JP2022000329A - Inkjet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

To adjust sizes of ink dots having been hardened, while suppressing influences on productivity.SOLUTION: An inkjet printer 10 according to the present invention comprises: a first light irradiation device 60 equipped with a first light source 61 that generates light for hardening ink and provided in a carriage 30; and a second light irradiation device 70 equipped with a second light source 71 that generates light for hardening ink and provided closer to a downstream X1 in a moving direction of a recording medium 5 than the carriage 30. The inkjet printer 10 forms a test pattern on the recording medium 5, and sets a parameter concerning at least control of the first light irradiation device 60 and of the second light irradiation device 70, on the basis of the sizes of the ink dots having been hardened in the test pattern.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an inkjet printer.

Conventionally, an inkjet printer that forms an image on a recording medium by ejecting a photocurable ink onto a recording medium and irradiating the ejected photocurable ink with light has been known. In such an inkjet printer, it is known that the print image quality can be adjusted by adjusting the time from when the ink is ejected until the ink is irradiated with light after landing.

For example, Patent Document 1 includes a moving carriage, a recording head mounted on the carriage, and an ultraviolet irradiation device also mounted on the carriage, and the ink is irradiated with ultraviolet rays after the ink has landed on the recording medium. Inkjet printers are disclosed that change the time to time by changing the speed of movement of the carriage. According to Patent Document 1, when determining the moving speed of the carriage, a line pattern image (test pattern) is formed on the recording medium, and whether or not the dot diameter of the ink in the line pattern image is within a desired range. Is determined. If it takes a long time from the ink landing on the recording medium until the ink is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the ink gets wet and spreads on the recording medium during that time. Therefore, the dot diameter of the ink becomes large. On the contrary, if the time from the impact of the ink on the recording medium to the irradiation of the ink with ultraviolet rays is short, the dot diameter of the ink becomes small. Therefore, it is said that the dot diameter of the ink in the line pattern image can be set within a desired range by adjusting the time from the impact of the ink on the recording medium to the irradiation of the ink with ultraviolet rays. ..

According to Patent Document 1, the method of wetting and spreading the ink differs depending on the surface characteristics of the recording medium. Therefore, by adjusting the dot diameter of the ink using the line pattern image as described above, it is possible to obtain a high-quality image regardless of the surface characteristics of the recording medium.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-291418

When the size of the ink dots after curing is adjusted by the time from ink ejection to light irradiation as in the inkjet printer disclosed in Patent Document 1, the above time affects the printing productivity. For example, if the time from ink ejection to light irradiation is long, printing productivity is reduced.

The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet printer capable of adjusting the size of ink dots after curing while suppressing the influence on productivity.

The inkjet printer disclosed herein includes a support base that supports a recording medium, a carriage provided so as to face the support base, and at least one of the recording medium and the carriage supported by the support base. A first moving device that moves the recording medium relative to the carriage in a predetermined moving direction by moving the recording medium, and a first moving device that moves the carriage in a scanning direction orthogonal to the relative moving direction of the recording medium. The two moving devices, a recording head provided on the carriage and ejecting photocurable ink toward the support base, a first light irradiation device, a second light irradiation device, the first moving device, and the like. It includes a second mobile device, the recording head, the first light irradiation device, and a control device for controlling the second light irradiation device. The first light irradiation device includes a first light source that generates light for curing the ink, and is provided on the carriage. The second light irradiation device includes a second light source that generates light for curing the ink, and is provided on the downstream side of the carriage in the direction of relative movement of the recording medium. The control device includes a test pattern forming unit and a parameter setting unit. The test pattern forming unit drives the second moving device, the recording head, and at least one of the first light irradiation device and the second light irradiation device to form ink dots, thereby forming the recording medium. Form a test pattern. The parameter setting unit sets parameters related to control of at least the first light irradiation device and the second light irradiation device based on the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern.

The inkjet printer includes a first light irradiation device provided on the carriage together with the recording head, and a second light irradiation device provided on the downstream side of the carriage in the relative moving direction of the recording medium. According to such a configuration, by controlling the first light irradiation device and the second light irradiation device (for example, by controlling the light amount of the first light irradiation device and the light amount of the second light irradiation device), recording is performed. The size of the cured ink dots can be changed without adjusting the relative moving speed of the medium or the moving speed of the carriage. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the influence on productivity by adjusting the size of the ink dots after curing.

It is a front view of the printer which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the main part of a printer schematically. It is a front view schematically showing the structure of a carriage and a carriage moving device. It is a block diagram of a printer. It is a top view which shows an example of the 1st test pattern schematically. This is an example of a parameter table at the time of forming the first test pattern. This is an example of the first setting table. It is a top view which shows an example of the 2nd test pattern schematically. This is an example of a parameter table when forming the second layer of the second test pattern. This is an example of the second setting table. It is a schematic plan view of the printer which concerns on the modification.

Hereinafter, the inkjet printer according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described here are, of course, not intended to specifically limit the present invention. In addition, members and parts that perform the same action are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. In the following description, when the inkjet printer is viewed from the front, the side away from the inkjet printer is referred to as the front, and the side closer to the inkjet printer is referred to as the rear. Further, the reference numerals F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawing represent front, back, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. However, these are merely directions for convenience of explanation, and do not limit the installation mode of the inkjet printer.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a large format inkjet printer (hereinafter referred to as “printer”) 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing a main part of the printer 10. The printer 10 prints an image on the recording medium 5 by moving the roll-shaped recording medium 5 in the front-rear direction and ejecting ink from the recording head 50 mounted on the carriage 30 that moves in the left-right direction. Hereinafter, the left-right direction in which the carriage 30 moves is also referred to as a scanning direction Y, and the front-back direction in which the recording medium 5 moves is also referred to as a transport direction X. Further, the X1 direction in the figure represents the downstream side of the recording medium 5 in the transport direction X. The X2 direction in the figure represents the upstream side of the transport direction X of the recording medium 5. During image formation, the recording medium 5 is conveyed in the X1 direction.

The recording medium 5 is an object on which an image is printed. The recording medium 5 is not particularly limited. The recording medium 5 may be, for example, paper such as plain paper or ink jet printing paper, or may be a transparent sheet made of resin or glass. It may be a sheet made of metal, rubber, or the like. Further, it may be a cloth.

As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes a platen 15, a transport device 20 (see FIG. 1), a carriage 30, a carriage moving device 40, a recording head 50, a first light irradiation device 60, and a second light irradiation device 60. It includes a light irradiation device 70, an image pickup device 90, and a control device 100 (see FIG. 1). The printer 10 according to the present embodiment includes a first light irradiation device 60 provided on the carriage 30 and a second light irradiation device 70 provided outside the carriage 30.

The platen 15 is an example of a support base on which the recording medium 5 is placed. As shown in FIG. 2, the platen 15 extends in the scanning direction Y. The second light irradiation device 70 is provided on the downstream X1 side in the transport direction X with respect to the carriage 30. The carriage 30, the carriage moving device 40, the recording head 50 mounted on the carriage 30, and the first light irradiation device 60 are arranged behind the second light irradiation device 70.

The transport device 20 is an example of a moving device that moves the recording medium 5 mounted on the platen 15 in a predetermined moving direction with respect to the carriage 30. Here, the predetermined moving direction is the front-back direction. The recording medium 5 on the platen 15 is moved in the front-rear direction by the transport device 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the transport device 20 includes a pinch roller 21, a grit roller 22, and a feed motor 23 (see FIG. 4). The pinch roller 21 is provided above the platen 15 and presses the recording medium 5 from above. The platen 15 is provided with a grit roller 22. The grit roller 22 is arranged below the pinch roller 21. The grit roller 22 is provided at a position facing the pinch roller 21. The grit roller 22 is connected to the feed motor 23. The grit roller 22 is formed to be rotatable by receiving the driving force of the feed motor 23. The feed motor 23 is electrically connected to the control device 100. The feed motor 23 is controlled by the control device 100. When the grit roller 22 rotates with the recording medium 5 sandwiched between the pinch roller 21 and the grit roller 22, the recording medium 5 is conveyed in the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, printing on the recording medium 5 is performed while intermittently moving the recording medium 5 from the upstream X2 in the transport direction X to the downstream X1. The X1 direction is forward here. The X2 direction is backward here.

Here, the moving device for moving the recording medium in a predetermined moving direction with respect to the carriage is realized by the transport device 20 for transporting the recording medium 5 in the transport direction X, but the present invention is not limited to this. No. The moving device may be configured to move at least one of the recording medium and the carriage to change the positional relationship between the recording medium and the carriage in one direction. For example, the recording medium 5 may be fixed and the carriage may move in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction. Alternatively, for example, as in the so-called flatbed type, the recording medium 5 may be fixed to the support base and the support base may move in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the carriage. In any case, the downstream in the moving direction of the recording medium refers to the direction in which the recording medium moves relative to the carriage during printing, and the upstream in the moving direction of the recording medium refers to the opposite direction. ..

FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing the configurations of the carriage 30 and the carriage moving device 40. As shown in FIG. 3, a carriage 30 is arranged above the platen 15. The carriage 30 is provided so as to face the platen 15. The carriage 30 is movably supported in the scanning direction Y by the carriage moving device 40. As shown in FIG. 1, the carriage moving device 40 includes a guide rail 41, a belt 42, left and right pulleys (not shown), and a carriage motor 43 (see FIG. 4). The carriage 30 is slidably engaged with the guide rail 41. The guide rail 41 extends in the left-right direction. The guide rail 41 guides the movement of the carriage 30 in the left-right direction. The belt 42 is fixed to the carriage 30. The belt 42 is an endless belt. The belt 42 is wound around a pulley provided on the right side of the guide rail 41 and a pulley provided on the left side. A carriage motor 43 is attached to one of the pulleys. The carriage motor 43 is electrically connected to the control device 100. The carriage motor 43 is controlled by the control device 100. When the carriage motor 43 is driven, the pulley rotates and the belt 42 travels. As a result, the carriage 30 moves in the left-right direction along the guide rail 41.

The carriage 30 is equipped with a recording head 50 and a first light irradiation device 60. As shown in FIG. 3, a recording head 50 is provided on the lower surface of the carriage 30. The recording head 50 includes three ink heads 51 here. The plurality of ink heads 51 are arranged side by side in the scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the plurality of ink heads 51 extends in the transport direction X. Although not shown, each of the plurality of ink heads 51 includes a plurality of nozzles provided side by side in the transport direction X. The recording head 50 ejects ink from these plurality of nozzles toward the platen 15.

In the present embodiment, the ink ejected from the recording head 50 is a photocurable ink. The photocurable ink here is an ultraviolet curable ink that cures when irradiated with ultraviolet rays. The components, characteristics, etc. of the photocurable ink are not particularly limited.

The method by which the recording head 50 ejects ink is also not limited. In this embodiment, the printer 10 is an inkjet printer. In the present embodiment, the "inkjet method" refers to various conventionally known methods including various continuous methods such as a binary deflection method or a continuous deflection method, and various on-demand methods such as a thermal method or a piezoelectric element method. It refers to the inkjet type by.

The first light irradiation device 60 is provided on the carriage 30. In the present embodiment, the first light irradiation device 60 is arranged to the left of the recording head 50. However, the first light irradiation device 60 may be arranged to the right of the recording head 50. The first light irradiation device 60 may be provided on the left and right sides of the recording head 50, respectively. As shown in FIG. 2, the first light irradiation device 60 includes a first light source 61. The first light source 61 produces light that cures the ink ejected from the recording head 50. The first light source 61 includes a plurality of light emitters 62 arranged in the transport direction X. As a result, the first light source 61 extends in the transport direction X. The light emitting body 62 is an ultraviolet irradiation LED here. However, the type of the light emitter 62 is not limited. The light generated by the first light source 61 is emitted toward the platen 15 from the irradiation port 63 provided on the lower surface of the first light irradiation device 60. The length of the irradiation port 63 in the transport direction X is longer than the ink ejection range of the recording head 50.

The amount of light of the first light source 61 can be controlled, for example, by controlling the current flowing through the light emitting body 62, the ratio of the light emitting body 62 to be turned on, and the like. However, the method for adjusting the amount of light of the first light source 61 is not particularly limited.

The second light irradiation device 70 includes a second light source 71, a transport direction moving device 80X for moving the second light source 71 in the transport direction X, and a scanning direction moving device 80Y for moving the second light source 71 in the scanning direction Y. I have. As shown in FIG. 2, the second light source 71 is housed in the case 73. The case 73 is slidably engaged with the gantry 84 extending in the scanning direction Y in the scanning direction Y. The gantry 84 is slidably engaged with a pair of guide rails 81 extending in the transport direction X in the transport direction X.

As shown in FIG. 2, the transport direction moving device 80X includes a pair of guide rails 81, a belt 82, front and rear pulleys (not shown), and a first motor 83 (see FIG. 4). The pair of guide rails 81 extend in the front-rear direction. A gate-shaped gantry 84 is slidably engaged with the pair of guide rails 81. The guide rail 81 guides the movement of the gantry 84 in the transport direction X. The belt 82 is fixed to the gantry 84. The belt 82 is an endless belt. The belt 82 is wound around a pulley provided on the front side and a pulley provided on the rear side of the guide rail 81. A first motor 83 is attached to one of the pulleys. The first motor 83 is electrically connected to the control device 100. The first motor 83 is controlled by the control device 100. When the first motor 83 is driven, the pulley rotates and the belt 82 travels. As a result, the gantry 84 moves along the guide rail 81 in the transport direction X.

As shown in FIG. 2, the scanning direction moving device 80Y includes a guide rail 85 provided in the gantry 84, a belt 86, left and right pulleys (not shown), and a second motor 87 (see FIG. 4). .. The guide rail 85 extends in the left-right direction. A case 73 accommodating the second light source 71 is slidably engaged with the guide rail 85. The guide rail 85 guides the movement of the case 73 in the scanning direction Y. The belt 86 is fixed to the case 73. The belt 86 is an endless belt. The belt 86 is wound around a pulley provided on the left side of the guide rail 85 and a pulley provided on the right side. A second motor 87 is attached to one of the pulleys. The second motor 87 is electrically connected to the control device 100. The second motor 87 is controlled by the control device 100. When the second motor 87 is driven, the pulley rotates and the belt 86 travels. As a result, the second light source 71 moves along with the case 73 in the scanning direction Y along the guide rail 85.

The second light source 71 produces light that cures the ink ejected from the recording head 50. As shown in FIG. 2, the second light source 71 includes a plurality of light emitters 72 arranged in the transport direction X. As a result, the second light source 71 extends in the transport direction X. The light emitter 72 here is an ultraviolet irradiation LED. However, the type of the light emitter 72 is not limited. The light generated by the second light source 71 is emitted toward the platen 15 from the irradiation port 74 provided on the lower surface of the case 73. The length of the irradiation port 74 in the transport direction X is longer than the ink ejection range of the recording head 50. Like the first light source 61, the second light source 71 is also configured to be able to control the amount of light. The light generated by the second light source 71 is irradiated to the entire recording medium 5 with respect to the scanning direction Y by moving the second light source 71 in the scanning direction Y by the scanning direction moving device 80Y.

The positions Xs, Xu, and Xd of the second light source 71 in FIG. 2 indicate the reference position Xs, the upstream position Xu, and the downstream position Xd of the second light source 71, respectively. The upstream position Xu is located on the upstream X2 side of the recording medium 5 in the transport direction X with respect to the reference position Xs. The downstream position Xd is located on the downstream X1 side of the recording medium 5 in the transport direction X with respect to the reference position Xs. The reference position Xs, the upstream position Xu, and the downstream position Xd are all located on the downstream X1 side of the carriage 30 in the transport direction X. The second light irradiation device 70 irradiates a region on the platen 15 on the X1 side of the carriage 30 with light. Further, the second light irradiation device 70 is configured to be provided with the transport direction moving device 80X so that the range in which the light from the second light source 71 is irradiated with respect to the transport direction X of the recording medium 5 can be changed.

As described above, during printing, the recording medium 5 is intermittently moved to the downstream X1 side in the transport direction X. In the present embodiment, the upstream position Xu of the second light source 71 corresponds to the position where the region on the recording medium 5 on which the ink has landed is moved by a predetermined number of times below the recording head 50. In FIG. 2, a part of the boundary line of one movement of the recording medium 5 is shown by a alternate long and short dash line. When the second light source 71 is arranged at the upstream position Xu, the second light source 71 irradiates the ink on the recording medium 5 that has been moved a predetermined number of times after the ink has landed. The reference position Xs of the second light source 71 is a position where the recording medium 5 is moved from the upstream position Xu by one movement. When the second light source 71 is arranged at the reference position Xs, the second light source 71 irradiates the ink on the recording medium 5 which has been moved once more from the upstream position Xu with light. The downstream position Xd of the second light source 71 is a position where the recording medium 5 is moved from the reference position Xs by one movement. When the second light source 71 is arranged at the downstream position Xd, the second light source 71 irradiates the ink on the recording medium 5 which has been moved once more from the reference position Xs with light. However, the reference position Xs, the upstream position Xu, and the downstream position Xd of the second light source 71 are not limited to this. For example, the upstream position Xu, the reference position Xs, and the downstream position Xd may not be continuously set in the transport direction X.

Hereinafter, the irradiation range of the light of the second light source 71 when the second light source 71 is arranged at the reference position Xs is also referred to as the first irradiation range Rs. Further, the irradiation range of the light of the second light source 71 when the second light source 71 is arranged at the upstream position Xu is also referred to as a second irradiation range Ru. The irradiation range of the light of the second light source 71 when the second light source 71 is arranged at the downstream position Xd is also referred to as a third irradiation range Rd.

As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 according to the present embodiment includes an image pickup device 90 capable of acquiring an image of a printed image formed by ink on a recording medium 5. The image pickup device 90 is a camera here. However, the image pickup device 90 is not limited to the camera. The image pickup device 90 is provided here in the case 73 of the second light irradiation device 70. However, the position of the image pickup apparatus 90 is not particularly limited. The image pickup apparatus 90 acquires an image of a test pattern described later. The image pickup device 90 is connected to the control device 100.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the printer 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 100 includes a feed motor 23, a carriage motor 43, a recording head 50, a first light source 61 of the first light irradiation device 60, and a second light source of the second light irradiation device 70. The 71, the first motor 83, the second motor 87, and the image pickup apparatus 90 are electrically connected to each other, and are configured to be controllable.

The configuration of the control device 100 is not particularly limited. The control device 100 is, for example, a microcomputer. The hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited, but for example, an interface (I / F) for receiving print data or the like from an external device such as a host computer, and a central processing unit (CPU: central) for executing control program instructions. Processing unit), ROM (read only memory) that stores the program executed by the CPU, RAM (random access memory) that is used as a working area to expand the program, memory that stores the above program and various data, etc. It is equipped with a storage device. The control device 100 does not necessarily have to be provided inside the printer 10, and is, for example, a computer installed outside the printer 10 and connected to the printer 10 via wire or wireless so as to be communicable. May be good.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 100 includes a test pattern forming unit 110, a parameter setting unit 120, an irradiation position control unit 130, an image processing unit 140, and a print control unit 150. The control device 100 may include a processing unit other than those described above, but illustration and description thereof will be omitted here.

The test pattern forming unit 110 records by driving the carriage moving device 40, the recording head 50, and at least one of the first light irradiation device 60 and the second light irradiation device 70 to form ink dots. It is configured to form a test pattern on the medium 5. Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the test pattern forming unit 110 first drives the carriage moving device 40, the recording head 50, and the first light irradiation device 60 to form ink dots on the recording medium 5. The first test pattern forming unit 111 that forms a test pattern, the transport device 20, the carriage moving device 40, the recording head 50, the first light irradiation device 60, and the second light irradiation device 70 are driven to form ink dots. Thereby, the recording medium 5 is provided with a second test pattern forming unit 112 for forming the second test pattern. As will be described in detail later, the first test pattern is formed by curing the ink only by the first light irradiation device 60. The formation of the first test pattern does not involve the transfer of the recording medium 5. On the other hand, the second test pattern is formed by curing the ink by the first light irradiation device 60 and the second light irradiation device 70. The formation of the second test pattern involves the transfer of the recording medium 5.

The parameter setting unit 120 sets parameters related to control of the first light irradiation device 60 and the second light irradiation device 70 based on the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern. Here, the parameters related to the control of the first light irradiation device 60 and the second light irradiation device 70 include parameters related to the amount of light of the first light source 61 and the second light source 71, respectively. Further, the parameters related to the control of the second light irradiation device 70 include the parameters related to the light irradiation range of the second light source 71 with respect to the transport direction X. Here, the parameter relating to the light irradiation range of the second light source 71 with respect to the transport direction X is a parameter relating to the position of the second light source 71 with respect to the transport direction X.

Here, the parameter related to control means a numerical value or the like that determines the operation of the control program. For example, the parameter relating to the amount of light of the first light irradiation device 60 and the second light irradiation device 70 means a numerical value that determines the amount of light emitted by the first light irradiation device 60 and the second light irradiation device 70. The parameter relating to the position of the second light source 71 in the transport direction X means a numerical value or the like that determines the position of the transport direction moving device 80X.

Further, in the present embodiment, the parameter setting unit 120 sets a parameter regarding the amount of ink ejected from the recording head 50 and a parameter regarding the scanning speed of the carriage 30 based on the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern. ..

As shown in FIG. 4, the parameter setting unit 120 includes a first setting unit 121, a second setting unit 122, a third setting unit 123, a fourth setting unit 124, and a setting table storage unit 125. There is. The first setting unit 121 is configured to set the light amount of the first light source 61 and the light amount of the second light source 71 based on the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern. The second setting unit 122 is configured to set the irradiation range of the light of the second light source 71 with respect to the transport direction X based on the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern. Specifically, the second setting unit 122 sets the position of the second light source 71 with respect to the transport direction X based on the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern.

The third setting unit 123 is configured to set the amount of ink ejected from the recording head 50 based on the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern. The fourth setting unit 124 is configured to set the moving speed of the carriage 30 in the scanning direction Y based on the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern.

Parameter setting by the first setting unit 121 to the fourth setting unit 124 is performed based on the setting table stored in the setting table storage unit 125. Here, the setting table storage unit 125 stores the first setting table corresponding to the first test pattern and the second setting table corresponding to the second test pattern. The details of the first setting table and the second setting table will be described later, but in the two setting tables, the amount of deviation between the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern and the predetermined standard size is ranked in multiple ranks. It is divided. Further, in the two setting tables, the amount of light of the first light source 61, the amount of light of the second light source 71, the irradiation range of the light of the second light source 71 (more specifically, the position of the second light source 71 with respect to the transport direction X), and the recording head 50. The ink ejection amount and the moving speed of the carriage 30 are associated with the plurality of ranks. In other words, when the amount of deviation between the size of the ink dots after curing and the reference size is input to the setting table, the amount of light of the first light source 61, the amount of light of the second light source 71, the position of the second light source 71 with respect to the transport direction X, and the recording. The ink ejection amount of the head 50 and the moving speed of the carriage 30 can be obtained.

The first setting unit 121 sets the light amount of the first light source 61 and the light amount of the second light source 71 based on the first setting table or the second setting table. The second setting unit 122 sets the irradiation range of the light of the second light source 71 with respect to the transport direction X based on the first setting table or the second setting table. The third setting unit 123 sets the ink ejection amount of the recording head 50 based on the first setting table or the second setting table. The fourth setting unit 124 sets the moving speed of the carriage 30 based on the first setting table or the second setting table.

As will be described in detail later, when the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern is smaller than the reference size by a predetermined amount or more, the first setting unit 121 sets the light amount of the first light source 61 to a predetermined first. It is set to be smaller than the reference light amount and the light amount of the second light source 71 is set to be equal to or higher than the predetermined second reference light amount. When the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern is larger than the reference size by a predetermined amount or more, the first setting unit 121 sets the light amount of the first light source 61 to be larger than the first reference light amount and the second. The amount of light of the light source 71 is set to be equal to or less than the second reference amount of light.

When the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern is smaller than the reference size by a predetermined amount or more, the second setting unit 122 sets the irradiation range of the light of the second light source 71 with respect to the transport direction X from the predetermined reference position. Is also set downstream. Here, the position of the second light source 71 corresponding to the predetermined reference position is the reference position Xs. The position of the second light source 71 corresponding to the position downstream from the reference position Xs is the downstream position Xd. When the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern is larger than the reference size by a predetermined amount or more, the second setting unit 122 sets the irradiation range of the light of the second light source 71 with respect to the transport direction X to be larger than the reference position Xs. Set upstream. Here, the position of the second light source 71 corresponding to the position downstream from the reference position Xs is the upstream position Xu.

When the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern is smaller than the reference size by a predetermined amount or more, the third setting unit 123 sets the ink ejection amount of the recording head 50 to be larger than the predetermined reference ejection amount. .. When the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern is larger than the reference size by a predetermined amount or more, the third setting unit 123 sets the ink ejection amount of the recording head 50 to be smaller than the reference ejection amount.

When the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern is smaller than the reference size by a predetermined amount or more, the fourth setting unit 124 sets the moving speed of the carriage 30 to be smaller than the predetermined reference speed. When the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern is larger than the reference size by a predetermined amount or more, the third setting unit 123 sets the moving speed of the carriage 30 to be larger than the reference speed.

The irradiation position control unit 130 controls the second light irradiation device 70 so that the light irradiation range of the second light source 71 becomes the irradiation range set by the second setting unit 122. Here, the irradiation position control unit 130 is configured to control the transport direction moving device 80X to position the second light source 71 at a position related to the transport direction X set by the second setting unit 122.

The image processing unit 140 calculates the amount of deviation between the size of the ink dots after curing and the reference size based on the image of the test pattern acquired by the image pickup apparatus 90. Here, the image processing unit 140 calculates the size of the ink dots after curing as a ratio to the reference size (for example, 120%, 80%, etc., where the reference size is 100%). However, the amount of deviation between the size of the ink dots after curing and the reference size is not limited to that based on the reference size. Various known techniques can be applied as a method for calculating the amount of deviation between the size of the ink dots after curing and the reference size.

The print control unit 150 controls each unit according to the parameters set by the parameter setting unit 120 based on the test pattern, and executes printing. Here, the print control unit 150 determines the light amount of the first light source 61, the light amount of the second light source 71, the position of the second light source 71, the ink ejection amount of the recording head 50, and the carriage 30 set by the parameter setting unit 120. Print based on movement speed.

The process of forming a test pattern and setting parameters based on the test pattern will be described below. The following description describes the case where the first test pattern is formed and the parameters are set based on the first test pattern, and the case where the second test pattern is formed and the parameters are set based on the second test pattern. Do it separately. In the case of the first test pattern, the setting table presented is only an example in any of the cases of the second test pattern, and the present invention is not limited to this. Further, the configuration of the test pattern is only a preferable example, and the present invention is not limited to this.

[For the first test pattern]
FIG. 5 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the first test pattern P1. As shown in FIG. 5, the first test pattern P1 is composed of one ink layer formed on the recording medium 5. This ink layer is formed in contact with the recording medium 5. Here, the first test pattern P1 is a pattern in which a rectangular area having a predetermined size is filled with a single color ink. A reference size Ds is set for the ink dot D1 of the first test pattern P1. When the size of the ink dots D1 in the first test pattern P1 is the reference size Ds, it is assumed that the size of the ink dots at the time of printing becomes a desired size. The first test pattern P1 mainly confirms the degree of wetting and spreading of the ink on the recording medium due to the combination of the ink and the recording medium.

FIG. 6 is an example of a parameter table at the time of forming the first test pattern P1. The parameter table of FIG. 6 represents a part of the printing conditions of the first test pattern P1. As shown in FIG. 6, in the first test pattern P1, the ink ejection amount is the reference ejection amount (expressed as 100%), the moving speed of the carriage 30 is the reference speed (also expressed as 100%), and the light amount of the first light source 61. Is formed under the condition of the first reference light amount (100%). The second light irradiation device 70 is not used in the formation of the first test pattern P1. When the first test pattern P1 is formed, the carriage 30 is moved in the scanning direction Y, and the recording head 50 ejects ink when the carriage 30 is moved to the right. The first light irradiator 60 irradiates light during the formation of the first test pattern P1. Since the first light irradiation device 60 is provided on the left side of the recording head 50, the light is applied to the ink immediately after landing on the recording medium 5. If the moving speed of the carriage 30 is slow, the time until the ink is irradiated with light after landing on the recording medium 5 becomes long, and the size of the ink dot D1 tends to be large. If the moving speed of the carriage 30 is high, the time until the ink is irradiated with light after landing on the recording medium 5 becomes short, and the size of the ink dot D1 tends to be small.

Although only the first light irradiation device 60 is used here to cure the ink of the first test pattern P1, only the second light irradiation device 70 may be used, and the first light irradiation device 60 may be used. And the second light irradiation device 70 may be used.

In the present embodiment, the image of the first test pattern P1 formed as described above is acquired by the image pickup apparatus 90. The image processing unit 140 calculates the size of the ink dots D1 after curing as a ratio to the reference size Ds. However, the acquisition of such an image may be performed by an external device outside the printer. Further, the size of the ink dot D1 after curing with respect to the reference size Ds may be measured by an external device outside the printer. Alternatively, the operator may visually check the first test pattern P1.

The size of the ink dot D1 after curing with respect to the reference size Ds is input to the first setting table corresponding to the first test pattern P1. FIG. 7 is an example of the first setting table T1. As shown in FIG. 7, according to the first setting table T1 exemplified here, when the size of the ink dot D1 after curing with respect to the reference size Ds is 90% or more and less than 110%, the amount of light of the first light source 61 is 100%, the light amount of the second light source 71 is 100% (the second reference light amount is 100%), the position of the second light source 71 is the reference position Xs, the ink ejection amount is 100%, and the moving speed of the carriage 30 is 100%. Is set to. This setting is the basic setting.

Further, according to the first setting table T1, when the size of the ink dot D1 after curing with respect to the reference size Ds is 80% or more and less than 90%, the light amount of the first light source 61 is 50% and the light amount of the second light source 71 is 50%. Is set to 130%, and the position of the second light source 71 is set to the upstream position Xu. At this time, the ink ejection amount and the moving speed of the carriage 30 are not changed from 100%, respectively.

By reducing the amount of light of the first light source 61 as described above, it becomes difficult for the ink immediately after landing to cure, and a semi-cured state in which the fluidity is maintained is obtained. Therefore, in actual printing, the recording medium 5 is transported in the downstream X1 direction of the transport direction X, and the semi-cured ink tends to wet and spread by the time the ink is completely cured by the light from the second light irradiation device 70. .. However, in the case of this example, since the difference between the reference size Ds and the size of the ink dot D1 after curing is small, the position of the second light source 71 is set to the upstream position Xu, and the second light source 71 is irradiated with the first light. It is close to the device 60. However, for example, the position of the second light source 71 may be the reference position Xs, and the light amount of the first light source 61 may be a light amount larger than the above (for example, 60% to 80%). The amount of light of the second light source 71 is changed to be larger than 100% because the amount of light of the first light source 61 is changed to be smaller than 100%. This completely cures the ink. However, if the second reference light amount is sufficient for complete curing of the ink, the light amount of the second light source 71 may not be changed from the second reference light amount.

As described above, the printer 10 according to the present embodiment is provided with the first light irradiation device 60 provided on the carriage 30 together with the recording head 50, and on the downstream X1 side of the recording medium 5 in the transport direction X with respect to the carriage 30. A second light irradiation device 70 is provided. Therefore, by controlling the first light irradiation device 60 and the second light irradiation device 70 (for example, the light amount of the first light irradiation device 60 and the light amount of the second light irradiation device 70 are controlled as described above. Therefore, the size of the ink dots after curing can be changed without adjusting the transport speed of the recording medium 5 and the moving speed of the carriage 30. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the influence on productivity by adjusting the size of the ink dots after curing.

As will be described later, the printer 10 does not mean that the transport speed of the recording medium 5 and the movement speed of the carriage 30 are not adjusted in all cases. According to the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, the size of the ink dots D1 after curing can be set to a desired size without adjusting the transport speed of the recording medium 5 or the moving speed of the carriage 30 in at least a part of the cases. Can be adjusted. Thereby, in some of the above cases, it is possible to prevent a decrease in productivity due to adjusting the size of the ink dots after curing.

In the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, when the size of the ink dots D1 after curing in the first test pattern P1 is smaller than the reference size Ds by a predetermined amount or more (10% or more smaller in the above example), the printer 10 is the first. The light amount of the 1 light source 61 is set to be smaller than the predetermined first reference light amount (100%), and the light amount of the second light source 71 is set to be equal to or higher than the predetermined second reference light amount (100%). As a result, the size of the ink dots after curing can be increased.

Further, the printer 10 according to the present embodiment is configured to set the parameters as described above based on the predetermined first setting table T1. As shown in FIG. 7, in the first setting table T1, the amount of deviation between the size of the ink dot D1 after curing and the reference size Ds in the first test pattern P1 is ranked into a plurality of ranks (for example, 90). % To 110% rank, 80% to 90% rank, etc.). Further, in the first setting table T1, the amount of light of the first light source 61, the amount of light of the second light source 71, and the irradiation range of the light of the second light source 71 are associated with the plurality of ranks, respectively. For example, when compared with a calculation formula that obtains a continuous output by using the amount of deviation between the size of the ink dot D1 after curing and the reference size Ds as an input, according to the first setting table T1, the parameters are processed with a small amount of information processing. Can be set. Further, high accuracy is not required for measuring the size of the ink dot D1 after curing.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the size of the ink dot D1 after curing with respect to the reference size Ds is 60% or more and less than 80%, according to the first setting table T1 exemplified here, the amount of light of the first light source 61 is 50%, the amount of light of the second light source 71 is 130%, and the position of the second light source 71 is set to the reference position Xs. At this time, the ink ejection amount and the moving speed of the carriage 30 are not changed from 100%, respectively. By setting the position of the second light source 71 to the reference position Xs, the size of the ink dot D1 after curing with respect to the reference size Ds is made larger than the case where the size is 80% or more and less than 90%. Can be done.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the size of the ink dot D1 after curing is less than 60% with respect to the reference size Ds, the amount of light of the first light source 61 is 50% according to the first setting table T1 exemplified here. The amount of light of the second light source 71 is set to 130%, and the position of the second light source 71 is set to the downstream position Xd. Further, the moving speed of the carriage 30 is set to 50%. At this time, the ink ejection amount is not changed from 100%. By setting the position of the second light source 71 to the downstream position Xd, the size of the ink dot D1 after curing is larger than that when the size of the ink dot D1 after curing is 60% or more and less than 80% with respect to the reference size Ds. can do. When the size of the cured ink dot D1 in the first test pattern P1 is smaller than the reference size Ds by a predetermined amount or more, the irradiation range of the light of the second light source 71 with respect to the transport direction X is set downstream from the reference position Xs. By setting, the size of the ink dots can be increased.

In the present embodiment, when the size of the ink dot D1 after curing is less than 60% with respect to the reference size Ds, the moving speed of the carriage 30 is set to be slower than the reference speed. In this case, the printing productivity is reduced, but the size of the ink dots can be further increased.

When the size of the ink dot D1 after curing is 110% or more with respect to the reference size Ds, the light amount of the first light source 61 is 130% and the light amount of the second light source 71 is 130% according to the first setting table T1 exemplified here. 50%, the position of the second light source 71 is set to the upstream position Xu. The moving speed and ink ejection amount of the carriage 30 do not change from 100%. In this case, contrary to the case where the size of the ink dot D1 after curing in the first test pattern P1 is smaller than the reference size Ds, the light amount of the first light source 61 is set to be larger than the first reference light amount, and the second The amount of light of the light source 71 is set to be equal to or less than the second reference amount of light. As a result, the size of the ink dots after curing can be reduced.

Further, in the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, when the size of the ink dots D1 after curing in the first test pattern P1 is larger than the reference size Ds by a predetermined amount or more, the light of the second light source 71 with respect to the transport direction X The irradiation range of is set upstream from the reference position Xs. This also makes it possible to reduce the size of the ink dots after curing.

[For the second test pattern]
The printer 10 is configured to be able to select either one of the first test pattern P1 and the second test pattern P2 when forming a test pattern. However, the printer may be configured to form one type of test pattern. FIG. 8 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the second test pattern P2. As shown in FIG. 8, the second test pattern P2 is a second layer consisting of a first layer L1 formed of ink dots formed in contact with the recording medium 5 and an ink dot D2 formed in contact with the first layer L1. Includes layer L2. The second layer L2 is formed on the first layer L1.

The first layer L1 is formed as an undercoat layer of a test pattern. The first layer L1 is formed, for example, by irradiating the recording medium 5 with light and curing the ink that has been left for a long time after being ejected. The first layer L1 may be a layer in which the ink is wet and spread and flattened in this way. However, the first layer L1 may be a layer in which the ink is cured before it gets wet and spreads so much.

The second layer L2 is formed on the first layer L1 after forming the first layer L1. FIG. 9 is an example of a parameter table when forming the second layer L2 of the second test pattern P2. As shown in FIG. 9, in the second test pattern P2, the ink ejection amount is the reference ejection amount (100%), the moving speed of the carriage 30 is the reference speed (100%), and the light amount of the first light source 61 is the first reference light amount. (100%), the light amount of the second light source 71 is formed under the condition of the second reference light amount (100%), and the position of the second light source 71 is formed under the condition of the reference position Xs. The pattern of the ink dots D2 of the second layer L2 is the same as the pattern of the ink dots D1 of the first test pattern P1 here. However, the pattern of the ink dots D2 of the second layer L2 may be different from the pattern of the ink dots D1 of the first test pattern P1.

In normal printing, one ink dot is overlaid with another ink dot. Therefore, by forming the first layer L1 as the undercoat layer, it is possible to form a test pattern in a state close to actual printing. By using the first light irradiation device 60 and the second light irradiation device 70 when forming the second layer L2, it is possible to form a test pattern in a state closer to actual printing. As illustrated here, if the ink dots of the first layer L1 are flattened and the first layer L1 as the undercoat layer is smoothly configured, the influence of the recording medium 5 can be reduced and wetting due to the difference in ink can be reduced. The difference in how it spreads can be reflected more. On the other hand, if the first layer L1 is not particularly smoothly configured, the difference in how the ink spreads and wets can be grasped in a form that takes into account the influence of the recording medium 5. Here, the parameter setting unit 120 of the printer 10 has a first light irradiation device 60, a second light irradiation device 70, a recording head 50, and a carriage based on the size of the ink dots D2 after curing in the second layer L2. Set the parameters related to the control of the motor 43.

The size of the ink dots D1 when the first test pattern P1 is formed and the parameters are set reflects the size of the ink dots at the time of actual printing rather than the ink dots D2 in the case of the second test pattern P2. May not. However, since the first test pattern P1 is formed from only one layer, it can be easily formed. Therefore, according to the method of forming the first test pattern P1, the parameters can be set more easily.

FIG. 10 is an example of the second setting table T2. As shown in FIG. 10, according to the second setting table T2 exemplified here, the reference size Dss (see FIG. 8, the reference size Dss is different from the reference size Ds in the case of the first test pattern P1). When the size of the ink dot D2 after curing is 90% or more and less than 100%, the light amount of the first light source 61 is set to 50% and the light amount of the second light source 71 is set to 130%. At this time, the position of the second light source 71 is not changed from the reference position Xs. Further, the ink ejection amount and the moving speed of the carriage 30 are not changed from 100%, respectively. As a result, the size of the ink dots at the time of printing can be increased.

According to the second setting table T2, when the size of the ink dot D2 after curing with respect to the reference size Dss is 70% or more and less than 90%, the light amount of the first light source 61 is 50% and the light amount of the second light source 71 is 130. %, The position of the second light source 71 is set to the downstream position Xd. At this time, the moving speed of the carriage 30 and the ink ejection amount are not changed from 100%, respectively. As a result, the size of the ink dots at the time of printing can be further increased.

According to the second setting table T2, when the size of the ink dot D2 after curing is less than 70% with respect to the reference size Dss, the light amount of the first light source 61 is 50%, the light amount of the second light source 71 is 130%, and the second. The position of the two light sources 71 is set to the downstream position Xd, the moving speed of the carriage 30 is set to 50%, and the ink ejection amount is set to 120%. As a result, the size of the ink dots at the time of printing can be further increased.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, according to the second setting table T2 exemplified here, when the size of the ink dot D2 after curing with respect to the reference size Dss is 100% or more and less than 110%, the first light source 61 is used. The amount of light is set to 130%, and the amount of light from the second light source 71 is set to 50%. At this time, the position of the second light source 71 is not changed from the reference position Xs. Further, the ink ejection amount and the moving speed of the carriage 30 are not changed from 100%, respectively. As a result, the size of the ink dots at the time of printing can be reduced.

According to the second setting table T2, when the size of the ink dot D2 after curing with respect to the reference size Dss is 110% or more and less than 130%, the light amount of the first light source 61 is 130% and the light amount of the second light source 71 is 50. %, The position of the second light source 71 is set to the upstream position Xu. At this time, the ink ejection amount and the moving speed of the carriage 30 are not changed from 100%, respectively. As a result, the size of the ink dots at the time of printing can be further reduced.

According to the second setting table T2, when the size of the ink dot D2 after curing is 130% or more with respect to the reference size Dss, the light amount of the first light source 61 is 130%, the light amount of the second light source 71 is 50%, and the second. The position of the two light sources 71 is set to the upstream position Xu, the moving speed of the carriage 30 is set to 130%, and the ink ejection amount is set to 60%. As a result, the size of the ink dots at the time of printing can be further reduced.

However, as described above, the parameters written in these setting tables are merely examples, and can be appropriately modified according to the characteristics of the printer and the like. For example, in the above example, the light amount of the first light irradiation device 60 and the second light irradiation device 70 could be increased or decreased from the respective reference light amounts. However, the reference light amount of the first light irradiation device 60 and the second light irradiation device 70 may be set to the upper limit or the lower limit of the light amount that can be set. Further, the position of the second light irradiation device 70 with respect to the transport direction X could be on the upstream side or the downstream side from the reference position Xs. However, the reference position of the second light irradiation device 70 may be set to the most upstream or downstream of the positions that can be set. The moving range of the second light irradiation device 70 is also not particularly limited except that it includes a region on the downstream X1 side of the carriage 30 in the transport direction X.

[Modification example]
The techniques disclosed herein can also be implemented by some modifications. FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of the printer 10 according to a modification. In the following description of the modification, the members having the same functions as those of the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 11, the printer 10 according to this modification can simultaneously irradiate the first irradiation range Rs, the second irradiation range Ru, and the third irradiation range Rd (see also FIG. 2) with the second light. The irradiation device 70 is provided. As shown in FIG. 11, the second light irradiation device 70 according to this modification is from a position substantially the same as the upstream end of the second irradiation range Ru to a position substantially the same as the downstream end of the third irradiation range Rd with respect to the transport direction X. It is provided with an extending irradiation port 74. In this modification, the second light source 71 also extends from a position substantially the same as the upstream end of the second irradiation range Ru with respect to the transport direction X to a position substantially the same as the downstream end of the third irradiation range Rd. With this configuration, the second light irradiation device 70 can simultaneously irradiate the first irradiation range Rs, the second irradiation range Ru, and the third irradiation range Rd with light.

A partition plate 75u is provided between the portion corresponding to the first irradiation range Rs and the portion corresponding to the second irradiation range Ru of the second light source 71. A partition plate 75d is provided between the portion corresponding to the first irradiation range Rs and the portion corresponding to the third irradiation range Rd of the second light source 71. The partition plates 75u and 75d allow the second light irradiation device 70 to individually irradiate the first irradiation range Rs, the second irradiation range Ru, and the third irradiation range Rd with light. Specifically, the second light irradiation device 70 controls the lighting or extinguishing of the plurality of light emitters 72 arranged in the transport direction X, thereby controlling the lighting or extinguishing of the first irradiation range Rs, the second irradiation range Ru, and the third irradiation range Rd. Can be individually irradiated with light. The partition plates 75u and 75d can be omitted.

The irradiation position control unit 130 (see FIG. 4) according to this modification lights or lights a plurality of light emitters 72 so that the irradiation range of the light of the second light source 71 becomes the irradiation range set by the second setting unit 122. It is configured to control the extinguishing. With respect to the scanning direction Y, the light generated by the second light source 71 is applied to the entire recording medium 5 by moving the second light source 71 in the scanning direction Y by the scanning direction moving device 80Y.

Even with such a configuration, it is possible to change the range in which the light from the second light source 71 is irradiated with respect to the transport direction X. Further, according to such a configuration, the second light irradiation device 70 does not need to include a transport direction moving device that moves the second light source 71 in the transport direction X. Therefore, the configuration of the second light irradiation device 70 can be simplified.

In the above, some suitable embodiments have been described. However, the above embodiments are merely examples, and the techniques disclosed herein can be implemented in various other embodiments.

For example, in the above embodiment, the parameters related to printing are set once according to a predetermined setting table, but even if the measurement and setting of the ink dot size are repeated to bring the ink dots closer to a desired state. good. In that case, the setting table may be configured to be populated with the current values of the parameters. The printer may be configured to set at least parameters for control of the first and second light illuminators based on the size of the cured ink dots in the test pattern, and is not further limited. ..

In the above embodiment, the second light source 71 is moved in the scanning direction Y, but the second light source may be configured to be longer than the width of the recording medium in the scanning direction and may be immobile in the scanning direction.

In the above-described embodiment, the printer 10 has two light irradiation devices, a first light irradiation device 60 mounted on the carriage 30 and a second light irradiation device 70 provided on the downstream X1 side of the transport direction X with respect to the carriage 30. Although it is provided, a third light irradiation device, a fourth light irradiation device, and the like (the same shall apply hereinafter) may be further provided. The number of light irradiation devices is not limited.

In addition, the configuration of the inkjet printer is not limited unless otherwise specified. For example, the technology disclosed here can also be used for flatbed type inkjet printers and the like. Further, it can also be used for a device in which an inkjet printer is partially incorporated, such as an inkjet printer with a cutting head.

5 Recording medium 10 Inkjet printer 15 Platen (support stand)
20 Transport device (first mobile device)
30 Carriage 40 Carriage moving device (second moving device)
50 Recording head 60 1st light irradiation device 61 1st light source 70 2nd light irradiation device 71 2nd light source 72 Luminous body 80X Transport direction moving device (light source moving device)
80Y Scanning direction moving device 100 Control device 110 Test pattern forming unit 111 First test pattern forming unit 112 Second test pattern forming unit 120 Parameter setting unit 121 First setting unit 122 Second setting unit 125 Setting table storage unit 130 Irradiation position control Part P1 1st test pattern P2 2nd test pattern T1 1st setting table T2 2nd setting table Xd Downstream position Xs Reference position Xu Upstream position

Claims (12)

A support base that supports the recording medium and
A carriage provided so as to face the support base and
A first moving device that moves the recording medium relative to the carriage in a predetermined movement direction by moving at least one of the recording medium and the carriage supported by the support base.
A second moving device that moves the carriage in a scanning direction orthogonal to the relative moving direction of the recording medium.
A recording head provided on the carriage and ejecting photocurable ink toward the support base,
A first light irradiation device provided on the carriage, provided with a first light source for generating light for curing the ink, and a first light irradiation device.
A second light irradiation device provided with a second light source for generating light for curing the ink and provided on the downstream side of the carriage in the direction of relative movement of the recording medium.
The first moving device, the second moving device, the recording head, the first light irradiation device, and a control device for controlling the second light irradiation device are provided.
The control device is
A test for forming a test pattern on the recording medium by driving the second mobile device, the recording head, the first light irradiation device, and at least one of the second light irradiation devices to form ink dots. The pattern forming part and
A parameter setting unit for setting at least parameters related to control of the first light irradiation device and the second light irradiation device based on the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern is provided.
Inkjet printer. The parameters relating to the control of the first light irradiation device and the second light irradiation device include parameters relating to the amount of light of the first light source and the second light source, respectively.
The parameter setting unit includes a first setting unit that sets the light amount of the first light source and the light amount of the second light source based on the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern.
The inkjet printer according to claim 1. When the size of the cured ink dots in the test pattern is smaller than a predetermined reference size by a predetermined amount or more, the first setting unit sets the light amount of the first light source to be smaller than the predetermined first reference light amount. When the light amount of the second light source is set to be smaller than the predetermined second reference light amount and the size of the cured ink dots in the test pattern is larger than the reference size by the predetermined amount or more, the first The light amount of the light source is set to be larger than the first reference light amount, and the light amount of the second light source is set to be equal to or less than the second reference light amount.
The inkjet printer according to claim 2. In the parameter setting unit, the amount of deviation between the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern and the predetermined reference size is ranked into a plurality of ranks, and the amount of light of the first light source and the amount of light of the second light source of the second light source. It is provided with a setting table storage unit that stores a setting table in which the amount of light is associated with the plurality of ranks.
The first setting unit sets the light amount of the first light source and the light amount of the second light source based on the setting table.
The inkjet printer according to claim 2 or 3. The second light irradiation device is configured so that the range in which the light from the second light source is irradiated can be changed with respect to the relative moving direction of the recording medium.
The parameters relating to the control of the second light irradiation device include parameters relating to the light irradiation range of the second light source with respect to the relative moving direction of the recording medium.
The parameter setting unit includes a second setting unit that sets the irradiation range of the light of the second light source with respect to the relative moving direction of the recording medium based on the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern. ,
The control device includes an irradiation position control unit that controls the second light irradiation device so that the irradiation range of the light of the second light source becomes the irradiation range set by the second setting unit.
The inkjet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The second light irradiation device includes a light source moving device that moves the second light source in a relative moving direction of the recording medium.
The second setting unit is configured to set the position of the second light source with respect to the relative moving direction of the recording medium based on the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern.
The irradiation position control unit is configured to control the light source moving device to position the second light source at a position set by the second setting unit.
The inkjet printer according to claim 5. The second light source includes a plurality of light emitters arranged in a relative moving direction of the recording medium.
The irradiation position control unit is configured to control lighting or extinguishing of the plurality of light emitters so that the irradiation range of the light of the second light source becomes the irradiation range set by the second setting unit. ,
The inkjet printer according to claim 5. When the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern is smaller than a predetermined reference size by a predetermined amount or more, the second setting unit of the second light source with respect to the relative moving direction of the recording medium. When the light irradiation range is set downstream from the predetermined reference position and the size of the cured ink dots in the test pattern is larger than the reference size by a predetermined amount or more, the relative moving direction of the recording medium. The irradiation range of the light of the second light source is set upstream from the reference position.
The inkjet printer according to any one of claims 5 to 7. In the parameter setting unit, the amount of deviation between the size of the ink dots after curing in the test pattern and the predetermined reference size is ranked into a plurality of ranks, and the first item regarding the relative moving direction of the recording medium. It is provided with a setting table storage unit that stores a setting table in which the irradiation range of the light of the two light sources is associated with the plurality of ranks.
The second setting unit sets the irradiation range of the light of the second light source with respect to the relative moving direction of the recording medium based on the setting table.
The inkjet printer according to any one of claims 5 to 8. The test pattern forming unit drives the second moving device, the recording head, and the first light irradiation device to form ink dots, thereby forming a first test pattern on the recording medium. It has a forming part,
The inkjet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The test pattern forming unit drives the first moving device, the second moving device, the recording head, the first light irradiation device, and the second light irradiation device to form ink dots, thereby forming the recording. A second test pattern forming unit for forming a second test pattern is provided on the medium.
The inkjet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The second test pattern includes a first layer made of ink dots formed in contact with the recording medium and a second layer made of ink dots formed in contact with the first layer.
The parameter setting unit sets parameters related to control of at least the first light irradiation device and the second light irradiation device based on the size of the ink dots after curing in the second layer.
The inkjet printer according to claim 11.

Images