JP3904060B2 - Inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording type recording apparatus that ejects ink toward recording paper, and more particularly to a business type ink jet recording apparatus that requires a receipt or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in minilabs for photo print services, every time a photo print is ordered, the receipt or return bag is printed using a printer other than the image printing device, and then the print is completed. It was common to collate with photos taken. For this reason, a printed photograph and a receipt or a return bag may become inconsistent due to a collation error or the like. In addition, manual verification is complicated and takes time.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention makes it possible to print photographic image prints in conjunction with prints such as receipts and return bags in a minilab or the like for a photographic print service as described above, and eliminates the need for collation and eliminates the labor of collation. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus that can be used.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To achieve the above object, the first ink-jet recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of conveying means capable of carrying respective recording medium multiple through a plurality of conveying path provided in parallel with each other, said plurality Recording means configured to record an image in a direction substantially intersecting the transport direction of each of the recording media in the transport path, and recording a photographic image on one of the plurality of recording media, Character information related to the photographic image is recorded on the recording medium .
[0005]
According to this ink jet recording apparatus, a plurality of recording media can be separately conveyed by a plurality of parallel conveyance paths, and can be recorded on a plurality of recording media by the recording means, so that a plurality of image information related to each other is synchronized by the recording means. Can be recorded on each recording medium, and the trouble of collating each recording medium can be saved . It is possible to print a photographic image on a certain recording medium and print character information related to the photographic image information on another recording medium at the same time timing. For this reason, since it is not necessary to perform collation of both each time, there is no collation mistake and the labor of collation can be saved. Further, since recording can be performed on a plurality of recording media using a common recording means, for example, a printer for printing such as a receipt or a packaging bag is not required, and the overall configuration of the apparatus can be reduced, and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced. .
[0006]
A second ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of transport units capable of transporting a plurality of recording media through a plurality of transport paths provided in parallel to each other, and a transport direction of each recording medium in the plurality of transport paths. A recording unit configured to record an image in a direction substantially intersecting with the recording unit, and a control unit configured to control the recording unit to record on the plurality of recording media at different main scanning speeds. It is characterized by.
[0007]
A third ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of transport units capable of transporting a plurality of recording media through a plurality of transport paths provided in parallel to each other, and a transport direction of each recording medium in the plurality of transport paths. And a recording means configured to be able to record an image in a direction substantially intersecting the recording medium, wherein a photographic image is recorded on one of the plurality of recording media, and the recording order of the photographic image is recorded on the other recording medium The related character information is recorded .
[0008]
A fourth ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a first transport path for transporting a first recording medium, and a second transport path for transporting a second recording medium and provided in parallel with the first transport path. And a direction that substantially intersects with the recording medium conveyance direction of the first and second conveyance paths, and is movable across the first and second conveyance paths, and the first and second recording media Recording means for recording an image, information on a photographic image to be recorded on the first recording medium, information on the photographic image to be recorded on the second recording medium, or ordering of the photographic image A memory for recording information, and a controller for controlling the recording means and the first and second transport paths based on the information recorded on the first and second recording media read from the memory. It is characterized by.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a main part of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the inkjet recording apparatus.
[0010]
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the ink jet recording apparatus uses the first transport path 11 through which the photographic image recording papers A1 to A3 cut to a predetermined size pass in order, and photographs on the first transport path 11. An image recording paper transport unit 25 (FIG. 2) that drives a pair of transport rollers 3 and 4 for transporting the image recording papers A1 to A3 in the transport direction F by a motor (not shown), and a roll body wound in a roll shape The second conveyance path 12 through which the receipt recording paper B drawn from 10 passes, and the conveyance roller pairs 5 and 6 that convey the receipt recording paper B in the conveyance direction F through the second conveyance path 12 are motors (not shown). ) Driven by the receipt paper transport unit 26 (FIG. 2), the ink head 1 capable of performing recording by ejecting ink onto each recording paper through the transport paths 11 and 12, and the ink head 1 with the guide rail 2 It is almost orthogonal to the transport direction F while guiding with It comprises a direction H motor (width direction of the recording paper) ink head moving unit 24 that moves by (not shown) or the like (FIG. 2), a.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 1, the first conveyance path 11 and the second conveyance path 12 are arranged substantially in parallel, and each recording sheet is conveyed in the same conveyance direction F in each of the conveyance paths 11 and 12. The ink head 1 is a serial head in which a large number of nozzles that respectively eject YMCK four-color inks are arranged. During recording on the recording paper, the ink head 1 moves in the width direction H (main scanning direction) of the recording paper in FIG. When the ink is ejected onto the recording paper and recorded on another recording paper, the ink is moved from the first transport path 11 to the second transport path 12 and in the opposite direction.
[0012]
The nozzles of the ink head 1 are composed of piezo elements that are shear-deformed by application of a voltage, and are subjected to shear deformation in accordance with the voltage level of each input drive signal, and ink is ejected to write an image on a recording medium. To do. The configuration of the ink ejection nozzle may be other than a shear deformation method using a piezoelectric element (piezoelectric element), and can be arbitrarily selected from known methods such as a high voltage method and a bubble burst method. In addition, the ink head may be composed of a line head that does not move in the main scanning direction during image recording. In this case, the line head is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the transport direction F, and the first transport path 11 and the first head. It can be configured to be movable between the two transport paths 12.
[0013]
Further, the photographic image recording papers A1 to A3 have a heat-meltable resin layer made of latex particles or the like formed on their image recording surfaces, and pigment ink is used as the ink ejected from the ink head 1, as shown in FIG. A glossy color image can be formed by heating and pressurizing in a fixing unit (not shown) arranged on the downstream side in the transport direction F. Further, since the pigment ink is used, the recording medium after recording is free from fading due to light or oxygen, and long-term image storage stability can be realized. The receipt recording paper B may be plain paper because it only needs to print the character information (orderer, billing amount, date, number of prints, etc.) related to the print photo order. Further, instead of the recording paper B for receipt, for example, a photo return bag (DP bag) or a DP bag attached seal sheet may be used.
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 2, the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. 1 includes a control unit 20 for controlling the entire apparatus, an image data signal for photographic image information of a print order received or input from the outside, and A memory 21 such as a hard disk device for storing a character information signal related to a print order, an operation panel 22 that allows a user to input various control information, and an image data signal or character information signal from the image memory 11 And a head drive circuit 23 for generating a drive signal for driving the ink head 1 so as to eject ink from the ink head 1 based on the above.
[0015]
The control unit 20 in FIG. 2 controls the ink head moving unit 24 to control each movement of the ink head 1 in the direction H, and also controls the image recording paper transport unit 25 and the receipt paper transport unit 26 to perform each transport. The conveyance of each recording sheet by the rollers 3 to 6 is controlled, and the recording sheet is conveyed in the conveying direction F and sub-scanned in synchronization with the completion of writing for one line by the ink head 1.
[0016]
Next, the operation of the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the inkjet recording apparatus receives or inputs photographic image information such as an electronic camera as photographic image information of a print order, and further receives or inputs receipt information related to the print order, and receives photographic image information and receipt information. The data are stored in the memory 21 in association with each other (S01). Next, this photographic image information is read out, ink is ejected from the ink head 1 onto the recording paper A2 in the first transport path 11 as shown in FIG. 1, image recording is performed, and the photographic image is printed on the recording paper ( S02).
[0017]
Next, it is determined whether or not all the photographic image information has been printed (S03), and a plurality of photographic images are printed in sequence until the printing is completed. After the printing of the photographic images is completed, the ink head 1 is moved to the second transport path. After moving to the side 12 (S04), the receipt information related to the photographic information printed in step S02 is read from the memory 21 and the receipt information, which is character information, is printed on the recording paper B (S05). If information relating to the next print order is stored in the memory 21 (S06), the process returns to step S02, the ink head 1 is returned to the first transport path 11 side, and the next print is performed.
[0018]
As described above, after printing of a photographic image of a print order, receipt information related to the print order can be printed and recorded in synchronization with each other. There is no need for collation, there is no collation error, and the labor of collation can be saved, thereby contributing to labor saving. In addition, since it is possible to record with a common ink head for photographic recording paper and receipt recording paper, it is not necessary to prepare a separate printer and print on a receipt or a packaging bag as in the prior art. Can be reduced in size, and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.
[0019]
Also, in general, for business purposes such as minilabs, it is normal for multiple photos to be printed per order, so when printing on photo return bags (DP bags) or stickers attached to DP bags One sheet may be prepared per order. Accordingly, the receipt information may be printed after completion of a plurality of photo prints as in steps S02 to S05, or may be performed before the start of photo prints.
[0020]
Furthermore, according to the configuration of the present invention, it is possible to carry out recording of photographic image information and recording of a receipt, etc., for example, related character information such as a receipt in parallel with printing of the last photographic image of one order. Or related character information such as a receipt can be recorded in parallel with the printing of the first photographic image of one order, and the efficiency of the recording time per order can be realized.
[0021]
In the operation state where only the photographic image information is recorded (S02), the ink head reaches the position corresponding to the width of the first transport path 11 or the width of the sheet paper transported in the first transport path 11. In the operation step (S05) in which only a receipt, a photo return bag (DP bag), a DP bag attached seal sheet, etc. are recorded, the width of the second conveyance path 12 or What is necessary is just to implement reciprocating scanning to the position corresponding to the width | variety of the paper conveyed by the 2nd conveyance path 12. FIG. When printing is performed in parallel at the same time, reciprocal scanning is performed across the first transport path 11 and the second transport path 12.
[0022]
Further, since the recording resolution of the recording paper B for receipt in the second transport path 12 may be coarser than that of the photographic image, the transport speed in the transport direction F may be increased, and the main scanning direction of the ink head 1 may be used. The movement speed of the receipt information may be increased, and the printing of the receipt information can be accelerated.
[0023]
As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. For example, it is needless to say that the recording medium conveyance path may be provided in three or more. Further, FIG. 1 shows an aspect of scanning recording of the ink head across the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path. However, when the ink head is composed of a line head, the line head is Of course, it may be arranged so as to extend over one conveyance path and the second conveyance path.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of image information related to each other can be recorded on each recording medium in synchronization with the recording means, and the trouble of collating each recording medium can be saved. For example, in a minilab or the like for a photo print service, a photographic image print and a print such as a receipt or a return bag can be printed in synchronization with each other, so that there is no verification error and the time for verification can be saved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a main part of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control system of the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG.
3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. 1;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink head 3-6 Conveyance roller pair 11 1st conveyance path 12 2nd conveyance path 24 Ink head moving part 25 Image recording paper conveyance part 26 Receipt paper conveyance part A1-A3 Photographic recording paper B Receipt recording paper F Recording medium transport direction H Direction perpendicular to transport direction H

Claims (4)

A plurality of conveying means capable of carrying respective recording medium multiple through a plurality of conveying path provided in parallel with each other,
A recording unit configured to record an image in a direction substantially intersecting with a conveyance direction of each recording medium in the plurality of conveyance paths;
An inkjet recording apparatus, wherein a photographic image is recorded on one of the plurality of recording media, and character information related to the photographic image is recorded on the other recording medium . A plurality of conveying means capable of respectively conveying a plurality of recording media through a plurality of conveying paths provided in parallel with each other;
A recording unit configured to record an image in a direction substantially intersecting with a conveyance direction of each recording medium in the plurality of conveyance paths;
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls the recording unit to perform recording on the plurality of recording media at different main scanning speeds . A plurality of conveying means capable of respectively conveying a plurality of recording media through a plurality of conveying paths provided in parallel with each other;
And a recording unit configured to allow a direction to the image recording substantially intersecting the conveying direction of the respective recording medium in said plurality of transport paths,
An inkjet recording apparatus, wherein a photographic image is recorded on one of the plurality of recording media, and character information relating to a recording order of the photographic image is recorded on the other recording medium . A first transport path for transporting the first recording medium;
A second conveyance path that conveys the second recording medium and is provided in parallel with the first conveyance path;
A direction that substantially intersects the conveyance direction of the recording medium in the first and second conveyance paths, is movable across the first and second conveyance paths, and is relative to the first and second recording media. Recording means for recording an image,
A memory for recording information on a photographic image to be recorded on the first recording medium and information on the photographic image to be recorded on the second recording medium or information on an order for the photographic image;
An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: the recording unit and a control unit that controls the first and second transport paths based on information recorded on the first and second recording media read from the memory. .

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