JP2700578B2 - Recording device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that can maintain a constant ratio of a recording area to a recording sheet even when ambient environment such as temperature and humidity changes.

[Conventional technology]

A recording device such as a printer, a facsimile or a copying machine records an image on a recording medium such as a sheet of paper or a plastic sheet by driving an energy generating unit of an image forming element of a recording head based on recording information. Is configured.

As one type of such a recording apparatus, a recording head having an ink ejection port is used, and ink is ejected from a predetermined ejection port based on recording information transferred from a host computer or the like. 2. Description of the Related Art There is an ink jet recording apparatus configured to record a droplet by attaching it to a recording medium.

Ink jet recording devices are non-impact type recording devices, and have features such as low noise and easy recording of color images using multi-color inks. It is getting.

FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional ink jet recording apparatus.

In FIG. 13, a recording sheet 205 wound in a roll shape
Is transported in the direction of arrow F by driving a feed motor 250 coupled to the feed roller 203 via the feed rollers 203 via the transport rollers 201 and 202.

Across this recording sheet 205, guide rails 206, 20
7 are installed in parallel, and a recording head unit 209 is mounted on a carriage 208 that reciprocates along the guide rail.

In the illustrated example, the recording head unit 209 includes four recording heads 209Y, 209M, 209C, and 209B corresponding to four color inks of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.

Further, the recording head of each color is formed integrally with an ink tank storing ink of the corresponding color.

The recording sheet 205 is intermittently fed by the recording width of the recording head 209, and while the recording sheet 205 is stopped, the recording head 209 moves in the direction of arrow P to eject ink droplets corresponding to the image signal. The recording is performed by discharging and flying onto the recording sheet 205.

[Technical problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above conventional recording apparatus, the recording sheet
Since the 205 expands and contracts depending on the surrounding environment, there are technical problems such as the recording area protruding outside the recording sheet 205 and an image margin increasing.

There is also a technical problem that, after recording on a stretched recording sheet, if the recording sheet shrinks, the size of the recording area changes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium which expands and contracts due to the surrounding environment when an image is recorded in a single pass and then discharged outside the apparatus. Even when the recording area shrinks after recording on the extended recording medium, the size of the recording area changes even if the recording area always protrudes outside the recording medium and the image margin increases. An object of the present invention is to provide a recording device that does not need to perform the recording.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a recording unit that records an image on a recording medium, records the image on the recording medium by passing the recording medium through the recording unit once, and records the image on the recording medium. In a recording apparatus that discharges the recording medium out of the apparatus, a detecting unit that detects a surrounding environment of the recording medium, and when the image is recorded on the recording medium by the recording unit according to the surrounding environment detected by the detecting unit. Magnification adjusting means for adjusting the recording magnification.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a recording apparatus capable of accurately adjusting a recording magnification corresponding to a surrounding environment by adopting a constitution in which the recording magnification can be independently set in two directions in addition to the above constitution. is there.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, a recording apparatus capable of more accurately adjusting the recording magnification with respect to the surrounding environment by employing a configuration in which the recording magnification is changed in accordance with the direction of the gap of the recording sheet. Is provided.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an ink jet recording apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 301 denotes a scanner unit which reads a document and converts it into an electric signal, and the signal is recorded by a recording unit.
A recording signal is supplied to a recording head unit 305 of 302 as a drive signal.

A recording sheet as a recording medium is stored in the sheet feeding unit 303, and the recording sheets are transferred one by one to the belt transport unit 304 when necessary.
Sent out to.

When the recording sheet passes through the belt transport unit 304,
The image is recorded by the recording head unit 305, and is sent to a tray 308 via a fixing sheet discharging unit 307.

Reference numeral 306 denotes a recovery device which also serves as a cap. The recovery device 306 is for maintaining the recording head 305 in a state in which recording can be performed at any time, that is, a state in which recording liquid (ink) is normally discharged.

 Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of each unit will be described.

First, the principle of ejection of the print head of this embodiment, that is, the print head 305 of the ink jet system will be described.

Recording head 305 used in an ink jet recording apparatus
In general, a fine liquid discharge port, a liquid flow path, an energy action portion provided in a part of the liquid flow path, an energy generation means that acts on liquid near the action portion to generate droplet formation energy, And so on.

As the energy generating means, one using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element or the like, irradiating an electromagnetic wave such as a laser to absorb the liquid into a liquid to generate heat, and ejecting and flying a droplet by the action of the generated heat. There is a generating means, or an energy generating means for heating a liquid by an electrothermal converter to discharge droplets.

Among them, a recording head that discharges liquid by thermal energy can arrange recording ports for forming flying droplets at a high density, and can perform recording with high resolution.

A recording head that forms flying droplets with this thermal energy is provided with a liquid flow path corresponding to each discharge port, an electrothermal converter is provided for each liquid flow path, and communicates with each liquid flow path to allow the liquid to flow. A common liquid chamber for supply is provided, and by applying a current to each of the electrothermal transducers based on image information, droplets fly from predetermined discharge ports and adhere to a recording sheet to record an image. It is configured to be.

FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of the recording head.The recording head 101 is a film-shaped electrothermal converter 103 formed on a substrate 102 through a semiconductor structure process such as etching, vapor deposition, or sputtering. 104, a liquid path wall 105, a top plate 106, and the like.

The recording liquid 112 is supplied from a liquid storage chamber (not shown) to the common liquid chamber 108 through the supply pipe 107.

 109 is a connector for the supply pipe 107.

The liquid 112 supplied to the common liquid chamber 108 is supplied into the liquid path 110 by capillary action, forms a meniscus at the discharge port 111 at the tip of the liquid path 110, and is stably held.

Here, when electricity is supplied to the electrothermal converter 103, the liquid on the converter is heated, a foaming phenomenon occurs, and droplets are discharged from the discharge port 111 by the energy of the foaming.

With the above-described configuration, it is possible to obtain a recording head having a high-density discharge port arrangement of 16 discharge ports / mm.

FIG. 10 shows a configuration of a recording liquid (ink) supply means for the recording head of FIG.

In FIG. 10, the recording head 101 is a long head, the ejection ports 111 are arranged to fill the recordable width of the recording sheet, and each of the heating elements 103 provided in the liquid path leading to each ejection port 111 is selected. In this case, the recording liquid can be ejected by driving the recording head to perform recording without the main scanning of the head itself.

In FIG. 10, reference numeral 55 denotes a liquid storage chamber for supplying a recording liquid to the recording head 101, and reference numeral 56 denotes a main tank for replenishing the liquid storage chamber 55 with the recording liquid.

The recording liquid is supplied from the liquid storage chamber 55 to the common liquid chamber 108 of the recording head 101 through the supply pipe 107, and at the time of liquid replenishment, the liquid is supplied from the main tank 56 to the recovery pump 59 via the one-way rectifying valve 58. Then, the recording liquid is replenished to the liquid storage chamber 55.

In the tenth, reference numeral 60 denotes a flow rectifying valve used for a recovery operation for recovering the discharge function, and reference numeral 61 denotes a circulation pipe for circulating liquid to the recording head 101 during the recovery operation.

Reference numeral 62 denotes an electromagnetic valve provided in the supply pipe 107, and reference numeral 63 denotes an air vent valve of the liquid storage chamber 55.

In the recording liquid supply system and the recovery system shown in FIG. 10, at the time of recording, the electromagnetic valve 62 is opened, and the recording liquid is replenished from the liquid storage chamber 55 to the common liquid chamber 108 by its own weight. It is guided to the discharge port 111.

On the other hand, at the time of a recovery operation performed for cooling the recording head 101 while removing air bubbles remaining in the common liquid chamber 108 and the supply system, the recovery pump 59 is driven to cause the recording liquid to flow from the circulation pipe 61 to the common liquid. The recording liquid is circulated along a path that is sent to the chamber 108 and returned from the common liquid chamber 108 to the liquid storage chamber 55 via the supply pipe 107.

Further, at the time of the initial filling of the liquid path 110 and the like, the electromagnetic valve 62 is closed, the recording liquid is pressure-fed to the common liquid chamber 108 through the circulation pipe 61 by the pump 59, and bubbles and the like are discharged from the discharge port 111 together with the recording liquid. I do.

In the scanner unit 301 shown in FIG.
An original scanning unit 402 scans the original 401.

The original scanning unit 402 includes a rod array lens 403,
1x color separation line sensor (color image sensor) 40
4. Built-in exposure lamp 405.

At the same time as the original scanning unit 402 moves and scans in the direction of arrow A to read the image of the original 401 on the original table, the exposure lamp 405 in the original scanning unit 402 is turned on.

The reflected light from the document 401 is guided by a rod array lens 403 and collected by a 1: 1 type color separation line sensor (hereinafter referred to as a reading sensor) 404 having an optical system capable of zooming and zooming, which is a color information reading sensor. Be lighted.

The reading sensor 404 reads color image information of a document for each color and converts it into an electric digital signal.

This digital signal is sent to the recording unit 302, and becomes an ejection recording signal of the recording head for each color.

Next, the recording sheet used in the recording device, that is,
A recording medium such as a sheet or a thin plastic plate will be described.

In the ink jet recording method, recording is performed by flying small droplets of a recording liquid called ink and attaching the droplets to the surface of a recording sheet.

For this reason, it is necessary that the recording liquid does not bleed on the sheet surface and the image is not blurred, and it is required that the attached recording liquid be promptly absorbed into the inside.

In particular, even when recording liquids of different colors adhere to the same place in a short period of time, such as in color recording, there is no phenomenon of bleeding or seepage of the recording liquid, and the spread of recording dots can be limited. A characteristic that does not impair the sharpness of the image quality is required.

These characteristics are not satisfied with copy paper called plain paper used in electrophotographic copying materials, or with recording sheets used as other recording paper.

In these recording sheets, one-color or two-color superposition recording can provide a satisfactory image quality to some extent, but when recording a full-color image by superimposing three or more colors, a satisfactory image quality can be obtained. Absent.

As a recording sheet that satisfies the above characteristics, an ink jet recording apparatus uses a base paper coated with a coating (for example, finely divided silica) to obtain the above characteristics, as disclosed in JP-A-56-14883. Then, a method of recording on the coated surface is adopted.

Therefore, in the recording apparatus described above, the above-mentioned coated sheet is used when performing image recording by superposing three or more colors, and non-coated paper without coating is used when performing recording by superimposing one or two colors. Select to use.

However, no problem arises even if one-color or two-color superposition recording is performed on the coated paper.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 420 denotes a temperature / humidity sensor for detecting the ambient temperature / humidity of the recording sheet in the paper feed cassette 411.

FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating the relationship between the surrounding environment and the growth of the sheet.

Depending on the surrounding environment, a recording sheet such as a sheet expands when the humidity is high and contracts when the humidity is low, as shown in FIG. 3, depending on the surrounding environment.

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are schematic views illustrating dimensions of an image forming area of a recording sheet to which the present invention is applied under a standard environment, a high humidity environment, and a low humidity environment.

In the experiment of the present applicant, an environment of 20 ° C. and a humidity of 50% was set to a standard state, the humidity was sufficiently adjusted in this environment, and the length of the paper in the direction perpendicular to the gap was measured. Was 295 mm. This length is set to a state where the elongation of the sheet is zero.

When the humidity is sufficiently adjusted to a high humidity of 20 ° C. and a humidity of 80%, the elongation of the paper is +4/295 as shown by the solid line in FIG.
When the humidity was sufficiently adjusted to a low humidity of 20 ° C. and a humidity of 20%, the shrinkage of the paper was −4/295.

The length of the paper in the direction parallel to the gap is 208 mm in the standard state of FIG. 4, the elongation at high humidity is +1/208 as shown by the dashed line in FIG. Is -1
/ 208.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the recording apparatus according to the present invention.

In the present embodiment, a temperature / humidity sensor 420 is mounted in a read-type recording device as shown in FIG. 1, and a variable power control unit 11 as shown in FIG. 2 is provided.

In the block diagram of FIG. 2, the central control unit 10 calculates how much the paper expands and contracts based on the ambient temperature and humidity detected by the temperature and humidity sensor 420 that detects the ambient environment, and calculates the amount of expansion and contraction in accordance with the calculation. The image is recorded on the recording sheet by increasing the magnification or decreasing the magnification by the reduced amount.

In the present embodiment, the magnification change control unit 11 is operated with respect to the reading unit 12 having the zoom optical system, and the magnification when reading the image on the document is adjusted to perform the magnification change processing. ing.

The scaled image data read in this manner is supplied to the image processing unit 13.
Is processed by a predetermined program, and the recording unit 302 (FIG. 1)
The recording head 305 (FIG. 1) is driven based on the scaled image data on which the image processing has been performed.

In the standard environment, when the recording area on the recording sheet is 295 × 208 mm as shown by the hatched portion in FIG. 4, when the environment becomes high humidity, the same area spreads to 299 × 209 mm.
If high humidity is detected, increase the magnification in the longitudinal direction to 299/29.
In step 5, the width in the short side direction is set to 209/208 times, and recorded in the area indicated by the hatched portion in FIG.

When the humidity becomes low, the same area is reduced to 291 × 207 mm. At this time, the magnification is set to 291/295 in the longitudinal direction and 207/208 in the lateral direction, and recorded in the area indicated by the shaded area in FIG. I do.

The means for changing the read magnification is based on a well-known zoom optical system.

In this way, even when the recording sheet expands or contracts due to the surrounding environment, it is possible to prevent the recording area from protruding outside the recording sheet or increasing the image margin.

According to the embodiment described above, the configuration is such that the width of the recording area with respect to the standard state can be adjusted based on the expansion and contraction rate of the outer recording sheet according to the level of the temperature and humidity around the recording sheet. Even when the recording sheet expands and contracts due to the surrounding environment, it is possible to prevent the recording area from protruding outside the recording sheet or to increase the image margin, and further, after recording on the recording sheet in the stretched state. Thus, a recording apparatus in which the size of the recording area does not change even when the recording sheet shrinks was obtained.

In addition, it is preferable that the width of the recording area is adjusted so that the recording magnification is set independently in two directions when the expansion and contraction ratio has a direction depending on the material structure of the recording sheet.

In particular, since the expansion / contraction ratio with respect to the temperature and the humidity varies depending on the direction of the gap in the normal paper, it is preferable that the recording magnification is changed in accordance with the direction of the gap of the recording sheet.

In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, as a magnification changing means, the magnification changing system control section 11 is provided with a reading section having a zoom optical system.
Although the case where the configuration that operates is adopted is shown in FIG. 12, the configuration of the scaling means is not limited to this.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram corresponding to FIG. 2, showing the configuration of another embodiment in which the arrangement of the scaling means is changed.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the scaling means is constituted by a scaling system control section 11 operating on the image processing section 13.

As an example of the scaling process performed by the image processing unit, there is a process in which read data is padded and recorded at the time of enlargement, and the read data is thinned and recorded at the time of contraction.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a dot arrangement of a certain image;
FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating a dot array after the image of FIG. 8 is scaled.

In other words, when the image shown in FIG. 8 is padded and recorded at the time of enlargement by the scaling process, and enlarged vertically and horizontally by 10/9, an image as shown in FIG. 9 is obtained.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration of another embodiment in which the arrangement of the scaling means is further changed.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the zooming means includes a recording unit 302 (first
(Fig. 1).

The recording density of the recording unit 302 can be adjusted by changing the pitch of the recording element row or changing the conveying speed of the recording sheet.

Therefore, in FIG. 12, according to the ambient temperature and humidity detected by the ambient temperature / humidity detecting unit 420, the recording density is controlled by the recording density adjusting means so as to control the magnification.
Such scaling processing means operating on the recording unit 302 can also be used as the magnification adjusting means of the present invention.

In each of the embodiments described above, the case where the present invention is applied to the ink jet recording apparatus has been described, but the present invention is applicable to other recording methods such as a thermal recording apparatus, a wire dot recording apparatus, and a laser beam recording apparatus. The same can be applied to a recording device.

〔The invention's effect〕

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a recording unit that records an image on a recording medium is provided, and the recording medium is passed through the recording unit once to record the image on the recording medium, In a recording apparatus that ejects the recording medium outside the apparatus after image recording, a detecting unit that detects an environment around the recording medium,
A magnification adjusting means for adjusting a recording magnification at the time of recording an image on a recording medium by the recording section in accordance with the surrounding environment detected by the detecting means. When the recording medium is ejected outside the machine after printing, even if the recording medium expands and contracts due to the surrounding environment, the recording area can always be prevented from protruding outside the recording medium and the image margin can be prevented from being increased. A recording apparatus is provided in which the size of a recording area does not change even if the recording medium shrinks after recording.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the recording magnification can be set independently in two directions. Therefore, even when the degree of expansion and contraction of the recording sheet is directional, it is possible to cope with the surrounding environment. A recording apparatus capable of precisely adjusting the recording magnification is obtained.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, the recording magnification is changed in accordance with the direction of the gap of the recording sheet. A recording apparatus capable of absorbing the influence and accurately adjusting the recording magnification with respect to the surrounding environment in all directions can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG.
The figures are graphs showing the expansion and contraction characteristics of the recording sheet according to the surrounding environment, and FIGS. 4 to 6 are schematic diagrams showing the dimensions of the recording area in the standard environment, high humidity environment and low humidity environment when the present invention is applied. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a control system of a recording apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 shows an image dot arrangement in a standard environment when the scaling means according to the present invention is applied to an image processing section. FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing an image dot arrangement when the scaling means according to the present invention is applied to an image processing section and enlarged, and FIG. 10 is a recording apparatus suitable for applying the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a liquid supply system and a recovery system, FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating the structure of a recording head of a recording apparatus suitable for applying the present invention, and FIG. Of another embodiment of the present invention in which the recording unit is operated by the recording unit. Block diagram of the system, Fig. 13 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional recording apparatus. 10 central control unit, 11 variable power control unit (magnification adjusting means), 12 reading unit, 13 image processing unit, 302 recording unit, 420 temperature and humidity sensor (detection unit) .

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A recording section for recording an image on a recording medium, wherein the recording medium is passed through the recording section once to record an image on the recording medium, and after recording the image, the recording medium is externally mounted. Detecting means for detecting the surrounding environment of the recording medium; and a magnification for adjusting a recording magnification at the time of recording an image on the recording medium by the recording unit according to the surrounding environment detected by the detecting means. A recording device, comprising: adjusting means. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording magnification can be set independently in two directions. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the one-time magnification of the recording is changed in accordance with the direction of the gap in the recording medium.