JP2016124250A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer which reduces mist flowing to an upper surface of a transfer path or the downstream in a transfer direction to prevent the mist from causing deterioration of the image quality, contamination of a device, and the like.SOLUTION: A printer 100 has a head unit 110 which forms images on a surface of each paper transferred on a transfer path, and includes: a head holder 500 which holds the head unit 110 so that the head unit 110 is disposed facing the transfer path; airflow generation means which generates airflow in the head holder 500; a blowing duct 210 which blows air from the head holder 500 to the transfer path side through an air outlet 213; and a suction duct 220 which suctions air from the transfer path side into the head holder 500 through a suction port 223. The air outlet 213 is disposed at the upstream side of a print head 110a of the head unit 110, and a suction port 223 is disposed at the downstream side of the print head 110a of the head unit 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, such as an ink jet printer, that forms an image on the surface of a sheet conveyed on a conveyance path.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, printing apparatuses include an ink jet printer for conveying a recording medium that is a printing medium so as to face a recording head that ejects ink. Among such inkjet printers, those that form images by ejecting liquid droplets from nozzles using electrothermal transducers or electromechanical transducers are widely used. When ink is ejected, in addition to ink droplets that contribute to image recording, minute ink floating particles (hereinafter referred to as mist) that do not contribute to image recording are generated.

  When this mist drifts in the device, the image quality of the printing paper deteriorates due to landing at a position deviated from the discharge position, or the machine lands due to landing on a member around the recording area (recording head, transport belt, etc.) Contamination was a problem.

  Conventionally, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1 for such a problem. In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, air is flowed from the upstream side of the head toward the conveyance surface, the floating mist is sucked by a fan below the paper conveyance surface on the conveyance downstream side, and the mist is collected.

JP 2004-181725 A

  However, since the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to collect the mist by a suction fan located below the transport path, the suction force is reduced when the recording medium is transported directly under the head. May flow down the transport path and land on the recording medium, or may flow downstream in the transport direction and adhere to downstream transport paths and in-machine components.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a printing apparatus that can reduce flow on the upper surface of the conveyance path or downstream in the conveyance direction and avoid deterioration in image quality due to mist, contamination in the apparatus, and the like. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first feature of a printing apparatus according to the present invention is a printing apparatus having an image forming unit that forms an image on the surface of a sheet transported on a transport path, the image forming unit being Air is blown out from the inside of the holding unit to the side of the conveyance path through the blowing port so as to be opposed to the conveyance path, a holding unit that holds the image forming unit, an air flow generation unit that generates an air flow in the holding unit. And a suction means for sucking air from the transport path side into the holding portion through the suction port, the spray port being disposed on the upstream side of the print head of the image forming unit, and the suction port The image forming unit is disposed on the downstream side of the print head.

  In this case, a plurality of print heads may be arranged in the sub-scanning direction, or may be arranged in a plurality of rows in the main scanning direction, and the spray ports and suction ports may be arranged in a plurality or a plurality of rows. Arbitrarily selected ones of the print heads can be sandwiched between the upstream and downstream sides, or only a single print head can be sandwiched between them. You may arrange | position so that it may pinch.

  A second feature of the printing apparatus according to the present invention is that a plurality of print heads are arranged, and a spray port and a suction port are provided in each of the plurality of print heads.

  Here, in the above-described invention, “a plurality of print heads are arranged” indicates, for example, a state in which a plurality of rows are arranged in the main scanning direction (paper conveyance direction).

  A third feature of the printing apparatus according to the present invention is that the airflow generation unit is a blowing wind generation unit that supplies air into the holding unit, or a suction wind generation that discharges air from the holding unit to the outside of the holding unit. At least one of the means, and includes control means for controlling at least one of the blowing air generation means or the suction air generation means, and the control means is configured to control the amount of air sucked into the suction port. The purpose is to control the air volume to be greater than the air volume blown from the mouth.

  According to the first feature of the printing apparatus of the present invention, air is blown out from the inside of the holding unit to the conveyance path side through the blowing port by the blowing unit arranged on the upstream side of the print head of the image forming unit, and image formation is performed. The suction means arranged on the downstream side of the print head of the unit causes air to be sucked into the holding unit from the conveyance path side through the suction port, so that it passes through the space above the conveyance path from the holding unit and flows again into the holding unit. An airflow (hereinafter referred to as a mist recovery airflow) can be generated. As a result, while the print head is cooled, the mist discharged from the image forming unit is collected in the mist collecting airflow and collected in the holding unit, so that deterioration of image quality due to mist, contamination in the apparatus, and the like can be avoided. it can.

  According to the second feature of the printing apparatus according to the present invention, since the spray port and the suction port are provided in each of the plurality of print heads, a mist recovery air flow is generated around each print head. Can do. As a result, the discharged mist can be collected immediately, and deterioration of the image quality of the paper due to the discharged mist, contamination in the apparatus, and the like can be further avoided.

  According to the third feature of the printing apparatus according to the present invention, using the blowing air generating means or the suction air generating means, the control means is configured such that the amount of air sucked into the suction port is equal to or larger than the amount of air blown from the blowing opening. Thus, the air blown out from the spraying port can be surely formed into an air flow that is drawn into the suction port. Thereby, since the discharged mist can be collected more appropriately, it is possible to further avoid the deterioration of the image quality of the paper due to the discharged mist, contamination in the apparatus, and the like.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) is explanatory drawing which shows the image formation path | route and head unit which concern on embodiment from the side, The figure (b) is the top view. It is a perspective view showing head holder 500 concerning an embodiment. (A) is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of the air by the mist collection | recovery mechanism which concerns on embodiment, The figure (b) is AA sectional drawing of the figure (a). It is the side view which showed the airflow which generate | occur | produces with the mist collection | recovery mechanism which concerns on embodiment, and the track | orbit of mist. It is the side view which showed arrangement | positioning of the mist collection | recovery mechanism which concerns on the example 1 of a change, and the airflow and mist track | orbit which generate | occur | produce by the arrangement | positioning. It is the side view which showed arrangement | positioning of the mist collection | recovery mechanism which concerns on the example 2 of a change, and the airflow and mist track | orbit which generate | occur | produce by the arrangement | positioning. It is the side view which showed arrangement | positioning of the mist collection | recovery mechanism which concerns on the example 3 of a change, and the airflow and mist track | orbit which generate | occur | produce by the arrangement | positioning. It is the side view which showed arrangement | positioning of the mist collection | recovery mechanism which concerns on the example 4 of a change, and the airflow and mist track | orbit which generate | occur | produce by the arrangement | positioning.

(Overall configuration of printing device)
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. In this embodiment, the printing apparatus 100 includes a plurality of print heads on which a large number of nozzles are formed, discharges black or color ink from each print head, performs printing in line units, and prints on a recording sheet on a conveyance belt. An ink-jet line color printer that forms a plurality of images so as to overlap each other will be described as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 100 is an apparatus that forms an image on the surface of a sheet transported on an annular transport path. The transport path includes a paper feed system transport path FR that supplies the paper, and this paper feed. A general path CR from the system transport path FR through the head unit 110 to the paper discharge path DR and a reverse path SR branched and connected to the normal path CR are roughly configured.

  In the paper feeding system conveyance path FR, the printing paper fed from any one of the side paper feeding tray 120 and the paper feeding tray 130 (130a, 130b, 130c, 130d) is the reference of the leading portion of the printing paper. It is guided to the resist part R which is the position. A head unit 110 in which a plurality of print heads 110 a are arranged is provided on the side of the registration unit R in the conveyance direction (sub-scanning direction). An image is formed line by line with the ink ejected from each print head 110a while being conveyed at a speed determined by printing conditions by CR1.

  The image forming path CR1 includes a platen belt 160 that is formed in the normal path CR and is rotated around the driving roller 162 and the driven roller 161 disposed on the front end and the rear end of the surface facing the head unit 110. ing. On the upper surface of the platen belt 160, four color print heads 110a are arranged side by side along the belt moving direction, and a head unit 110 that forms a color image so as to overlap a plurality of images is opposed to the head unit 110. Yes.

  The printed printing paper is further conveyed on the normal route CR by a driving mechanism such as a roller. In the case of single-sided printing, in which printing is performed only on one side of the printing paper, the paper is directly discharged to the paper discharge port 140 through the paper discharge route DR, and is discharged as a tray for the paper discharge port 140. It is loaded on the table 150 with the printing surface facing down.

  On the other hand, in the case of double-sided printing in which printing is performed on both sides of the printing paper, the paper is further conveyed through the housing and sent to the reverse path SR without being guided to the paper discharge path DR when printing is completed. A switching mechanism 170 for switching the transport path for backside printing is provided at a branch point between the discharge path DR and the reversal path SR, and the printing paper that has not been sent to the discharge path by the switching mechanism 170 is It is drawn into the reverse path SR.

  In the reversing path SR, a sheet is delivered from the normal path CR, and a so-called switchback is performed in which the sheet is reversed by reciprocating the sheet. Then, it is returned to the normal route CR via the switching mechanism 172 by a driving mechanism such as a roller, and is fed again via the registration portion R, and the back side is printed by the same procedure as the front side.

  In addition, a plurality of conveyance sensors are arranged in each conveyance path so that a conveyance failure (jam) in each conveyance path can be detected. That is, each conveyance sensor is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of printing paper or the leading edge of printing paper. For example, a plurality of conveyance sensors are arranged at appropriate intervals on a conveyance path, and a conveyance sensor provided on the paper feeding side If the conveyance sensor on the sub-scanning direction side does not detect the printing paper within a predetermined time after detecting the printing paper, it can be determined that the conveyance jam has occurred.

  Note that the printing apparatus 100 includes an arithmetic processing unit 330. The arithmetic processing unit 330 is configured by a processor such as a CPU or DSP (Digital Signal Processor), memory, hardware such as other electronic circuits, software such as a program having the function, or a combination thereof. Various functional modules are virtually constructed by appropriately reading and executing a program, and various functional modules for processing related to image data, operation control of each unit, and user operations are constructed by each constructed functional module. Process. In addition, an operation panel 340 is connected to the arithmetic processing unit 330, and an instruction and a setting operation by a user can be received through the operation panel 340.

(Configuration of image forming path CR1)
Next, the image forming path CR1 in which image formation is performed will be described. FIG. 2A is an explanatory view showing the image forming path CR1 and the head unit 110 according to the present embodiment from the side, and FIG. 2B is a top view thereof. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the head holder 500 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4A is an explanatory view showing the flow of air by the mist collecting mechanism according to the present embodiment. It is AA sectional drawing.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A, the normal path CR includes an image forming path CR1 including a platen belt 160, a driving roller 162, a driven roller 161, and the like. A head unit 110 is provided above the path CR1.

  The image forming path CR1 is a path that is included in the transport path and in which image formation by the head unit 110 is performed. The image forming path CR1 includes a platen belt 160 that transports paper and a suction fan 180 that generates a negative pressure below the platen belt 160. I have.

  The platen belt 160 is an endless belt member that slides in a range facing the head unit 110 in the conveyance path and conveys the paper. The platen belt 160 is supported by the platen template and arranged perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction. The belt is wound between the pair of driving rollers 162 and the driven roller 161 and is rotated in the sub-scanning direction. The platen belt 160 has a number of belt holes (not shown) penetrating the front and back of the belt at regular intervals.

  Suction fan 180 is a suction means that is located inside platen belt 160 and generates negative pressure for adsorbing paper on the upper surface of platen belt through the belt hole. When the suction fan 180 is driven to generate a negative pressure, an air flow is generated from the direction of the print head 110a through the belt hole to the direction of the suction fan 180.

  Although not shown, a plate-like plate template that slidably supports the platen belt 160 is provided at a position below the platen belt 160 and facing the print head 110a. This plastic template has a large number of suction holes penetrating through the belt holes.

  On the other hand, the head unit 110 forms an image on the surface of the paper transported on the transport path, and includes a plurality of print heads 110a that form an image by ejecting ink onto the paper according to the image data. And a head holder 500 that holds and fixes the print head 110a at a position facing the image forming path CR1.

  The head holder 500 has a head holder surface 501 on the bottom surface, and is a box that holds the head unit 110 so that the head unit 110 is disposed to face the conveyance path, and holds the print head 110a in the internal space 500a. The other functional parts for ejecting ink from the print head 110a are unitized and stored.

  The head holder surface 501 that is the bottom surface of the head holder 500 is disposed so as to be parallel to the conveyance path. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of attachment openings 502 having the same shape as the horizontal cross section of each of the plurality of print heads 110 a constituting the head unit 110 are arranged on the head holder surface 501. The plurality of print heads 110a are respectively inserted into the attachment openings 502 and held by a flange (not shown) or the like. As a result, the ink discharge surface 110b protrudes from the head holder surface 501 toward the lower surface of the image forming path CR1. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, each print head 110a protruding from the head holder surface 501 forms an image by discharging ink to the recording medium from the discharge port 110c of each ink discharge surface 110b.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the print head 110a is arranged in such a head holder 500 over a plurality of rows in a direction (main scanning direction) orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction. Within these multiple rows, the print heads 110a included in each row are arranged in a staggered manner so that portions that do not overlap the print heads included in other adjacent rows in the sub-scanning direction are generated. Each row of these print heads is arranged at a predetermined interval in the sub-scanning direction, a main direction flow path 505 is formed between the columns, and adjacent print heads 110a in the same row are arranged at a predetermined interval. Thus, a sub-direction flow path 506 is formed between the print heads. The main-direction flow path 505 and the sub-direction flow path 506 communicate with each other to form a mesh-shaped ventilation path 507.

  The ventilation path 507 is formed in the internal space 500a of the head holder 500 and communicates with the outside (below the head holder 500). Specifically, a predetermined gap portion is formed on the head holder surface 501 and communicates with the outside through the gap portion. The gap portion is, for example, a part of the attachment opening 502 and a gap portion formed between each print head 110a and the attachment opening 502 when each print head 110a is attached, Other structural gaps are included.

  In the present embodiment, the head holder 500 includes an ink head cooling unit 510 that cools the print head 110a. The ink head cooling unit 510 is a ventilation unit that ventilates the ventilation path 507 including the head unit 110. As shown in FIGS. 2B and 3, the ink head cooling unit 510 is formed on both sides of the head holder 500 along the sub-scanning direction, and an air intake unit 530 formed on one side part. And an exhaust portion 520 formed on the other side portion.

  The intake section 530 is a means for sucking air toward the ventilation path 507, and includes an intake fan 531 that sucks outside air into the inside and an intake path section 532 that flows air into the head holder 500. The intake fan 531 is means for sending air from the outside of the head holder 500 to the intake path portion 532 by rotating an impeller or the like.

  The intake path portion 532 is a casing that is formed integrally with the side surface of the head holder 500 and forms an air flow path 534 through which air flows. The intake path portion 532 communicates with the outside via an intake fan 531. In addition, a plurality of communication holes 533 that allow the ventilation path 507 and the airflow path 534 to communicate with each other are formed on the side wall on the head holder 500 side.

  On the other hand, the exhaust unit 520 is a unit that exhausts air from the ventilation path 507 to the outside, and an exhaust fan 521 that sends internal air to the outside, and an outflow path unit 522 that causes the air in the ventilation path 507 to flow out to the exhaust fan 521. It consists of. The exhaust fan 521 is means for sending air inside the intake passage portion 532 to the outside by rotating an impeller or the like.

  The outflow path portion 522 is a casing that is integrally formed with the side surface of the head holder 500 and forms an airflow path 524 through which air flows. The outflow path portion 522 is communicated with the outside through the exhaust fan 521. Further, a plurality of communication holes 523 that allow the ventilation path 507 and the airflow path 524 to communicate with each other are formed on the side wall on the head holder 500 side.

  With such a configuration, when the intake fan 531 is driven to rotate, air flows into the air flow path 534 of the intake path portion 532. The air that has flowed into the airflow path 534 of the intake path portion 532 flows into the ventilation path 507 through the communication hole 533. Further, when the exhaust fan 521 is rotationally driven, the airflow path 524 of the outflow path portion 522 is negatively pressurized, and the air of the ventilation path 507 flows into the airflow path 524 through the communication hole 523. The air flowing into the airflow path 524 is exhausted to the outside by the exhaust fan 521.

  As described above, when the intake section 530 and the exhaust section 520 are driven, an air flow along the main scanning direction is generated in the ventilation path 507 in the head holder 500, and the print head 110a in the internal space 500a. Is cooled. Note that a cooling device such as a heat sink may be provided in the air flow path 534 of the intake section 530 and the cooled air may be sent out to the ventilation path 507.

  Here, since the printing apparatus 100 includes the suction fan 180 that generates a negative pressure below the platen belt 160, the generated mist can be collected by the suction fan 180, but directly below the print head 110a. Since the suction force is reduced when the paper is being conveyed, the mist discharged from the print head 110a is caused to flow on the upper surface of the conveyance path and land on the paper, or is caused to flow downstream in the conveyance direction. As a result, it may occur that it adheres to the downstream conveyance path or in-machine parts. Such a phenomenon is caused when the mist accompanying the increase in the ink discharge amount increases or when the paper is being conveyed at high speed, and further, the wind from the ink head cooling unit 510 is blown downward from the gap. It happens in the same way.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the mist collecting mechanism 200 is provided in order to reduce the mist 9 from flowing on the upper surface of the transport path or downstream in the transport direction. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the mist collecting mechanism 200 is formed in the head unit 110 and includes a plurality of blowing ducts 210 and suction ducts 220.

  Each blowing duct 210 is a member that constitutes a blowing unit that blows air from the inside of the head holder 500 toward the conveyance path through the blowing port 213, and for each row of the print heads 110 a arranged side by side in the main scanning direction. Adjacent to the upstream in the sub-scanning direction. On the other hand, the suction duct 220 is a member constituting suction means for sucking air through the suction port 223 from the conveyance path side into the head holder 500, and is disposed adjacent to each column of the print head 110a downstream in the sub-scanning direction. ing. In the present embodiment, four rows of print heads 110a are formed, and the blowing duct 210 and the suction duct 220 are provided for each row of the print heads 110a.

  The blowing duct 210 and the suction duct 220 have a length that matches the length in the width direction of the image forming area in which each print head 110a is formed. The heights of the blowing duct 210 and the suction duct 220 are the same as the height of the print head 110a.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, each blowing duct 210 is a ventilating pipe having an internal hollow ventilation path 212, and a ventilation path 212, a ventilation path 507, and the like are formed on a side surface on the side where the intake portion 530 is formed. Are provided, and a part of the air in the ventilation path 507 is supplied into the ventilation path 212. On the other hand, the side surface of each blowing duct 210 on the side where the exhaust part 520 is formed is closed.

  In addition, a plurality of blowing ports 213 are formed on the lower surface 214 of each blowing duct 210 to communicate the ventilation path 212 and the outside (the upper space of the transport path). The spray port 213 is disposed upstream in the sub-scanning direction in which the print head 110a is disposed, and the spray port 213 is provided in each of the plurality of print heads 110a.

  Further, the mist collecting mechanism 200 has a blowing air generating means which is a part of an air flow generating means for generating an air current in the head holder 500, and the air is passed through the air passage when the blowing air generating means is driven. The air flows into the air outlet 212 and air blows out from the air outlet 213.

  Specifically, the air blowing fan 531 of the ink head cooling unit 510 described above is used as the blowing air generating unit in the present embodiment. That is, the intake fan 531 supplies air into the head holder 500 via the intake passage portion 532 and supplies a part of the air to the ventilation passage 212 so that the air is blown out from the blowing port 213. Yes.

  With this configuration, when the intake fan 531 is driven and air flows into the ventilation path 507 from the intake section 530 side, part of the air flows into the ventilation path 212 through the opening 211. At this time, since the side surface on the exhaust part 520 side is closed, air is blown out from the inside of the head holder 500 to the lower conveyance path side through the blowing port 213.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4A, the suction duct 220 is a ventilation pipe provided with a ventilation path 222 through which air flows, and the ventilation path 222 and the outside are connected to the lower surface 224 of each suction duct 220. A plurality of suction ports 223 to be communicated are formed. The suction port 223 is disposed downstream of the print head 110a in each column in the sub-scanning direction, and is provided in each of the plurality of print heads 110a in the present embodiment.

  Further, the suction duct 220 has an opening 221 communicating with the ventilation path 222 and the ventilation path 507 on the side surface on the side where the exhaust part 520 is formed, and the side surface on the side where the intake part 530 is formed. Is closed.

  Further, the mist collecting mechanism 200 has suction air generating means for discharging air from the inside of the head holder 500 to the outside of the head holder 500. When the suction air generating means is driven, external air is passed through the ventilation path 222. It is designed to be flown into.

  Specifically, the exhaust fan 521 of the ink head cooling unit 510 described above is used as the suction air generating means in the present embodiment. In other words, the exhaust fan 521 sucks air from the ventilation path 507 in the head holder 500 through the outflow path portion 522 and also sucks air from the ventilation path 222 communicating with the ventilation path 507.

  With such a configuration, when the exhaust fan 521 is driven, the airflow path 524 of the outflow path portion 522 is negatively pressurized, and an air flow is generated from the ventilation path 507 into the airflow path 524. At this time, the air in the ventilation path 222 is also sucked into the airflow path 524 through the opening 221, but the side surface on the intake section 530 side is closed, so that the inside of the path 222 is negatively pressurized. Therefore, air is sucked into the head holder 500 from the conveyance path side through the suction port 223.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 4B, the air that has flowed outward from the blowing port 213 of the blowing duct 210 passes through the space above the transport path and is downstream of the print head 110a in the sub-scanning direction. A mist recovery air flow W1 that flows into the ventilation path 222 through the suction port 223 of the suction duct 220 located is generated. Then, the mist 9 discharged from the discharge port 110c of the print head 110a located between the blowing duct 210 and the suction duct 220 can be carried on the mist collection airflow W1 and flow into the ventilation path 222. A trajectory W2 of the mist 9 as shown in FIG. 4B is drawn.

  In this embodiment, either or both of the ventilation path 212 of the blowing duct 210 and the ventilation path 222 of the suction duct 220 can exchange heat with the print head 110a.

  In other words, the ventilation pipe of the blowing duct 210 and the ventilation pipe of the suction duct 220 are formed of members having high thermal conductivity, and are arranged in contact with the side surface of the print head 110a located upstream or downstream. . Since the blowing duct 210 is supplied with air into the ventilation path 212 of the blowing duct 210 through the opening 211 and is blown outside through the blowing port 213, the blowing duct 210 itself is cooled by the air flow. The Further, in the suction duct 220, the air that has flowed into the ventilation path 222 from the suction port 223 flows into the ventilation path 507 through the opening portion 221, so that the suction duct 220 itself is cooled by the air flow. The

  As described above, the blowing duct 210 and the suction duct 220 are arranged in contact with the print head 110a and can exchange heat with the print head 110a, so that the air flowing into the ventilation path 212 and the ventilation path 222 is passed through the air. The print head 110a can be cooled.

  Such a mist collection mechanism 200 is driven by the control of the arithmetic processing unit 330. When executing the printing process, the arithmetic processing unit 330 drives and controls at least one of the intake fan 531 and the exhaust fan 521 of the ink head cooling unit 510 to generate an air flow in the ventilation path 507. Then, the print head 110a is cooled.

  When this air flow occurs, the air flowing outward from the blowing port 213 of the blowing duct 210 passes through the space above the transport path and is located downstream of the print head 110a in the sub-scanning direction. Thus, a mist recovery air flow W1 that flows into the ventilation path 222 through the suction port 223 is generated, and the mist 9 generated during printing is recovered to the head holder 500 side.

  In the arithmetic processing unit 330, driving of the intake fan 531 of the intake unit 530 and driving of the exhaust fan 521 of the exhaust unit 520 can be controlled independently, and the amount of air blown from the blowing port 213, and The amount of air blown from the suction port 223 can be controlled independently. In particular, the arithmetic processing unit 330 drives the intake fan 531 of the intake unit 530 and the exhaust fan 521 of the exhaust unit 520 so that the amount of air sucked into the suction port 223 is equal to or larger than the amount of air blown from the blowing port 213. I have control.

(Action / Effect)
As described above, in this embodiment, air is blown out from the inside of the head holder 500 to the conveying path side by the blowing duct 210 through the blowing port 213, and from the conveying path side to the head holder 500 by the suction duct 220 through the suction port 223. Since air is sucked in, it is possible to generate a mist recovery air flow W1 that passes through the space above the transport path from the inside of the head holder 500 and flows into the head holder 500 again. As a result, the mist 9 discharged from the print head 110a can be collected on the mist collection airflow W1 and collected in the head holder 500. Therefore, the mist 9 is prevented from flowing on the upper surface of the conveyance path or downstream in the conveyance direction. It is possible to avoid image quality degradation and contamination in the apparatus.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the spray port 213 is disposed on the upstream side of the print head 110a of the head unit 110, and the suction port 223 is disposed on the downstream side of the print head 110a of the head unit 110. It is possible to generate a mist recovery air flow W1 that flows from the upstream side of the print head 110a to the downstream side of the print head 110a so as to be sandwiched. As a result, the mist 9 discharged from the head unit 110 rides on the mist collection airflow W1 and is caused to flow downstream by the air blown from the upstream side, and then sucked into the head holder 500 on the downstream side. It will be. As a result, the mist 9 can be collected more reliably.

  In the present embodiment, since the spray port 213 and the suction port 223 are provided in each of the plurality of print heads 110a, a mist recovery airflow can be generated around each print head 110a. As a result, the discharged mist 9 can be collected immediately, and deterioration of the image quality of the paper due to the discharged mist 9 and contamination in the apparatus can be further avoided.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the air that has flowed into the ventilation path 507 by the air intake section 530 of the ink head cooling section 510 that cools the print head 110a flows into the ventilation path 212 of the blowing duct 210 and the exhaust section 520 Since the air in the ventilation path 222 of the suction duct 220 is discharged to the outside, it is possible to avoid deterioration in image quality due to mist and contamination in the apparatus while cooling the print head. Further, since the mechanism for collecting the mist 9 and the cooling mechanism for the print head 110a can be used in combination, the size of the printing apparatus can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the blowing duct 210 and the suction duct 220 are disposed at positions where they come into contact with the print head 110a, and the heat generated in the print head 110a can be absorbed by the air flow in the ventilation paths 212 and 222. As a result, the cooling effect of the print head 110a can be improved, and the deterioration of the image quality of the paper due to the mist 9 and the contamination of the inside of the apparatus can be further avoided.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the arithmetic processing unit 330 separately controls the air volume blown from the blowing port 213 and the air volume sucked into the suction port 223, so that, for example, the arithmetic processing unit 330 is transported on the transport path. The mist collection airflow can be generated by following the conveyance position of the paper, the ink discharge amount, and the conveyance speed of the paper, and the discharged mist 9 can be collected more appropriately according to the situation, Degradation of image quality, contamination in the machine, etc. can be avoided more reliably.

  In the present embodiment, the arithmetic processing unit 330 controls the amount of air sucked into the suction port 223 to be equal to or larger than the amount of air blown from the blowing port 213, so that the air blown from the blowing port 213 is reliably sucked. An airflow drawn into the mouth 223 can be formed. Thereby, since the discharged mist 9 can be collected more appropriately, it is possible to further avoid the deterioration of the image quality of the paper due to the discharged mist 9 and the contamination in the apparatus.

(Example of change)
In the present embodiment, the ink jet printing apparatus 1 has been described. However, the present invention can be applied to other printing apparatuses that perform printing while transporting a print medium.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by modifying the components without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the mist collecting mechanism 200 includes the blowing duct 210 and the suction duct 220 on the upstream side and the downstream side of the print head 110a in each row. The quantity and the arrangement position can also be changed. Hereinafter, a modified example of the mist collecting mechanism in which the arrangement positions of the blowing duct 210 and the suction duct 220 are changed will be described. 6 to 9 are side views showing the arrangement of the mist collecting mechanism according to the modified example, and the air flow generated by the arrangement and the trajectory of the mist. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the functions and the like are the same unless otherwise specified, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the description of each modified example, the print head in the column located on the most upstream side in the sub-scanning direction is referred to as the print head 111, the print head in the second row is referred to as the print head 112, and the third position. It is assumed that the print head of the row to be printed is called the print head 113 and the print head of the row located at the most downstream side is called the print head 114.

(1) Modification 1
In the mist collecting mechanism 200a according to the first modification, as shown in FIG. 6, a blowing duct 210 is provided on the upstream side of the print head 111, and a suction duct 220 is provided on the downstream side of the print head 114. That is, a plurality of print heads 110 a are arranged between the spray port 213 and the suction port 223. In this case, the air that has flowed from the blowing port 213 of the blowing duct 210 into the space above the transport path passes through the suction port 223 of the suction duct 220 located on the downstream side of the print head 114 located on the most downstream side. Thus, a mist recovery air flow W11 that flows into the ventilation path 222 is generated.

  In this case, the mist 9 discharged from the discharge ports 110c of the print heads 111 to 114 rides on the mist collection airflow W11 and flows into the ventilation path 222 while drawing a track W31 of the mist 9 as shown in FIG. It becomes.

  Therefore, also in the first modification, the discharged mist 9 can be collected in the head holder 500, so that the mist 9 is prevented from flowing to the upper surface of the conveyance path or downstream in the conveyance direction, and the image quality is deteriorated by the mist 9. In addition, contamination in the apparatus can be avoided. In particular, in this embodiment, since the mist 9 can be collected by the minimum blowing duct 210 and the suction duct 220, the printing apparatus 100 can be simplified and downsized, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

(2) Modification example 2
In the mist collecting mechanism 200b according to the modified example 2, as shown in FIG. 7, a blowing duct 210 is provided on the upstream side of the print head 111 and a suction duct 220 is provided on the downstream side of the print head 112. Further, in this modified example, the blowing duct 210 is provided on the upstream side of the print head 113 and the suction duct 220 is provided on the downstream side of the print head 114. That is, a plurality of print heads 110 a are arranged between the spray port 213 and the suction port 223.

  In this case, the air flowing into the space above the transport path from the blowing duct 210 provided on the upstream side of the print head 111 passes through the suction port 223 of the suction duct 220 located on the downstream side of the print head 112. Thus, a mist recovery air flow W12 that flows into the ventilation path 222 is generated. In addition, air that flows into the space above the transport path from the blowing duct 210 provided on the upstream side of the print head 113 passes through the suction port 223 of the suction duct 220 located on the downstream side of the print head 114 and passes through the ventilation path. A mist recovery airflow W13 flowing into 222 is generated.

  Then, the mist 9 discharged from the discharge ports 110c of the print heads 111 and 112 rides on the mist collection airflow W12 and flows into the ventilation path 222 while drawing a track W32 of the mist 9 as shown in FIG. . Further, the mist 9 discharged from the discharge ports 110c of the print heads 113 and 114 rides on the mist recovery air flow W13 and flows into the ventilation path 222 while drawing a track W33 of the mist 9 as shown in FIG. .

  Therefore, also in the second modification example, since the discharged mist 9 can be collected in the head holder 500, the mist 9 is prevented from flowing to the upper surface of the conveyance path or downstream in the conveyance direction, and the image quality is deteriorated by the mist 9. In addition, contamination in the apparatus can be avoided. Further, in this embodiment, since the number of the spray ducts 210 and the suction ducts 220 can be reduced, the printing apparatus 100 can be simplified and downsized, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

(3) Modification 3
In the mist collecting mechanism 200c according to the third modification, a blowing duct 210 is provided on the upstream side of the print head 111 as shown in FIG. In addition, a suction duct 220 is provided on the downstream side of the print head 111, and a suction duct 220 is provided on the downstream side of the print head 112. Further, in this modification, a blowing duct 210 is provided on the upstream side of the print head 113. In addition, a suction duct 220 is provided on the downstream side of the print head 113, and a suction duct 220 is provided on the downstream side of the print head 114.

  In this case, air that has flowed from the blowing duct 210 provided on the upstream side of the print head 111 into the space above the transport path flows into the suction duct 220 located on the downstream side of the print head 111. W14 is generated. In addition, a mist recovery air flow W15 is generated in which air flowing from the blowing duct 210 provided on the upstream side of the print head 111 into the space above the conveyance path flows into the suction duct 220 located on the downstream side of the print head 112. To do.

  In addition, a mist recovery air flow W16 is generated in which air flowing from the blowing duct 210 provided on the upstream side of the print head 113 into the space above the conveyance path flows into the suction duct 220 located on the downstream side of the print head 113. To do. Further, a mist recovery air flow W17 is generated in which the air flowing from the blowing duct 210 provided on the upstream side of the print head 113 into the space above the conveyance path flows into the suction duct 220 located on the downstream side of the print head 114. To do.

  Then, the mist 9 discharged from the discharge port 110c of the print head 111 rides on the mist collection airflow W14 and flows into the ventilation path 222 while drawing a track W34 of the mist 9 as shown in FIG. Further, the mist 9 discharged from each discharge port 110c of the print head 112 rides on the mist recovery air flow W15 and flows into the ventilation path 222 while drawing a track W35 of the mist 9 as shown in FIG.

  Further, the mist 9 discharged from each discharge port 110c of the print head 113 rides on the mist collection air flow W16 and flows into the ventilation path 222 while drawing a track W36 of the mist 9 as shown in FIG. Further, the mist 9 discharged from each discharge port 110c of the print head 114 rides on the mist collection airflow W17 and flows into the ventilation path 222 while drawing a track W37 of the mist 9 as shown in FIG.

  As described above, also in the third modification example, since the discharged mist 9 can be collected in the head holder 500, it is possible to reduce the mist 9 from flowing to the upper surface of the conveyance path or downstream in the conveyance direction. It is possible to avoid image quality degradation and contamination in the apparatus. In the present embodiment, since the number of the spray ducts 210 can be reduced, the printing apparatus 100 can be simplified and downsized, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

(4) Modification 4
As shown in FIG. 9, the mist collecting mechanism 200 d according to the modification example 4 is provided with a blowing duct 210 on the upstream side of the print head 111. Further, the suction ducts 220 are provided on the downstream side of the print head 111, the print head 112, the print head 113, and the print head 114.

  In this case, air that has flowed from the blowing duct 210 provided on the upstream side of the print head 111 into the space above the transport path flows into the suction duct 220 located on the downstream side of the print head 111. W18 is generated. Further, a mist recovery air flow W19 is generated in which the air flowing from the blowing duct 210 provided on the upstream side of the print head 111 into the space above the conveyance path flows into the suction duct 220 located on the downstream side of the print head 112. To do.

  In addition, a mist recovery air flow W20 is generated in which air flowing from the blowing duct 210 provided on the upstream side of the print head 111 into the space above the conveyance path flows into the suction duct 220 located on the downstream side of the print head 113. To do. Further, a mist recovery air flow W20 is generated in which the air flowing from the blowing duct 210 provided on the upstream side of the print head 111 into the space above the conveyance path flows into the suction duct 220 located on the downstream side of the print head 111. To do.

  Then, the mist 9 discharged from each discharge port 110c of the print head 111 rides on the mist collection airflow W18 and flows into the ventilation path 222 while drawing a track W38 of the mist 9 as shown in FIG. Further, the mist 9 discharged from each discharge port 110c of the print head 112 rides on the mist recovery air flow W19 and flows into the ventilation path 222 while drawing a track W39 of the mist 9 as shown in FIG.

  Further, the mist 9 discharged from each discharge port 110c of the print head 113 rides on the mist collection air flow W20 and flows into the ventilation path 222 while drawing a track W40 of the mist 9 as shown in FIG. Further, the mist 9 discharged from each discharge port 110c of the print head 114 rides on the mist collection air flow W21 and flows into the ventilation path 222 while drawing a track W41 of the mist 9 as shown in FIG.

  As described above, also in the fourth modification example, since the discharged mist 9 can be collected in the head holder 500, it is possible to reduce the mist 9 from flowing to the upper surface of the conveyance path or downstream in the conveyance direction. It is possible to avoid image quality degradation and contamination in the apparatus. In the present embodiment, since the number of the spray ducts 210 can be reduced, the printing apparatus 100 can be simplified and downsized, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  In the above-described embodiment, the mist collecting mechanism 200 is configured using the intake fan 531 and the exhaust fan 521 of the ink head cooling unit 510. However, without using the members of the ink head cooling unit 510, the mist collecting mechanism 200 is used for collecting mist. A member may be provided separately. For example, a fan serving as a blowing air generating means may be disposed in the opening 211 of the blowing duct 210 so that air is supplied to the ventilation path 212 and the air is blown out from the blowing port 213. Further, a fan serving as a suction air generating means may be disposed in the opening 221 of the suction duct 220 so that air is discharged from the ventilation path 222 to the ventilation path 507 and air is sucked from the suction port 223.

  Furthermore, a fan can be provided at each of the blowing ports 213 and the suction ports 223 so that air can be blown out from the ventilation path 212 or sucked into the ventilation path 222.

  Further, the air volume adjustment by the arithmetic processing unit 330 is not limited to the drive control of the intake fan 531 and the exhaust fan 521. For example, a shutter mechanism that can be opened and closed is provided in each of the openings 211 and 221, and the opening and closing of the shutter mechanism is adjusted. By doing so, the air volume can also be adjusted. Moreover, the fan member provided in the opening parts 211 and 221 as mentioned above, or the fan member provided in each blowing port 213 and the suction port 223 may be driven, and air volume may be adjusted.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing apparatus 9 ... Mist 100 ... Printing apparatus 110 ... Head unit 110a, 111-114 ... Print head 110b ... Ink ejection surface 110c ... Ejection port 120 ... Side feed tray 130 ... Feed tray 140 ... Ejection port 150 ... Discharge stand 160 ... Platen belt 161 ... Driven roller 162 ... Drive roller 170, 172 ... Switching mechanism 180 ... Suction fan 200-200d ... Mist collection mechanism 210 ... Blowing duct 211 ... Openings 212, 222 ... Ventilation path 213 ... Blowing port 214 ... lower surface 220 ... suction duct 221 ... opening 223 ... suction port 224 ... lower surface 330 ... arithmetic processing unit 340 ... operation panel 500 ... head holder 500a ... inner space 501 ... head holder surface 502 ... mounting opening 505 ... main direction flow Channel 506 ... Sub-direction channel 507 ... Ventilation Path 510: Ink head cooling section 520 ... Exhaust section 521 ... Exhaust fan 522 ... Outflow path section 523, 533 ... Communication hole 524, 534 ... Airflow path 530 ... Intake section 531 ... Intake fan 532 ... Intake path section

Claims (3)

A printing apparatus having an image forming unit that forms an image on a surface of a sheet conveyed on a conveyance path,
A holding unit that holds the image forming unit such that the image forming unit is disposed to face the conveyance path;
An airflow generating means for generating an airflow in the holding unit;
Spraying means for blowing air from the inside of the holding part to the transport path side through a spraying port;
Suction means for sucking air through the suction port from the transport path side into the holding unit, and
The spray port is disposed on the upstream side of the print head of the image forming unit,
The printing apparatus, wherein the suction port is disposed on a downstream side of a print head of the image forming unit. A plurality of the print heads are arranged,
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spray port and the suction port are provided in each of the plurality of print heads. The airflow generation means includes at least one of blowing air generation means for supplying air into the holding unit, or suction air generation means for discharging air from the holding unit to the outside of the holding unit,
A control unit for controlling at least one of the blowing air generating means or the suction air generating means;
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the amount of air sucked into the suction port to be equal to or larger than the amount of air blown from the blowing port.