JP2012152693A - Inkjet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inkjet recording apparatus ensuring suitable image quality and suitably shielding active energy rays directed toward the upstream side in a conveyance direction.SOLUTION: In the apparatus, a conveyance section 10 conveys industrial material 90, a recording section discharges active energy-curable ink, an irradiation section irradiates active energy rays. An upstream shielding mechanism 40 is installed between the recording section and the irradiation section and shields active energy rays. When closing the upstream shielding mechanism 40, it moves a shielding member 440 of a first shielding section 410 from one side of the conveyance section 10 in the width direction to a direction on the other side, and moves a shielding member 440 of a second shielding section 420 to one side from the other side. When opening, it moves the shielding member 440 of the first shielding section 410 to one side from the other side, and moves the shielding member 440 of the second shielding section 420 from one side to the other side.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus that irradiates active energy rays, cures an active energy curable ink ejected to record an image and landed on a recording surface of a recording medium.

  Conventionally, proposals have been made for apparatuses for curing applied ultraviolet curable ink or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses an ultraviolet irradiation device that is attached to a printing machine in order to perform a treatment with ultraviolet rays such as curing and drying an ultraviolet curable ink applied to printing paper. In the ultraviolet irradiation device of Patent Document 1, an irradiated object having an ultraviolet cured product applied to the ultraviolet irradiation unit is intermittently fed at a constant feed pitch. In Patent Document 1, an ultraviolet irradiation unit is provided at a position between a rod-shaped light source that emits ultraviolet light, a bowl-shaped reflecting mirror, a lamp body that houses the light source and the reflecting mirror, and the lamp body and an object to be irradiated. And a cylindrical mirror. Moreover, in patent document 1, all the inner surfaces of a cylindrical mirror have a reflective surface, and the lower part of the side surface of a cylindrical mirror rotates in the advancing direction of a to-be-irradiated object by using the bottom part of this cylindrical mirror as a fulcrum. Thus, a reflection / light-shielding plate that shields light from the light source is formed.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a UV drying apparatus that dries and cures UV paint applied to the surface of a plastic molded product by irradiating ultraviolet rays. For example, in the case of manufacturing a headlight reflector of an automobile, the UV drying apparatus of Patent Document 2 applies UV paint as a base to the surface of a work, and after drying and curing the coated surface, vacuum deposition is performed on the surface. Used in UV coating / drying / deposition lines to deposit metals such as aluminum. In the UV drying apparatus of Patent Document 2, shutter plates are provided at the entrance and the exit of the UV drying chamber, and the shutter drying plate is operated to close the shutter plate by operating a shutter lifting device constituted by an air cylinder. Is shielded from the outside.

  An ink curing device has been proposed that includes a shutter member that regulates the irradiation region of ultraviolet rays that are irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation unit to the object to be transported, and a moving mechanism that moves the shutter member upstream and downstream in the transport direction. (For example, refer to Patent Document 3). According to Patent Document 3, it is possible to appropriately set the irradiation region of the ultraviolet rays irradiated to the object to be conveyed by the shutter members (the first shutter member and the second shutter member). That is, with a simple configuration of moving the shutter member, it is possible to irradiate ultraviolet rays only to the portion of the conveyance target where the UV ink is to be cured, and the influence of the heat of ultraviolet rays on the conveyance target can be appropriately suppressed. .

Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 7-108565 JP 2009-168363 A JP 2007-276414 A

  By the way, an active energy curable ink such as an ultraviolet curable ink or an electron beam curable ink may be ejected from an ink jet recording apparatus to record suitable images on various recording media. Since the active energy curable ink is cured by being irradiated with the active energy ray, the ink jet recording apparatus that discharges the active energy curable ink has an irradiation unit for irradiating the active energy ray, and the irradiation unit has a recording medium. The active energy curable ink landed on the recording surface is irradiated with active energy rays. In this case, it is necessary to maintain the state of the uncured active energy curable ink (ink dots) that has landed on the recording surface, and to ensure that suitable image quality is ensured so that the irradiated active energy rays do not leak. There is. For example, in an inkjet recording apparatus for industrial use used in a processing production process, a recording medium on which an active energy curable ink has landed on a recording surface is successively conveyed from a recording unit to an irradiation unit. Therefore, when transporting the recording medium to the irradiation unit, it is necessary to take measures so that the active energy rays do not leak in the transport direction and the opposite direction, that is, upstream in the transport direction and downstream in the transport direction. In particular, when an active energy ray leaks in the direction of the recording unit provided on the upstream side in the transport direction (upstream side in the transport direction), and the leaked active energy ray is irradiated on the discharge surface of the recording unit, the active energy in this portion The curable ink is cured.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus that can secure a suitable image quality and can suitably block an active energy ray toward the upstream side in the transport direction.

  One aspect of the present invention made in view of the above-described conventional problems is an inkjet recording apparatus that irradiates an active energy curable ink landed on a recording surface of a recording medium with an active energy ray, and a transport unit that transports the recording medium; A recording unit that is provided at a position spaced in the vertical direction from the conveyance surface of the conveyance unit and that ejects active energy curable ink to a recording surface of a recording medium conveyed by the conveyance unit; and An irradiation unit that is provided on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium and irradiates the recording surface on which the active energy curable ink has landed with an active energy ray; and downstream of the recording unit in the conveyance direction and on the irradiation unit And a shielding mechanism that shields active energy rays irradiated by the irradiation unit, and the shielding mechanism is active toward the upstream side in the transport direction. An active energy ray that includes a first shielding material that shields energy lines, forms a pair with the first shielding portion provided on one side in the width direction of the conveying portion, and the first shielding portion, and travels upstream in the conveying direction. When closing the shielding mechanism and the second shielding part provided on the other side in the width direction of the transport part, including the second shielding material to be shielded, the first shielding material is placed on one side in the width direction of the transport part. When moving the second shielding material from the other side in the width direction of the transport unit to the one side direction and opening the shielding mechanism, the first shielding material is moved from the side to the other side direction. An opening / closing part that moves from the other side in the width direction of the transport part to the one side direction and moves the second shielding material from one side in the width direction of the transport part to the other side; Inkjet recording apparatus.

  According to this, in order to perform the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing unit for shielding the active energy ray toward the upstream side in the conveyance direction and passing the recording medium in the width direction of the conveyance unit, the first shielding material and the second Contact between the shielding material and the recording surface can be prevented. Further, since the first shielding material and the second shielding material are moved in different directions in the width direction of the transport unit, the moving distance of each shielding material in the opening / closing operation can be shortened. Therefore, the opening / closing operation can be performed in a short time. Here, in the above description, the active energy ray directed upstream in the transport direction is synonymous with the active energy ray directed in the direction opposite to the direction in which the recording medium is transported. The ink jet recording apparatus includes a configuration constructed as a system in addition to a configuration as a single device.

  This ink jet recording apparatus can also be configured as follows. That is, the first shielding part has a first urging part that urges the first shielding material from one side in the width direction of the transport part to the other side, and the second shielding part includes: A second urging portion that urges the second shielding member from the other side in the width direction of the transport portion to the one side; The shielding material is moved from one side in the width direction of the transport unit to the other side by the urging force of the first urging unit, and the second shielding material is moved by the urging force of the second urging unit. In the case where the shield mechanism is opened by moving from the other side in the width direction of the transport unit to release the shield mechanism, the transport of the first shielding material against the biasing force of the first biasing unit is performed. Moving the second shielding material against the urging force of the second urging portion. Is moved from one side in the width direction of the transport unit in the direction of the other side, it may be. According to this, the structure of the shielding mechanism can be simplified. Moreover, it can respond suitably to various recording media having different width dimensions.

  In addition, a plurality of the first shielding portions are provided at predetermined intervals in the conveyance direction on one side in the width direction of the conveyance portion, and each of the plurality of first shielding portions has a first contact portion. The second shielding portion is provided on the other side in the width direction of the transport portion and a plurality of the first shielding portions at a predetermined interval in the transport direction so as to form a pair. Each of the plurality of second shielding portions has a second contact portion, and the opening and closing portions are provided with a plurality of first shielding portions provided at a predetermined interval and a plurality of second opening portions provided at a predetermined interval. A moving part that moves the shielding part in synchronization with the transport direction; a first parallel part that is provided on one side in the width direction of the transport part; and that is parallel to the transport direction; As moving toward the downstream side in the transport direction, the transport unit is separated from the transport unit in the width direction of the transport unit. A first guide portion that is in contact with the first contact portion, and a second guide portion that is provided on the other side in the width direction of the transport portion and is parallel to the transport direction. A parallel portion, and a second separating portion formed in a direction away from the transport portion in the width direction of the transport portion as it goes to the downstream side in the transport direction and continues to the second parallel portion; and A second guide portion that is in contact with the second contact portion, wherein the first shielding portion is moved by the moving portion in a state where the first contact portion is in contact with the first parallel portion, When the second shielding portion is moved by the moving portion in a state where the two contact portions are in contact with the second parallel portion, the shielding mechanism is closed and the first contact portion is in contact with the first separation portion. In the state, the first shielding part is moved by the moving part, and the second contact part is in contact with the second separation part. In state, when the second shielding portion by the mobile unit is moved, the shielding mechanism gradually is opened, it may be so.

  According to this, the shielding mechanism can be suitably closed and opened. For example, the shield mechanism can be closed and the closed shield mechanism can be opened without performing special control. Further, it is possible to suitably cope with the case where the recording medium is sequentially conveyed continuously. Here, with respect to the direction in which the first separation portion is formed, the direction away from the conveyance portion in the width direction of the conveyance portion coincides with the one direction from the other side in the width direction of the conveyance portion. Further, with respect to the direction in which the second separation portion is formed, the direction away from the conveyance portion in the width direction of the conveyance portion coincides with the direction from one side to the other side in the width direction of the conveyance portion.

  The first contact portion is urged by the first urging portion in the same direction as the first shielding member, and is in contact with the first parallel portion and the first separation portion, The second contact portion is urged in the same direction as the second shielding member by the second urging portion, and is in contact with the second parallel portion and the second separation portion in a pressed state. Good. According to this, the contact state between the first contact portion, the first parallel portion, and the first separation portion is preferably maintained, and the contact state between the second contact portion, the second parallel portion, and the second separation portion is maintained. It can maintain suitably.

  Further, the moving speed of the first shielding part and the second shielding part by the moving part and the conveying speed of the recording medium by the conveying part may be set to the same speed. According to this, the first shielding material and the recording medium are rubbed in the first shielding portion due to the difference between the moving speed and the conveyance speed, and either one or both are prevented from being damaged and / or worn. In addition, it is possible to prevent the second shielding material and the recording medium from rubbing in the second shielding part, and either one or both of them being damaged and / or worn. The recording medium can be maintained in a suitable state, and the durability of the ink jet recording apparatus can be improved.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an ink jet recording apparatus that can ensure suitable image quality and can suitably block active energy rays that are directed upstream in the transport direction.

It is a figure which shows the outline of a line type inkjet recording device. (A) is a top view, (b) is a front view. It is a top view which shows the outline of an upstream shielding mechanism. It is a figure which shows the outline of a 1st shielding part and a 2nd shielding part. (A) is a top view, (b) is a front view. It is the elements on larger scale for demonstrating the state in which industrial material is conveyed the 1st parallel part and 2nd parallel part of an upstream shielding mechanism, Comprising: It is a perspective view from the conveyance direction upstream. It is a top view which shows the outline of a downstream shielding mechanism. It is the elements on larger scale for demonstrating the state by which the penetration path of a downstream shielding mechanism is closed by the shielding material, Comprising: It is a perspective view from the conveyance direction upstream.

  Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the configurations described below, and various configurations can be employed in the same technical idea. For example, some of the configurations shown below may be omitted or replaced with other configurations. Moreover, you may make it include another structure.

<Inkjet recording apparatus>
As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a transport unit 10, a carriage 20, a recording unit 30, an upstream shielding mechanism 40, an irradiation unit 50, a downstream shielding mechanism 60, and a control unit 70. Have The ink jet recording apparatus includes a serial type ink jet recording apparatus and a line type ink jet recording apparatus. In this embodiment, the case where the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is a line type inkjet recording apparatus will be described as an example. In the ink jet recording apparatus 1, a full color image is recorded (formed). As a recording medium on which an image is recorded, an industrial material 90 used in processing production is exemplified in addition to recording paper widely used in personal use. The industrial material 90 includes building materials. As the building material, for example, a ceramic siding material and the like are included in addition to the concrete block shown in FIG. In the inkjet recording apparatus 1 for industrial use, active energy curable ink is used for recording an image. Examples of the active energy curable ink include ultraviolet curable ink and electron beam curable ink. In this embodiment, an ultraviolet curable ink will be described as an example. 1A and 1B show an outline of the ink jet recording apparatus 1, and each part illustrated in the figure and the size ratio between the parts are different from the actual ink jet recording apparatus 1. In addition, the concrete block as the industrial material 90 is greatly illustrated with respect to the ink jet recording apparatus 1.

  The conveyance unit 10 is configured by a conveyor or the like. The transport unit 10 transports the industrial material 90 placed on the transport surface 12. The industrial material 90 may be continuously placed on the transport surface 12 at a predetermined interval (see “interval K1” in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5). In this case, the interval K1 on which the industrial material 90 is placed is set to about 50 mm to 500 mm, for example. The transport unit 10 includes the carriage 20, the upstream shielding mechanism 40, and the irradiation unit 50 from the one end side of the transport unit 10 (the left end side when FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are viewed from the front). Then, it passes through the downstream shielding mechanism 60 and is transported to the other end side of the transport unit 10 (see the industrial material 90 described as “image” shown on the right side when FIG. 1A is viewed from the front. “Image” indicates that an image is recorded on the recording surface 92. The same applies to FIGS. 2 and 4 to 6). The conveyance speed of the industrial material 90 by the conveyance part 10 is set to the range of 5 m / min-50 m / min, for example.

  The carriage 20 has a recording unit 30. The recording unit 30 is attached and fixed to the carriage 20. The recording unit 30 includes, for example, recording head units 32K, 32C, 32M, and 32Y. The recording head unit 32K includes a plurality of recording heads that discharge black ultraviolet curable ink (hereinafter also referred to as “black ink”). The recording head unit 32C includes a plurality of recording heads that discharge cyan ultraviolet curable ink (hereinafter also referred to as “cyan ink”). The recording head unit 32M includes a plurality of recording heads that eject magenta ultraviolet curable ink (hereinafter also referred to as “magenta ink”). The recording head unit 32Y includes a plurality of recording heads that discharge yellow ultraviolet curable ink (hereinafter also referred to as “yellow ink”). That is, the recording unit 30 includes a plurality of recording heads. The plurality of recording heads constituting the recording head unit 32K are arranged in a plurality of rows in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction (see “width direction” in FIG. 1A) and are adjacent to each other. Are arranged in a staggered pattern. The plurality of recording heads in each of the recording head units 32C, 32M, and 32Y are also arranged in the same manner as the recording head unit 32K. A plurality of nozzles are formed in the recording heads constituting the recording head units 32K, 32C, 32M, and 32Y for each color. Specifically, the ultraviolet curable ink of each color is discharged from this nozzle.

  The recording unit 30 fixed to the carriage 20 is at a position spaced vertically from the conveyance surface 12 and in a state where the industrial materials 90 sequentially conveyed by the conveyance unit 10 sequentially pass through the recording unit 30. The recording surface 92 is provided at a position where variation in height of the recording surface 92 with respect to the conveyance surface 12 can be allowed. Specifically, the recording unit 30 includes a surface of the recording unit 30 that faces the conveyance surface 12, in detail, ejection surfaces 34 in a plurality of recording heads that constitute each of the recording head units 32K, 32C, 32M, and 32Y, A gap G between the recording surface 92 of the industrial material 90 (see FIG. 1B) is provided at a position where the gap is 5 mm or more, specifically about 5 mm to 10 mm or about several tens of mm. In the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the height of the recording surface 92 (the thickness of the industrial material 90) with respect to the transport surface 12 is about 100 mm to 500 mm. In a state where the recording unit 30 is attached to the carriage 20, the surface of the carriage 20 and the ejection surface 34 facing the transport surface 12 are set to the same height so as to be included in the same plane. Note that the ink droplets of the ultraviolet curable ink ejected from the recording heads constituting the recording head units 32K, 32C, 32M, and 32Y of the respective colors fly vertically in the gap G space toward the recording surface 92.

  The upstream shielding mechanism 40 is provided between the recording unit 30 and the irradiation unit 50 in the conveyance direction, in other words, on the downstream side in the conveyance direction with respect to the recording unit 30 and on the upstream side in the conveyance direction with respect to the irradiation unit 50. It is done. The upstream shielding mechanism 40 is provided so as to be adjacent (adjacent) to the irradiation unit 50. The upstream shielding mechanism 40 is a mechanism (apparatus) that shields ultraviolet rays as active energy rays irradiated by the irradiation unit 50 on the upstream side in the transport direction. The upstream shielding mechanism 40 will be described later. The irradiation unit 50 functions as an active energy irradiation unit that irradiates active energy rays. As is apparent from the above, the irradiation unit 50 is provided at a position adjacent to the upstream shielding mechanism 40 on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the recording unit 30 and the upstream shielding mechanism 40. In the present embodiment in which ultraviolet curable ink is used, the irradiation unit 50 irradiates ultraviolet rays. That is, the irradiation unit 50 includes an ultraviolet lamp provided toward the conveyance surface 12 of the conveyance unit 10 and irradiates ultraviolet rays as active energy rays in the direction of the conveyance surface 12. When an electron beam curable ink is used as the active energy curable ink, the irradiation unit 50 irradiates an electron beam as an active energy beam. The irradiation unit 50 includes a shutter, and opens and closes the shutter to start and stop irradiation with ultraviolet rays. The start and stop of ultraviolet irradiation may be realized by turning on and off the ultraviolet lamp of the irradiation unit 50. In this case, the shutter can be omitted.

  The irradiation of ultraviolet rays is detected by the industrial material 90 by, for example, a detection sensor (not shown) provided at a predetermined position downstream of the recording unit 30 in the conveyance direction and upstream of the irradiation unit 50 in the conveyance direction. It starts on the condition that it was done. In addition, the irradiation of ultraviolet rays indicates that it has been detected that the industrial material 90 has passed through the irradiation unit 50 by a detection sensor (not shown) provided at a predetermined position downstream of the irradiation unit 50 in the transport direction. Stopped as a condition. You may make it stop irradiation of an ultraviolet-ray when predetermined time passes after starting the irradiation of an ultraviolet-ray.

  The downstream shielding mechanism 60 is provided so as to be adjacent (adjacent) to the irradiation unit 50 in the transport direction. The downstream shielding mechanism 60 is a mechanism (apparatus) that shields ultraviolet rays as active energy rays irradiated by the irradiation unit 50 on the downstream side in the transport direction. The downstream shielding mechanism 60 will be described later. The control unit 70 controls various processes including image recording executed by the inkjet recording apparatus 1. The control unit 70 includes a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted, electrical wiring, and the like.

  In addition, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a main tank (not shown) that stores, for example, black, cyan, magenta, and yellow ultraviolet curable inks. The black ink stored in the black main tank is supplied to the plurality of recording heads of the recording head unit 32K via the black ink supply line 80, respectively. The cyan ink stored in the cyan main tank is supplied to the plurality of recording heads of the recording head unit 32C via the cyan ink supply line 80, respectively. The magenta ink stored in the magenta main tank is supplied to the plurality of recording heads of the recording head unit 32M via the magenta ink supply line 80, respectively. The yellow ink stored in the yellow main tank is supplied to the plurality of recording heads of the recording head unit 32Y via the yellow ink supply line 80, respectively. In FIGS. 1A and 1B, the ink supply line 80 for each color is shown in a simplified manner.

  The ink jet recording apparatus 1 has a predetermined interface (not shown) such as a network interface. The ink jet recording apparatus 1 is connected to an external device such as a personal computer via an interface so as to be communicable. The external device inputs an image recording command to the recording surface 92 and data indicating the image to be recorded to the inkjet recording apparatus 1. In the inkjet recording apparatus 1 to which the recording command is input, a predetermined process is executed, and the inkjet recording method is executed. When the inkjet recording method is executed in the inkjet recording apparatus 1, an image indicated by the input data is recorded on the recording surface 92, and the industrial material 90 is patterned.

  In the ink jet recording method, first, the transport unit 10 starts operating, and the transport of the industrial material 90 placed on the transport surface 12 is started. Next, in the recording unit 30, ultraviolet curable ink of each color is ejected onto the conveyed industrial material 90 and landed on the recording surface 92. The ultraviolet curable ink of each color is ejected from the recording head of each corresponding recording head unit 32K, 32C, 32M, 32Y. As a result, black dots of black ink, cyan dots of cyan ink, magenta dots of magenta ink, and yellow dots of yellow ink are recorded (formed) on the recording surface 92.

  Thereafter, the industrial material 90 is further transported by the transport unit 10, passes through the upstream shielding mechanism 40, and the irradiation unit 50 irradiates ultraviolet rays onto the recording surface 92 on which the ultraviolet curable ink has landed. As a result, the black dots, cyan dots, magenta dots, and yellow dots formed by the ultraviolet curable ink of each color landed on the recording surface 92 are cured. The industrial material 90 is further transported by the transport unit 10 and passes through the downstream shielding mechanism 60. Thereby, the patterning by the image recording for one industrial material 90 is completed. The industrial material 90 is placed on the transport surface 12 successively and continuously at the interval K1, and the transport is started. And the said process is repeatedly performed with respect to this industrial material 90 continuously.

<Upstream shielding mechanism>
The upstream shielding mechanism 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. Although not shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the upstream shielding mechanism 40 is actually covered with a casing that penetrates in the conveyance direction so that the conveyance unit 10 can penetrate and the industrial material 90 can pass therethrough. ing. Therefore, ultraviolet rays as active energy rays are shielded not only on the upstream side in the transport direction, which will be described later, but also on the upper side and the lower side of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 (see FIGS. 1B and 4). FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a state in which the industrial material 90 is transported through the upstream shielding mechanism 40, and a part of the configuration of the upstream shielding mechanism 40 is omitted and the illustration is simplified. ing. Accordingly, there is a portion where the configuration and the shape shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 do not match.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2, the upstream shielding mechanism 40 includes a first shielding part 410, a second shielding part 420, and an opening / closing part 460. A plurality of the first shielding portions 410 are provided on one side in the width direction of the transport unit 10 (see “width direction” in FIG. 2). A plurality of second shielding parts 420 are provided on the other side in the width direction of the transport part 10. The same number of first shielding parts 410 and second shielding parts 420 are provided (in the example shown in FIG. 2, 10 each), and one first shielding part 410 and one second shielding part 420 are: It has a function of forming a pair and shielding ultraviolet rays toward the upstream side in the conveyance direction. The first shielding part 410 and the second shielding part 420 have the same configuration.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first shielding part 410 and the second shielding part 420 include a frame 430, a shielding material 440, a contact part 442, and an urging part 444. A shielding member 440, a contact portion 442, and an urging portion 444 are attached to the frame 430. The frame 430 includes a base part 432, a fixed part 434, a movable part 436, and a guide part 438. The fixing part 434 is fixed to the base part 432. The movable part 436 is attached to the base part 432 in a state in which the movable part 436 can reciprocate in the urging direction by the urging part 444 and the opposite direction. The guide part 438 guides the reciprocating movement of the movable part 436. The shielding member 440 is attached to the movable part 436 and moves in the same direction in conjunction with the movement of the movable part 436. The shielding member 440 shields the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the irradiation unit 50 and passes through the upstream shielding mechanism 40 toward the upstream side in the transport direction. To prevent leaking to the side. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the ultraviolet curable ink from being cured on the ejection surface 34. The shielding member 440 is configured by, for example, a plate-like or hanging curtain-like member. The height of the shielding member 440 (the dimension in the vertical direction with respect to the conveyance surface 12) is set to be about the height of the through-passage of the upstream shielding mechanism 40 or more.

  The contact part 442 is attached to the movable part 436 and reciprocates in the same direction in conjunction with the reciprocating movement of the movable part 436. The contact part 442 of the first shielding part 410 is in contact with the first guide part 490 of the opening / closing part 460 described later, and the contact part 442 of the second shielding part 420 is the second guide part of the opening / closing part 460. The contact is made in a state of being pressed by 510. That is, the moving range of the movable portion 436 is restricted by each contact portion 442 so as to reach the first guide portion 490 and the second guide portion 510. The contact portion 442 is configured by a guide roller or the like. When the first shielding part 410 and the second shielding part 420 are moved by moving parts 470 and 480 of the opening / closing part 460, which will be described later, the contact part 442 of the first shielding part 410 contacts the first guide part 490, and The contact portions 442 of the two shielding portions 420 are in contact with the second guide portion 510 and rotate in directions corresponding to the movement.

  The urging portion 444 is accommodated in a compressed state between the fixed portion 434 and the movable portion 436, and generates an urging force. This urging force is transmitted to the movable part 436 and moves the movable part 436 in the urging direction. The biasing portion 444 is compressed when the movable portion 436 moves in the counter-bias direction opposite to the bias direction due to the reaction force of the first guide portion 490 and the second guide portion 510. The contact portion 442 attached to the movable portion 436 comes into contact with the first guide portion 490 and the second guide portion 510 while being pressed by the biasing force of the biasing portion 444. In addition, the shielding member 440 is reciprocated in conjunction with the movement of the movable portion 436 accompanying the expansion and contraction of the biasing portion 444. The urging portion 444 is configured by a coil spring as shown in FIGS. The urging unit 444 may have a configuration other than the coil spring as long as it can generate an urging force in a predetermined direction (uniaxial direction).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the opening / closing unit 460 includes moving units 470 and 480, a first guide unit 490, and a second guide unit 510. The moving part 470 includes a belt part 472 and rotating parts 474 and 476. In the moving part 470, the belt part 472 and the rotating parts 474 and 476 are respectively a predetermined position above the conveying surface 12 and a predetermined position equal to or lower than the conveying surface 12 or below the conveying surface 12. And provided. The belt portion 472 has an annular shape, and is configured by, for example, a chain. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of first shielding portions 410 are attached to the belt portion 472 at equal intervals (see “interval K2” in FIG. 2). Specifically, the upper end surface portion of the frame 430 of the first shielding portion 410 is attached to the belt portion 472 provided above, and the lower end surface portion of the frame 430 is attached to the belt portion 472 provided below ( (Refer FIG.3 (b)).

  The rotation unit 474 is provided at a predetermined position on the upstream side in the conveyance direction, and the rotation unit 476 is provided at a predetermined position on the downstream side in the conveyance direction. A belt portion 472 is hung on the rotating portions 474 and 476. For example, among the rotating units 476 provided above and below the conveying surface 12, a driving unit (not shown) such as a motor is provided with a predetermined transmission mechanism (not illustrated). Are connected via When the drive unit is rotated in a predetermined direction, the rotation unit 476 rotates clockwise (driven rotation, see “arrow R” described in the rotation unit 476) via the transmission mechanism. Along with this, the belt portion 472 and the rotation portion 474 provided above rotate in the same direction as the rotation portion 476 (followed rotation. “Arrow R” described in the belt portion 472 and the rotation portion 474, respectively. refer. As the belt portion 472 rotates, the first shielding portion 410 attached to the belt portion 472 moves toward the downstream side in the transport direction in the other portion of the belt portion 472 (see reference numeral 472a). It moves toward the upstream side in the transport direction at the side portion (see reference numeral 472b). The portions 472, 474, and 476 provided below also rotate (followed rotation) as described above.

  The moving unit 480 has the same configuration as the moving unit 470. That is, the moving unit 480 includes a belt unit 482 and rotating units 484 and 486. Also in the moving part 480, the belt part 482 and the rotating parts 484 and 486 are respectively a predetermined position above the transport surface 12 and a predetermined position equal to or lower than the transport surface 12 or below the transport surface 12. Position. In the moving parts 470 and 480, the parts 472, 474 and 476, and the parts 482, 484 and 486, which are provided above and below, respectively, are provided at the same height. The belt portion 482 has an annular shape and is configured by, for example, a chain. A plurality of second shielding parts 420 are attached to the belt part 482 at regular intervals as shown in FIG. Specifically, the upper end surface portion of the frame 430 of the second shielding portion 420 is attached to the belt portion 482 provided above, and the lower end surface portion of the frame 430 is attached to the belt portion 482 provided below ( (Refer FIG.3 (b)). The attachment interval of the second shielding portion 420 is equal to the attachment interval of the first shielding portion 410 to the belt portion 472, and is set to the interval K2.

  The rotation unit 484 is provided at a predetermined position on the upstream side in the conveyance direction, and the rotation unit 486 is provided at a predetermined position on the downstream side in the conveyance direction. A belt portion 482 is hung on the rotating portions 484 and 486. For example, among the rotating units 486 provided above and below the conveyance surface 12, the rotating unit 486 provided above the driving unit for rotating the rotating unit 476 has a predetermined transmission mechanism (not configured). Are connected via When the drive unit is rotated in a predetermined direction, the rotation unit 486 rotates counterclockwise via a transmission mechanism (followed rotation, see “arrow L” described in the rotation unit 486). Accordingly, the belt portion 482 and the rotation portion 484 provided above rotate in the same direction as the rotation portion 486 (followed rotation. “Arrow L” described in the belt portion 482 and the rotation portion 484, respectively. refer. As the belt portion 482 rotates, the second shielding portion 420 attached to the belt portion 482 moves toward the downstream side in the transport direction in one side portion (see reference numeral 482b) of the belt portion 482, and the other side. It moves toward the upstream side in the transport direction in the side portion (see reference numeral 482a). In addition, each part 482,484,486 provided below also rotates (followed rotation) as mentioned above.

  Here, as described above, in the upstream-side shielding mechanism 40, the rotation unit 476 and the rotation unit 486 provided above are rotated by a single drive unit. Therefore, the movement of the first shielding unit 410 by the moving unit 470 and the movement of the second shielding unit 420 by the moving unit 480 are performed in a synchronized state.

  The first guide part 490 is provided at a predetermined position (see FIG. 3B) above the transport surface 12 and on one side in the width direction of the transport part 10. The first guide part 490 is formed in an annular shape in which a first parallel part 492, a first separation part 494, a first return part 496, and first direction changing parts 498, 500 are continuous. The first parallel part 492 and the first separation part 494 form a part on the other side in the width direction of the transport part 10 among the parts extending in the transport direction. The first parallel portion 492 is formed to be parallel to the transport direction. The first separation portion 494 is formed so as to be inclined in the direction away from the conveyance portion 10 in the width direction of the conveyance portion 10 as it goes downstream in the conveyance direction. The first return part 496 forms a part on one side in the width direction of the transport part 10 among the parts extending in the transport direction. The first return portion 496 is formed to be parallel to the transport direction. The first direction changing portion 498 connects the end portion on the downstream side in the transport direction of the first separation portion 494 and the end portion on the downstream side in the transport direction of the first return portion 496. The first direction changing unit 500 connects the end portion on the upstream side in the transport direction of the first return portion 496 and the end portion on the upstream side in the transport direction of the first parallel portion 492.

  About the width dimension between the 1st guide part 490 and the belt part 472 in the width direction of the conveyance part 10, in the 1st parallel part 492, it is constant with the width W1. In the first return portion 496 and the first direction change portions 498, 500, the width W2 is constant (width W1> width W2). The width W3 in the first separation portion 494 gradually decreases from the width W1 at the boundary with the first parallel portion 492 to the width W2 at the boundary with the first direction changing portion 498 (width W1> width W3> width W2). In the first direction changing portion 500, the width dimension between the belt portion 472 and the first transition portion 502 connected to the first parallel portion 492 changes from the width W2 to the width W1.

  The second guide unit 510 has a shape symmetrical to the first guide unit 490 with reference to the center line M in the width direction of the transport unit 10 indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. The second guide unit 510 is provided at a predetermined position (see FIG. 3B) above the transport surface 12 and on the other side in the width direction of the transport unit 10. The first guide unit 490 and the second guide unit 510 are provided at the same height, for example, with the transport surface 12 as a reference, and are provided at positions that are line-symmetric with respect to the center line M. The second guide portion 510 is formed in an annular shape in which a second parallel portion 512, a second separation portion 514, a second return portion 516, and second direction changing portions 518 and 520 are continuous. The second parallel part 512 and the second separation part 514 form a part on one side in the width direction of the transport part 10 among the parts extending in the transport direction. The second parallel part 512 is formed to be parallel to the transport direction. The second separation portion 514 is formed to be inclined in a direction away from the conveyance portion 10 in the width direction of the conveyance portion 10 as it goes downstream in the conveyance direction. The second return part 516 forms a part on the other side in the width direction of the transport part 10 among the parts extending in the transport direction. The second return part 516 is formed to be parallel to the transport direction. The second direction changing portion 518 connects the end portion on the downstream side in the transport direction of the second separation portion 514 and the end portion on the downstream side in the transport direction of the second return portion 516. The second direction changing portion 520 connects the end portion on the upstream side in the transport direction of the second return portion 516 and the end portion on the upstream side in the transport direction of the second parallel portion 512.

  About the width dimension between the 2nd guide part 510 and the belt part 482 in the width direction of the conveyance part 10, in the 2nd parallel part 512, it is constant with the width W1. In the second return portion 516 and the second direction change portions 518 and 520, the width W2 is constant (width W1> width W2). The width W3 in the second separation portion 514 gradually decreases from the width W1 at the boundary with the second parallel portion 512 to the width W2 at the boundary with the second direction changing portion 518 (width W1> width W3> width W2). In the second direction changing portion 520, the width dimension between the belt portion 482 and the belt portion 482 in the second transition portion 522 connected to the second parallel portion 512 changes from the width W2 to the width W1. This width dimension has the same relationship as the width dimension between the first guide part 490 and the belt part 472 described above.

  Next, an opening / closing operation of the upstream shielding mechanism 40, which is performed by appropriately moving a pair of the shielding material 440 of the first shielding part 410 and the shielding material 440 of the second shielding part 420 in pairs, is shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. First, the case where the industrial material 90 is not conveyed is demonstrated for convenience of explanation. In the plurality of first shielding parts 410 attached to the belt part 472 of the moving part 470 at intervals K2, the movable part 436 is biased by the biasing part 444 at each position where the first shielding part 410 is attached. Be energized by. For example, in the first shielding part 410 at the position of the first parallel part 492, the movable part 436 is urged by the urging part 444 from one side in the width direction of the transport part 10 to the other side, and the contact part 442 moves to a position where it contacts the first parallel portion 492. The shielding member 440 attached to the movable part 436 moves in the same direction in conjunction with the movement of the movable part 436. At this time, the front end side of the shielding member 440 is disposed at a position beyond the center in the width direction of the transport unit 10 (see “center line M” indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIGS. 2 and 4). Therefore, the shielding member 440 of the first shielding unit 410 is half of the width direction of the transport unit 10 in the through-passage region (end surface) of the upstream shielding mechanism 40 at one position in the width direction of the transport unit 10. The above is closed (see, for example, “shielding material 440” shown on the upstream side, the downstream side, and one side in FIG. 4).

  Similarly, in the plurality of second shielding parts 420 attached to the belt part 482 of the moving part 480 at intervals K2, the movable part 436 is moved by the biasing part 444 at each position where the second shielding part 420 is attached. It is energized in the energizing direction. For example, in the second shielding part 420 that is paired with the first shielding part 410 at the position of the first parallel part 492 and the second parallel part 512, the movable part 436 is moved by the biasing part 444. The conveyance unit 10 is urged from the other side in the width direction to the one side, and the contact unit 442 moves to a position in contact with the second parallel unit 512. The shielding member 440 attached to the movable part 436 moves in the same direction in conjunction with the movement of the movable part 436. At this time, the front end side of the shielding member 440 is disposed at a position beyond the center (center line M) in the width direction of the transport unit 10 on one side. Therefore, the shielding member 440 of the second shielding unit 420 is half the width direction of the transport unit 10 in the through-passage region (end surface) of the upstream shielding mechanism 40 at the other position in the width direction of the transport unit 10. The above is closed (see, for example, “shielding material 440” shown on the upstream side, the downstream side, and the other side in FIG. 4).

  Here, in the first parallel part 492 and the second parallel part 512, the shielding material 440 of the first shielding part 410 and the shielding material 440 of the second shielding part 420 are on the side where each is provided as described above. Of the through-passage region (end surface) of the upstream shielding mechanism 40, more than half of the width direction of the transport unit 10 is closed. Accordingly, when the pair of the first shielding part 410 and the second shielding part 420 that are paired are at the positions of the first parallel part 492 and the second parallel part 512, respectively, the first shielding part 410 and the second shielding part 420. Each of the shielding members 440 closes the entire region (end surface) of the through path of the upstream shielding mechanism 40. That is, the upstream shielding mechanism 40 is closed. At that time, the distal end portion of the shielding member 440 of the first shielding portion 410 and the distal end portion of the shielding member 440 of the second shielding portion 420 overlap with each other in the transport direction at the center line M as shown in FIG. Arranged. For this reason, the upstream shielding mechanism 40 is more preferably closed, and the ultraviolet rays toward the upstream side in the transport direction are more suitably shielded. As described above, the height of the shielding member 440 is set to be equal to or higher than the height of the through-passage of the upstream-side shielding mechanism 40. Therefore, no gap is generated on the upper side and the lower side of the through-passage. In addition, in FIG. 4, the hatching attached | subjected to each shielding material 440 shown by the upstream is for demonstrating the front-end | tip part of the shielding material 440 mentioned above.

  Subsequently, the moving parts 470 and 480 are driven, the first shielding part 410 located at the position of the first parallel part 492 is moved to the first separating part 494, and is located at the position of the second parallel part 512. It is assumed that a pair of second shielding parts 420 paired with the first shielding part 410 has moved to the second separation part 514. At this time, in the first shielding part 410, a reaction force from the first separation part 494 acts on the contact part 442 that is in contact with the first separation part 494 in a pressed state, corresponding to the inclination of the first separation part 494. Thus, the movable portion 436 gradually moves in the counter-biasing direction (see FIG. 3B). In this case, the counter-bias direction is the direction from the other side to the one side in the width direction of the transport unit 10 and the direction away from the transport unit 10 in the width direction of the transport unit 10, that is, the downstream side in the transport direction Accordingly, the first separation portion 494 coincides with the direction in which the first separation portion 494 is inclined. The shielding member 440 attached to the movable part 436 moves gradually in the same direction in conjunction with the movement of the movable part 436.

  Similarly, it forms a pair with the first shielding part 410 at the position of the first separation part 494, and the second shielding part 420 at the position of the second separation part 514 comes into contact with the second separation part 514 while being pressed. A reaction force from the second separation portion 514 acts on the contact portion 442, and the movable portion 436 gradually moves in the counter-bias direction in accordance with the inclination of the second separation portion 514. In this case, the counter-biasing direction is a direction from one side to the other side in the width direction of the transport unit 10, and is a direction away from the transport unit 10 in the width direction of the transport unit 10, that is, the downstream side in the transport direction. Accordingly, the second separation portion 514 coincides with the direction in which the second separation portion 514 is inclined. The shielding member 440 attached to the movable part 436 moves gradually in the same direction in conjunction with the movement of the movable part 436. Finally, in the first separation part 494 and the second separation part 514, the movable part 436 of the first shielding part 410 and the movable part 436 of the second shielding part 420 are counter-biased to a position corresponding to the width W2. In conjunction with this, the shielding member 440 of the first shielding part 410 and the shielding member 440 of the second shielding part 420 are moved to a position corresponding to the width W2. As a result, a pair of the shielding material 440 of the first shielding part 410 and the shielding material 440 of the second shielding part 420 that are paired are opened. That is, the upstream shielding mechanism 40 is opened.

  After that, the first shielding part 410 that has passed through the first separation part 494 sequentially moves the first direction changing part 498, the first return part 496, and the first direction changing part 500 successively. Similarly, the second shielding part 420 that has passed through the second separation part 514 then sequentially moves the second direction changing part 518, the second return part 516, and the second direction changing part 520 sequentially. Here, in the first direction changing portion 498, the first return portion 496, and the first direction changing portion 500 (excluding the first transition portion 502), the width dimension between the belt portion 472 is constant at the width W2. . Further, in the second direction changing portion 518, the second return portion 516, and the second direction changing portion 520 (excluding the second transition portion 522), the width dimension between the belt portion 482 is constant at the width W2. . Therefore, the 1st shielding part 410 maintains the state when passing the 1st separation part 494, moves these sections, and the 2nd shielding part 420 has the state when it passed the 2nd separation part 514. Keep and move between these sections.

  In the first direction changing unit 500, the first shielding unit 410 whose moving direction is changed from the upstream side in the transport direction to the downstream side in the transport direction then reaches the first transition unit 502 of the first direction changing unit 500. In the first transition portion 502, the width dimension between the belt portion 472 changes from the width W2 to the width W1. Therefore, the movable part 436 moves in the urging direction corresponding to the change in the width dimension by the urging force of the urging part 444, and the shielding member 440 moves in the same direction in conjunction with this movement. Similarly, in the second direction changing unit 520, the second shielding unit 420 whose movement direction is changed from the upstream side in the transport direction to the downstream side in the transport direction reaches the second transition unit 522 of the second direction changing unit 520 thereafter. . In the second transition part 522, the width dimension between the belt part 482 changes from the width W2 to the width W1. Therefore, the movable part 436 moves in the urging direction corresponding to the change in the width dimension by the urging force of the urging part 444, and the shielding member 440 moves in the same direction in conjunction with this movement. That is, the 1st shielding part 410 and the 2nd shielding part 420 will be in the state which closes the upstream shielding mechanisms 40 as mentioned above.

  By the way, in the 1st transition part 502 and the 2nd transition part 522, the movable part 436 of the 1st shielding part 410 and the movable part 436 of the 2nd shielding part 420 are respectively urging | biasing directions, ie, the conveyance part 10. It is assumed that the industrial material 90 is transported through the positions of the first transition portion 502 and the second transition portion 522 when moving in the direction of the center line M in the width direction. In this case, before the contact part 442 of the first shielding part 410 contacts the first parallel part 492, the shielding member 440 of the first shielding part 410 contacts one side surface of the industrial material 90, and thereafter the biasing direction. Movement to is regulated. Similarly, before the contact portion 442 of the second shielding portion 420 contacts the second parallel portion 512, the shielding member 440 of the second shielding portion 420 contacts the other side surface of the industrial material 90, and thereafter the biasing direction. Movement to is regulated. In the 1st shielding part 410 and the 2nd shielding part 420, the industrial material 90 and the shielding materials 440 and 440 which pinch | interpose this will be in a state as shown in the center of a conveyance direction, for example in FIG. That is, in the upstream shielding mechanism 40, the shielding material 440 of the first shielding part 410 and the shielding material 440 of the second shielding part 420 land with the ultraviolet curable ink and cross the uncured recording surface 92. And there is no contact with this.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 2 (refer to the industrial material 90 shown in the center of the conveyance direction) and FIG. 4, the industrial material 90 is downstream in the conveyance direction with both side surfaces sandwiched between the shielding materials 440 and 440. Conveyed to the side. Here, the industrial material 90 transported by the transport unit 10 is, for example, set to an interval K1 wider than the mounting interval K2 of the first shielding unit 410 and the second shielding unit 420 to the belt units 472 and 482 ( The interval K1> the interval K2) and the transfer surface 12 are sequentially placed. Moreover, the conveyance speed of the industrial material 90 by the conveyance part 10 and the movement speed of the 1st shielding part 410 and the 2nd shielding part 420 by the moving parts 470 and 480 are set to the same speed. Accordingly, one industrial material 90 is transported through the positions of the first transition portion 502 and the second transition portion 522 and is sandwiched between the shielding material 440 of the first shielding portion 410 and the shielding material 440 of the second shielding portion 420. After being transported in that state, before the other industrial material 90 is transported next to the positions of the first transition portion 502 and the second transition portion 522, a pair of first shielding portions 410 and The second shielding part 420 is moved to the first transition part 502 and the second transition part 522, respectively. That is, in the upstream shielding mechanism 40, even if the industrial material 90 is sandwiched between the first transition portion 502 and the second transition portion 522, the first transition portion 502 and the second transition portion 522 are subsequently followed. As described above, the shielding to the upstream side in the transport direction is preferably realized by the shielding members 440 and 440 of the pair of the first shielding part 410 and the second shielding part 420 that are moved in pairs.

  The first shielding part 410 and the second shielding part 420 sandwiching the industrial material 90 with the shielding materials 440 and 440 then pass through the first parallel part 492 and the second parallel part 512, and the first separation part 494 and the second shielding part 494. The separation portion 514 is moved. In the middle of the movement, in the first shielding part 410, the contact part 442 that is in a position corresponding to the contact between the shielding material 440 and the one side surface of the industrial material 90 contacts the first separation part 494. Further, in the second shielding part 420, the contact part 442 located at a position corresponding to the contact between the shielding material 440 and the other side surface of the industrial material 90 contacts the second separation part 514. Thereafter, as the first shielding portion 410 is moved downstream in the transport direction, a reaction force from the first separation portion 494 acts on the contact portion 442, corresponding to the inclination of the first separation portion 494. The movable part 436 gradually moves in the counter-biasing direction. Further, in the second shielding part 420, a reaction force from the second separation part 514 acts on the contact part 442, and the movable part 436 gradually moves in the counter-bias direction in response to the inclination of the second separation part 514. . Thereby, the sandwiching of the first shielding part 410 and the second shielding part 420 by the shielding materials 440 and 440 is released. The industrial material 90 is further transported downstream in the transport direction and reaches the irradiation unit 50. In the irradiation unit 50, the recording surface 92 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. Thereafter, the industrial material 90 is further transported by the transport unit 10 and passes through the downstream shielding mechanism 60.

<Downstream shielding mechanism>
The downstream shielding mechanism 60 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. Although not shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the downstream side shielding mechanism 60 is actually covered with a casing that penetrates in the conveyance direction so that the conveyance unit 10 can penetrate and the industrial material 90 can pass therethrough. ing. Therefore, the ultraviolet rays as the active energy rays are shielded not only on the downstream side in the transport direction, which will be described later, but also on the upper side and the lower side of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 (see FIGS. 1B and 6). FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a state in which the industrial material 90 is transported through the downstream shielding mechanism 60, and a part of the configuration constituting the downstream shielding mechanism 60 is omitted, and the illustration is simplified. ing.

  The downstream shielding mechanism 60 includes moving parts 610 and 630 and shielding materials 650 and 670. In the downstream shielding mechanism 60, a plurality of shielding materials 650 are provided, and the same number of shielding materials 670 as the shielding materials 650 are provided. The configuration of the moving unit 610 and the plurality of shielding members 650 is provided on one side in the width direction of the transport unit 10. The configuration of the moving unit 630 and the plurality of shielding members 670 is provided on the other side in the width direction of the transport unit 10.

  The moving unit 610 includes a belt unit 612 and rotating units 614, 616, 618, and 620. In the moving unit 610, the belt unit 612 and the rotating units 614, 616, 618, and 620 are respectively provided at predetermined positions above the conveyance surface 12. The belt portion 612 has an annular shape, and is configured by, for example, a chain. As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of shielding members 650 are attached to the belt portion 612 at regular intervals (interval K3: interval K1> interval K3) via a predetermined attachment mechanism (not shown). The rotating portions 614, 616, 618, and 620 are provided at positions as shown in FIG. A belt portion 612 is hung on the rotating portions 614, 616, 618, and 620. For example, a driving unit (not shown) such as a motor is connected to the rotation unit 620 via a predetermined transmission mechanism (not shown). When the drive unit is rotated in a predetermined direction, the rotation unit 620 rotates clockwise (driven rotation; see “arrow R” described in the rotation unit 620) via the transmission mechanism. Accordingly, the belt portion 612 and the rotating portions 614, 616, and 618 rotate in the same direction as the rotating portion 620 (followed rotation. In the belt portion 612 and the rotating portions 614, 616, and 618, respectively. (See “Arrow R” in the description). With the rotation of the belt portion 612, the shielding member 650 attached to the belt portion 612 moves toward the downstream side in the transport direction in the other portion of the belt portion 612 (see reference numerals 612a and 612b). It moves toward the upstream side in the transport direction in the side portion (see reference numeral 612d).

  In the moving part 610, the moving direction of the shielding member 650 is changed between the part of the rotating part 614 and the part 612 c of the belt part 612 between the rotating part 618 and the rotating part 620. Further, the portion 612a of the belt unit 612 is inclined between the rotating unit 614 and the rotating unit 616 in the direction of approaching the conveying unit 10 in the width direction of the conveying unit 10 toward the downstream side in the conveying direction. . Accordingly, the shielding member 650 moves the portion 612a so as to gradually approach the center in the width direction of the transport unit 10 (see “center line M” indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 5).

  The moving unit 630 includes a belt unit 632 and rotating units 634, 636, 638, and 640. In the moving unit 630, the belt unit 632 and the rotating units 634, 636, 638, and 640 are respectively provided at predetermined positions above the conveying surface 12 and at the same height as the moving unit 610. . The belt portion 632 has a configuration corresponding to the belt portion 612 of the moving unit 610. As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of shielding members 670 are attached to the belt portion 632 at regular intervals via a predetermined attachment mechanism (not shown). The attachment interval of the shielding member 670 is equal to the attachment interval of the shielding member 650 to the belt portion 612, and is set to the interval K3. Further, the rotation unit 634 corresponds to the rotation unit 614, the rotation unit 636 corresponds to the rotation unit 616, the rotation unit 638 corresponds to the rotation unit 618, and the rotation unit 640 corresponds to the rotation unit 620, respectively. And the rotation parts 634, 636, 638, 640 are line-symmetric with the rotation parts 614, 616, 618, 620, for example, with reference to the center line M in the width direction of the transport unit 10, as shown in FIG. The belt portion 632 is hung on the rotating portions 634, 636, 638, and 640.

  For example, a driving unit (not shown) for rotating the turning unit 640 is connected to the turning unit 640 via a predetermined transmission mechanism (not shown). When the drive unit is rotated in a predetermined direction, the rotation unit 640 rotates counterclockwise via a transmission mechanism (followed rotation; see “arrow L” described in the rotation unit 640). Accordingly, the belt portion 632 and the rotating portions 634, 636, and 638 rotate in the same direction as the rotating portion 640 (followed rotation. In the belt portion 632 and the rotating portions 634, 636, and 638, respectively. (See “Arrow L” in the description). As the belt portion 632 rotates, the shielding member 670 attached to the belt portion 632 moves toward the downstream side in the transport direction in one side portion of the belt portion 632 (see reference numerals 632a and 632b), and the other side. It moves toward the upstream side in the transport direction in the side portion (see reference numeral 632d). Note that a driving unit for rotating the rotating unit 620 may be a driving unit for rotating the rotating unit 640. The movement of the shielding material 650 and the movement of the shielding material 670 can be performed in a synchronized state.

  In the moving part 630, the moving direction of the shielding member 670 is changed between the part of the rotating part 634 and the part 632 c of the belt part 632 between the rotating part 638 and the rotating part 640. In addition, the portion 632a of the belt portion 632 between the rotating portion 634 and the rotating portion 636 is inclined in a direction approaching the conveying portion 10 in the width direction of the conveying portion 10 toward the downstream side in the conveying direction. . Accordingly, the shielding member 670 moves the portion 632a so as to gradually approach the center (center line M) in the width direction of the transport unit 10. Note that the movement trajectory of the shielding member 670 by the moving unit 630 is axisymmetric with respect to the movement trajectory in the case of the moving unit 610 and the center line M as a reference. The conveyance speed of the industrial material 90 by the conveyance part 10 and the movement speed of the shielding materials 650 and 670 by the movement parts 610 and 630 are set to the same speed, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the shielding members 650 and 670 attached to the belt portions 612 and 632 hang down above the conveying surface 12. The shielding materials 650 and 670 have the same configuration. That is, the shielding members 650 and 670 have a length such that a portion facing the conveyance surface 12 approaches or contacts the conveyance surface 12 in a state where the shielding members 650 and 670 hang down, and have a width that is more than half the width of the conveyance unit 10. . In the width direction of the transport unit 10, the other side part of the shielding member 650 and the one side part of the shielding member 670 are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other at the center line M as shown in FIG. Is done. Therefore, according to the pair of shielding members 650 and 670 that make a pair, the entire region (end surface) of the through path of the downstream shielding mechanism 60 can be closed. That is, in a state where the belt unit 612 is attached to the belt portions 612 and 632 and hangs down above the conveyance surface 12, one shielding member 650 and one shielding member 670 form a pair and shield ultraviolet rays that are directed downstream in the conveyance direction. It has the function to do. The shielding materials 650 and 670 may overlap each other like the shielding material 440 of the first shielding portion 410 and the shielding material 440 of the second shielding portion 420 in the upstream shielding mechanism 40 (see FIG. 4). . When the shielding material 650 passes through the portion 612b of the belt portion 612 and moves through the portion 612c, and when the shielding material 670 passes through the portion 632b of the belt portion 632 and moves through the portion 632c, it is downstream. The side shielding mechanism 60 is opened.

  The shielding material 650 passes through the rotating portion 614 and moves the portion 632a of the belt portion 612, and the shielding material 670 paired with the shielding material 650 passes through the turning portion 634 and moves the portion 632a of the belt portion 632. It is assumed that the industrial material 90 has been transported by the transport unit 10 at the timing. In this case, the shielding materials 650 and 670 are in contact with the industrial material 90 and are deformed in a predetermined direction on the recording surface 92. At this point, the industrial material 90 has passed through the irradiation unit 50, and the ultraviolet curable ink that has landed on the recording surface 92 is cured. Therefore, the image quality is not impaired by this contact.

  By the way, when the shielding materials 650 and 670 are deformed, the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the irradiation unit 50 and directed toward the downstream side in the transport direction pass through the gap formed by the deformation. However, in the downstream shielding mechanism 60, other undeformed shielding materials that move in front of the deformed shielding materials 650 and 670 (see, for example, “shielding materials 650 and 670 shown on the upstream side in the conveyance direction in FIG. 6)”. Ultraviolet rays can be suitably shielded by 650 and 670 (see, for example, “shielding materials 650 and 670” shown on the downstream side in the transport direction in FIG. 6).

  The configuration of the present embodiment can also be as follows. That is, in the above, the case where the transport unit 10 included in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 has a continuous single configuration as illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B has been described as an example. In addition, the conveyance part 10 may be comprised combining a some conveyor etc. suitably. For example, when the conveyance path is divided between the recording unit 30 and the upstream shielding mechanism 40, another conveyance unit is located at a position adjacent to or separated from one conveyance unit up to the recording unit 30. And the industrial material 90 having the ultraviolet curable ink landed on the recording surface 92 may pass through the upstream shielding mechanism 40, the irradiation unit 50, and the downstream shielding mechanism 60. In the case of an inkjet recording apparatus (inkjet recording system) in which another conveyance unit is provided at a position separated from one conveyance unit, the industrial material 90 on which an image is formed by the recording unit 30 uses a pallet or the like. Then, it is carried to another transport unit and placed again on the transport surface of the other transport unit.

  Further, the downstream shielding mechanism 60 may be a shielding mechanism having the same configuration as the upstream shielding mechanism 40, for example.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet recording device 10 Conveyance part, 12 Conveyance surface, 20 Carriage, 30 Recording part 40 Upstream shielding mechanism, 410 First shielding part, 420 Second shielding part 430 Frame, 432 Base part, 434 Fixing part, 436 Movable part 438 Guide part, 440 Shielding material, 442 Contact part, 444 Biasing part 460 Opening / closing part, 470, 480 Moving part, 472, 482 Belt part 474, 476, 484, 486 Rotating part 490 First guide part, 492 First parallel Part, 494 first separation part 496 first return part, 498,500 first direction change part 510 second guide part, 512 second parallel part, 514 second separation part 516 second return part, 518,520 second direction Conversion unit 50 Irradiation unit, 60 Downstream shielding mechanism, 90 Industrial material, 92 Recording surface

Claims (5)

An inkjet recording apparatus that irradiates active energy curable ink landed on a recording surface of a recording medium with active energy rays,
A transport unit for transporting the recording medium;
A recording unit that is provided at a position spaced apart from the conveyance surface of the conveyance unit in the vertical direction, and that discharges active energy curable ink to a recording surface of a recording medium conveyed by the conveyance unit;
An irradiation unit that is provided on the downstream side in the recording medium conveyance direction with respect to the recording unit and irradiates the recording surface on which the active energy curable ink has landed, with active energy rays,
A shielding mechanism that is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the recording unit and on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the irradiation unit, and shields the active energy rays irradiated by the irradiation unit;
The shielding mechanism is
Including a first shielding member that shields active energy rays toward the upstream side in the conveyance direction, and a first shielding part provided on one side in the width direction of the conveyance unit;
A second shielding part that forms a pair with the first shielding part, includes a second shielding material that shields an active energy ray toward the upstream side in the transport direction, and is provided on the other side in the width direction of the transport part;
When closing the shielding mechanism, the first shielding material is moved from one side in the width direction of the transport unit to the other side direction, and the second shielding material is moved from the other side in the width direction of the transport unit. When moving in one direction and opening the shielding mechanism, the first shielding material is moved from the other side in the width direction of the transport unit to the one side direction, and the second shielding material is moved in the transport direction. And an opening / closing part that moves from one side to the other side in the width direction of the part. The first shielding portion has a first biasing portion that biases the first shielding material from one side in the width direction of the transport unit to the other side direction,
The second shielding part has a second urging part for urging the second shielding material from the other side in the width direction of the transport part to the one side direction,
The opening / closing part is
When closing the shielding mechanism, the first shielding member is moved from one side in the width direction to the other side by the urging force of the first urging unit, and the second shielding member is moved. , By the urging force of the second urging unit, the conveying unit is moved from the other side in the width direction to the one side direction,
When opening the shielding mechanism, the first shielding member is moved from the other side in the width direction of the transport unit to one side against the biasing force of the first biasing unit, and the second The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shielding member is moved from one side in the width direction of the transport unit to the other side against the urging force of the second urging unit. The first shielding part is provided on the one side in the width direction of the transport part at a predetermined interval in the transport direction, and the plurality of first shield parts each have a first contact part,
The second shielding portion is provided on the other side in the width direction of the transport portion and at a predetermined interval in the transport direction so as to be paired with each of the plurality of first shield portions. Each of the second shielding parts has a second contact part,
The opening / closing part is
A moving unit that moves a plurality of the first shielding units provided at a predetermined interval and a plurality of the second shielding units provided at a predetermined interval in synchronization with a conveyance direction;
Provided on one side in the width direction of the transport unit, the first parallel part parallel to the transport direction, and continuous with the first parallel part, toward the downstream side in the transport direction, the transport in the width direction of the transport unit A first guide part, which is formed in a direction away from the part, and in contact with the first contact part,
Provided on the other side in the width direction of the transport unit, the second parallel part parallel to the transport direction, and continuous with the second parallel part, toward the downstream side in the transport direction, the transport in the width direction of the transport unit And a second guide part that is in contact with the second contact part.
In a state where the first contact portion is in contact with the first parallel portion, the first shielding portion is moved by the moving portion, and in a state where the second contact portion is in contact with the second parallel portion, the moving portion When the second shielding part moves, the shielding mechanism is closed,
In a state where the first contact portion is in contact with the first separation portion, the movement portion is moved in a state where the first shielding portion is moved by the movement portion and the second contact portion is in contact with the second separation portion. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the second shielding portion moves, the shielding mechanism is gradually opened. The first contact portion is urged by the first urging portion in the same direction as the first shielding member, and is in contact with the first parallel portion and the first separation portion,
The second contact portion is urged in the same direction as the second shielding member by the second urging portion and is in contact with the second parallel portion and the second separation portion in a pressed state. 2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to 1.   The inkjet according to claim 3 or 4, wherein a moving speed of the first shielding part and the second shielding part by the moving part and a conveying speed of the recording medium by the conveying part are set to the same speed. Recording device.

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