaning the nozzle surfaces of each of the inkjet heads 72M, 72K, 72C, and 72Y and discharging the thickened ink may be performed by retracting the head unit from the drawing drum 70.

  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 colors are used as necessary. Ink may be added. For example, it is possible to add an inkjet 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.

(Drying part)
<< First Embodiment >>
The drying unit 16 is a step of drying moisture contained in the solvent separated by the color material aggregating action. The drying drum 76 and a first IR heater disposed at a position facing the outer peripheral surface of the drying drum 76. 78, a hot air jet nozzle 80, a second IR heater 82, and a blower nozzle 83 as non-contact type recording medium restraining means for bringing the recording medium 22 into close contact with the drying drum 76. The first IR heater 78 is provided upstream of the hot air jet nozzle 80 in the rotation direction of the drying drum 76 (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 1), and the second IR heater 82 is jetted of hot air. Provided downstream of the nozzle 80. The blower nozzle 83 is provided on the most upstream side of the drying unit 16 and on the upstream side of the first IR heater 78 in order to bring the recording medium 22 and the drying drum 76 into close contact with each other.

  The drying drum 76 is a drum that holds and rotates the recording medium 22 on its outer peripheral surface, and the rotation of the drying drum 76 is controlled by a motor driver (not shown). The recording medium 22 is rotated and conveyed by rotating the drying drum 76 with the tip held by the holding unit 77. At that time, the recording surface of the recording medium 22 is conveyed so as to face outward, and the recording surface is dried by the IR heater 78 and the hot air jet nozzle 80.

The hot air jet nozzle 80 is configured to blow hot air controlled at a predetermined temperature (for example, 50 ° C. to 70 ° C.) toward the recording medium 22 with a constant air volume (12 m ³ / min), and an IR heater. Each of 78 is controlled to a predetermined temperature (for example, 180 ° C.). The hot air jet nozzle 80 and the IR heater 78 evaporate moisture contained in the printing surface of the recording medium 22 held on the drying drum 76, and a drying process is performed. At that time, since the drying drum 76 of the drying unit 16 is structurally separated from the drawing drum 70 of the drawing unit 14, in the inkjet heads 72 </ b> M, 72 </ b> K, 72 </ b> C, 72 </ b> Y, the head meniscus portion is dried by thermal drying. Ink ejection failure can be reduced. Moreover, there is a degree of freedom in setting the temperature of the drying unit 16, and an optimal drying temperature can be set.

  The evaporated water may be discharged out of the apparatus together with air by a discharge means (not shown). Further, the recovered air may be cooled by a cooler (radiator) or the like and recovered as a liquid.

  The drying drum 76 has suction holes provided on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and has suction means for performing suction from the suction holes. As a result, the recording medium 22 can be held in close contact with the peripheral surface of the drying drum 76. Further, by performing negative pressure suction, the recording medium can be constrained to the conveyance body, so that the recording medium can be prevented from being clogged.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the outer periphery of the drying drum 76 is controlled to a predetermined temperature. Drying is promoted by heating from the back surface of the recording medium 22, and image destruction at the time of fixing can be prevented. The range of the surface temperature of the drying drum 76 is preferably 50 ° C. or higher, more preferably 60 ° C. or higher. Further, the upper limit is not particularly limited, but is preferably 75 ° C. or lower from the viewpoint of safety of maintenance work such as cleaning ink adhering to the surface of the drying drum 76 (preventing burns due to high temperature).

  The adsorption force of the carrier can be expressed by (opening area) × (pressure per unit area). The suction force can be further increased by increasing the area occupied by the suction holes in the recording medium suction holding region, that is, the aperture ratio.

  The opening ratio of the suction holes is preferably 1% or more and 75% or less, more preferably 10% or more and 50% or less, with respect to the contact area between the conveyance body and the recording medium. By setting the aperture ratio within the above range, it is possible to prevent the suppression of cockle and improve the drying performance. If the aperture ratio is less than 1%, expansion deformation of the recording medium due to water absorption after recording cannot be sufficiently suppressed. On the other hand, if it exceeds 75%, the contact area between the back surface of the recording medium and the surface of the conveying member is reduced, so that sufficient drying performance cannot be obtained even in the adsorption holding state. Further, since drying is not promoted, cockle tends to deteriorate.

  The aperture ratio can be controlled by the diameter of the suction holes, the hole pitch, and the shape and arrangement of the holes. The hole diameter is preferably 0.4 mm or more in order to secure the aperture ratio and increase the suction force, and is designed to be 1.5 mm or less so that the recording medium does not have a dent mark (suction mark) due to negative pressure suction. It is preferable to do. In addition, the hole pitch is preferably 0.1 mm or more in order to prevent thermal deformation and rigidity of the surface of the carrier, and if the gap between the holes is too far away, the effect of inhibiting deformation of the recording medium is insufficient. Since wrinkles occur, it is preferable to design to 10 mm or less in order to prevent such wrinkles.

  If the shape of the suction hole is a corner (acute angle), stress concentrates on the corner, so that the corner is preferably rounded. Further, in the rotary conveyance body, the deformation amount of the recording medium due to the adsorption pressure is larger in the axial direction than in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the suction hole may have an elliptical shape or a long hole shape in which the circumferential direction is the major axis direction and the axial direction is the minor axis direction, so that the circumferential deformation and the axial deformation of the recording medium can be made uniform. it can.

  In the present invention, in order to stably hold the recording medium 22 in close contact with the drying drum 76, a blower nozzle 83 is provided as a non-contact type recording medium suppressing means. As the non-contact type recording medium holding means, a blowing means such as the blowing nozzle 83 shown in FIG. 1 can be used. As the air blowing means, conventionally known air blowing means such as a blower and a fan can be used. By using the non-contact type recording medium restraining means, the recording medium can be closely attached to the drying drum 76 in a state in which the slack or floating of the recording medium is corrected, and uniform adsorption can be performed.

  In the present invention, the pressing position by the blower nozzle 83 and the suction start position by the suction means are controlled by the rigidity of the recording medium. As the rigidity of the recording medium is smaller, it is preferable to set the suction start position to the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the pressing position. By pressing the recording medium 22 with the non-contact type recording medium suppressing means and sufficiently suppressing the wrinkles, the wrinkles generated on the recording medium 22 can be suppressed. In addition, when the recording medium has high rigidity, it is preferable that the suction start position is the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the pressing position or the same position as the pressing position. When the recording medium has high rigidity, it becomes a problem whether the recording medium 22 can be transported in close contact with the drying drum 76 without floating. The recording medium 22 can be brought into close contact with the drying drum 76 without being lifted by being pressed by the blowing nozzle 83 and sucked by the sucking means. By setting the suction start position to be the same as or upstream from the pressing position by the blowing nozzle 83, the distance between the recording medium 22 and the drying drum 76 (sucking surface) can be reduced by the pressing by the blowing nozzle 83, Adsorption can be performed by the adsorption means. On the contrary, if the suction start position is on the downstream side of the pressing position, the recording medium 22 does not follow the curved surface of the drying drum 76, so that the recording medium 22 floats from the drying drum 76 and there are many suction holes that are not blocked. is there. In this case, there is a concern that the suction force decreases, and the rear end of the recording medium 22 jumps up again after passing through the blowing position. The suction is performed by starting the suction of the entire suction surface when the recording medium 22 passes the suction start position.

  FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the recording medium conveying apparatus (drying unit) shown in the first embodiment. It is preferable that the suction start position be within the range indicated by the arrow on the outer periphery of the drying drum 76 in the figure. The positional relationship between the pressing position and the suction start position is preferably controlled by the diameter of the drum and the size of the recording medium. When the rigidity of the recording medium is low, the larger the recording medium size, the lower the wrinkle of the recording medium by the non-contact type recording medium suppressing means in the second half area of the recording medium by starting the suction on the downstream side in the transport direction. Can be prevented from being adsorbed while being insufficient.

  The control of the suction start position with respect to the pressing position can control the timing of starting the suction by the suction means of the drying drum 76 when the position of the non-contact type recording medium holding means is fixed. Further, when the suction timing is fixed, it can be controlled by installing the blower nozzle 83 so as to be movable in the transport direction.

  The timing for starting the pressing of the recording medium by the non-contact type recording medium restraining means is preferably performed at the same time as or before the timing when the leading edge of the recording medium passes the pressing position. The end timing is preferably performed after the trailing end of the recording medium has passed the pressing position.

  The pressing force (wind force) of the non-contact type recording medium holding means is preferably controlled by the rigidity of the recording medium. By controlling the pressing force, image damage due to strong wind can be avoided. Further, the pressing force (wind force) of the non-contact type recording medium holding means can be adjusted according to the position of the recording medium. For example, the area where the pressing force (wind force) is increased as it goes to the rear end of the recording medium in the conveying direction, or the pressing (air blowing) is performed only when the recording medium passes through the rear end, and the air blowing is not performed otherwise. Intermittent ventilation can also be performed. In particular, when a highly rigid recording medium is used and the wind direction by the blowing means is directed from the downstream to the upstream of the recording medium conveyance direction as shown below, it is not necessary to consider the occurrence of wrinkles, and the wind Thus, the recording medium 22 can be made to follow the conveying body surface of the drying drum 76, so that the recording medium 22 can be stably conveyed by blowing air when passing through the rear end of the recording medium and bringing it into close contact with the drying drum 76. In addition, by adjusting the wind force of the blowing means in this way, the area of the blowing range can be minimized and optimized.

  It is preferable that the wind speed by a ventilation means is the range of 5-200 [m / s]. If the wind speed is less than 5 [m / s], the effect of suppressing wrinkles is insufficient, and if it is greater than 200 [m / s], the amount of ink applied to the image portion is large and the image is not dried. There is a concern of being damaged by air blow. With respect to an image in a dry state, the air can be blown without any particular limitation. The measurement of the wind speed is performed by measuring the wind speed V [m / s] at a distance from the wind outlet (such as an air nozzle jet outlet) of the blowing means by a distance from the recording medium surface. As an anemometer, for example, Anemo Master 6004 manufactured by Kanomax Co., Ltd. can be used.

The air volume (air flow rate) required for the blowing means varies depending on the width and thickness of the recording medium, but for example, in the range of 0.1 to 2 [m ³ / min] for a chrysanthemum half size recording medium Preferably there is. The air volume is calculated from the measured wind speed using the following formula. The wind speed (air volume) can be adjusted with a regulator if it is compressed air, or can be adjusted by controlling the blower input power source if it is a blower.

Q = V × A × 60 [m ³ / min]
Q: Air volume [m ³ / min], V: Wind speed [m / s], A: Air blowing area [m ² ]
For example, the non-contact type suppression means can perform blowing by connecting the blowing nozzles 83 (nozzle width: 50 mm) shown in FIG. 3 in the recording medium width direction, but the desired wind speed (air volume). Can be used without particular limitation on the shape and material of the member. However, regarding the material, when the non-contact type recording medium suppressing means is provided near the drying means, or as described below, it is preferably a heat resistant material.

  FIG. 3B is a diagram showing the shape of the nozzle opening 83a. FIG. 3B is a diagram in which a plurality of fine round holes (nozzle diameter: 1.2 mm) are arranged in the opening 83a, but the shape and size are not particularly limited, and in order to spray a wider area, The nozzle diameter of the opening 83a can be increased, and the shape is not limited to a round shape, but may be a rectangle.

  The wind speed (air volume) distribution can also be changed by individual nozzles. For example, the image portion can increase the wind speed and suppress floating, and the non-image portion can decrease the wind speed. Further, when the size of the recording medium is different, air can be blown only at a portion corresponding to the length in the width direction of the recording medium. By supplying the wind to the area where the recording medium on the side surface of the transport body does not pass, it is possible to prevent the wind from flowing around the back surface of the recording medium and causing the recording medium to float or flutter.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the orientation and arrangement of the individual nozzles 83. The wind is ejected toward the recording medium 22. FIG. 4A shows an arrangement of normal nozzles that are not rotated. Each nozzle 83 can be rotated. For example, as shown in FIG. 4B, both ends from the center of the recording medium or one end as shown in FIG. 4C. And can be rotated to tilt to the other end. With the arrangement shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, the wrinkles can be scattered at the width direction end portion of the recording medium, or can be released to the width direction end portion.

  Further, the individual nozzles do not have to be arranged in the same row with respect to the width direction of the recording medium. FIG. 4D shows the direction from the center of the recording medium to both ends, or FIG. As shown, the wind can be arranged in order from one end to the other end. With such an arrangement, it is possible to improve the effect of further wrinkling the wrinkles at the end portions in the width direction of the recording medium or letting them escape to the end portions in the width direction.

  4A to 4E have been described in the form of a plurality of nozzles 83, but as shown in FIG. 4F, the length of the opening is the same as the width direction of the recording medium 22. Alternatively, the nozzle 83 can be used. By using one nozzle, the wind speed (air volume) can be made uniform, and for example, wrinkles can be prevented from being concentrated locally.

  As shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable that the wind direction of the air blown by the blower nozzle 83 is arranged so as to blow in an oblique direction from the front end side to the rear end side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium 22. Thereby, the recording medium 22 can be made to follow the drying drum 72, and the pressing effect by a wind can be improved. The blowing direction is preferably such that the angle θ formed by the blowing direction of the wind and the normal of the point where the wind contacts the recording medium 22 (drying drum 76) is 0 ° or more and 75 ° or less. An inclination exceeding the above range is not preferable because the suppressing effect is insufficient.

  Further, the blow nozzle 83 can be configured to be able to adjust the angle θ. For example, when the rigidity of the recording medium is low, the emphasis is on keeping the paper along the surface of the conveyance body, and the angle θ is increased, and when the rigidity is high, it is important to attach the recording medium to the surface of the conveyance body. Thus, the angle θ can be reduced. Further, as shown below, when the non-contact type recording medium suppressing means is composed of a plurality of blowing nozzles 83, the angle θ can be controlled by each blowing nozzle 83.

  Further, the non-contact type recording medium suppressing means may also serve as the drying means. Drying can be performed by using a drying fan that incorporates a heater and blows hot air from an air nozzle toward the recording medium as a non-contact type recording medium suppressing means. The drying condition is a drying unit in which drying fans are arranged in a plurality of rows in the carrying direction. The air flow of the drying fan in the first row is increased, the air speed is increased by narrowing the opening of the air nozzle, or the spray angle is set in the carrying direction. This can be done by tilting upstream.

  The suction can be performed stepwise from the downstream side in the transport direction (the front side of the recording medium). For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the suction area is divided into a plurality of areas (in FIG. 5, areas A, B, C, and D are divided into four parts), and suction ON / OFF and old attractive force control are performed in each area. In FIG. 5, suction is started in the areas A and B that have passed through the air blowing position, and suction is not started in the areas C and D. By performing adsorption in stages, it becomes possible to absorb the area immediately after correction of wrinkles and floats through the non-contact type recording medium suppression means without taking time, so it is more reliable and uniform. Can be adsorbed. In addition, when the entire suction area can be sucked only at once and the size of the recording medium is large, at the leading end of the recording medium, time passes after correction by the non-contact type recording medium suppressing means, and wrinkles are again caused. There is a concern that wrinkles and floats are not corrected but are attracted to the transport body at the rear end of the recording medium where the floats occur. However, by performing the adsorption stepwise, the conveyance can be performed in a more preferable state, and the conveyance can be performed stably.

  The air blown from the blowing means is preferably heated. By blowing the heated air, the drying of the recording medium 22 can be accelerated, so that when the rigidity of the recording medium is low, the occurrence of cockle on the recording medium 22 can be suppressed.

  The blowing means is preferably divided into a plurality of areas in the width direction of the recording medium 22, and the pressing force (wind force) in each area is preferably controllable according to the image data. Similarly, the suction means is preferably divided into a plurality of areas in the width direction of the recording medium 22. By controlling the pressing force by the blowing means and the suction force by the suction means according to the image data, it is possible to improve the effect of suppressing wrinkles at locations where the droplet ejection amount is large. Further, it is preferable that each of the blowing unit and the suction unit increase the pressing force and the suction force in the area of the central portion in the width direction of the recording medium 22. Since wrinkles are likely to occur at the central portion of the recording medium 22, wrinkles at the central portion can be suppressed by increasing the pressing force and suction force at the central portion in the width direction of the recording medium 22. Wrinkling of the entire medium can be prevented.

  As described above, the suction unit can be controlled in the conveyance direction of the recording medium, and the blower unit and the suction unit can also be controlled in the width direction of the recording medium. be able to.

<< Second Embodiment >>
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a recording medium transport apparatus according to the second embodiment. In the recording medium conveying apparatus according to the second embodiment, an air blowing nozzle (non-contact type recording medium suppressing means) 283 is provided inside an intermediate conveying unit (transfer cylinder) 30 connected in front of the drying drum 76. This is different from the first embodiment.

  By providing the blower nozzle 283 in the intermediate conveyance unit 30, the entire inkjet recording apparatus 1 can be saved. In addition, by providing the non-contact type recording medium holding means inside the intermediate conveyance unit 30, in the case of thin paper, it can be pressed upstream before being delivered to the drying drum 76. Adsorption can be started on the side. Therefore, in the drying drum 76, the heating efficiency from the back surface can be improved. Further, when the drawing drum 70 is used, it is possible to reduce the influence of the flutter at the rear end of the recording medium.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a modification of the recording medium carrying device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is different in that a transfer drum guide 31 for guiding the recording medium conveyed by the intermediate conveyance unit is provided. By providing the transfer drum guide 31, it is possible to prevent the recording medium before being pressed by the blowing unit from being adsorbed to the drying drum 76 even if the adsorption is performed collectively. Further, since suction can be performed sequentially from the portion where the distance from the suction surface is reduced by the conveyance, generation of wrinkles can be suppressed. This embodiment can be particularly effectively used for a recording medium with low rigidity.

  Since the transfer drum guide 31 can be installed when the recording medium 22 is conveyed by the intermediate conveyance unit 30, when the blow nozzle 83 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the drying drum 76 as in the first embodiment. Can also be used.

  In addition, about the pressing force (wind force) of a wind by a ventilation means, and a ventilation direction, it can carry out by the method similar to 1st Embodiment.

«Third embodiment»
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a recording medium carrying device according to the third embodiment. In the recording medium conveyance device according to the third embodiment, the non-contact type recording medium suppression unit includes a first non-contact type recording medium suppression unit 283 provided inside the first intermediate conveyance unit 24, and a drying drum 76. The point which consists of the 2nd non-contact-type recording-medium suppression means 83 provided in the outer peripheral surface differs from 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment.

  As shown in the third embodiment, there are two blowing nozzles (first non-contact type recording medium holding means) 283, two blowing nozzles (second non-contact type recording medium holding means) 83 and non-contact type recording medium holding means. By providing at the location, the recording medium 22 can be more reliably brought into close contact with the drying drum 76 and can be stably conveyed.

  The recording medium conveying apparatus according to the third embodiment can be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment and the second embodiment with respect to the pressure (wind force) of the wind by the blow nozzle and the blow direction.

  In the third embodiment, the air blowing position is a position where the recording medium 22 is pressed by the second non-contact type recording medium restraining means 83.

  The example of the recording medium transport apparatus has been described by taking the drying unit of the ink jet recording apparatus as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the recording medium needs to be adsorbed to the curved surface transport body without wrinkling or floating. In some cases, the present invention can be applied. For example, other configurations of inkjet recording devices, improved paper passing by preventing wrinkles and floating of the recording medium on the drawing drum, and applied to suppressing wrinkles at the heat roller fixing nip by preventing the recording medium from floating on the exposure curing drum can do. In particular, in the drying section, an image is formed on the recording medium by the drawing section 14, and the pressing means by the roller cannot be used. Therefore, the pressing by the non-contact type recording medium suppressing means of the present invention is particularly effective. .

<< Fourth Embodiment >>
FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a recording medium carrying device according to the fourth embodiment. The recording medium conveying apparatus according to the fourth embodiment is different from the suction means provided in the drying drum 76 in that a non-contact auxiliary suction means 81 is provided on the upstream side of the blower nozzle 83. Is different. The auxiliary suction means 81 is arranged so as to suck from the back side (drying drum 76 side) of the recording medium 22. By installing the auxiliary suction means 81, the drying drum 76 can be more reliably wound and adhered.

  In addition, when applied to a recording medium with low rigidity, the fourth embodiment has a possibility that the rear end of the recording medium that has not passed through the blowing position may be adsorbed and wrinkles or float may occur. It is preferable to use for.

(Exposure cured part)
The exposure curing unit 18 includes a UV lamp 88 and an inline sensor 90. The UV lamp 88 and the in-line sensor 90 are disposed at a position facing the peripheral surface of the exposure / curing drum 84, and are sequentially disposed from the upstream side in the rotation direction of the exposure / curing drum 84.

  The exposure curing drum 84 is a drum that holds the recording medium 22 on its outer peripheral surface and rotates and conveys the recording medium 22, and is driven to rotate. Further, the exposure curing drum 84 is provided with a claw-shaped holding means 85 on its outer peripheral surface, and the holding means 85 can hold the leading end of the recording medium 22. The recording medium 22 is rotated and conveyed by rotating the exposure curing drum 84 in a state where the leading end is held by the holding unit 85. At that time, the recording surface of the recording medium 22 is conveyed so that it faces outward, and the recording surface is exposed and cured by the UV lamp 88 and inspected by the in-line sensor 90.

  The UV lamp 88 irradiates the dried ink with UV light, whereby the actinic ray curable resin contained in the ink is cured and the ink is formed into a film. As the UV lamp 88, various ultraviolet light sources such as a metal halide lamp, a high-pressure mercury lamp, a black light, a cold cathode tube, and a UV-LED can be used.

  The peak wavelength of the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the UV lamp 88 is preferably 200 to 600 nm, more preferably 300 to 450 nm, and still more preferably 350 to 450 nm, although it depends on the absorption characteristics of the ink composition.

The irradiation energy of the ultraviolet light source 88 is preferably 2000 mJ / cm ² or less, more preferably from 10 to 2000 mJ / cm ^2, more preferably from 20~1000mJ / cm ^2, particularly preferably 50 to 800 mJ / Cm ² .

  In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, it is appropriate to irradiate the recording surface of the recording medium with ultraviolet rays for 0.01 to 10 seconds, more preferably for 0.1 to 2 seconds.

  Further, the exposure curing drum 84 may be controlled to a predetermined temperature. Thereby, the curing sensitivity of the ink can be improved, and the ink can be suitably cured and formed into a film with a low irradiation intensity.

  On the other hand, the in-line sensor 90 is a measuring unit for measuring a check pattern, a moisture content, a surface temperature, a glossiness, and the like for an image fixed on the recording medium 22, and a CCD line sensor or the like is applied.

(Discharge part)
As shown in FIG. 1, a discharge unit 20 is provided following the exposure curing unit 18. The discharge unit 20 includes a discharge tray 92. Between the discharge tray 92 and the exposure curing drum 84 of the exposure curing unit 18, a transfer drum 94, a conveyance belt 96, and a stretching roller 98 are in contact with each other. Is provided. The recording medium 22 is sent to the transport belt 96 by the transfer drum 94 and discharged to the discharge tray 92.

(Intermediate transport section)
Next, the structure of the first intermediate transport unit 24 will be described. Note that the second intermediate conveyance unit 26 and the third intermediate conveyance unit 28 have the same configuration as the first intermediate conveyance unit 24, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  The first intermediate transport unit 24 includes an intermediate transport unit 30. The intermediate conveyance body 30 is a drum for receiving the recording medium 22 from the preceding drum, rotating and conveying it to the subsequent drum, and is rotatably attached. Further, the intermediate transport body 30 is rotated by a motor (not shown).

  Claw-shaped holding means are provided at 90 ° intervals on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate conveyance body 30. The holding unit rotates while drawing a circular locus, and the tip of the recording medium 22 is held by the operation of the holding unit. Accordingly, the recording medium 22 can be rotated and conveyed by rotating the intermediate conveyance body 30 with the holding means holding the tip of the recording medium 22. The recording surface of the recording medium may be conveyed in a non-contact manner by providing a plurality of air outlets on the surface of the intermediate carrier 30 and blowing out air from the air outlets.

  The recording medium 22 transported by the first intermediate transport unit 24 is transferred to the subsequent drum (that is, the drawing drum 70). At this time, the recording medium 22 is delivered by synchronizing the holding means of the intermediate transport unit 24 and the holding means of the drawing unit 14. The transferred recording medium 22 is held and drawn by the drawing drum 70.

(Description of control system)
FIG. 10 is a principal block diagram showing the system configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus 1. The ink jet recording apparatus 1 includes a communication interface 120, a system controller 122, a print controller 124, a treatment liquid application controller 126, a first intermediate transport controller 128, a head driver 130, a second intermediate transport controller 132, and a drying controller 134. , A third intermediate transport control unit 136, an exposure curing control unit 138, an inline sensor 90, an encoder 91, a motor driver 142, a memory 144, a heater driver 146, an image buffer memory 148, a suction control unit 149, a blow control unit 162, and the like. ing.

  The communication interface 120 is an interface unit that receives image data sent from the host computer 150. As the communication interface 120, 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. Image data sent from the host computer 150 is taken into the inkjet recording apparatus 1 via the communication interface 120 and temporarily stored in the memory 144.

  The system controller 122 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and its peripheral circuits, and functions as a control device that controls the entire inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to a predetermined program, and also functions as an arithmetic device that performs various calculations. . That is, the system controller 122 includes the communication interface 120, the treatment liquid application controller 126, the first intermediate transport controller 128, the head driver 130, the second intermediate transport controller 132, the drying controller 134, and the third intermediate transport controller 136. , Exposure curing control unit 138, memory 144, motor driver 142, heater driver 146, suction control unit 149, blower control unit 162, etc., and control of communication with host computer 150, read / write control of memory 144, etc. And a control signal for controlling the motor 152 and the heater 154 of the transport system is generated.

  The memory 144 is a storage unit that temporarily stores an image input via the communication interface 120, and data is read and written through the system controller 122. The memory 144 is not limited to a memory made of a semiconductor element, and a magnetic medium such as a hard disk may be used.

  The ROM 145 stores programs executed by the CPU of the system controller 122 and various data necessary for control. The ROM 145 may be a non-rewritable storage unit, or may be a rewritable storage unit such as an EEPROM. The memory 144 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 142 is a driver that drives the motor 152 in accordance with an instruction from the system controller 122. In FIG. 10, a motor 152 disposed in each part of the apparatus is represented by reference numeral 152. For example, the motor 152 shown in FIG. 10 includes a motor for driving rotation of the transfer drum 52, the treatment liquid drum 54, the drawing drum 70, the drying drum 76, the exposure / curing drum 84, the transfer drum 94, and the like. A pump 75 drive motor for sucking negative pressure from the suction holes, a motor for a retraction mechanism of the head units of the ink jet heads 72C, 72M, 72Y, 72K, and the like are included.

  The heater driver 146 is a driver that drives the heater 154 in accordance with an instruction from the system controller 122. In FIG. 10, a plurality of heaters provided in the ink jet recording apparatus 1 are represented by reference numeral 154 as a representative. For example, the heater 154 shown in FIG. 10 includes a preheater (not shown) for heating the recording medium 22 to an appropriate temperature in the paper supply unit 10 in advance.

  The print control unit 124 has a signal processing function for performing various processes and corrections for generating a print control signal from the image data in the memory 144 under the control of the system controller 122, and the generated print. It is a control unit that supplies data (dot data) to the head driver 130. Necessary signal processing is performed in the print control unit 124, and the ejection amount and ejection timing of the ink droplets of the ink head 100 are controlled via the head driver 130 based on the image data. Thereby, a desired dot size and dot arrangement are realized.

  The print control unit 124 includes an image buffer memory 148, and image data, parameters, and other data are temporarily stored in the image buffer memory 148 when image data is processed in the print control unit 124. In FIG. 10, the image buffer memory 148 is shown in a mode associated with the print control unit 124, but it can also be used as the memory 144. Also possible is an aspect in which the print control unit 124 and the system controller 122 are integrated to form a single processor.

  An outline 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 120 and stored in the memory 144. At this stage, for example, RGB image data is stored in the memory 144.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus 1, 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 144 is sent to the print control unit 124 via the system controller 122, and the print control unit 124 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 124 performs a process of 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 124 is stored in the image buffer memory 148.

  The head driver 130 is a drive signal for driving the actuator 116 corresponding to each nozzle 102 of the ink head 100 based on print data (that is, dot data stored in the image buffer memory 148) given from the print control unit 124. Is output. The head driver 130 may include a feedback control system for keeping the head driving condition constant.

  When the drive signal output from the head driver 130 is applied to the ink head 100, ink is ejected from the corresponding nozzle 102. An image is formed on the recording medium 22 by controlling the ink ejection from the ink head 100 while conveying the recording medium 22 at a predetermined speed.

  Further, the system controller 122 includes a processing liquid application control unit 126, a first intermediate transfer control unit 128, a second intermediate transfer control unit 132, a drying control unit 134, a third intermediate transfer control unit 136, an exposure / curing control unit 138, and a suction unit. The control unit 149 and the air blowing control unit 162 are controlled.

  The treatment liquid application control unit 126 controls the operation of the treatment liquid application device 56 of the treatment liquid application unit 12 in accordance with an instruction from the system controller 122.

  The first intermediate conveyance control unit 128 controls the operation of the intermediate conveyance body 30 of the first intermediate conveyance unit 24 in accordance with an instruction from the system controller 122. Specifically, in the intermediate transport body 30, the rotational drive of the intermediate transport body 30 itself, the rotation of the holding means provided in the intermediate transport body 30, and the like are controlled. The second intermediate transfer control unit 132 and the third intermediate transfer control unit 136 also perform the same control as the first intermediate transfer control unit 128.

  The suction control unit 149 and the air blowing control unit 162 are a suction unit and an air blowing unit provided in the drying drum 76 for conveying the image-formed recording medium 22 in close contact with the drying drum 76 according to the control of the system controller 122. Control 83 is performed. In the suction unit and the air blowing unit 83, the suction start position by the suction unit and the air blowing position by the air blowing unit 83 are controlled by the rigidity of the recording medium 22. Control can be performed by recording the suction start position and the air blowing position corresponding to the rigidity depending on the type of the recording medium 22 in the ROM 145 and directly inputting the type of the recording medium 22 to be used by a personal computer (not shown). . Control of the suction start position by the suction control unit 149 can be performed by operating the pump 75 when the recording medium passes through the suction start position.

  Further, based on the image data in the memory 144 or the print data (dot data) generated by the print control unit 124, the suction force by the suction unit and the pressing force (wind force) by the blower unit are controlled. Further, the suction force and the pressing force (wind force) in the width direction of the recording medium are controlled.

[Ink composition]
The ink composition in the present invention contains a pigment, and can be constituted by using a dispersant, a surfactant, and other components as necessary.

(Pigment)
The ink composition in the invention contains at least one pigment as a color material component. There is no restriction | limiting in particular as a pigment, According to the objective, it can select suitably, For example, any of an organic pigment and an inorganic pigment may be sufficient. The pigment is preferably a pigment that is almost insoluble or hardly soluble in water from the viewpoint of ink colorability.

(Dispersant)
The ink composition of the present invention can contain at least one dispersant. The pigment dispersant may be either a polymer dispersant or a low molecular surfactant type dispersant. The polymer dispersant may be either a water-soluble dispersant or a water-insoluble dispersant.

  The weight average molecular weight of the polymer dispersant is preferably 3,000 to 100,000, more preferably 5,000 to 50,000, still more preferably 5,000 to 40,000, and particularly preferably 10,000. 000 to 40,000.

  The acid value of the polymer dispersant is preferably 100 or less mgKOH / g or less from the viewpoint of good aggregation when the treatment liquid comes into contact. Furthermore, the acid value is more preferably from 25 to 100 mgKOH / g, further preferably from 25 to 80, and particularly preferably from 30 to 65. When the acid value of the polymer dispersant is 25 or more, the stability of self-dispersibility is improved.

  The polymer dispersant preferably contains a polymer having a carboxyl group from the viewpoint of self-dispersibility and aggregation rate when the treatment liquid comes into contact. The polymer dispersant has a carboxyl group and an acid value of 25 to 80 mgKOH / g. More preferably.

  In the present invention, from the viewpoint of image light resistance and quality, it is preferable to contain a pigment and a dispersant, more preferably an organic pigment and a polymer dispersant, and a polymer dispersant containing an organic pigment and a carboxyl group. It is particularly preferred that Moreover, it is preferable that a pigment is coat | covered with the polymer dispersing agent which has a carboxyl group from a cohesive viewpoint, and is water-insoluble. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of cohesiveness, it is preferable that the acid value of the self-dispersing polymer particles described below is smaller than the acid value of the polymer dispersant.

  The average particle size of the pigment is preferably 10 to 200 nm, more preferably 10 to 150 nm, and even more preferably 10 to 100 nm. When the average particle size is 200 nm or less, the color reproducibility is good, the droplet ejection characteristics when droplets are ejected by the ink jet method are good, and when it is 10 nm or more, the light resistance is good. Further, the particle size distribution of the color material is not particularly limited, and may be either a wide particle size distribution or a monodisperse particle size distribution. Two or more color materials having a monodisperse particle size distribution may be mixed and used.

  The average particle size and particle size distribution of the pigment particles are determined by measuring the volume average particle size by a dynamic light scattering method using a nanotrack particle size distribution measuring device UPA-EX150 (manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.). It is what

  You may use a pigment individually by 1 type or in combination of 2 or more types.

  The content of the pigment in the ink composition is preferably 1 to 25% by mass, more preferably 2 to 20% by mass, and more preferably 5 to 20% by mass with respect to the ink composition from the viewpoint of image density. Is more preferable, and 5 to 15% by mass is particularly preferable.

(Polymer particles)
The ink composition in the invention can contain at least one kind of polymer particles. The polymer particles have a function of fixing the ink composition by destabilizing and agglomerating and aggregating the ink to increase the viscosity of the ink when the polymer particles come into contact with a treatment liquid described later or a dried region thereof. The fixing property to the recording medium and the scratch resistance of the image can be further improved.

  In order to react with the aggregating agent, polymer particles having an anionic surface charge are used, and generally known latex is used as long as sufficient reactivity and ejection stability are obtained. It is preferable to use polymer particles.

<Self-dispersing polymer particles>
The ink composition in the invention preferably contains at least one kind of self-dispersing polymer particles as polymer particles. This self-dispersing polymer has a function of fixing the ink composition by destabilizing and agglomerating and aggregating the ink to increase the viscosity of the ink when it comes into contact with a treatment liquid described later or a dried region thereof. Fixability of the composition to a recording medium and image scratch resistance can be further improved. Self-dispersing polymers are also preferred resin particles from the viewpoints of ejection stability and liquid stability (particularly dispersion stability) of the system containing the pigment.

  Self-dispersing polymer particles are water-insoluble polymers that can be dispersed in an aqueous medium by the functional groups (especially acidic groups or salts thereof) of the polymer itself in the absence of other surfactants. Means water-insoluble polymer particles which do not contain free emulsifiers.

  The acid value of the self-dispersing polymer in the present invention is preferably 50 or less KOHmg / g or less from the viewpoint of good cohesiveness when the treatment liquid comes into contact. Furthermore, the acid value is more preferably 25 to 50 KOH mg / g, and still more preferably 30 to 50. When the acid value of the self-dispersing polymer is 25 or more, the stability of the self-dispersing property is improved.

  The self-dispersing polymer particles in the present invention preferably contain a polymer having a carboxyl group from the viewpoint of self-dispersibility and agglomeration speed when the treatment liquid comes into contact, and have a carboxyl group and an acid value of 25 to 25. More preferably, it contains a polymer of 50 KOH mg / g, more preferably a polymer having a carboxyl group and an acid value of 30 to 50 KOH mg / g.

  The molecular weight of the water-insoluble polymer constituting the self-dispersing polymer particles is preferably 3000 to 200,000, more preferably 5000 to 150,000, and more preferably 10,000 to 100,000 in terms of weight average molecular weight. Further preferred. By setting the weight average molecular weight to 3000 or more, the amount of water-soluble components can be effectively suppressed. Moreover, self-dispersion stability can be improved by making a weight average molecular weight into 200,000 or less.

  The weight average molecular weight is measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). For GPC, HLC-8220GPC (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation) is used, and as columns, TSKgeL SuperHZM-H, TSKgeL SuperHZ4000, TSKgeL SuperHZ2000 (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation, 4.6 mm ID × 15 cm) are used as eluents. Use THF (tetrahydrofuran). The conditions are as follows: the sample concentration is 0.35 / min, the flow rate is 0.35 ml / min, the sample injection amount is 10 μl, the measurement temperature is 40 ° C., and an IR detector is used. In addition, the calibration curve is “standard sample TSK standard, polystyrene” manufactured by Tosoh Corporation: “F-40”, “F-20”, “F-4”, “F-1”, “A-5000”, It is prepared from 8 samples of “A-2500”, “A-1000”, “n-propylbenzene”.

  The average particle diameter of the self-dispersing polymer particles is preferably in the range of 10 nm to 400 nm, more preferably in the range of 10 to 200 nm, and still more preferably in the range of 10 to 100 nm. When the volume average particle size is 10 nm or more, the production suitability is improved, and when it is 1 μm or less, the storage stability is improved.

  The average particle size and particle size distribution of the self-dispersing polymer particles are measured by the dynamic light scattering method using Nanotrac particle size distribution analyzer UPA-EX150 (manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.). Is required.

  The self-dispersing polymer particles can be used singly or in combination of two or more. The content of the self-dispersing polymer particles in the ink composition is preferably 1 to 30% by mass with respect to the ink composition from the viewpoint of aggregation rate and image glossiness, and 5 to 15 More preferably, it is mass%.

  In addition, the content ratio of the pigment and the self-dispersing polymer particles in the ink composition (for example, water-insoluble pigment particles / self-dispersing polymer particles) is 1/0 from the viewpoint of image scratch resistance and the like. 5 to 1/10 is preferable, and 1/1 to 1/4 is more preferable.

(Polymerizable compound)
The ink composition in the present invention can contain at least one water-soluble polymerizable compound that is polymerized by active energy rays.

  The term “water-soluble” means that it can be dissolved in water at a certain concentration or higher, and it can be dissolved in water-based ink (preferably uniformly). Further, the solubility may be increased by adding a water-soluble organic solvent to be described later, and it may be dissolved (desirably uniformly) in the ink. Specifically, the solubility in water is preferably 10% by mass or more, and more preferably 15% by mass or more.

  As the polymerizable compound, a nonionic or cationic polymerizable compound is preferable in that it does not interfere with the reaction between the flocculant, the pigment, and the polymer particles, and the solubility in water is 10% by mass or more (more preferably 15% by mass or more). The polymerizable compound is preferable.

  As the polymerizable compound in the present invention, a polyfunctional monomer is preferable from the viewpoint of enhancing scratch resistance, and a bifunctional to hexafunctional monomer is preferable, and from the viewpoint of compatibility between solubility and scratch resistance, bifunctional to tetrafunctional. Are preferred.

  A polymeric compound can be contained individually by 1 type or in combination of 2 or more types.

  The content of the polymerizable compound in the ink composition is preferably 30 to 300% by mass, more preferably 50 to 200% by mass, based on the total solid content of the pigment and the self-dispersing polymer particles. When the content of the polymerizable compound is 30% by mass or more, the image strength is further improved and the image has excellent scratch resistance, and when it is 300% by mass or less, it is advantageous in terms of pile height.

(Initiator)
The ink composition in the present invention may contain at least one initiator that initiates polymerization of the polymerizable compound by active energy rays with or without being contained in a treatment liquid described later. A photoinitiator can be used individually by 1 type or in mixture of 2 or more types or using together with a sensitizer.

  The initiator can contain a compound capable of initiating a polymerization reaction by active energy rays as appropriate. For example, the initiator starts generation of active species (radicals, acids, bases, etc.) by radiation or light, or electron beams. An agent (for example, a photopolymerization initiator) can be used.

  When the initiator is contained, the content of the initiator in the ink composition is preferably 1 to 40% by mass and more preferably 5 to 30% by mass with respect to the polymerizable compound. When the content of the initiator is 1% by mass or more, the scratch resistance of the image is further improved, which is advantageous for high-speed recording, and when it is 40% by mass or less, it is advantageous in terms of ejection stability.

(Water-soluble organic solvent)
The ink composition in the invention can contain at least one water-soluble organic solvent. The water-soluble organic solvent can obtain the effect of preventing drying, wetting or promoting penetration. In order to prevent drying, the ink adheres to and drys at the ink discharge port of the ejection nozzle and is used as an anti-drying agent to prevent clogging. For drying prevention and wetting, the vapor pressure is lower than that of water. A water-soluble organic solvent is preferred. Further, for penetration promotion, it can be used as a penetration enhancer that enhances ink permeability to paper.

  The drying inhibitor is preferably a water-soluble organic solvent having a vapor pressure lower than that of water.

  Anti-drying agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of the drying inhibitor is preferably in the range of 10 to 50% by mass in the ink composition.

  As a penetration accelerator, it is suitable for the purpose of allowing the ink composition to penetrate better into the recording medium (printing paper or the like). A penetration enhancer may be used individually by 1 type, or may be used together 2 or more types. The content of the penetration enhancer is preferably in the range of 5 to 30% by mass in the ink composition. Moreover, it is preferable to use the penetration enhancer within a range that does not cause image bleeding and paper loss (print-through).

(water)
The ink composition contains water, but the amount of water is not particularly limited. Especially, the preferable content of water is 10 to 99% by mass, more preferably 30 to 80% by mass, and still more preferably 50 to 70% by mass.

(Other additives)
The ink composition in the present invention can be constituted using other additives in addition to the above components. Other additives include, for example, anti-drying agents (wetting agents), anti-fading agents, emulsion stabilizers, penetration enhancers, ultraviolet absorbers, preservatives, anti-fungal agents, pH adjusters, surface tension adjusters, Well-known additives, such as a foaming agent, a viscosity modifier, a dispersing agent, a dispersion stabilizer, a rust preventive agent, a chelating agent, are mentioned.

[Treatment solution]
The treatment liquid contains at least an aggregating agent for aggregating the components in the ink composition described above, and can be configured using other components as necessary. By using the treatment liquid together with the ink composition, it is possible to increase the speed of ink jet recording, and an image with excellent density and resolution can be obtained even when recording at high speed (for example, reproducibility of fine lines and fine portions).

  The aggregating agent may be a compound capable of changing the pH of the ink composition, a polyvalent metal salt, or polyallylamines. In the present invention, from the viewpoint of cohesiveness of the ink composition, a compound capable of changing the pH of the ink composition is preferable, and a compound capable of lowering the pH of the ink composition is more preferable.

  Among them, as the flocculant in the present invention, an acidic substance having high water solubility is preferable, and an organic acid is preferable, and an organic acid having a valence of 2 or more is more preferable, from the viewpoint of improving the aggregation property and fixing the entire ink. Above-mentioned trivalent or less acidic substances are particularly preferred. The divalent or higher organic acid is preferably an organic acid having a first pKa of 3.5 or less, more preferably an organic acid of 3.0 or less. Specific examples include phosphoric acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, citric acid and the like.

  A flocculant can be used individually by 1 type or in mixture of 2 or more types.

  The content of the flocculant for aggregating the ink composition in the treatment liquid is preferably 1 to 50% by mass, more preferably 3 to 45% by mass, and still more preferably 5 to 40% by mass.

  The treatment liquid can further contain other additives as other components within a range not impairing the effects of the present invention. Other additives include, for example, anti-drying agents (wetting agents), anti-fading agents, emulsion stabilizers, penetration enhancers, UV absorbers, preservatives, anti-fungal agents, pH adjusters, surface tension adjusters, anti-foaming agents. Well-known additives, such as a foaming agent, a viscosity modifier, a dispersing agent, a dispersion stabilizer, a rust preventive agent, a chelating agent, are mentioned.

<Recording medium>
The inkjet recording method of the present invention records an image on a recording medium.

  The recording medium is not particularly limited, and general printing paper mainly composed of cellulose, such as so-called high-quality paper, coated paper, and art paper, used for general offset printing and the like can be used. General printing paper mainly composed of cellulose is relatively slow in ink absorption and drying in image recording by a general ink jet method using water-based ink, and color material movement is likely to occur after droplet ejection, and image quality is likely to deteriorate. However, according to the ink jet recording method of the present invention, it is possible to record a high-quality image excellent in color density and hue by suppressing the movement of the color material.

  Among the recording media, so-called coated paper used for general offset printing is preferable. The coated paper is obtained by applying a coating material to the surface of high-quality paper, neutral paper, or the like that is mainly surface-treated with cellulose as a main component and is not surface-treated. The coated paper tends to cause quality problems such as image gloss and scratch resistance in image formation by ordinary aqueous inkjet, but in the inkjet recording method of the present invention, gloss unevenness is suppressed and gloss and resistance are reduced. An image having good rubbing properties can be obtained. In particular, a coated paper having a base paper and a coat layer containing an inorganic pigment is preferably used, and a coated paper having a base paper and a coat layer containing kaolin and / or calcium bicarbonate is more preferably used. Specifically, art paper, coated paper, lightweight coated paper, or finely coated paper is more preferable.

  In the present invention, the suction of the conveyance body and the control of the air blowing position are performed by the rigidity of the recording medium. The rigidity of the recording medium can be determined by, for example, the basis weight, and it is preferable that the recording medium having a basis weight of 127.9 gsm or less performs the suction at the suction start position downstream of the air blowing position in the transport direction. For a recording medium having a basis weight higher than 230 gsm, the suction start position is preferably performed at the upstream side in the transport direction from the blowing position or at the same position as the blowing position. The basis weight is only a guide and can be appropriately changed depending on the size of the recording medium and the formed image.

  EXAMPLES Next, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[Test Example 1]
The adsorbed state when a chrysanthemum half-size (636 × 469 mm) paper printed by inkjet was adsorbed by impression cylinder conveyance was evaluated according to the following criteria. Adsorption was started so that the entire adsorbing surface was in the adsorbing state when the leading edge of the paper reached a predetermined position on the surface of the conveyance body. Moreover, the ventilation means was installed in the outer periphery of the adsorption cylinder, as shown in FIG.

<Evaluation criteria>
○: The entire paper is adsorbed uniformly.

  Δ: Paper may float and be adsorbed.

  X: The frequency with which the paper floats and is adsorbed is high.

  In the thin paper, when suction is performed on the upstream side in the transport direction from the air blowing position, the paper fluttering or slackening is sucked without being sufficiently corrected. Further, if the thick paper is sucked too far behind the air blowing position, the paper attached by the air blowing means returns due to the rigidity of the paper, so that the rear end of the paper could not be adsorbed.

[Test Example 2]
The same procedure as in Test Example 1 was performed except that the blowing means was installed inside the transfer cylinder and the blowing position was set before the paper contacted the adsorption cylinder (FIG. 6). The results are shown in Table 2. In Test Example 2, the same results as in Test Example 1 were obtained.

[Test Example 3]
The test was performed in the same manner except that the air blowing means was provided at two locations (the outer periphery of the adsorption cylinder and the inside of the transfer cylinder) (FIG. 8). In Test Example 3, the air blowing position is the position of the second air blowing means provided on the outer peripheral surface of the impression cylinder. The results are shown in Table 3. As in Test Examples 1 and 2, when the recording medium is thin paper, if the suction start position is on the upstream side, paper fluttering or slacking is adsorbed without correction, and in the case of thick paper, the suction position Was on the downstream side, the trailing edge of the paper could not be adsorbed.

[Test Example 4]
The test was performed in the same manner except that the blowing means was provided on the outer periphery of the suction cylinder and the auxiliary suction means was provided on the upstream side of the position where the recording medium on the outer periphery of the suction cylinder was transferred from the transfer cylinder (FIG. 9). The results are shown in Table 4. By providing the auxiliary suction means, the same results as in Test Example 3 were obtained, so that it was confirmed that the auxiliary suction means had the same effect as the air blowing means inside the transfer cylinder.

[Test Example 5]
A test was performed by the same method using the apparatus used in Test Example 3 (two air blowing means) and an apparatus provided with auxiliary suction means at the same position as in Test Example 4. The results are shown in Table 5. By bringing the recording medium close to the suction drum by the blowing means and the auxiliary suction means, a highly rigid recording medium can be used, and even if the suction position is delayed, it can be transported satisfactorily.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Inkjet recording apparatus, 10 ... Paper feed part, 12 ... Processing liquid provision part, 14 ... Drawing part, 16 ... Drying part, 18 ... Exposure hardening part, 20 ... Discharge part, 22 ... Recording medium, 24 ... 1st Intermediate transport section, 26 ... second intermediate transport section, 28 ... third intermediate transport section, 30 ... intermediate transport body, 55, 71, 77, 85 ... holding means, 70 ... drawing drum, 72M, 72C, 72Y, 72K ... inkjet head, 76 ... drying drum, 78 ... first IR heater, 80 ... warm air ejection nozzle, 82 ... second IR heater, 81 ... auxiliary suction means, 83 ... blower nozzle (non-contact type recording medium) 84 ... exposure curing drum, 88 ... UV lamp

Claims (16)

A transport body provided with a curvature for carrying and transporting the recording medium, a holding means for holding the leading end of the recording medium in the transport direction, a plurality of suction holes for sucking the recording medium under negative pressure, and suction from the suction holes An adsorbing means, and a conveying means having
Non-contact type recording medium restraining means for non-contact pressing from the opposite side of the recording medium to the recording medium;
A recording medium conveying apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls a pressing position by the non-contact type recording medium holding unit and a suction position by the suction unit according to a type of the recording medium.   The recording medium transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the suction position to the downstream in the transport direction with respect to the pressing position as the rigidity of the recording medium is lower.   The non-contact type recording medium restraining means is a blowing means for supplying wind, and the blowing means is arranged so that the wind direction is from the downstream side to the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. The recording medium carrying device according to claim 1.   The recording medium conveyance device according to claim 1, wherein the adsorption unit performs adsorption in a stepwise manner from a leading end of the recording medium in a conveyance direction.   The recording medium conveyance device according to claim 4, wherein the suction unit is divided into a plurality of areas in the conveyance direction of the recording medium, and suction force of each area can be controlled.   6. The recording medium conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying body is an impression cylinder, and the impression cylinder is connected to a transfer cylinder.   The recording medium conveying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the non-contact type recording medium holding unit is provided inside the transfer drum.   The non-contact type recording medium holding unit includes a first non-contact type recording medium holding unit provided inside the transfer cylinder and a second non-contact type recording medium holding unit provided on the outer peripheral surface of the impression cylinder. 8. The recording medium conveying apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the recording medium conveying apparatus is a means.   9. The recording medium conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image is formed on the recording medium by an ink jet head.   The recording medium conveying apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a heating unit that heats the wind generated by the blowing unit.   10. The non-contact type recording medium restraining means is divided into a plurality of areas in the width direction of the recording medium, and the pressing force in each area can be controlled according to image data. Or a recording medium transporting apparatus according to 10;   The suction unit is divided into a plurality of sections in the width direction of the recording medium, and the suction force of each section can be controlled according to image data. The recording medium carrying device according to the item. A conveying step of placing the recording medium on a conveying body provided with a curvature, sucking through the suction hole from the conveying body while holding the leading end in the conveying direction of the recording medium, and conveying the recording medium;
A non-contact type recording medium pressing step for pressing in a non-contact manner from the opposite side of the conveyance body of the recording medium;
According to the type of the recording medium, a recording medium conveying method comprising: a pressing position by the non-contact type recording medium suppressing process; and a control process for controlling the suction position by the suction.   The recording medium conveying method according to claim 13, wherein the control step sets the suction position downstream of the pressing position with respect to the pressing position as the rigidity of the recording medium is lower.   The non-contact type recording medium restraining means is a blowing step for supplying wind, and the blowing step supplies the wind so that the wind direction is from the downstream side to the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. The recording medium conveying method according to claim 13 or 14.   16. The recording medium conveying method according to claim 13, wherein an image is formed on the recording medium by an inkjet head.

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