JP2012157984A - Dryer and inkjet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dryer and an inkjet recorder capable of drying a paper sheet while preventing rubbing by simple constitution.SOLUTION: A hot wind from a blower 52 is blown toward the paper sheet 12 conveyed by an ink drying drum 51, to dry the paper sheet. A contact guard 300 is attached to a blow-out port 53 of the blower 52. The contact guard 300 includes a roller 304 and an impeller 306, the impeller 306 is rotated by the hot wind blown out from the blow-out port 53, and the roller 304 is rotated thereby at a speed same to a conveying speed. The roller 304 is thereby prevented form being slipped, when the paper sheet contacts with the roller 304, and an image is prevented thereby from being flawed by the rubbing.

Description

  The present invention relates to a drying apparatus and an ink jet recording apparatus, and more particularly to a drying apparatus and an ink jet recording apparatus that perform a drying process by blowing hot air onto a sheet conveyed on a drum.

  In an inkjet printer that uses water-based ink to print on general-purpose printing paper by an inkjet method, a drying process is performed immediately after printing in order to prevent the occurrence of cockling and the like. The drying process after printing is performed, for example, by blowing warm air on the printing surface of the paper. However, when hot air is blown onto the paper being transported, the paper may be lifted due to the influence of the air current. As a result, there is a problem that the printing surface is rubbed against the frame and the image is damaged. In particular, when the drum is conveyed while gripping only the front end of the paper, there is a problem that the free rear end tends to float. In this case, it is conceivable that the sheet is conveyed while being sucked and held on the drum. However, when the sucking and holding mechanism for the sheet is incorporated in the drum, there is a drawback that the apparatus configuration becomes large and complicated.

  On the other hand, Patent Documents 1 to 3 describe a technique for preventing rubbing of the printing surface by disposing a rotatable roller at a place where the printing surface is likely to touch (Patent Documents 1 to 3, etc.). However, in this case, when the roller slips, there is a problem that the image is rubbed. Therefore, in Patent Document 4, it is proposed that the roller is rotated at the same speed as the paper by a motor.

JP 2004-106345 A JP 2004-122609 A JP 2010-69786 A JP 2007-152739 A

  However, as described above, the configuration in which the paper is sucked and held and transported has a drawback that the transport mechanism becomes large and complicated.

  On the other hand, as in Patent Document 4, a configuration in which a roller is disposed at a place where the printing surface is rubbed and rotated by a motor has a drawback in that a drive source for the roller is required separately. In addition, when rollers are installed at a plurality of locations, there is a disadvantage that a drive source is required for each location where the rollers are installed.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a drying apparatus and an ink jet recording apparatus that can prevent rubbing with a simple configuration and can dry a sheet.

  Means for solving the problems are as follows.

  [1] A first aspect of the drying device is a drying device that performs drying processing on a paper to which a liquid has been applied, and grips the leading edge of the paper with a gripping means provided on an outer peripheral portion of a rotating drum. Is wound around the outer periphery of the drum, and is provided so as to be rotatable at a predetermined height from the outer periphery of the drum. The roller that suppresses the sheet that floats by receiving the air blown by the air blowing means, and the rotation of the drum and / or the air blown by the air blowing means, the roller is moved in the same direction at the same speed as the paper conveying speed. And a roller rotation driving means for rotating.

  In the drying apparatus of this aspect, the roller that suppresses the floating of the paper is rotated by rotating the drum and / or using the wind force from the blowing means. At this time, the roller is rotated in the same direction at substantially the same speed as the paper conveyance speed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the paper from being rubbed by the rollers. In addition, since a special drive source is not required, a simple structure can be achieved and power consumption can be suppressed. In particular, when rollers are installed at a plurality of locations, they can be easily installed. For example, the roller is installed in a place where the surface of the paper (liquid application surface) rubs when the paper floats.

  [2] A second aspect of the drying apparatus is the drying apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the blowing means is provided with a hot air outlet near the outer periphery of the drum, and the roller The sheet that floats by receiving air blown by the means is disposed so as not to contact the outlet.

  According to this aspect, the warm air outlet is arranged close to the outer periphery of the drum. Thereby, drying can be promoted more. On the other hand, if the air outlet is arranged close to the outer periphery of the drum, the sheet is likely to float. In particular, when only the leading edge of the paper is gripped and conveyed, the trailing edge tends to float. Therefore, a roller is installed so that it will not hit the air outlet even if it rises. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent paper rubbing while efficiently performing the drying process.

  [3] A third aspect of the drying apparatus is the drying apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the rollers are formed with a predetermined width and are arranged at a plurality of locations in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction. It is characterized by being.

  According to this aspect, the rollers are arranged at a plurality of locations in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction. Thus, the sheet can be effectively prevented from floating while minimizing contact with the sheet. For example, the rollers are arranged so that the center in the width direction of the sheet and the vicinity of both ends are suppressed. Further, the papers are arranged symmetrically from the center in the width direction of the paper at predetermined intervals so as to be compatible with papers of a plurality of sizes.

  [4] A fourth aspect of the drying apparatus is the drying apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the roller rotation driving means has an error of −10 to 0% of the sheet conveyance speed. The roller is rotated within a range.

  According to this aspect, the roller is rotationally driven within an error range of −10 to 0% of the sheet conveyance speed. Thereby, even if the roller is not completely rotated at the same speed as the paper, slip can be effectively prevented. That is, even if the roller side is slightly slow, when the paper comes into contact, the roller is supported by the paper and rotates at the same speed, so that the occurrence of slip can be prevented. On the other hand, if the roller is faster than the paper, the roller may slip on the paper. Therefore, the roller is rotated within an error range of −10 to 0% of the sheet conveyance speed. Thereby, setting can be performed easily.

  [5] A fifth aspect of the drying apparatus is the drying apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the roller rotation driving means rotates the impeller rotated by the air blown by the blower means, and the rotation of the impeller. And a rotation transmitting means for transmitting to the roller.

  According to this aspect, the roller rotation driving unit is configured by the impeller that rotates by the blowing of the blowing unit and the rotation transmission unit that transmits the rotation of the impeller to the roller. Thereby, without using a special drive source, the roller can be rotated by effectively using the wind force of the blowing means.

  [6] A sixth aspect of the drying apparatus is the drying apparatus according to the fifth aspect, wherein the rotation transmitting means is a rotation shaft provided in parallel with the axis of the drum, and the impeller is connected to the rotation shaft. And the roller are attached.

  According to this aspect, the roller and the impeller are arranged coaxially. Thereby, a structure can be reduced in size.

  [7] A seventh aspect of the drying apparatus is the drying apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the roller rotation driving means is disposed in contact with an outer periphery of the drum, It is characterized by comprising: a roller that rotates by rotation; and a rotation transmitting means that transmits the rotation of the roller to the roller.

  According to this aspect, the roller rotation driving unit includes the roller that rotates in contact with the drum, and the rotation transmission unit that transmits the rotation of the roller to the roller. Accordingly, the roller can be rotated by effectively utilizing the rotation of the drum without using a special drive source.

  [8] An eighth aspect of the drying apparatus is the drying apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the roller rotation driving means is arranged such that an outer peripheral portion is close to an outer peripheral portion of the drum. And a rotating body that rotates about an axis parallel to the axis of the drum, a rotation transmitting means that transmits the rotation of the rotating body to the roller, and an outer peripheral portion of the drum that are alternately arranged with a constant interval. The S pole and the N pole magnets are alternately arranged on the outer peripheral portion of the rotating body at a predetermined interval.

  According to this aspect, the roller rotation driving means has a rotating body disposed in the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the drum, the rotation transmitting means for transmitting the rotation of the rotating body to the roller, and a constant interval between the outer peripheral portion of the drum. And S poles and N pole magnets that are alternately arranged at regular intervals on the outer periphery of the rotating body. Accordingly, the roller can be rotated by effectively utilizing the rotation of the drum without using a special drive source.

  [9] A ninth aspect of the drying apparatus is the drying apparatus according to the eighth aspect, wherein the rotation transmitting means is a rotating shaft provided in parallel with the axis of the drum, and the rotating body is mounted on the rotating shaft. And the roller are attached.

  According to this aspect, the rotating body and the roller are arranged coaxially. Thereby, a structure can be reduced in size.

  [10] A first aspect of the ink jet recording apparatus includes the drying apparatus according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, and a paper to which ink is applied is dried by the drying apparatus.

  According to this aspect, the paper to which ink has been applied (paper after drawing) is dried by the drying devices of the first to ninth aspects. As a result, the paper can be dried without causing rubbing.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to dry the paper while preventing rubbing with a simple configuration.

Overall configuration diagram showing one embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus Block diagram showing schematic configuration of control system of inkjet recording apparatus Side view showing the configuration of the ink drying unit Side sectional view showing the configuration of the contact guard 5-5 arrow view of FIG. Plan view showing examples of roller arrangement Plan view showing another example of arrangement of rollers Side surface sectional view which shows the structure of the principal part of 2nd Embodiment of an ink drying part. 9-9 arrow view of FIG. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the structure of the principal part of the principal part of 3rd Embodiment of an ink drying part. 11-11 arrow view of FIG.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

"overall structure"
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

  The inkjet recording apparatus 10 is a recording apparatus that prints on a sheet of paper 12 using an aqueous ink (ink containing water in a solvent) by an inkjet method, and mainly includes a paper feeding unit 20 that feeds the paper 12; A processing liquid application unit 30 that applies a predetermined processing liquid to the printing surface (recording surface) of the paper 12 and cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) printing surfaces on the paper 12. Ink droplets of each color are ejected by an ink jet head, an image recording unit 40 for drawing a color image, an ink drying unit 50 for drying the ink droplets deposited on the paper 12, and an image recorded on the paper 12 A fixing unit 60 for fixing and a recovery unit 70 for recovering the paper 12 are provided.

  Conveying drums 31, 41, 51, 61 are provided in the processing liquid application unit 30, the image recording unit 40, the ink drying unit 50, and the fixing unit 60, respectively, as a conveying unit for the paper 12. The sheet 12 is conveyed by the conveying drums 31, 41, 51, 61 through the processing liquid application unit 30, the image recording unit 40, the ink drying unit 50, and the fixing unit 60.

  Each of the transport drums 31, 41, 51, 61 is formed corresponding to the sheet width and is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown) and rotates counterclockwise in FIG. A gripper (gripping means) G is provided on the peripheral surface of each of the transport drums 31, 41, 51, 61. The paper 12 is conveyed with its leading end gripped by the gripper G. In this example, grippers G are provided at two intervals on the circumferential surface of each of the transport drums 31, 41, 51, 61 at an interval of 180 degrees so that two sheets can be transported in one rotation.

  Transfer cylinders 80, 90, and 100 are disposed between the processing liquid application unit 30 and the image recording unit 40, between the image recording unit 40 and the ink drying unit 50, and between the ink drying unit 50 and the fixing unit 60, respectively. . The sheet 12 is conveyed between the respective sections by the transfer cylinders 80, 90, 100.

  Each of the transfer cylinders 80, 90, 100 includes a transfer cylinder main body 81, 91, 101 formed of a frame, and a gripper G provided in the transfer cylinder main body 81, 91, 101. The transfer drum main bodies 81, 91, and 101 are formed corresponding to the paper width, and are rotated by being driven by a motor (not shown) (clockwise in FIG. 1). The sheet 12 is conveyed with its leading end gripped by the gripper G. Note that the grippers G are provided at two positions on the peripheral surface of the transfer drum body at intervals of 180 degrees as in the case of the transport drum.

  Under the transfer cylinders 80, 90, 100, arc-shaped guide plates 83, 93, 103 are arranged along the conveyance path of the paper 12. The sheet 12 conveyed by the transfer cylinders 80, 90, 100 is conveyed while being guided by the guide plates 83, 93, 103 on the back surface (the surface opposite to the printing surface).

  Further, dryers 84, 94, 104 for blowing warm air toward the paper 12 conveyed by the transfer cylinder 80 are arranged inside each transfer cylinder 80, 90, 100 (in this example, the conveyance of the paper 12 is carried out). Three units are arranged along the route.) The sheet 12 conveyed by each transfer cylinder 80, 90, 100 is blown against the printing surface by hot air blown from the dryers 84, 94, 104 in the process of being conveyed.

  The sheet 12 fed from the sheet feeding unit 20 is transferred from the conveyance drum 31 of the treatment liquid application unit 30 to the transfer drum 80, the transfer drum 41 of the image recording unit 40, the transfer drum 90, and the transfer drum 51 of the ink drying unit 50. The drum 100 is sequentially transferred from the drum 100 to the conveying drum 61 of the fixing unit 60 to the collecting unit 70. Then, necessary processing is performed on the paper 12 in this series of conveyance processes, and an image is recorded on the printing surface.

  The paper 12 is transported with the printing surface facing outward on the transport drums 31, 41, 51, 61, and is transported with the printing surface facing inside on the transfer drums 80, 90, 100.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of each part of the inkjet recording apparatus 10 of the present embodiment will be described in detail.

<Paper Feeder>
The paper feeding unit 20 mainly includes a paper feeding device 21, a paper feeding tray 22, and a transfer drum 23. The paper feeding unit 20 continuously feeds the sheet 12 to the processing liquid application unit 30 one by one.

  The paper feeding device 21 feeds the paper 12 stacked in a magazine (not shown) one by one from the upper side to the paper feeding tray 22 one by one.

  The paper feed tray 22 sends out the paper 12 fed from the paper feeder 21 toward the transfer cylinder 23.

  The transfer cylinder 23 receives the paper 12 sent out from the paper feed tray 22, transports it along a predetermined transport path, and transfers it to the transport drum 31 of the treatment liquid application unit 30.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the paper 12 is a general-purpose printing paper that is not an ink jet special paper (for example, a paper mainly composed of cellulose such as fine paper, coated paper, art paper). .

<Processing liquid application part>
The processing liquid application unit 30 applies a predetermined processing liquid to the printing surface of the paper 12. The treatment liquid application unit 30 mainly performs a predetermined process on a printing drum of a conveyance drum (hereinafter referred to as “treatment liquid application drum”) 31 that conveys the paper 12 and the paper 12 conveyed by the treatment liquid application drum 31. A treatment liquid application device 32 for applying a liquid and a peeling / removing device 33 for peeling off and removing excess processing liquid adhering to the treatment liquid application drum 31 are configured.

  The treatment liquid application drum 31 receives the paper 12 from the transfer drum 23 of the paper supply unit 20 (holds and receives the leading edge of the paper 12 with the gripper G), and rotates to convey the paper 12.

  The treatment liquid application device 32 applies a treatment liquid having a function of aggregating the color material in the ink to the printing surface of the paper 12 conveyed by the treatment liquid application drum 31. The ink jet recording apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is configured by a coating device that applies a treatment liquid to a roller, and a coating roller 32 </ b> A having a treatment liquid applied to the peripheral surface thereof is pressed against and brought into contact with the surface of the paper 12. A treatment liquid is applied to the printing surface.

  The application roller 32 </ b> A is formed corresponding to the width of the treatment liquid application drum 31 and is provided in parallel with the treatment liquid application drum 31. The supply roller 32B is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the application roller 32A. A part of the supply roller 32B is immersed in a processing liquid stored in a processing liquid tank (not shown) and rotates to apply the processing liquid to the outer peripheral surface thereof. The supply roller 32B rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the application roller 32A, whereby the processing liquid is applied to the outer peripheral surface thereof. Then, the processing liquid applied to the outer peripheral surface of the supply roller 32B is transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the application roller 32A, and the processing liquid is supplied to the application roller 32A.

  The treatment liquid application device 32 is provided so as to be movable between a predetermined application position and a retracted position by an advancing / retreating mechanism (not shown). When the treatment liquid application device 32 moves to the application position, the application roller 32 </ b> A is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the treatment liquid application drum 31. On the other hand, when the treatment liquid application device 32 moves to the retracted position, the application roller 32 </ b> A is separated from the treatment liquid application drum 31. When applying the treatment liquid to the paper 12, the treatment liquid application device 32 is moved to the application position as the paper 12 passes. Thereby, a process liquid can be provided only to a required area | region.

  The treatment liquid is applied corresponding to the print area of the paper 12, and is applied to an area at least larger than the print area. Therefore, when borderless printing is performed, the width is greater than the paper width.

  Here, the application width of the treatment liquid is performed by adjusting the supply width of the treatment liquid supplied from the supply roller 32B to the application roller 32A. For this reason, the supply roller 32B is provided with a mechanism for adjusting the supply width (for example, a mechanism for scraping off excess portions on both sides according to the supply width) on the upstream side of the contact portion with the application roller 32A.

  By applying such treatment liquid in advance and ejecting ink, feathering and bleeding can be suppressed, and high-quality printing can be performed.

  The stripping / removing device 33 strips and removes the excess processing liquid adhering to the processing liquid applying drum 31 when the processing liquid is applied to the paper 12 by the processing liquid applying device 32. That is, as described above, when borderless printing is performed, the treatment liquid is applied with an application width equal to or larger than the paper width, and thus the treatment liquid adheres to the treatment liquid application drum side. Therefore, the excess processing liquid existing on the outer peripheral surface of the processing liquid application drum 31 is removed by the peeling and removing device 33. In the ink jet recording apparatus 10 of this example, the blade 33 </ b> A is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the processing liquid application drum 31 to remove the excess processing liquid adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the processing liquid application drum 31.

  According to the treatment liquid application unit 30 configured as described above, the paper 12 is conveyed along a predetermined conveyance path by the treatment liquid application drum 31. Then, the processing liquid is applied to the printing surface from the processing liquid applying device 32 during the conveyance process. Thereafter, the paper 12 with the treatment liquid applied to the printing surface is transferred from the treatment liquid application drum 31 to the transfer cylinder 80 at a predetermined position. Then, it is transported along a predetermined transport path by the transfer cylinder 80 and is transferred to the transport drum 41 of the image recording unit 40.

  Here, as described above, a dryer 84 is installed inside the transfer drum 80, and hot air is blown toward the guide plate 83. The paper 12 is dried by a process in which warm air is blown onto the printing surface in the process of being conveyed from the treatment liquid application unit 30 to the image recording unit 40 by the transfer cylinder 80 (the solvent component in the applied treatment liquid is removed). Evaporative removal).

<Image recording unit>
The image recording unit 40 ejects ink droplets of C, M, Y, and K colors on the printing surface of the paper 12 and draws a color image on the printing surface of the paper 12. The image recording unit 40 mainly presses the conveyance drum (hereinafter referred to as “image recording drum”) 41 that conveys the paper 12 and the printing surface of the paper 12 that is conveyed by the image recording drum 41, so that the paper 12 A sheet pressing roller 42 that closely contacts the back surface of the image recording drum 41, a sheet floating detection sensor 43 that detects the floating of the sheet 12 that has passed through the sheet pressing roller 42, and C, M, Y, K on the sheet 12. And inkjet heads 44C, 44M, 44Y, and 44K that discharge ink droplets of the respective colors.

  The image recording drum 41 receives the paper 12 from the transfer cylinder 80 and rotates to convey the paper 12. The image recording drum 41 is provided with a suction holding mechanism (not shown). The paper 12 conveyed to the image recording drum 41 is conveyed in a state where the back surface is adsorbed and held by the adsorbing and holding mechanism. As the suction holding mechanism, for example, a mechanism for vacuum-sucking the paper 12 or a mechanism for electrostatic suction is employed.

  The sheet pressing roller 42 is installed in the vicinity of the sheet receiving position of the image recording drum 41 (position for receiving the sheet 12 from the transfer cylinder 80). The sheet pressing roller 42 is installed in press contact with the peripheral surface of the image recording drum 41 with a predetermined pressing force. The paper 12 transferred from the transfer cylinder 80 to the image recording drum 41 is nipped by passing through the paper pressing roller 42, and the back surface is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the image recording drum 41.

  The paper floating detection sensor 43 detects the floating of the paper 12 that has passed through the paper pressing roller 42 (a certain level of floating from the outer peripheral surface of the image recording drum 41). The sheet floating detection sensor 43 is configured to include, for example, a laser projector and a laser receiver. The laser projector projects laser light parallel to the axis of the image recording drum 41 from one end to the other end of the image recording drum 41 at a predetermined height from the outer peripheral surface of the image recording drum 41. The laser receiver is disposed to face the laser projector with the image recording drum 41 interposed therebetween, and receives the laser light projected from the laser projector. If the paper 12 that has passed through the paper pressing roller 42 floats above a certain level, the laser light projected from the laser projector is blocked by the paper 12 and is not received by the laser receiver. The paper floating detection sensor 43 detects whether or not the laser beam is received by the laser receiver and detects the floating of the paper 12.

  The four inkjet heads 44C, 44M, 44Y, and 44K are arranged at the rear stage of the paper floating detection sensor 43, and are arranged at regular intervals along the conveyance path of the paper 12. The inkjet heads 44C, 44M, 44Y, and 44K are constituted by line heads corresponding to the paper width, and ink droplets of corresponding colors are directed toward the image recording drum 41 from the nozzle rows formed on the nozzle surfaces. Discharge.

  According to the image recording unit 40 configured as described above, the paper 12 is transported along a predetermined transport path while the back surface is sucked and held by the image recording drum 41. The paper 12 transferred from the transfer cylinder 80 to the image recording drum 41 is first nipped by the paper pressing roller 42 and brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the image recording drum 41. Next, the presence or absence of floating is detected by the paper floating detection sensor 43, and then ink droplets of each color of C, M, Y, K are ejected from the inkjet heads 44C, 44M, 44Y, 44K onto the printing surface, A color image is drawn on the printing surface.

  Here, in the ink jet recording apparatus 10 of this example, water-based ink in which a thermoplastic resin is dispersed in ink is used for each color. Even when such a water-based ink is used, as described above, since the predetermined processing liquid is applied to the paper 12, high-quality printing is performed without causing feathering or bleeding. be able to.

  The sheet 12 on which the image has been drawn is transferred to the transfer cylinder 90, conveyed along a predetermined transfer path by the transfer cylinder 90, and transferred to the transfer drum 51 of the ink drying unit 50. As described above, the transfer drum 90 has a dryer 94 installed therein, and warm air is blown out toward the guide plate 93. The ink drying process is performed in the ink drying unit 50 in the subsequent stage. However, the paper 12 is also dried when being transported by the transfer cylinder 90.

<Ink drying section>
The ink drying unit (drying device) 50 dries the liquid component remaining on the paper 12 after image recording. The ink drying unit 50 mainly supplies hot air to a transport drum (hereinafter referred to as “ink drying drum”) 51 that transports the paper 12 and the surface (printing surface) of the paper 12 transported by the ink drying drum 51. The three air blowers 52A, 52B, and 52C to be sprayed and the contact guards 300A, 300B, and 300C that suppress the floating of the paper 12 are configured.

  The ink drying drum 51 receives the paper 12 from the transfer cylinder 90 and rotates to convey the paper 12. As described above, the paper 12 is transported with its front end gripped by a gripper (gripping means) G (in the ink drying drum 51 of this example, only the front end is gripped, and the rear end is fixed and sucked and held. It is transported without being done.)

  Each of the air blowers 52A, 52B, 52C (hereinafter referred to as “blower 52” unless otherwise specified) is warm air (for example, 80 ° C.) toward the paper 12 conveyed by the ink drying drum 51. ).

  The blower 52 is formed corresponding to the paper width, and includes a heat source (for example, an infrared heater) and a fan. The air heated by the heat source is blown by a fan and blown out from the blowout port 53 (53A, 53B, 53C) as warm air. The air outlet 53 is formed in a slit shape corresponding to the paper width, and is arranged orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the paper 12.

  Each air blower 52 has an air outlet 53 disposed close to the outer periphery of the ink drying drum 51 (disposed at a height of about 40 mm from the outer periphery of the ink drying drum 51). At this time, the sheet 12 conveyed by the ink drying drum 51 is pressed down so that the warm air is blown from the downstream side to the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the sheet 12. That is, it arrange | positions so that a warm air may be blown from diagonally upward with respect to a tangential direction.

  The contact guards 300A, 300B, and 300C (hereinafter referred to as “contact guard 300” unless otherwise distinguished) suppress the sheet 12 that floats by receiving air flow, and the surface (printing surface) of the sheet 12 has a surface. Prevent rubbing. In particular, in this example, since the blower outlet 53 of the blower 52 is disposed close to the outer periphery of the ink drying drum 51, the blower 53 is prevented from being rubbed. For this reason, the contact guard 300 is installed corresponding to each air blower 52.

  The contact guard 300 is composed of a plurality of rollers attached to the rotation shaft with a predetermined interval, and is disposed at a predetermined height from the outer periphery of the ink drying drum 51. In this example, in order to prevent rubbing against the air outlet 53 of the blower 52, the air outlet 52 is disposed below the air outlet 53. The rollers are driven to rotate at approximately the same speed as the paper 12 in order to prevent slippage when the paper 12 comes into contact. This will be described in detail later.

  According to the ink drying unit 50 configured as described above, the paper 12 is conveyed by the ink drying drum 51. Then, warm air is blown from the blower 52 to the printing surface during the conveyance process, and the ink applied to the printing surface is dried.

  The paper 12 that has passed through the blower 52 is then delivered from the ink drying drum 51 to the transfer cylinder 100 at a predetermined position. Then, it is transported along a predetermined transport path by the transfer cylinder 100 and is transferred to the transport drum 61 of the fixing unit 60.

  As described above, the transfer drum 100 has the dryer 104 installed therein, and warm air is blown out toward the guide plate 103. Therefore, the paper 12 is also subjected to a drying process when it is conveyed by the transfer drum 100.

  The ink drying unit 50 will be described in detail later.

<Fixing part>
The fixing unit 60 heats and presses the paper 12 to fix the image recorded on the printing surface. The fixing unit 60 includes a transport drum (hereinafter referred to as “fixing drum”) 61 that transports the paper 12, heat rollers 62 and 63 that perform heat and pressure processing on the paper 12 transported by the fixing drum 61, and printing. An in-line sensor 64 that detects the temperature, humidity, and the like of the subsequent paper 12 and picks up a printed image is provided.

  The fixing drum 61 receives the paper 12 from the transfer cylinder 100 and rotates to convey the paper 12.

  The heat rollers 62 and 63 heat and press the ink applied to the printing surface of the paper 12, thereby welding the thermoplastic resin dispersed in the ink to form a film of the ink. At the same time, deformations such as cockling and curling occurring on the paper 12 are corrected. Each of the heat rollers 62 and 63 is formed with substantially the same width as the fixing drum 61 and is heated to a predetermined temperature by a built-in heater. Further, the heat rollers 62 and 63 are pressed and brought into contact with the peripheral surface of the fixing drum 61 with a predetermined pressing force by a pressing unit (not shown). The sheet 12 passes through the heat rollers 62 and 63 and is heated and pressed by the heat rollers 62 and 63.

  The in-line sensor 64 includes a thermometer, a hygrometer, a CCD line sensor, and the like, detects the temperature, humidity, and the like of the paper 12 conveyed by the fixing drum 61 and captures an image printed on the paper 12. Based on the detection result of the in-line sensor 64, abnormalities in the apparatus, defective ejection of the head, and the like are checked.

  According to the fixing unit 60 configured as described above, the paper 12 is transported by the fixing drum 61, and in the transport process, the heat rollers 62 and 63 are pressed against the printing surface to be heated and pressurized. As a result, the thermoplastic resin dispersed in the ink is welded to form a film of the ink. At the same time, the deformation generated in the paper 12 is corrected.

  Thereafter, the sheet 12 subjected to the fixing process is transferred from the fixing drum 61 to the collecting unit 70 at a predetermined position.

<Recovery Department>
The collection unit 70 collects the sheets 12 that have undergone a series of printing processes by stacking them on the stacker 71. The collection unit 70 receives a paper stacker 71 that collects the paper 12 and a paper discharge conveyor that receives the paper 12 fixed by the fixing unit 60 from the fixing drum 61, transports it through a predetermined transport path, and discharges it to the stacker 71. 72.

  The paper 12 fixed by the fixing unit 60 is transferred from the fixing drum 61 to the paper discharge conveyor 72, conveyed to the stacker 71 by the paper discharge conveyor 72, and collected in the stacker 71.

<Control system>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of the inkjet recording apparatus 10 of the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the inkjet recording apparatus 10 includes a system controller 200, a communication unit 201, an image memory 202, a conveyance control unit 203, a paper feed control unit 204, a processing liquid application control unit 205, an image recording control unit 206, an ink A drying control unit 207, a fixing control unit 208, a collection control unit 209, an operation unit 210, a display unit 211, and the like are provided.

  The system controller 200 functions as a control unit that performs overall control of each unit of the inkjet recording apparatus 10 and also functions as a calculation unit that performs various calculation processes. The system controller 200 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and operates according to a predetermined control program. The ROM stores a control program executed by the system controller 200 and various data necessary for control.

  The communication unit 201 includes a required communication interface and transmits / receives data to / from a host computer connected to the communication interface.

  The image memory 202 functions as a temporary storage unit for various data including image data, and data is read and written through the system controller 200. Image data captured from the host computer via the communication unit 201 is stored in the image memory 202.

  The conveyance control unit 203 includes conveyance drums 31, 41, 51, 61 that are conveyance units for the paper 12 in the processing liquid application unit 30, the image recording unit 40, the ink drying unit 50, and the fixing unit 60, a transfer drum 80, 90 and 100 are controlled.

  That is, while controlling the drive of the motor which drives each conveyance drum 31,41,51,61, opening / closing of the gripper G with which each conveyance drum 31,41,51,61 was equipped is controlled.

  Similarly, the driving of the motor that drives each transfer drum 80, 90, 100 is controlled, and the opening / closing of the gripper G provided in each transfer drum 80, 90, 100 is controlled.

  Each of the transport drums 31, 41, 51, 61 is provided with a mechanism for sucking and holding the paper 12 on the peripheral surface, and therefore controls the driving of the suction holding mechanism (in this embodiment, the paper 12 The vacuum pump is controlled as a negative pressure generating means.

  Further, since each of the transfer cylinders 80, 90, 100 is provided with the dryers 84, 94, 104, the driving (heating amount and blowing amount) is controlled.

  The driving of the transport drums 31, 41, 51, 61 and the transfer drums 80, 90, 100 is controlled according to commands from the system controller 200.

  The paper feed control unit 204 controls the drive of each unit (the paper feed device 21, the transfer drum 23, etc.) constituting the paper feed unit 20 in accordance with a command from the system controller 200.

  The treatment liquid application control unit 205 controls driving of each part (the treatment liquid application device 32, the peeling / removal device 33, etc.) constituting the treatment liquid application unit 30 in accordance with a command from the system controller 200.

  The image recording control unit 206 controls driving of each unit (paper pressing roller 42, ink jet heads 44C, 44M, 44Y, 44K, etc.) constituting the image recording unit 40 in accordance with a command from the system controller 200.

  The ink drying control unit 207 controls driving of each unit (such as the air blower 52) that configures the ink drying unit 50 in accordance with a command from the system controller 200.

  The fixing control unit 208 controls driving of each unit (the heat rollers 62 and 63, the inline sensor 64, etc.) constituting the fixing unit 60 in accordance with a command from the system controller 200.

  The collection control unit 209 controls the drive of each unit (the paper discharge conveyor 72 and the like) constituting the collection unit 70 in response to a command from the system controller 200.

  The operation unit 210 includes necessary operation means (for example, operation buttons, a keyboard, a touch panel, and the like), and outputs operation information input from the operation means to the system controller 200. The system controller 200 executes various processes in accordance with the operation information input from the operation unit 210.

  The display unit 211 includes a required display device (for example, an LCD panel or the like), and displays required information on the display device in response to a command from the system controller 200.

  As described above, the image data to be recorded on the paper is taken into the inkjet recording apparatus 10 from the host computer via the communication unit 201 and stored in the image memory 202. The system controller 200 performs necessary signal processing on the image data stored in the image memory 202 to generate dot data, and controls the driving of each inkjet head of the image recording unit 40 according to the generated dot data. An image represented by the image data is recorded on a sheet.

  The dot data is generally generated by performing color conversion processing and halftone processing on image data. The color conversion process is a process of converting image data expressed in sRGB or the like (for example, RGB 8-bit image data) into ink amount data of each color of ink used in the inkjet recording apparatus 10 (in this example, C, It is converted into ink amount data for each color of M, Y, and K.) The halftone process is a process of converting the ink amount data of each color generated by the color conversion process into dot data of each color by a process such as error diffusion.

  The system controller 200 performs color conversion processing and halftone processing on the image data to generate dot data for each color. Then, according to the generated dot data of each color, the drive of the corresponding ink jet head is controlled to record the image represented by the image data on the paper.

<Printing operation>
Next, the printing operation by the inkjet recording apparatus 10 will be described.

  When a paper feed command is output from the system controller 200 to the paper feeding device 21, the paper 12 is fed from the paper feeding device 21 to the paper feeding tray 22. The paper 12 fed to the paper feed tray 22 is transferred to the processing liquid application drum 31 of the processing liquid application unit 30 via the transfer cylinder 23.

  The paper 12 delivered to the treatment liquid application drum 31 is conveyed along a predetermined conveyance path by the treatment liquid application drum 31, passes through the treatment liquid application device 32 during the conveyance process, and the treatment liquid is applied to the printing surface. The

  The sheet 12 to which the processing liquid is applied is transferred from the processing liquid applying drum 31 to the transfer cylinder 80, conveyed along a predetermined transfer path by the transfer cylinder 80, and transferred to the image recording drum 41 of the image recording unit 40. . Then, hot air is blown onto the printing surface from a dryer 84 installed inside the transfer drum 80 in the course of conveyance by the transfer drum 80, and the treatment liquid applied to the printing surface is dried.

  The paper 12 transferred from the transfer cylinder 80 to the image recording drum 41 first passes through the paper pressing roller 42, is nipped by the paper pressing roller 42, and is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the image recording drum 41. Thereafter, the ink droplets pass through the respective inkjet heads 44C, 44M, 44Y, 44K, and ink droplets of each color of CMYK are ejected from the respective inkjet heads 44C, 44M, 44Y, 44K, and a color image is drawn on the printing surface. Thereafter, the sheet 12 on which the image is drawn is transferred from the image recording drum 41 to the transfer cylinder 90.

  The paper 12 delivered to the transfer cylinder 90 is conveyed along a predetermined conveyance path by the transfer cylinder 90 and is transferred to the ink drying drum 51 of the ink drying unit 50. Then, hot air is blown onto the printing surface from a dryer 94 installed inside the transfer cylinder 90 during the conveyance process, and the ink applied to the printing surface is dried.

  The paper 12 delivered to the ink drying drum 51 is transported along a predetermined transport path by the ink drying drum 51, and in the course of transport, warm air is blown from the blower 52 to the printing surface, and the liquid remaining on the printing surface. The ingredients are dried.

  The paper 12 that has been dried is transferred from the ink drying drum 51 to the transfer drum 100, transported along a predetermined transport path, and transferred to the fixing drum 61 of the fixing unit 60. Then, hot air is blown onto the printing surface from the dryer 104 installed inside the transfer drum 100 during the transfer process by the transfer drum 100, and the ink applied to the printing surface is further dried.

  The paper 12 delivered to the fixing drum 61 is transported through a predetermined transport path by the fixing drum 61, and is heated and pressed by the heat rollers 62 and 63 in the transport process, so that the image recorded on the printing surface is fixed. Is done. Thereafter, the paper 12 is transferred from the fixing drum 61 to the paper discharge conveyor 72 of the collecting unit 70, conveyed to the stacker 71 by the paper discharge conveyor 72, and discharged into the stacker 71.

  As described above, in the inkjet recording apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the paper 12 is transported by drum, and in the transport process, the treatment liquid is applied to the paper 12, the treatment liquid is dried, the ink droplets are ejected, and the drying is performed. Each process of fixing is performed, and a predetermined image is recorded on the paper 12.

<< Specific Configuration of Ink Drying Unit (Drying Device) >>
<Constitution>
FIG. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of the ink drying unit.

  As described above, the ink drying unit 50 includes the ink drying drum 51 and the air blowing device 52, and blows warm air from the air blowing device 52 to the paper 12 conveyed by the ink drying drum 51 to dry the paper 12. To process.

  The ink drying drum 51 conveys the paper 12 by gripping only the front end of the paper 12. However, in the case of such a conveyance method, if the wind is blown, the rear end of the paper 12 may float and rub against an object. In particular, if the air outlet 53 of the blower 52 is disposed close to the outer periphery of the ink drying drum 51 in order to increase the drying efficiency, the paper 12 that has floated on the air outlet 53 may be rubbed.

  Therefore, the ink drying unit 50 of this example is provided with a contact guard 300 that suppresses the floating of the paper 12 in order to prevent the floating paper 12 from rubbing against the air outlet 53 of the blower 52.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the contact guard 300 will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the configuration of the contact guard. FIG. 5 is a view taken in the direction of arrows 5-5 in FIG.

  The contact guard 300 of this example is installed so as to prevent the paper 12 from contacting the air outlet 53 of the blower 52. In particular, in the contact guard 300 of the present example, the contact guard 300 is installed integrally with the blower 52.

  The contact guard 300 mainly includes a rotation shaft 302, a plurality of rollers 304, and a plurality of impellers 306.

  The rotation shaft 302 is formed with a length that is substantially the same as the width of the ink drying drum 51. The rotating shaft 302 is pivotally supported by a pair of bearings 308 installed in the blower device 52.

  The pair of bearings 308 are attached to both ends of the air outlet 53 of the blower 52 via brackets 310. The rotating shaft 302 is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the blower 52 by being pivotally supported by the bearing 308. Since the blower 52 is made parallel to the axis of the ink drying drum 51, the rotating shaft 302 is also arranged parallel to the axis of the ink drying drum 51.

  The rollers 304 are formed in a disk shape and are attached to the rotating shaft 302 with a predetermined interval. In this example, as shown in FIG. 6, five rollers 304 are attached at regular intervals. The number of rollers 304 installed and the installation interval are appropriately increased or decreased according to the width of the paper 12. At this time, it is preferable to dispose at least the central portion and both end portions of the paper 12. Further, the outer diameter of the roller 304 is determined based on a position where the roller 304 is installed, a gap to be set (a gap formed between the ink drying drum 51), and the like.

  The roller 304 is fixedly attached to the rotating shaft 302. Therefore, when the rotating shaft 302 rotates, the roller 304 also rotates.

  The impeller 306 is attached to the same rotating shaft 302 as the rollers 304 and is disposed between the rollers 304. The impeller 306 has a structure in which a large number of fins 314 are radially attached to the outer peripheral portion of a cylindrical shaft portion 312, and the outer diameter thereof is smaller than the outer diameter of the roller 304.

  The impeller 306 is attached with the shaft portion 312 fixed to the rotating shaft 302. Therefore, when the impeller 306 rotates, the rotating shaft 302 also rotates.

  The contact guard 300 is configured as described above.

  Here, as described above, the contact guard 300 of this example is installed so as to prevent the paper 12 from rubbing against the air outlet 53 of the blower 52.

  The blower 52 of this example is installed in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the ink drying drum 51 and is installed so that warm air is blown against the paper 12 from obliquely above.

  For this reason, the contact guard 300 is disposed at a position where the air outlet 53 of the blower 52 is closest to the outer periphery of the ink drying drum 51. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the lower edge portion of the air outlet 53 is disposed closest to the outer periphery of the ink drying drum 51, and thus is disposed along the lower edge portion of the air outlet 53.

  Further, the contact guard 300 is installed so that the impeller 306 rotates in response to the wind (warm air) blown from the outlet 53. Therefore, if necessary, as shown in FIG. 4, a part of the air outlet 53 is notched. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the lower edge part of the blower outlet 53 is partially cut away and formed.

  Further, the contact guard 300 is adjusted such that the outer periphery of the roller 304 rotates at substantially the same speed as the conveyance speed of the paper 12 when the impeller 306 rotates with the wind blown from the outlet 53. This adjustment is performed by, for example, the shape and number of fins 314 of the impeller 306. That is, normally, since the amount of warm air blown out by the blower 52 is constant, the speed at which the roller 304 rotates is adjusted according to the shape and number of fins 314 of the impeller 306 that receives the warm air.

<Action>
The operation of the ink drying unit 50 configured as described above is as follows.

  The paper 12 on which ink is applied to the front surface (printing surface) by the image recording unit 40 in the previous stage and the image is drawn is transferred to the ink drying drum 51 through the transfer cylinder 90.

  The ink drying drum 51 conveys the paper 12 at a constant speed (for example, 600 mm / s) by gripping and rotating the leading end of the paper 12.

  The paper 12 is dried by the hot air blown from the blowers 52A, 52B, 52C in the process of being conveyed by the ink drying drum 51 being blown onto the surface (printing surface).

  Here, each blower 52 is provided with a contact guard 300. When the contact guard 300 blows out warm air from each blower 52, the roller 304 is rotated by receiving the wind of the blown warm air. The roller 304 rotates at substantially the same speed as the conveyance speed of the paper 12.

  On the other hand, as described above, when only the front end portion of the paper 12 is gripped and conveyed, the rear end portion of the paper 12 may be lifted. In this case, the sheet 12 contacts the roller 304 of the contact guard 300.

  However, as described above, the roller 304 rotates at almost the same speed as that of the paper 12, and therefore slip does not occur. Therefore, even when the ink comes into contact with an undried state, the image is not rubbed and damaged.

  As described above, in the ink drying unit 50 according to the present embodiment, the roller 304 is disposed at a position where the floating paper 12 is likely to contact, and the roller 304 is rotationally driven at substantially the same speed as the conveyance speed of the paper 12. Is done. This effectively prevents image damage due to rubbing.

  Further, in the ink drying unit 50 of the present embodiment, the roller 304 is rotationally driven using the warm air blown from the blower 52. Thereby, the structure can be simplified and the power consumption can be suppressed. Since it has a simple structure, it can be easily installed even when it is installed at multiple locations.

  In the above-described embodiment, the roller 304 and the impeller 306 are attached to the same rotation shaft 302, and the rotation of the impeller 306 is directly transmitted to the roller 304. However, via a rotation transmission means such as a gear. The rotation of the impeller can be transmitted to the rollers. In this case, the rotational speed of the roller 304 can be adjusted by adjusting the gear ratio or the like.

  In the above embodiment, the rotational speed of the roller 304 is adjusted according to the shape and number of the fins 314. However, the method for adjusting the rotational speed of the roller 304 is not limited to this. In addition, the rotational speed of the roller 304 can also be adjusted by adjusting the installation position of the impeller 306 (position where the hot air hits the fins 314), the number of installations, etc. alone or in combination.

  In order to completely prevent the slip, it is preferable to match the roller 304 and the conveyance speed of the paper 12, but it is difficult to completely match.

  Therefore, the rollers 304 are preferably adjusted so as to rotate within an error range of −10 to 0% of the conveyance speed of the paper 12. Thereby, even if it does not make the speed | rate of the roller 304 and the paper 12 correspond completely, a slip can be prevented effectively. In other words, even if the roller side is slightly slow, when the paper 12 comes into contact, the roller 304 is also supported by the paper 12 and rotates at the same speed, so that the occurrence of slip can be prevented. On the other hand, when the roller 304 is faster than the paper, the roller 304 may slip on the paper, so the roller 304 rotates within a range of error of −10 to 0% that is slightly slower than the conveyance speed of the paper 12. Adjust to Thereby, the rotation of the roller 304 can be easily set.

  The number of rollers 304 and the interval between the rollers 304 are selected according to the width of the paper 12. However, in the case of an inkjet recording apparatus that processes a plurality of sizes of paper, the arrangement should be compatible with each size. preferable. For example, in the case of an ink jet recording apparatus that supports large, medium, and small three-size paper, as shown in FIG. 7, the ink-jet recording apparatus is disposed at positions corresponding to both ends of each size in the width direction and at the center in the width direction. Thereby, even if it is a case where the size of the paper 12 switches, a contact can be prevented appropriately.

  Moreover, in this example, although the contact guard 300 is installed in order to prevent the blower 52 from contacting the air outlet 53, the position where the contact guard is installed is not limited to this. It is preferable that the sheet 12 that has floated is disposed at a position where it is likely to rub.

  Moreover, in this example, although the contact guard 300 is directly attached to the air blower 52, even if it is a case where the contact to the air blower 52 is prevented, the attachment position is not limited to the air blower 52. . It is preferable to install in a position suitable for preventing contact with the target object.

<< Second Embodiment >>
FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the second embodiment of the ink drying unit. Moreover, FIG. 9 is a 9-9 arrow line view of FIG.

  The ink drying unit of this embodiment is different from the ink drying unit of the first embodiment in that the roller of the contact guard is rotated using the rotation of the ink drying drum 51.

  Therefore, here, only the configuration of the contact guard and the function and effect thereof will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the contact guard 400 according to the present embodiment mainly includes a rotation shaft 402, a plurality of rollers 404, a pair of drive rollers 406, and a pair of rotation transmission mechanisms 408. .

  The rotation shaft 402 is formed with a length that is substantially the same as the width of the ink drying drum 51. The rotating shaft 402 is pivotally supported by a pair of bearings 410 installed in the blower device 52.

  The pair of bearings 410 are attached to both ends of the air outlet 53 of the blower 52 via brackets 412. The rotating shaft 402 is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the blower 52 by being supported by the bearing 410. Since the blower 52 is made parallel to the axis of the ink drying drum 51, the rotation shaft 402 is also arranged parallel to the axis of the ink drying drum 51.

  The rollers 404 are formed in a disk shape and are attached to the rotating shaft 402 with a predetermined interval (see FIG. 6). The number of rollers 404 installed and the interval between the rollers 404 are appropriately increased or decreased according to the width of the paper 12. At this time, it is preferable to dispose at least the central portion and both end portions of the paper 12.

  The roller 404 is fixedly attached to the rotating shaft 402. Therefore, when the rotating shaft 402 rotates, the roller 404 also rotates.

  The pair of drive rollers 406 are disposed at both ends of the ink drying drum 51 in the width direction. The drive roller 406 is composed of a rubber roller, and a shaft portion of the drive roller 406 is pivotally supported by a bearing 414 provided on the bracket 412 and is rotatably provided. As will be described later, the driving roller 406 is installed such that its outer peripheral portion comes into contact with the outer peripheral portion of the ink drying drum 51.

  The rotation transmission mechanism 408 transmits the rotation of the driving roller 406 to the rotation shaft 402. The rotation transmission mechanism 408 is mainly composed of a driven roller 416 and an intermediate roller 418.

  The driven roller 416 is fixedly attached to the rotating shaft 402. Therefore, when the driven roller 416 rotates, the rotating shaft 402 also rotates. The driven roller 416 is configured by a rubber roller.

  The intermediate roller 418 is rotatably provided with a shaft portion supported by a bearing 420 provided on the bracket 412.

  The driving roller 406, the driven roller 416, and the intermediate roller 418 are all provided in parallel with the ink drying drum 51, and are disposed so as to be located on the same plane. Further, the outer peripheral portion of the intermediate roller 418 is pressed and brought into contact with the outer peripheral portion of the driving roller 406 and is also brought into press contact with the outer peripheral portion of the driven roller 416. As a result, when the driving roller 406 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the driven roller 416 via the intermediate roller 418, and the driven roller 416 rotates. Then, as the driven roller 416 rotates, the rotating shaft 402 rotates and the roller 404 rotates.

  As described above, the contact guard 400 is installed such that the driving roller 406 contacts the outer peripheral portion of the ink drying drum 51 when installed. As a result, the roller 404 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the ink drying drum 51. That is, when the ink drying drum 51 rotates, the driving roller 406 in contact with the ink drying drum 51 rotates simultaneously, and the rotation is transmitted to the driven roller 416 via the intermediate roller 418. Thereby, the rotating shaft 402 rotates, and the roller 404 attached to the rotating shaft 402 rotates. At this time, the roller 404 rotates at the same speed as the conveyance speed of the paper 12.

  Thus, according to the ink drying unit 50 of the present embodiment, the roller 404 can be rotated at the same speed as the conveyance speed of the paper 12 by using the rotation of the ink drying drum 51. As a result, the paper 12 can be dried with a simple configuration without damaging the image.

  In this example, the rotation of the driving roller 406 is transmitted to the roller 404 by the rotation transmission mechanism 408 including the driven roller 416 and the intermediate roller 418. However, the configuration of transmitting the rotation of the driving roller 406 to the roller 404 is configured. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In addition, for example, the rotation of the driving roller 406 may be transmitted to the roller 404 via a rotation transmission mechanism including a gear train.

  The installation position of the driving roller 406 is a position that does not hinder the conveyance of the paper 12 (for example, both ends of the ink drying drum 51 as in this example), but the driving roller 406 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the ink drying drum 51. When the 406 cannot be brought into direct contact, a rotating plate having the same diameter as the outer diameter of the ink drying drum 51 is mounted on the moving shaft of the ink drying drum 51, and the driving roller 406 is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the rotating plate. It can also be set as the structure to make. In particular, when the outer peripheral portion of the ink drying drum 51 is not a perfect circle and has a convex portion or a concave portion (for example, a gripper installation portion), avoid those portions or as described above. A rotating plate is attached and a driving roller 406 is installed.

  In this example, the driving roller 406 is disposed at both ends of the rotating shaft 402, but may be configured to be installed only on one side.

<< Third Embodiment >>
FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the third embodiment of the ink drying unit. FIG. 11 is a view taken in the direction of arrows 11-11 in FIG.

  The ink drying unit of this embodiment is common to the ink drying unit of the second embodiment in that the roller of the contact guard is rotated using the rotation of the ink drying drum 51. The ink drying unit is different from the ink drying unit of the second embodiment in that the roller is rotated using magnetic force.

  Therefore, here, only the configuration of the contact guard and the function and effect thereof will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the contact guard 500 of the present embodiment mainly includes a rotating shaft 502, a plurality of rollers 504, and a pair of magnet wheels 506.

  The rotation shaft 502 is formed with a length substantially the same as the width of the ink drying drum 51. The rotary shaft 502 is pivotally supported by a pair of bearings 508 installed in the blower 52.

  The pair of bearings 508 are attached to both ends of the air outlet 53 of the blower 52 via brackets 512. The rotation shaft 502 is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the blower 52 by being supported by the bearing 508. Since the blower 52 is made parallel to the axis of the ink drying drum 51, the rotation shaft 502 is also arranged parallel to the axis of the ink drying drum 51.

  The rollers 504 are formed in a disk shape and are attached to the rotating shaft 502 with a predetermined interval (see FIG. 6). The number and setting intervals of the rollers 504 are appropriately increased or decreased according to the width of the paper 12. At this time, it is preferable to dispose at least the central portion and both end portions of the paper 12.

  Each roller 504 is fixedly attached to the rotating shaft 502. Therefore, when the rotating shaft 502 rotates, the roller 504 also rotates.

  The magnet wheel 506 is formed in a disk shape and has the same outer diameter as the roller 504. In the outer periphery, N-pole magnets 506N and S-pole magnets 506S are alternately arranged at regular intervals along the circumferential direction.

  The magnet wheel 506 is disposed at both ends of the rotating shaft 502 and is fixedly attached to the rotating shaft 502. Therefore, when the magnet wheel 506 rotates, the rotating shaft 502 also rotates.

  The air blower 52 is installed such that the magnetic wheel 506 is positioned at a predetermined height from the outer peripheral portion of the ink drying drum 51 when installed. That is, it is arranged so that a predetermined gap is formed between the outer periphery of the magnetic wheel 506 and the outer periphery of the ink drying drum 51.

  Magnet portions 510 are formed at both ends of the outer peripheral portion of the ink drying drum 51 corresponding to the installation positions of the pair of magnetic wheels 506. The magnet portion 510 is formed in a ring shape having a predetermined width, and N-pole magnets 510N and S-pole magnets 510S are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction. The arrangement interval between the N-pole magnet 510N and the S-pole magnet 510S is set to be the same as the arrangement interval between the N-pole magnet 506N and the S-pole magnet 506S arranged in the magnet wheel 506.

  The contact guard 500 of the present embodiment is configured as described above.

  As described above, the air blower 52 is installed such that the magnetic wheel 506 is positioned at a predetermined height from the outer peripheral portion of the ink drying drum 51 when the air blower 52 is installed (disposed at a position where the mutual magnetic force acts without contact). .)

  As a result, when the ink drying drum 51 rotates, the magnet wheel 506 rotates due to the action of the magnet provided in the magnet unit 510 and the magnet provided in the magnet wheel 506.

  At this time, the outer peripheral portion of the magnetic wheel 506 rotates at the same peripheral speed as the outer peripheral portion of the ink drying drum 51. That is, the magnet wheel 506 and the ink drying drum 51 rotate at the same peripheral speed because the N pole magnet and the S pole magnet are attached at the same interval.

  As a result, slip does not occur even when the floated paper 12 contacts the roller 504, so that the image is not damaged even if the printing surface before drying touches the roller 504.

  An example of a method for setting the magnet arrangement interval is shown below.

  The arrangement interval of the magnets is P, the arrangement angle of the roller magnets is θm, the arrangement angle of the magnets of the ink drying drum is θM, the diameter of the rollers is d, the outer diameter of the ink drying drum is D, and the magnets arranged on the ink drying drum Let the number be nM.

  When nm magnets are arranged on the roller, the magnet arrangement interval P is set to P = dπ / nm. In this case, the arrangement angle θm of the magnet arranged on the roller is set to θm = 360 / nm.

  The number nM of magnets arranged on the ink drying drum is set to nM = Dπ / P, and the arrangement angle θM of the magnets arranged on the ink drying drum is set to θM = 360 / nM.

  Example) Consider a case where eight magnets are installed on a roller when the outer diameter D of the ink drying drum is 450 mm and the outer diameter d of the roller is 50 mm.

  In this case, the arrangement interval P of the magnets installed on the roller is set as P = 50 · π / 8 = 19.63 mm, and the arrangement angle θm is set as θm = 360/8 = 45 deg.

  On the other hand, the arrangement number nM of the magnets installed on the ink drying drum is set to nM = 450 · π / 19.63 = 72, and the arrangement angle θM is set to θM = 360/72 = 5 deg.

  That is, N-pole and S-pole magnets are alternately arranged at intervals of 45 degrees on the rollers (eight arrangements), and N-pole and S-pole magnets are alternately arranged at intervals of 5 degrees on the ink drying drum. In this case, the magnet arrangement interval P is 19.63 mm.

  By installing the magnet in this way, the peripheral speed of the outer periphery of the roller can be made the same as the peripheral speed of the outer periphery of the ink drying drum. As a result, the roller can be rotated at the same speed as the paper conveyance speed.

  Thus, according to the ink drying unit 50 of the present embodiment, the roller 504 can be rotated at the same speed as the conveyance speed of the paper 12 by using the rotation of the ink drying drum 51. As a result, the paper 12 can be dried with a simple configuration without damaging the image.

  In this example, the rotation of the magnetic wheel 506 is directly transmitted to the rotation shaft 502. However, the rotation of the magnetic wheel 506 is transmitted to the rotation shaft 502 via a rotation transmission mechanism including a gear train or the like. May be.

  Moreover, in this example, although the magnetic wheel 506 is arrange | positioned at the both ends of the rotating shaft 402, it can also be set as the structure installed only in one side. In this case, the magnet portion 510 is also formed only on one side of the ink drying drum 51.

<Other embodiments>
In the above embodiment, the roller is rotated using the force of the wind blown from the blower 52 or the rotation force of the ink drying drum 51, but the wind blown from the blower 52 It is also possible to employ a configuration in which the roller is rotated by using the force and the rotational force of the ink drying drum 51 in combination. In this case as well, the roller is rotated so as to be approximately the same speed as the paper conveyance speed. Thereby, even if a printing surface contacts, paper can be dried without damaging an image.

  Further, in the series of embodiments described above, the case where the present invention is applied to a recording apparatus that prints water-based ink on general-purpose printing paper has been described as an example. However, the application of the present invention is limited to this. is not. The present invention can be similarly applied to an apparatus that records on a medium other than general-purpose printing paper by an inkjet method. Further, the present invention can be similarly applied to an apparatus for recording using ink other than water-based ink.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Inkjet recording apparatus, 12 ... Paper, 20 ... Paper feed part, 21 ... Paper feed apparatus, 22 ... Paper feed tray, 23 ... Transfer cylinder, 30 ... Processing liquid application part, 31 ... Conveying drum (processing liquid application drum) 32 ... Processing liquid application device, 32A ... Coating roller, 32B ... Supply roller, 33 ... Peeling and removing device 3, 33A ... Blade, 40 ... Image recording unit, 41 ... Conveying drum (image recording drum), 42 ... Paper pressing roller , 43 ... Paper floating detection sensor, 44 (44C, 44M, 44Y, 44K) ... Inkjet head, 50 ... Ink drying unit, 51 ... Conveying drum (ink drying drum), 52 (52A, 52B, 52C) ... Air blower, 53 (53A, 53B, 53C) ... outlet, 60 ... fixing unit, 61 ... transport drum (fixing drum), 62, 63 ... heat roller, 64 ... in-line sensor, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 0 ... Recovery part, 71 ... Stacker, 72 ... Discharge conveyor, 80 ... Transfer cylinder, 81 ... Transfer cylinder main body, 83 ... Guide plate, 84 ... Dryer, 90 ... Transfer cylinder, 91 ... Transfer cylinder main body, 93 ... Guide plate 94 ... Dryer, 100 ... Transfer cylinder, 101 ... Transfer cylinder main body, 103 ... Guide plate, 104 ... Dryer, 200 ... System controller, 201 ... Communication unit, 202 ... Image memory, 203 ... Conveyance control unit, 204 ... Paper feed Control unit 205 ... Treatment liquid application control unit 206 ... Image recording control unit 207 ... Ink drying control unit 208 ... Fixing control unit 209 ... Collection control unit 210 ... Operation unit 211 ... Display unit 300 (300A) 300B, 300C) ... contact guard, 302 ... rotary shaft, 304 ... roller, 306 ... impeller, 308 ... bearing, 310 ... bracket, 312 ... shaft, 314 ... fin, 00 ... Contact guard, 402 ... Rotating shaft, 404 ... Roll, 406 ... Driving roller, 408 ... Rotation transmission mechanism, 410 ... Bearing, 412 ... Bracket, 414 ... Bearing, 416 ... Follower roller, 418 ... Intermediate roller, 420 ... Bearing , 500 ... Contact guard, 502 ... Rotating shaft, 504 ... Roller, 506 ... Magnet wheel, 506N ... N pole magnet, 506S ... S pole magnet, 508 ... Bearing, 510 ... Magnet part, 510N ... N pole magnet, 510S ... S pole magnet, 512 ... bracket, G ... gripper

Claims (10)

In a drying device for drying a paper to which liquid has been applied,
Conveying means for grasping the leading edge of the sheet with a grasping means provided on an outer peripheral portion of the rotating drum and winding the sheet around the outer periphery of the drum;
Air blowing means for blowing warm air toward the paper conveyed by the conveying means;
A roller that is rotatably provided at a predetermined height from the outer periphery of the drum, and that suppresses the sheet that floats by receiving air blown by the blower;
Roller rotation driving means for rotating the rollers in the same direction at a speed substantially the same as the conveyance speed of the paper by rotation of the drum and / or by blowing of the blowing means;
A drying apparatus comprising:   The air blowing means is provided with a warm air outlet near the outer periphery of the drum, and the rollers are arranged so that the paper that floats by receiving air blown by the air blowing means does not contact the air outlet. The drying apparatus according to claim 1.   The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rollers are formed with a predetermined width, and are arranged at a plurality of locations in a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the paper.   4. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the roller rotation driving unit rotates the roller within an error range of −10 to 0% of the conveyance speed of the paper. 5. The roller rotation driving means is
An impeller that rotates by blowing air from the blowing means;
Rotation transmission means for transmitting rotation of the impeller to the roller;
The drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the drying apparatus comprises:   The drying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the rotation transmission means is a rotation shaft provided in parallel with the shaft of the drum, and the impeller and the roller are attached to the rotation shaft. The roller rotation driving means is
A roller installed in contact with the outer periphery of the drum and rotated by rotation of the drum;
Rotation transmission means for transmitting rotation of the roller to the roller;
The drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the drying apparatus comprises: The roller rotation driving means is
A rotating body having an outer peripheral portion disposed adjacent to the outer peripheral portion of the drum and rotating around an axis parallel to the axis of the drum;
Rotation transmission means for transmitting rotation of the rotating body to the roller;
S pole and N pole magnets alternately arranged at a constant interval on the outer periphery of the drum, and alternately arranged at a constant interval on the outer periphery of the rotating body,
The drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the drying apparatus comprises:   9. The drying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the rotation transmission means is a rotation shaft provided in parallel with the axis of the drum, and the rotating body and the roller are attached to the rotation shaft.   An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: the drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drying apparatus performs drying processing on a sheet to which ink has been applied.

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