JP2012183650A - Liquid jetting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid jetting apparatus, which suppresses temperature rise of a liquid jetting head to prevent viscosity of ink from being changed, and in which degradation of image quality due to a change in the viscosity of the ink is not caused.SOLUTION: The liquid jetting apparatus includes: a carriage 14 that makes the liquid jetting head relatively scan a recording medium S; a first chamber 30 that accommodates the carriage; a heater that increases temperature of the recording medium to which the liquid has been jetted by the liquid jetting head; a second chamber that accommodates the heater; a first bellows 40 whose one end is attached to one side surface of the carriage and whose another end is attached to the first chamber; a first suction valve 41 that sucks gas from the outside of the first chamber into the first bellows following elongation after contraction of the first bellows; a first exhaust valve 42 that exhausts the gas from the inside of the first bellows into the first chamber; a second bellows 50 whose one end is attached to the another side surface of the carriage and whose another end is attached to the first chamber; a second suction valve 51 that sucks the gas from the outside of the first chamber into the second bellows following elongation after contraction of the second bellows; and a second exhaust valve 52 that exhausts the gas from the inside of the second bellows into the first chamber.

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid onto a liquid ejecting surface of a material to be ejected.

  As a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid onto a target, an ink jet recording apparatus that performs printing by ejecting ink onto a recording medium is known. In order to obtain a high-quality image without blurring by such an ink jet recording apparatus, it is necessary to quickly diffuse the solvent in the ink into the air after the ink is ejected and deposited on the recording medium. .

  As a method for such solvent diffusion, it has been proposed to heat a recording medium on which ink has been deposited or to blow wind on the recording medium. For example, in JP-A-2002-347226, the back surface of a recording medium is heated upstream and downstream in the recording medium conveyance direction of the line head, and the recording surface is heated and dried in a non-contact manner downstream of the line head. A configuration of an ink jet printer using the ink drying method is disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-323977) proposes an ink jet printer configuration in which a drum that holds and conveys a recording medium is a heating drum.

Further, Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-191507) discloses a printing apparatus that prevents bleeding of printed matter by drying a recording medium with an infrared irradiation light source and a blower in inkjet printing.
JP 2002-347226 A JP-A-8-323977 JP 2001-191507 A

  In order to prevent bleeding, it is necessary to heat the ink immediately after it has landed on the recording medium. For this reason, in any of the techniques according to Patent Documents 1 to 3 as described above, a layout in which a heating source is disposed in the vicinity of the head that ejects ink is taken.

  When heat is conducted from such a heat source to the head through each member constituting the apparatus and the temperature of the head rises, the viscosity of the ink changes, and printing cannot be performed as expected, which adversely affects the image quality. There was a problem of giving.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that a liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention includes a liquid ejecting head having a nozzle that ejects liquid onto a recording medium, the liquid ejecting head, and the recording medium. A carriage that relatively scans the liquid ejecting head, a first chamber that houses the carriage, a heater that raises the temperature of the recording medium onto which the liquid has been ejected by the liquid ejecting head, and a second that houses the heater A chamber, a first bellows having one end attached to one side of the carriage and the other end attached to the first chamber, and gas extending into the first bellows as the first bellows expands and contracts. A first intake valve for intake air from the first bellows, a first exhaust valve for exhausting gas from the first bellows into the first chamber, one end attached to the other side of the carriage and the other end of the first exhaust valve. A second bellows attached to the chamber, a second intake valve for sucking gas into the second bellows from outside the first chamber as the second bellows expands and contracts, and gas from the second bellows to the first bellows And a second exhaust valve for exhausting into the room.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the first chamber may include a first opening and a second opening through which the recording medium passes.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the invention, the first chamber may be provided with a first chamber exhaust valve that exhausts gas from the first chamber to the outside of the first chamber.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the pitch of the bellows of the first bellows may be the same as the pitch of the bellows of the second bellows, and the length of the first bellows may be the second bellows. It is characterized by being equal to the length of the bellows.

  As described above, according to the liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention, the temperature rise of the liquid ejecting head is suppressed by the gas from outside the apparatus taken in by the movement of the first bellows and the second bellows interlocking with the scanning operation by the carriage, and the ink Since the viscosity does not change, image quality does not deteriorate.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a printer that is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. 1 is a schematic side view of a printer 10 that is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. 1 is a block diagram of the overall configuration of a printer. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a first chamber 30 in the printer 10. FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a printer that is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to another embodiment of the invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a printer 10 that is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the printer 10 that is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the overall configuration of the printer 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printer 10 has a rod-shaped guide rail 12, and a carriage 14 is supported on the guide rail 12. The carriage 14 reciprocates in the main scanning direction (first direction) along the guide rail 12 by the carriage drive unit 140 (see FIG. 4), and scans the recording medium S.

  Mounted on the carriage 14 is a head unit 150 in which nozzles for ejecting color inks (liquids) of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) to the recording medium S are formed. Has been. Each of these yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) inks is a predetermined image based on image data received from the host computer 1 or the like as image recording ink. Used for drawing. Hereinafter, yellow or yellow ink may be abbreviated as “Y”. In this embodiment, an example using four colors of ink of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) has been described. However, the color types that can be handled by the head unit 150 are described. The number of colors is not limited to this.

  The computer 1 sends image data corresponding to an image to be printed to the printer 10 via a printer driver. The image data includes pixel data indicating whether or not ink is ejected for each ink color for each pixel of the medium.

  As each color ink used in the present embodiment, for example, an ink in which pigments or dyes are dispersed using water or an organic solvent as a solvent can be appropriately used. Further, as the recording medium S used in the printer 10 according to the present invention, a recording medium S made of materials such as various papers such as plain paper, recycled paper, and glossy paper, various fabrics, various non-woven fabrics, and resins can be applied.

  The head unit 150 as described above is connected to the controller 110, and a signal for controlling the ejection of ink is transmitted to the head unit 150. Among these signals, there are signals based on the image data received from the computer 1 and those for performing flushing not based on the image data signal.

  The carriage 14 is accommodated in a first chamber 30 which is one section in the apparatus. Further, the bellows structure that expands and contracts is attached to both side surfaces of the carriage 14, respectively. These bellows structures are attached so that the expansion and contraction direction is the main scanning direction (first direction), and one of the bellows expands and the other bellows contracts as the carriage 14 scans.

  One end of the first bellows 40 is attached to one side of the carriage 14 and the other end is attached to the first chamber 30. Further, one end of the second bellows 50 is attached to the other side surface of the carriage 14 and the other end is attached to the first chamber 30.

  Thus, when the carriage 14 moves in one direction, the first bellows 40 expands and the second bellows 50 contracts. When the carriage 14 moves in the other direction, the first bellows 40 contracts and the second bellows 50 extends. It becomes a relationship. The first bellows 40 and the second bellows 50 as described above are provided with a check valve (not shown in FIG. 1) as described later. Air from outside the first chamber 30 can be taken in.

  Here, the pitch of the bellows of the first bellows 40 is made equal to the pitch of the bellows of the second bellows 50, and the length of the first bellows 40 is made equal to the length of the second bellows 50. ing. This is because the load of a motor (not shown) for driving the carriage 14 is made the same between the case where the carriage 14 moves in one direction and the case where the carriage 14 moves in the other direction to balance the apparatus.

  The central part of the movable range of the carriage 14 is a recording area for recording on the recording medium S, and a platen 19 for horizontally supporting the recording medium S from the non-recording surface side is provided in this recording area. Yes.

  Further, the printer 10 includes a plurality of transport rollers 13 and the like, and is provided with a recording medium transport unit 130 (see FIG. 3) for feeding the recording medium S in the sub-scanning direction (second direction). The recording medium conveyance unit 130 intermittently conveys the recording medium S by repeating conveyance and stopping of the recording medium S in accordance with the operation of the carriage 14 during image recording.

  Further, the upper surface (not shown) of the housing of the printer 10 is configured by, for example, a touch panel, displays a recording mode that can be selected by the user, and an input operation unit 120 that allows the user to select and input the displayed recording mode. Is provided. The input operation unit 120 is connected to a controller 110, which will be described later, and outputs a signal related to a recording mode selected based on a predetermined operation to the controller 110.

FIG. 3 shows a control block for controlling the printer 10 in this embodiment, and the controller 110 in this control block is, for example, a CPU 111.
ROM 112 and RAM 113, and the processing program recorded in the ROM 112 is expanded on the RAM 113, and the CPU 111 executes the processing program. The interface 105 is an interface provided for connecting the controller 110 of the printer 10 and the computer 1.

  The controller 110 controls the recording medium transport unit 130, the carriage drive unit 140, the head unit 150, the heater unit 160, and the like based on the status such as the operation status in accordance with the processing program described above.

  The heater unit 160 includes a heating source and a blower, and is a device that sprays the ink generated on the recording medium S using the heat generated from the heating source as warm air. Such a heater unit 160 is accommodated in the second chamber 70 which is one section of the apparatus so that heat is not diffused as much as possible.

  Due to the warm air generated by the heater unit 160 as described above, the volatile component from the ink deposited on the recording medium S is quickly diffused, and the volatilization of the solvent component from the ink can be promoted. High image quality can be achieved.

  The heater unit 160 can control the temperature of hot air and the amount of hot air under the control of the controller 110. In this way, ink drying can be realized according to the type of the recording medium S and the type of ink. Basically, it is preferable to operate the heater unit 160 while the head unit 150 ejects ink onto the recording medium S.

  The first chamber 30 in which the carriage 14 is accommodated is provided with a first chamber first opening 31 on the side on which the recording medium S enters, and the first chamber second on the side on which the recording medium S advances. An opening 32 is provided.

  Similarly, the second chamber 70 in which the heater unit 160 is accommodated is provided with a second chamber first opening 71 on the side on which the recording medium S enters, and on the side on which the recording medium S advances. A two-chamber second opening 72 is provided.

The height of the opening of the first chamber first opening 31 when the platen 19 is the bottom is d _1, and the height of the opening of the first chamber second opening 32 in the same case is d _2. In this case, the opening height of the second chamber first opening 71 is g _1, and the opening height of the second chamber second opening 72 in the same case is g ₂ .

At this time, d ₁ > g ₁ , d ₁ > g ₂ , d ₂ > g ₁ and d ₂ > g ₂ are established. This is because, in the second chamber 70, g ₁ and g ₂ are set to be small so as not to allow the heat generated by the heater unit 160 to escape as much as possible, whereas in the first chamber 30, the temperature rise in the head unit 150 is increased. Therefore, d ₁ and d ₂ are set to be large so that the air in the first chamber 30 is taken out of the first chamber 30 as much as possible.

  Next, the check valve provided in relation to the first bellows 40 and the second bellows 50 and the operation of each check valve accompanying the movement of the first bellows 40 and the second bellows 50 will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the first chamber 30 in the printer 10. In the first chamber 30, in relation to the first bellows 40, a first intake valve 41 that sucks gas from outside the first chamber 30 into the first bellows 40 as the first bellows 40 expands and contracts, And a first exhaust valve for exhausting gas from the bellows 40 into the first chamber.

  Further, in the first chamber 30, in relation to the second bellows 50, as the second bellows 50 expands and contracts, a second intake valve 51 that sucks gas into the second bellows 50 from outside the first chamber 30, A second exhaust valve 52 that exhausts gas from the second bellows 50 into the first chamber 30 is provided.

  FIGS. 4A to 4D show the operation state of each valve that changes as the carriage 14 moves.

  FIG. 4A shows a state where the carriage 14 has moved to the right. At this time, since the first bellows 40 is contracted, the first intake valve 41 is closed, the first exhaust valve 42 is opened, and the gas in the first bellows 40 is exhausted into the first chamber 30. Further, since the second bellows 50 extends, the second intake valve 51 opens, the second exhaust valve 52 closes, and the second bellows 50 sucks gas from outside the first chamber 30 into the second bellows 50. Such a situation continues until FIG. 4B in which the carriage 14 is at the rightmost end.

  Next, when the carriage 14 moves leftward from the position of the rightmost end, the state is as shown in FIG. At this time, since the first bellows 40 extends, the first intake valve 41 opens, the first exhaust valve 42 closes, and the first bellows 40 sucks gas from outside the first chamber 30 into the first bellows 40. . Further, since the second bellows 50 is contracted, the second intake valve 51 is closed, the second exhaust valve 52 is opened, and the gas in the second bellows 50 is exhausted to the first chamber 30. Such a situation continues until FIG. 4D in which the carriage 14 is at the leftmost end.

  With the scanning of the carriage 14, the above operation is repeated, so that gas from the outside of the first chamber 30 is taken into the first chamber 30 via the first bellows 40 and the second bellows 50. The gas taken into the first chamber 30 removes heat from the head unit 150 provided in the carriage 14, and from the first chamber first opening 31 or the first chamber second opening 32 in the first chamber 30. Exhausted. As a result, the temperature rise of the head unit 150 can be suppressed.

  According to the liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention as described above, the temperature of the head unit 150 is increased by gas from outside the apparatus that is taken in by the movement of the first bellows 40 and the second bellows 50 in conjunction with the scanning operation by the carriage 14. Since the ink viscosity is suppressed and the ink viscosity does not change, the image quality does not deteriorate.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a printer 10 that is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to another embodiment of the invention. The other embodiment differs from the previous embodiment in that the opening height d ₁ of the first chamber first opening 31 and the opening height d of the first chamber second opening 32 in the first chamber 30 are different. _2, respectively, that it is the height g ₁ and the height g ₂ same height as the second chamber opening of the second opening 72 of the opening of the second chamber first opening 71, and the first chamber 30 is provided with a first chamber exhaust valve 35.

  The first chamber exhaust valve 35 is a check valve that operates only in the direction of exhausting gas from the first chamber 30 to the outside. In the present embodiment, the gas taken into the first chamber 30 from the outside of the first chamber 30 via the first bellows 40 and the second bellows 50 generates heat from the head unit 150 provided in the carriage 14. The air is exhausted from the first chamber exhaust valve 35. As a result, the temperature rise of the head unit 150 can be suppressed. Also according to this embodiment, the same effects as those of the previous embodiment can be obtained.

As described above, according to the liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention, the temperature rise of the liquid ejecting head is suppressed by the gas from outside the apparatus taken in by the movement of the first bellows and the second bellows interlocking with the scanning operation by the carriage, and the ink Since the viscosity does not change, image quality does not deteriorate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Computer, 10 ... Printer, 12 ... Guide rail, 13 ... Conveyance roller, 14 ... Carriage, 15 ... Ink supply tube, 19 ... Platen, 30 ... 1st chamber, 31 ... 1st chamber 1st opening part, 32 ... 1st chamber 2nd opening part, 35 ... 1st chamber exhaust valve, 40 ... 1st bellows, 41 ... 1st intake valve, 42 ... 1st exhaust valve, 50 ... 2nd bellows, 51 ... 2nd intake valve, 52 ... 2nd exhaust valve, 70 ... 2nd chamber, 71. .. Second chamber first opening, 72... Second chamber second opening, 105... Interface, 110... Controller, 111... CPU, 112. RAM, 120 ... input operation unit, 130 ... recording medium transport unit, 140 ... carry 150 ... head unit, 151 ... (cyan ink) nozzle row, 152 ... (magenta ink) nozzle row, 153 ... (yellow ink) nozzle row, 154 ... (black) Ink) Nozzle row, 160 ... heater unit,

Claims (4)

A liquid ejecting head having a nozzle for ejecting liquid onto a recording medium;
A carriage that holds the liquid ejecting head and that scans the liquid ejecting head relative to the recording medium;
A first chamber containing the carriage;
A heater for raising the temperature of the recording medium on which the liquid is ejected by the liquid ejecting head;
A second chamber containing the heater;
A first bellows having one end attached to one side of the carriage and the other end attached to the first chamber;
A first intake valve that draws gas into the first bellows from outside the first chamber as the first bellows expands and contracts;
A first exhaust valve for exhausting gas from within the first bellows into the first chamber;
A second bellows having one end attached to the other side of the carriage and the other end attached to the first chamber;
As the second bellows expands and contracts, a second intake valve that sucks gas into the second bellows from outside the first chamber;
A second exhaust valve for exhausting gas from the second bellows into the first chamber;
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first chamber includes a first opening and a second opening through which the recording medium passes. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first chamber exhaust valve that exhausts gas from the first chamber to the outside of the first chamber is provided in the first chamber. The pitch of the bellows of the first bellows is the same as the pitch of the bellows of the second bellows, and the length of the first bellows is equal to the length of the second bellows. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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