JP2014046522A - Drying device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To evenly irradiate paper with heating light of an infrared lamp, and at the same time, suppress a temperature rise in a region at the width direction outside of the paper.SOLUTION: A drying device includes a heating light source 12 including a longer irradiation section in a direction crossing a conveying direction (the direction of an arrow P) of a recording medium 16 than the recording medium 16 of a maximum size to be conveyed, and light shielding means 20R and 20L shielding heating light of the irradiation section to be irradiated to the width direction outside of the recording medium 16 to be conveyed.

Description

  The present invention relates to a drying device for an ink jet printer and an image forming apparatus including the drying device.

  In order to fix the image recorded by the ink jet printer on the paper, it is necessary to dry the moisture in the ink on the paper. For this reason, a configuration in which paper is heated and dried with an infrared lamp is widely adopted. However, the irradiation distribution of the infrared lamp formed in a straight tube has a characteristic that the illuminance at both ends is lower than that at the center. For this reason, when irradiation is performed with an infrared lamp having a length substantially the same as the paper width, the amount of irradiation becomes uneven at the center and both ends of the paper, and temperature unevenness occurs on the paper.

Therefore, a technique for uniformly heating the paper using an infrared lamp longer than the paper width has been proposed (Patent Document 1).
The technique described in Patent Document 1 employs an infrared lamp that is longer than the width of the paper, attaches both ends of the infrared lamp so that they protrude beyond the outside of the paper, and heats the center of the infrared lamp with a uniform irradiation distribution. Therefore, the illuminance distribution irradiated on the paper is made uniform.

JP 2004-195996 A

  However, in Patent Document 1, since both ends of the infrared lamp protrude from the paper width, the conveying device outside the paper width is also heated by the infrared lamp. As a result, there may be a problem due to heating in, for example, a conveyance belt or a frame (frame) containing the conveyance belt, which is located outside the sheet below the infrared lamp.

  In consideration of the above-described facts, an object of the present invention is to uniformly irradiate a sheet of paper with heating light from an infrared lamp, and at the same time, suppress an increase in temperature in a region outside the sheet in the width direction.

  The drying apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a heating light source having a length in a direction intersecting a conveyance direction of the recording medium that is larger than a recording medium having a maximum width size to be conveyed, and the recording medium to be conveyed. Light shielding means for shielding the heating light of the heating light source, which is irradiated outward in the width direction.

  According to the first aspect, the transported recording medium is heated by the heating light source. At this time, the length in the direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the heating light source is made larger than the width of the recording medium having the maximum width size. Thereby, it is possible to irradiate the entire width of the recording medium in a range where the illuminance distribution is almost uniform, excluding both ends where the illuminance of the heating light source decreases. Further, the heating light irradiated to the outer side in the width direction of the recording medium is blocked by the light blocking means.

  As a result, the recording medium is heated almost uniformly by the heating light from the heating light source. Further, the light shielding means suppresses a temperature rise in a region outside the paper in the width direction, for example, a conveyance device such as a conveyance belt or a frame.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the drying apparatus according to the first aspect, the light shielding unit includes a light shielding plate that blocks the heating light, and the light shielding plate is movable in a direction intersecting the transport direction. .

  According to this configuration, the light-shielding plate that blocks the heating light that irradiates the recording medium can be moved in a direction that intersects the conveyance direction of the recording medium. Accordingly, it is possible to block the heating light with the light shielding plate in accordance with the width of the recording medium, and the temperature increase in the region outside the width direction of the recording medium is suppressed regardless of the width size of the recording medium.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the drying apparatus according to the second aspect, the light-shielding unit is provided upstream of the heating light source in the transport direction and detects the width of the recording medium. And a moving unit that moves the light shielding plate in a direction intersecting the transport direction, and a control unit that controls the moving unit based on a detection result of the width detecting unit.

According to this configuration, the width of the recording medium is detected by the width detection unit provided upstream of the heating light source in the transport direction. The moving unit is controlled by the control unit based on the detection result of the width detection unit. The light shielding plate is moved in the direction intersecting the transport direction by the moving means.
With this configuration, the light shielding plate of the light shielding means can be moved to an appropriate position in accordance with the width of the recording medium.

  As a result, the position of the light-shielding plate can be changed to an optimum value in accordance with the width dimension of the recording medium, and even with a recording medium having a different width, the recording medium is heated almost uniformly. It is possible to suppress an increase in temperature in a region outside the width direction (for example, a conveyor belt, a frame, etc.).

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the drying apparatus according to the second aspect or the third aspect, the light shielding plate is supported in a non-contact state with a conveyance path through which the recording medium is conveyed.
Thereby, even if it receives heating light and the temperature of a light shielding plate rises, the heat transfer from a light shielding plate to a conveyance path is suppressed.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the drying apparatus according to the fourth aspect, the light shielding plate is formed of an aluminum plate, and the plate is supported by a support member from below the plate.

  According to this configuration, the heating light is reflected by the aluminum plate. Further, the aluminum plate is supported from below the plate by the support member. For this reason, by forming the support member with a material having low heat transfer performance such as ceramics, heat transfer from the aluminum plate material to the outside of the irradiation region through the mounting portion of the support member is suppressed.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the drying device according to the fourth aspect, the light shielding plate is formed of an aluminum plate, and the plate is suspended from above the plate by a suspension member.

  According to this configuration, the heating light is reflected by the aluminum plate. At this time, the aluminum plate is hung by a suspension member, and no member for transferring heat is provided between the plate and the conveying device, and therefore, the aluminum plate is transferred from the aluminum plate to the outside of the irradiation region. Heat is suppressed.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the drying apparatuses according to the second to sixth aspects, the end of the light shielding plate in the direction intersecting the transport direction is an end of the heating light source. It extends to the outside.

  With this configuration, the light-shielding plate extending outward from the end of the heating light source irradiates the area outside the recording medium in the width direction (for example, the conveyance path, the frame, etc.) from the end of the heating light source. The heated light can be shielded.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the drying apparatus according to the seventh aspect, the heating light source and the recording medium are transported in the vertical direction at the inner end of the light shielding plate in the direction intersecting the transport direction. It extends between the conveyance path and extends between the end of the recording medium and the end of the conveyance path.
With this configuration, the heat applied to the area outside the width direction of the recording medium (for example, the conveyance path and the frame) by the light shielding plate extending between the end of the recording medium and the end of the conveyance path. Light can be shielded.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the drying apparatuses according to the first to eighth aspects, a reflector that reflects the heating light toward the recording medium is provided above the heating light source. Is provided.
Thereby, the heating light irradiated in the direction opposite to the recording medium from the heating light source can be reflected to the recording medium side.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the drying apparatuses according to the first to ninth aspects, the heating light source is an infrared lamp.
By using an infrared lamp as a heat source for heating the recording medium, the recording medium can be heated without contact and with good controllability.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the drying apparatuses according to the first to tenth aspects, the recording medium is a sheet.
Thereby, the ink recorded on the paper can be dried by the drying device.

A twelfth aspect of the present invention is the drying apparatus according to any one of the fourth to eleventh aspects, wherein the transport path is transported while being gripped by a transport belt or a gripper for sucking and transporting the recording medium. The guide plate is in sliding contact with the back surface of the recording medium.
As a result, the recording medium sucked and transported along the transport belt or the recording medium transported while being gripped by the gripper can be heated substantially uniformly by the heating light from the heating light source. Further, the light shielding means can suppress the temperature rise in the area outside the paper in the width direction.

  An image forming apparatus according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention is provided with the drying apparatus according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, and on the upstream side of the drying apparatus in the conveyance direction of the recording medium, and the recording apparatus And a droplet discharge head that forms an image by discharging droplets onto a medium.

  Thereby, the inkjet recording device which dries the recording medium recorded with the inkjet recording head with the drying apparatus of any one of Claims 1-12 can be provided.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the thirteenth aspect, the liquid droplet ejection head is a line head type liquid droplet ejection head.
Accordingly, an ink jet recording apparatus including a line head type recording head can be provided.

  Since the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to uniformly irradiate the paper with the heating light of the infrared lamp, and at the same time, to suppress the temperature rise in the region outside the paper in the width direction.

It is a top view which shows the basic composition of the drying apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a front view which shows the basic composition of the drying apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention, (B) is the RR sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 2 (RR line sectional drawing of FIG. 1). Equivalent to the figure). It is a front view (figure equivalent to Drawing 2 (A)) showing the basic composition of the drying device concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view which shows the basic composition of the drying apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the outline of the basic composition of the inkjet recording device which employ | adopted the drying apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention.

(First embodiment)
A drying apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
The drying device 10 is mounted, for example, in an image forming apparatus described later, and dries the ink recorded on the paper with an ink jet recording head.

  As shown in the plan view of FIG. 1 and the cross-sectional view seen from the side of FIG. 2B, the drying apparatus 10 has an infrared lamp (IR lamp) 12 as a heating light source. The IR lamp 12 is a straight tube having a length L1 and is fixed above the conveying belt 14 of the conveying device 34. Thereby, the recording medium (paper) 16 placed on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 14 and conveyed can be irradiated and heated from above.

  The transport device 34 includes an endless transport belt 14, a drive device (not shown) that drives the transport belt 14, and a frame 22 that houses the transport belt 14 and the drive device. Accordingly, the paper 16 placed on the upper surface of the transport belt 14 is transported in the direction of the arrow P by moving the transport belt 14 in the transport direction (X-axis direction) indicated by the arrow P by a driving device (not shown). Can do.

A plurality (three) of IR lamps 12 are attached so that the central axis of the tube portion is directed in a direction (Y-axis direction) intersecting the conveyance direction of the paper 16 indicated by an arrow P.
At this time, the mounting height of the IR lamp 12 is set at a distance H1 from the upper surface of the conveyor belt 14 (see FIG. 2). This distance H1 is determined so as to obtain an optimal dry state in consideration of the irradiation intensity of the IR lamp 12, the conveyance speed of the paper 16, and the like. If the distance H1 is too small, the IR lamp 12 gets too close to the paper 16, and the paper 16 is overheated and overdried. On the other hand, if the distance H1 is too large, the IR lamp 12 is too far from the paper 16, and the paper 16 is not sufficiently heated, resulting in insufficient drying.

The length L1 of the heating part (heating light irradiation part) of the IR lamp 12 is a sheet width (hereinafter simply referred to as a width) W in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction P of the maximum size sheet 16 to be recorded. Has been bigger. For this reason, both ends of the IR lamp 12 are attached so as to protrude from both sides of the paper 16 by L2.
This is because the light quantity distribution of the heating light emitted from the IR lamp 12 has a characteristic that both ends of the IR lamp 12 are lower than the central part, so that the paper is heated using the central part where the light quantity distribution is constant. It is to do.

Here, the length L1 of the IR lamp 12 is desirably about 120% of the width W of the paper 16 at a mounting height that secures an appropriate distance H1 from the paper 16.
That is, L1 (= W + 2 × L2) ≈1.2 × W
As a result, the paper 16 can be heated substantially uniformly at the central portion of the IR lamp where the irradiation intensity is uniform, and uneven heating of the paper 16 can be suppressed. It should be noted that the allowable amount of the light distribution of the heating light at the edge of the sheet that does not cause heating unevenness is desirably within a range of ± 5% of the central portion from the experiment.

Specifically, in the case of a sheet having a width of 750 mm and using an IR lamp having a length of 800 mm and irradiating the distance H1 at a distance of 100 mm, the amount of heating light at the edge of the sheet is reduced to about 70%. . The difference in the amount of heating light between the edge portion and the central portion of the paper exceeds the allowable range, and the heating unevenness is large, resulting in uneven drying on the paper.
On the other hand, similarly, in the case of a sheet having a width of 750 mm, when the IR lamp having a length of 1000 mm is irradiated with the distance H1 being separated by 100 mm, the light quantity at the end of the sheet only decreases by about 95%. This amount of difference in the amount of heating light between the paper edge and the center is within an allowable range, and the unevenness of paper drying is within the allowable range.

If the length of the IR lamp is further increased to 1000 mm or more, the amount of light at the edge of the paper increases and becomes more uniform, but the irradiation to the heated portion other than the paper increases. As a result, this is contrary to energy saving, and the temperature rise in the surrounding area is increased, causing a problem in, for example, the conveyor belt 14 and the frames 22R and 22L.
Accordingly, the length L1 of the IR lamp 12 is preferably about 120% of the width W of the paper 16 as described above.

  The paper 16 as the recording medium is not particularly limited, and general-purpose printing paper used in general offset printing (so-called high-quality paper, coated paper, art paper, or other paper mainly composed of cellulose) can be used. .

Two sheets (a pair) on both sides of the sheet 16 are located below the IR lamp 12 and outside the conveyance area where the sheet 16 having a width W is conveyed (outside in the direction intersecting the conveyance direction P). Light shielding plates 20R and 20L are provided.
The light shielding plates 20 </ b> R and 20 </ b> L are formed in a flat plate shape using an aluminum plate material, and reflect the heating light from the IR lamp 12 toward the IR lamp 12. Thereby, the temperature rise of the conveyance belt 14 of the part which the heating light has protruded from the paper 16 of the conveyance apparatus 34, and the frames 22R and 22L for accommodating the conveyance belt 14 can be suppressed.

  Further, the outer end portions of the light shielding plates 20R and 20L in the Y-axis direction extend outward from the end portion 12E of the IR lamp 12 in the Y-axis direction (see FIG. 2B). Thereby, the heating light from the end 12E of the IR lamp 12 can be reflected by the light shielding plates 20R and 20L, and the temperature rise of the conveyor belt 14 and the frames 22R and 22L can be suppressed.

  Further, the inner ends of the light shielding plates 20R and 20L in the Y-axis direction are between the IR lamp 12 and the conveyor belt 14 in the vertical direction and extend to between the end of the paper 16 and the edge of the conveyor belt 14. (See FIG. 2B). With this configuration, the heating light applied to the region outside in the width direction of the paper 16 is shielded by the light shielding plates 20R and 20L extending between the end of the paper 16 and the end of the conveyor belt 14. be able to.

Here, the light shielding plate receiving portions 24R and 24L are attached so as to protrude outward from the frames 22R and 22L. The light shielding plate receiving portions 24R and 24L are formed in an L shape, the side walls are fixed to the frames 22R and 22L, and the light shielding plates 20R and 20L are supported on the upper surface. The light shielding plates 20R and 20L are provided with long holes 26, and the light shielding plates 20R and 20L are attached to the light shielding plate receiving portions 24R and 24L with the fixing screws 28 using the long holes 26.
The long hole 26 is opened long in the Y-axis direction, and the light shielding plates 20R and 20L are moved in the Y-axis direction within the range of the opening of the long hole 26 by adjusting by loosening the fixing screw 28. Can be made.

  Thereby, aluminum is a material having a high reflectance of the heating light from the IR lamp 12, and the heating light is efficiently reflected by the light shielding plates 20R and 20L made of aluminum. For this reason, the temperature increase of the conveyance belt 14 and the frames 22R and 22L in the outer region in the width direction of the paper 16 is suppressed. 2A shows a side view seen from the light shielding plate 20L side, and FIG. 2B shows a front view seen from the line RR in FIG. The light shielding plates 20R and 20L are configured with the conveyance belt 14 in between.

The light shielding plates 20R and 20L are supported from below by a ceramic spacer 30, and are fixed to the light shielding plate receiving portion 24 by fixing screws 28. That is, the light shielding plates 20R and 20L are attached in a state where the light shielding plates 20R and 20L are lifted from the conveying belt 14 by a height H2.
As a result, heat transfer from the light shielding plates 20R and 20L to the conveyance belt 14 and the frames 22R and 22L is blocked by the air layer and the ceramics of the spacer 30, and from the light shielding plates 20R and 20L, the conveyance belt 14 and the frame 22R, Heat transfer to 22L is suppressed.

  A semi-cylindrical reflector 32 is provided above the IR lamp 12 so as to surround the IR lamp 12 and to direct the heating light from the IR lamp 12 toward the paper 16. Thereby, the heating light emitted from the IR lamp 12 can be reflected in the direction of the paper 16, and the heating light can be effectively used for heating the paper 16. In FIG. 1, the reflection plate 32 is not shown.

  According to the configuration described above, the entire surface of the paper 16 can be irradiated with a substantially uniform light amount by irradiating the paper 16 with the central portion of the IR lamp 12 having a substantially uniform light amount. Thereby, the entire surface of the paper 16 is heated almost uniformly. The light shielding plates 20R and 20L arranged with the paper 16 interposed therebetween cover the exposed portions of the conveyance belt 14 and the frames 22R and 22L outside the paper 16 in the width direction, so that the heating light from the IR lamp 12 is generated. As a result, the temperature rise of the conveyor belt 14 and the frames 22R and 22L is suppressed.

  By adopting this embodiment, the heating light of the IR lamp 12 can be evenly applied to the paper 16 and, at the same time, the temperature increase in the area outside the paper in the width direction can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the IR lamp 12 is used as the heating light source. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other non-contact heating light sources such as a ceramic heater may be used.
In the present embodiment, an example in which three IR lamps 12 are used has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number used may be determined from the irradiation intensity required for the IR lamp 12.

(Second Embodiment)
A drying apparatus 38 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The drying device 38 is different from the drying device 10 according to the first embodiment in that the light shielding plates 20R and 20L are suspended by the hanging metal fittings 36A and 36B, respectively. The difference from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  The light shielding plates 20R and 20L are formed of an aluminum plate, and are provided with two long holes 26 at the positions described in the first embodiment (see FIG. 1). It is suspended by two suspension brackets 36A and 36B from above 20L. The hanging metal fittings 36A and 36B are formed of steel bars, and suspend the light shielding plates 20R and 20L at a position (height H2) higher than the conveyor belt 14.

  Explaining the light shielding plate 20L side, the hanging metal fittings 36A and 36B are provided on both sides of the paper 16 in the conveyance direction with the IR lamp 12 interposed therebetween. The upper ends of the suspension fittings 36A and 36B are fixed to 35 on an upper frame formed on the upper portion of the conveyor belt 14 (above the IR lamp 12), and the lower ends are fixed to the light shielding plate 20L with fixing screws 28.

According to this configuration, the aluminum plate member (light shielding plate 20L) is suspended at a position higher than the conveyor belt 14 by the two suspension fittings 36A and 36B, and the heating light is reflected by the light shielding plate 20L. At this time, since the light shielding plate 20L is separated from the surface of the conveyance belt 14 without the support member interposed therebetween, heat transfer from the light shielding plate 20L to the conveyance device 34 such as the conveyance belt 14 or the frame can be reduced.
The light shielding plate 20R side has the same configuration as the light shielding plate 20L side, and a description thereof will be omitted. Other configurations are the same as those of the drying apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

(Third embodiment)
A drying apparatus 40 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The drying device 40 is different from the drying device 10 of the first embodiment in that it is configured to automatically move the light shielding plates 20R and 20L. The difference from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  As shown in the plan view of FIG. 4, a pair of widths for detecting the width W of the paper 16 is upstream of the conveyance direction of the paper 16 (the direction of the arrow P) and upstream of the position of the IR lamp 12. Detectors 45R and 45L are provided. The width detectors 45R and 45L are formed in a rod shape, and are attached to both ends of the direction (Y-axis direction) above the sheet 16 and intersecting the transport direction P with the transport belt 14 in between. A plurality of sensors 44R and 44L are attached to the width detectors 45R and 45L in a line at predetermined intervals, respectively.

The sensors 44R and 44L are optical sensors each including an irradiation unit and a light receiving unit, and a plurality (four in the drawing) are attached toward the paper 16 (downward). The optical sensor irradiates light from above the paper 16 and detects the width W of the paper 16 from the reflected light received by the light receiving unit using the difference in reflectance between the conveyor belt 14 and the paper 16. Thereby, the position of the edge of the paper 16 is detected by judging the detection results of the sensors 44R and 44L.
The sensors 44 </ b> R and 44 </ b> L are connected to the controller 46 through lead wires 48, and the detection result is sent to the controller 46. The controller 46 controls the light shielding plates 20R and 20L based on the position of the edge of the paper.

  Further, linear motion actuators 42R and 42L, which are drive sources, are respectively attached to the outside of the light shielding plates 20R and 20L provided with the conveying device 34 interposed therebetween. The linear actuators 42R and 42L are attached with the axis of the plunger 52 oriented in a direction crossing the transport direction P, and are connected to the light shielding plates 20R and 20L by the plunger 52.

The linear actuators 42R and 42L are of a push / pull type that can be moved in either the push direction or the pull direction, and can be moved to a preset position by control from the controller 46.
Thereby, the light-shielding plates 20R and 20L can be moved in the Y-axis direction (the direction of the arrow Q) by controlling the linear actuators 42R and 42L to move the plunger 52.

The linear motion actuators 42R and 42L are connected to the controller 46 by lead wires 48, and move (extend / contract) the plunger 52 in response to a command from the controller 46.
In addition, when the linear actuators 42R and 42L are not the push and pull methods described above, the light shielding plates 20R and 20L can be similarly moved to preset positions by combining with the return spring 50.

  That is, one end of the return spring 50 is attached to the light shielding plates 20R and 20L, the other end is attached to a holding portion (not shown), and a tensile force is applied in the axial direction of the plunger 52. Thereby, the linear motion actuators 42R and 42L moved in one direction can be returned by the return spring 50.

According to the configuration described above, the controller 46 moves the linear motion actuators 42R and 42L in the Y-axis direction based on the width W of the paper 16 detected by the width detectors 45R and 45L, thereby blocking the light shielding plates 20R and 20L. Is moved outside the conveyance path of the paper 16.
As a result, the positions of the light shielding plates 20R and 20L can be automatically adjusted according to the width W of the paper 16.

  In the present embodiment, an example in which an optical sensor is used as the width detection unit that detects the paper width in the transport direction has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the paper 16 width W may be detected using a sensor having another configuration.

In the present embodiment, the linear actuators 42R and 42L are used as the moving means. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the light shielding plates 20R and 20L may be moved using other moving means in one axial direction (for example, rack and pinion, belt conveyance, etc.).
Other configurations are the same as those of the drying apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, an image forming apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus 70 as an image forming apparatus. Each component will be described below.
"Device configuration"

  The ink jet recording apparatus 70 is an ink jet recording apparatus that records an image by an ink jet method using aqueous UV ink (UV (ultraviolet) curable ink using an aqueous medium) on a sheet of paper (recording medium) 16. Mainly, a paper feeding unit 62 that feeds the paper 16, a processing liquid application unit 100 that applies a predetermined processing liquid to the surface (image recording surface) of the paper 16 fed from the paper feeding unit 62, and a processing liquid application A processing liquid drying processing unit 102 that performs drying processing of the paper 16 to which the processing liquid is applied in the unit 100, and an ink jet system using aqueous UV ink on the surface of the paper 16 that has been subjected to drying processing by the processing liquid drying processing unit 102 The image recording unit 76 for recording an image, the ink drying processing unit 104 for drying the paper 16 on which the image is recorded by the image recording unit 76, and the ink drying processing unit 104 for drying processing. A water application unit 80 for applying water to the applied paper 16, a UV irradiation processing unit 106 for fixing the image by performing UV irradiation processing (fixing processing) on the paper 16 to which water has been applied by the water application unit 80, and UV A paper discharge unit 78 that discharges the paper 16 that has been subjected to the UV irradiation processing by the irradiation processing unit 106.

<Paper Feeder>
The paper feed unit 62 feeds the paper 16 loaded on the paper feed tray 63 to the processing liquid application unit 100 one by one. The sheet feeding unit 62 as an example of a sheet feeding unit mainly includes a sheet feeding platform 63, a soccer device 108, a pair of sheet feeding rollers 110, a feeder board 58, a front pad 112, and a sheet feeding drum 114. Is done.

  The paper 16 is placed on the paper feed base 63 in a bundled state in which a large number of sheets are stacked. The sheet feed table 63 is provided so as to be lifted and lowered by a sheet feed table lifting device (not shown). The paper feed platform lifting device is controlled in conjunction with the increase / decrease of the paper 16 loaded on the paper feed platform 63 so that the paper 16 positioned at the top of the bundle is always at a constant height. Then, the paper feed table 63 is moved up and down.

  The paper 16 as the recording medium is not particularly limited, but general-purpose printing paper used in general offset printing or the like (so-called high-quality paper, coated paper, art paper, or other cellulose-based paper) can be used. .

  The soccer device 108 picks up the papers 16 stacked on the paper feed tray 63 one by one from the top and feeds them to the paper feed roller pair 110. The soccer device 108 includes a suction foot 108A that is movable up and down and swingable. The suction foot 108A sucks and holds the upper surface of the paper 16 so that the paper 16 is fed from the paper feed table 63 to the paper feed roller pair 110. Transport. At this time, the suction foot 108 </ b> A sucks and holds the top surface of the front end side of the paper 16 positioned at the top of the bundle, pulls up the paper 16, and the front end of the paper 16 pulled up forms a pair of paper feed rollers 110. Between the rollers 110A and 110B.

  The paper feed roller pair 110 is composed of a pair of upper and lower rollers 110A and 110B that are pressed against each other. One of the pair of upper and lower rollers 110A and 110B is a driving roller (roller 110A) and the other is a driven roller (roller 110B), and the driving roller (roller 110A) is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown). The motor is driven in conjunction with the feeding of the paper 16, and when the paper 16 is fed from the soccer device 108, the motor rotates the driving roller (roller 110A) in accordance with the timing. The paper 16 inserted between the pair of upper and lower rollers 110A and 110B is nipped by the rollers 110A and 110B, and sent out in the rotation direction of the rollers 110A and 110B (the installation direction of the feeder board 58).

  The feeder board 58 is formed corresponding to the paper width, and receives the paper 16 fed from the paper feed roller pair 110 and guides it to the front pad 112. The feeder board 58 is inclined downward and guides the paper 16 placed on the transport surface to the front pad 112 by sliding along the transport surface.

  A plurality of tape feeders 58 </ b> A for conveying the paper 16 are installed on the feeder board 58 at intervals in the width direction. The tape feeder 58A is formed in an endless shape and is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown). The paper 16 placed on the conveyance surface of the feeder board 58 is fed by the tape feeder 58A and conveyed on the feeder board 58.

A retainer 58B and a roller 58C are installed on the feeder board 58.
A plurality of retainers 58 </ b> B are arranged in a longitudinal line along the transport surface of the paper 16 (two in this example). The retainer 58B is configured by a leaf spring having a width corresponding to the sheet width, and is placed in pressure contact with the conveyance surface. The paper 16 conveyed on the feeder board 58 by the tape feeder 58A passes through the retainer 58B, so that the unevenness is corrected.

  The roller 58C is disposed between the front and rear retainers 58B. The roller 58 </ b> C is placed in pressure contact with the conveyance surface of the paper 16. The sheet 16 conveyed between the front and rear retainers 58B is conveyed while the upper surface is suppressed by the rollers 58C.

  The front pad 112 corrects the posture of the paper 16. The front pad 112 is formed in a plate shape and is disposed orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the paper 16. Further, it is driven by a motor (not shown) so as to be swingable. The front end of the sheet 16 conveyed on the feeder board 58 is brought into contact with the front pad 112, and the posture is corrected (so-called skew prevention). The front pad 112 swings in conjunction with the paper feeding to the paper feeding drum 114 and delivers the paper 16 whose posture has been corrected to the paper feeding drum 114.

  The paper feed drum 114 receives the paper 16 fed from the feeder board 58 via the front pad 112 and conveys it to the processing liquid application unit 100. The paper feed drum 114 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown). A gripper 114A is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the paper supply drum 114, and the leading end of the paper 16 is gripped by the gripper 114A. The paper feed drum 114 conveys the paper 16 to the treatment liquid applying unit 100 while the paper 16 is wound around the peripheral surface by rotating the gripper 114 </ b> A by gripping the leading end of the paper 16.

<Processing liquid application part>
The processing liquid application unit 100 applies a predetermined processing liquid to the surface (image recording surface) of the paper 16. The treatment liquid application unit 100 mainly includes a treatment liquid application drum 116 that conveys the paper 16, and a treatment liquid application unit 56 that applies a predetermined treatment liquid to the printing surface of the paper 16 conveyed by the treatment liquid application drum 116. Consists of.

  The processing liquid application drum 116 receives the paper 16 from the paper supply drum 114 of the paper supply unit 62 and conveys the paper 16 to the processing liquid drying processing unit 102. The treatment liquid application drum 116 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown). A gripper 116A is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the treatment liquid application drum 116, and the leading end of the paper 16 is gripped by the gripper 116A. The treatment liquid application drum 116 conveys the paper 16 to the treatment liquid drying processing unit 102 (one rotation) while the paper 16 is wound around the peripheral surface by rotating the gripper 116A by gripping the leading end of the paper 16. To transport one sheet of paper 16). The rotation of the processing liquid application drum 116 and the paper supply drum 114 is controlled so that the timing of receiving and delivering the paper 16 is matched. That is, it drives so that it may become the same peripheral speed, and it drives so that the position of a mutual gripper may match.

  The treatment liquid application unit 56 applies the treatment liquid to the surface of the paper 16 conveyed by the treatment liquid application drum 116 by roller. The treatment liquid application unit 56 mainly applies the application roller 56A for applying the treatment liquid to the paper 16, the treatment liquid tank 56B for storing the treatment liquid, and the treatment liquid stored in the treatment liquid tank 56B. A pumping roller 56C to be supplied to the roller 56A.

  In this example, the treatment liquid is applied with a roller, but the method of applying the treatment liquid is not limited to this. In addition, the structure provided using an inkjet head and the structure provided by spraying can also be employ | adopted.

<Processing liquid drying processing section>
The processing liquid drying processing unit 102 performs a drying process on the paper 16 having the processing liquid applied to the surface. The processing liquid drying processing unit 102 mainly performs drying air (drying) on the printing surface of the processing liquid drying processing drum 118 that transports the paper 16, the paper transport guide 120, and the paper 16 transported by the processing liquid drying processing drum 118. It is comprised with the process liquid drying process unit 122 sprayed and dried.

  The processing liquid drying processing drum 118 receives the paper 16 from the processing liquid application drum 116 of the processing liquid application unit 100 and conveys the paper 16 to the image recording unit 76. The processing liquid drying processing drum 118 is configured by a cylindrical frame, and is rotated by being driven by a motor (not shown). A gripper 118A is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the processing liquid drying processing drum 118, and the leading end of the paper 16 is gripped by the gripper 118A. The treatment liquid drying processing drum 118 conveys the paper 16 to the image recording unit 76 by gripping and rotating the front end of the paper 16 with the gripper 118A. Note that the treatment liquid drying treatment drum 118 of this example is configured such that grippers 116A are disposed at two locations on the outer peripheral surface so that two sheets of paper 16 can be conveyed by one rotation. The rotations of the processing liquid drying processing drum 118 and the processing liquid application drum 116 are controlled so that the timing of receiving and transferring the paper 16 is matched. That is, it drives so that it may become the same peripheral speed, and it drives so that the position of a mutual gripper may match.

  The paper transport guide 120 is disposed along the transport path of the paper 16 by the treatment liquid drying processing drum 118 and guides the transport of the paper 16.

  The processing liquid drying processing unit 122 is installed inside the processing liquid drying processing drum 118, and performs drying processing by blowing dry air toward the surface of the paper 16 conveyed by the processing liquid drying processing drum 118. As a result, the solvent component in the processing liquid is removed, and an ink aggregation layer is formed on the surface of the paper 16. In this example, two processing liquid drying processing units 122 are disposed in the processing liquid drying processing drum, and the drying air is blown toward the surface of the paper 16 conveyed by the processing liquid drying processing drum 118. Has been.

<Image recording part>
The image recording unit 76 draws ink droplets of each color of C, M, Y, and K (aqueous UV ink) on the printing surface of the paper 16 and draws a color image on the printing surface of the paper 16. The image recording unit 76 mainly presses the image recording drum 124 that conveys the paper 16 and the paper 16 that is conveyed by the image recording drum 124, so that the paper 16 is in close contact with the peripheral surface of the image recording drum 124. An in-line sensor that reads an image recorded on the paper 16, an inkjet head 98 </ b> C, 98 </ b> M, 98 </ b> Y, 98 </ b> K as an example of an ejection head that ejects ink droplets of each color of C, M, Y, and K onto the paper 16. 128, a mist filter 99 that captures ink mist, and a drum cooling unit 130.

  The image recording drum 124 receives the paper 16 from the processing liquid drying processing drum 118 of the processing liquid drying processing unit 102 and conveys the paper 16 to the ink drying processing unit 104. The image recording drum 124 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown). A gripper 124A is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the image recording drum 124, and the leading end of the paper 16 is gripped by the gripper 124A. The image recording drum 124 conveys the paper 16 to the ink drying processing unit 104 while winding the paper 16 around the peripheral surface by rotating the gripper 124A by gripping the leading end of the paper 16. The image recording drum 124 has a plurality of suction holes (not shown) formed in a predetermined pattern on the peripheral surface thereof. The sheet 16 wound around the peripheral surface of the image recording drum 124 is conveyed while being sucked and held on the peripheral surface of the image recording drum 124 by being sucked from the suction holes. Thereby, the paper 16 can be conveyed with high smoothness.

  The suction from the suction hole acts only within a certain range, and acts between a predetermined suction start position and a predetermined suction end position. The suction start position is set to the installation position of the paper pressing roller 126, and the suction end position is set to the downstream side of the installation position of the inline sensor 128 (for example, set to a position for delivering the paper to the ink drying processing unit 104). .) That is, at least at the installation position (image recording position) of the inkjet heads 98C, 98M, 98Y, and 98K and the installation position (image reading position) of the inline sensor 128, the paper 16 is attracted and held on the peripheral surface of the image recording drum 124. Set to

  The mechanism for adsorbing and holding the paper 16 on the peripheral surface of the image recording drum 124 is not limited to the adsorbing method using the negative pressure described above, and a method using electrostatic attraction can also be adopted.

  Further, the image recording drum 124 of the present example is configured so that grippers 124A are disposed at two positions on the outer peripheral surface so that two sheets of paper 16 can be conveyed by one rotation. The rotation of the image recording drum 124 and the processing liquid drying processing drum 118 is controlled so that the timing of receiving and transferring the paper 16 is matched. That is, it drives so that it may become the same peripheral speed, and it drives so that the position of a mutual gripper may match.

  The paper pressing roller 126 is disposed in the vicinity of the paper receiving position of the image recording drum 124 (position for receiving the paper 16 from the processing liquid drying processing drum 118). The sheet pressing roller 126 is composed of a rubber roller, and is installed in press contact with the peripheral surface of the image recording drum 124. The paper 16 transferred from the processing liquid drying processing drum 118 to the image recording drum 124 is nipped by passing through the paper pressing roller 126 and is brought into close contact with the peripheral surface of the image recording drum 124.

  The four inkjet heads 98C, 98M, 98Y, and 98K are arranged at a constant interval along the conveyance path of the paper 16 by the image recording drum 124. The inkjet heads 98C, 98M, 98Y, and 98K are constituted by line heads corresponding to the paper width, and are arranged so that the nozzle surface faces the peripheral surface of the image recording drum 124. Each of the inkjet heads 98C, 98M, 98Y, and 98K discharges ink droplets from the nozzle row formed on the nozzle surface toward the image recording drum 124, whereby the paper 16 is transported by the image recording drum 124. Record an image.

  As described above, water-based UV ink is used as the ink ejected from each of the inkjet heads 98C, 98M, 98Y, and 98K. The aqueous UV ink can be cured by irradiating with ultraviolet rays (UV) after droplet ejection.

  The in-line sensor 128 is installed on the downstream side of the rearmost inkjet head 98K with respect to the conveyance direction of the paper 16 by the image recording drum 124, and reads images recorded by the inkjet heads 98C, 98M, 98Y, and 98K. The in-line sensor 128 is constituted by a line scanner, for example, and reads images recorded by the inkjet heads 98C, 98M, 98Y, and 98K from the paper 16 conveyed by the image recording drum 124.

  A contact prevention plate 59 is installed in the vicinity of the inline sensor 128 on the downstream side of the inline sensor 128. The contact prevention plate 59 prevents the paper 16 from coming into contact with the in-line sensor 128 when the paper 16 is lifted due to a conveyance failure or the like.

  The mist filter 99 is disposed between the rearmost inkjet head 98K and the in-line sensor 128, and sucks air around the image recording drum 124 to capture the ink mist. Thus, by sucking the air around the image recording drum 124 and capturing the ink mist, it is possible to prevent the ink mist from entering the in-line sensor 128 and to prevent the occurrence of defective reading.

  The drum cooling unit 130 cools the image recording drum 124 by blowing cool air onto the image recording drum 124. The drum cooling unit 130 mainly includes an air conditioner (not shown) and a duct 130 </ b> A that blows cool air supplied from the air conditioner onto the peripheral surface of the image recording drum 124. The duct 130 </ b> A cools the image recording drum 124 by blowing cool air to an area other than the conveyance area of the paper 16 against the image recording drum 124. In this example, since the paper 16 is conveyed along the almost upper half arc surface of the image recording drum 124, the duct 130 </ b> A blows cold air to the substantially lower half area of the image recording drum 124 to record the image. The drum 124 is cooled. Specifically, the air outlet of the duct 130 </ b> A is formed in an arc shape so as to cover substantially the lower half of the image recording drum 124, and cold air is blown to the area of the substantially lower half of the image recording drum 124. Has been.

  Here, the temperature at which the image recording drum 124 is cooled is determined by the relationship with the temperatures of the inkjet heads 98C, 98M, 98Y, and 98K (particularly the temperature of the nozzle surface), and is higher than the temperatures of the inkjet heads 98C, 98M, 98Y, and 98K. It is cooled to a low temperature. Thereby, it is possible to prevent dew condensation from occurring in the inkjet heads 98C, 98M, 98Y, and 98K. That is, by making the temperature of the image recording drum 124 lower than that of the inkjet heads 98C, 98M, 98Y, and 98K, condensation can be induced on the image recording drum side, and the condensation generated on the inkjet heads 98C, 98M, 98Y, and 98K. (Especially, condensation on the nozzle surface) can be prevented.

<Ink drying processing section>
The ink drying processing unit 104 performs a drying process on the paper 16 after image recording, and removes liquid components remaining on the recording surface of the paper 16. The ink drying processing unit 104 mainly includes a chain gripper 64 that transports the paper 16 on which an image is recorded, and a back tension applying unit that applies back tension to the paper 16 transported by the chain gripper 64. A mechanism 66 and an ink drying processing unit 68 as an example of a drying unit for drying the paper 16 conveyed by the chain gripper 64 are configured.

  The chain gripper 64 is a paper transport mechanism commonly used in the ink drying processing unit 104, the water application unit 80, the UV irradiation processing unit 106, and the paper discharge unit 78, and the paper 16 delivered from the image recording unit 76. Is conveyed to the paper discharge unit 78.

  The chain gripper 64 mainly includes a first sprocket 64A installed in the vicinity of the image recording drum 124, a second sprocket 64B installed in the paper discharge unit 78, a first sprocket 64A, and a second sprocket 64B. The endless chain 64C is wound around, a plurality of chain guides (not shown) for guiding the running of the chain 64C, and a plurality of grippers 64D attached to the chain 64C at a constant interval. The first sprocket 64 </ b> A, the second sprocket 64 </ b> B, the chain 64 </ b> C, and the chain guide are each configured as a pair, and are disposed on both sides of the paper 16 in the width direction. The gripper 64D is installed over a chain 64C provided as a pair.

  The first sprocket 64A is installed close to the image recording drum 124 so that the paper 16 delivered from the image recording drum 124 can be received by the gripper 64D. The first sprocket 64A is rotatably supported by a bearing (not shown) and is connected to a motor (not shown). The chain 64C wound around the first sprocket 64A and the second sprocket 64B travels by driving this motor.

  The second sprocket 64 </ b> B is installed in the paper discharge unit 78 so that the paper 16 received from the image recording drum 124 can be collected by the paper discharge unit 78. That is, the installation position of the second sprocket 64B is the end of the conveyance path of the paper 16 by the chain gripper 64. The second sprocket 64B is pivotally supported by a bearing (not shown) and is rotatably provided.

  The chain 64C is formed in an endless shape and is wound around the first sprocket 64A and the second sprocket 64B.

  The chain guide is disposed at a predetermined position and guides the chain 64C to travel along a predetermined path (= guides so that the paper 16 travels along a predetermined transport path and is transported). In the inkjet recording apparatus 70 of the present example, the second sprocket 64B is disposed at a position higher than the first sprocket 64A. For this reason, a travel route in which the chain 64C is inclined in the middle is formed. Specifically, it includes a first horizontal transfer path 72A, an inclined transfer path 72B, and a second horizontal transfer path 72C.

  The first horizontal transport path 72A is set to the same height as the first sprocket 64A, and the chain 64C wound around the first sprocket 64A is set to run horizontally. The second horizontal transport path 72C is set to the same height as the second sprocket 64B, and the chain 64C wound around the second sprocket 64B is set to travel horizontally. The inclined conveyance path 72B is set between the first horizontal conveyance path 72A and the second horizontal conveyance path 72C, and is set so as to connect the first horizontal conveyance path 72A and the second horizontal conveyance path 72C.

  The chain guide is disposed so as to form the first horizontal conveyance path 72A, the inclined conveyance path 72B, and the second horizontal conveyance path 72C. Specifically, it is disposed at at least a junction point between the first horizontal conveyance path 72A and the inclined conveyance path 72B and a junction point between the inclined conveyance path 72B and the second horizontal conveyance path 72C.

  A plurality of grippers 64D are attached to the chain 64C at a constant interval. The attachment interval of the gripper 64D is set in accordance with the reception interval of the paper 16 from the image recording drum 124. That is, it is set according to the receiving interval of the paper 16 from the image recording drum 124 so that the paper 16 sequentially delivered from the image recording drum 124 can be received from the image recording drum 124 at the same timing.

  The chain gripper 64 is configured as described above. As described above, when a motor (not shown) connected to the first sprocket 64A is driven, the chain 64C travels. The chain 64C travels at the same speed as the peripheral speed of the image recording drum 124. The timing is adjusted so that the paper 16 delivered from the image recording drum 124 can be received by each gripper 64D.

  The back tension applying mechanism 66 applies a back tension to the paper 16 that is conveyed while its tip is held by the chain gripper 64. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the back tension applying mechanism 66 mainly includes a guide plate 84 and a plurality of suction fans (not shown) that suck air from a plurality of suction holes formed on the upper surface of the guide plate 84. And. The lower surface of the guide plate 84 is provided with a number of holes (not shown) for discharging the sucked air.

  The guide plate 84 is a hollow box plate having a width corresponding to the paper width. The guide plate 84 is disposed along the transport path (= chain travel path) of the paper 16 by the chain gripper 64. Specifically, it is disposed along the chain 64C traveling on the first horizontal transport path 72A and the inclined transport path 72B, and is disposed at a predetermined distance from the chain 64C. The back surface (the surface on which no image is recorded) of the paper 16 conveyed by the chain gripper 64 is in sliding contact with the upper surface of the guide plate 84 (the surface facing the chain 64C: a sliding contact surface). Be transported.

  A large number of suction holes (not shown) are formed in a predetermined pattern on the sliding contact surface (upper surface) of the guide plate 84. As described above, the guide plate 84 is formed of a hollow box plate. The suction fan sucks the hollow portion (inside) of the guide plate 84. As a result, air is sucked from the suction holes formed in the sliding contact surface.

  By sucking air from the suction holes of the guide plate 84, the back surface of the paper 16 conveyed by the chain gripper 64 is sucked into the suction holes. As a result, back tension is applied to the paper 16 conveyed by the chain gripper 64.

  As described above, since the guide plate 84 is disposed along the chain 64C that travels along the first horizontal conveyance path 72A and the inclined conveyance path 72B, the guide plate 84 conveys the first horizontal conveyance path 72A and the inclined conveyance path 72B. While it is being applied, back tension is applied.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the ink drying processing unit 68 is installed inside the chain gripper 64 (particularly the first half side of the portion constituting the first horizontal transport path 72A) and is transported through the first horizontal transport path 72A. 16 is dried. The ink drying processing unit 68 is equipped with any one of the drying device 10 described in the first embodiment, the drying device 40 described in the second embodiment, and the drying device 38 described in the third embodiment. Each content has already been described, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  The ink drying processing unit 68 irradiates the recording surface of the paper 16 conveyed through the first horizontal conveyance path 72A with heating light from the IR lamp, and heats and dries the paper 16. A plurality of ink drying processing units 68 are arranged along the first horizontal conveyance path 72A. The number of installations is set according to the processing capacity of the ink drying processing unit 68, the conveyance speed (= printing speed) of the paper 16, and the like. That is, the sheet 16 received from the image recording unit 76 is set so that it can be dried while being conveyed through the first horizontal conveyance path 72A. Accordingly, the length of the first horizontal conveyance path 72A is also set in consideration of the capability of the ink drying processing unit 68.

<Water imparting part>
The water applicator 80 is installed inside the chain gripper 64 (particularly the second half of the portion constituting the first horizontal transport path 72A) and passes through the ink drying processing section 104 transported through the first horizontal transport path 72A. Water is applied to the paper 16. The water applying unit 80 is mainly transported by the chain gripper 64 that transports the dried paper 16, the back tension applying mechanism 66 that applies back tension to the paper 16 transported by the chain gripper 64, and the chain gripper 64. And a water application unit 82 as an example of a water application unit for applying water to the paper 16. The water applying unit 82 applies water to the paper 16 by spraying fine water droplets on the paper 16, for example. Thereby, the moisture content of the paper 16 is adjusted. A plurality of water applying units 82 are arranged along the first horizontal conveyance path 72A. This number of installations is set according to the processing capacity of the water application unit 82, the conveyance speed (= printing speed) of the paper 16, and the like. In other words, after the paper is dried by the ink drying processing unit 68, it is set so that a predetermined amount of moisture can be applied to the paper 16 while the paper 16 is being transported through the first horizontal transport path 72A.

<UV irradiation processing part>
The UV irradiation processing unit 106 irradiates the image recorded using the aqueous UV ink with ultraviolet rays (UV) to fix the image. The UV irradiation processing unit 106 mainly includes a chain gripper 64 that transports the paper 16, a back tension applying mechanism 66 that applies back tension to the paper 16 transported by the chain gripper 64, and a paper transported by the chain gripper 64. 16 includes a UV irradiation unit 74 as an example of a fixing unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays.

  As described above, the chain gripper 64 and the back tension applying mechanism 66 are used in common with the ink drying processing unit 104, the water applying unit 80, and the paper discharge unit 78.

  The UV irradiation unit 74 is installed inside the chain gripper 64 (particularly, a part constituting the inclined conveyance path 72B), and irradiates the recording surface of the paper 16 conveyed along the inclined conveyance path 72B with ultraviolet rays. The UV irradiation unit 74 includes an ultraviolet lamp (UV lamp), and a plurality of UV irradiation units 74 are arranged along the inclined conveyance path 72B. Then, ultraviolet rays are radiated toward the recording surface of the sheet 16 conveyed along the inclined conveyance path 72B. The number of installed UV irradiation units 74 is set according to the conveyance speed (= printing speed) of the paper 16 or the like. That is, it is set so that the image can be fixed by the ultraviolet rays irradiated while the paper 16 is being transported along the inclined transport path 72B. Therefore, the length of the inclined conveyance path 72B is also set in consideration of the conveyance speed of the paper 16 and the like.

<Paper output section>
The paper discharge unit 78 collects the paper 16 that has undergone a series of image recording processes. The paper discharge unit 78 mainly includes a chain gripper 64 that transports the UV-irradiated paper 16 and a paper discharge tray 77 that stacks and collects the paper 16.

  As described above, the chain gripper 64 is used in common with the ink drying processing unit 104 and the UV irradiation processing unit 106. The chain gripper 64 opens the paper 16 on the paper discharge tray 77 and stacks the paper 16 on the paper discharge tray 77.

  The paper discharge tray 77 stacks and collects the paper 16 released from the chain gripper 64. The paper discharge tray 77 is provided with a paper pad (a front paper pad, a rear paper pad, a horizontal paper pad, etc.) so that the sheets 16 are stacked in an orderly manner (not shown).

  Further, the paper discharge tray 77 is provided so as to be lifted and lowered by a paper discharge tray lifting / lowering device (not shown). The discharge table lifting device is controlled in conjunction with the increase / decrease of the sheets 16 stacked on the discharge table 77 so that the uppermost sheet 16 is always positioned at a certain height. The paper board 77 is raised and lowered.

  By adopting this configuration, the heating light from the IR lamp (not shown) provided in the ink drying processing unit 68 is evenly applied to the paper 16 and at the same time, the temperature rise of the guide plate 84 outside the paper width is suppressed. An image forming apparatus 70 can be provided.

  The image recording unit 76 may be either a line head system that records an image for each line or a system that records an image by dividing one line.

10, 38, 40 Drying device 12 IR lamp (infrared lamp, light source for heating)
14 Conveying belt (conveying path, conveying device)
16 paper (recording medium)
20 Shading plate (shading means)
22 frames (frame body, transport device)
30 Spacer (support member)
32 Reflecting plate 34 Conveying device 36 Hanging bracket (hanging member)
42 Direct acting actuator (moving means, light shielding means)
44 Optical sensor (paper detection sensor, width detector)
45 Width detector (shading means)
46 Controller (control unit, light blocking means)
50 Return spring (moving means, light shielding means)
52 Plunger (moving means, shading means)
64 Chain gripper (conveyor)
66 Back tension applying mechanism (conveying device)
70 Inkjet recording apparatus (image forming apparatus)
84 Guide plate (guide plate, transport path, transport device)
98 Inkjet head (droplet discharge head)
P Transport direction

Claims (14)

A heating light source in which the length of the irradiation section in the direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the recording medium is larger than the recording medium of the maximum width size to be conveyed;
A light blocking means for blocking the heating light of the irradiation section, which is irradiated to the outside in the width direction of the recording medium to be conveyed;
Having a drying device.   The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light shielding unit includes a light shielding plate that shields the heating light, and the light shielding plate is movable in a direction intersecting the transport direction. The light-shielding means is provided upstream of the heating light source in the transport direction and detects a width of the recording medium;
Moving means for moving the light shielding plate in a direction crossing the transport direction;
A control unit for controlling the moving means based on a detection result of the width detection unit;
The drying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein   The drying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the light shielding plate is supported in a non-contact state with a conveyance path through which the recording medium is conveyed.   The drying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the light shielding plate is formed of an aluminum plate, and the plate is supported by a support member from below the plate.   The drying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the light shielding plate is formed of an aluminum plate, and the plate is suspended from above the plate by a suspension member.   The drying device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein an outer end portion of the light shielding plate in a direction intersecting the transport direction is extended to an outer side of the end portion of the heating light source.   The inner end of the light shielding plate in the direction intersecting the transport direction is between the heating light source and the transport path in which the recording medium is transported in the vertical direction, and the end of the recording medium and the transport path The drying apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the drying apparatus extends between the ends of the drying apparatus.   The drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a reflection plate that reflects the heating light toward the recording medium is provided above the heating light source.   The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating light source is an infrared lamp.   The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a sheet.   The drying according to any one of claims 4 to 11, wherein the conveyance path is a conveyance belt that sucks and conveys the recording medium, or a guide plate that is in sliding contact with a back surface of the recording medium that is conveyed while being gripped by a gripper. apparatus. A drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
A liquid droplet ejection head that is provided upstream of the drying device in the conveyance direction of the recording medium and that ejects liquid droplets onto the recording medium to record an image;
An image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the droplet discharge head is a line head type droplet discharge head.

Images