JP4470495B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and more particularly to an image recording apparatus using transparent ink.

  In general, an inkjet image recording apparatus has been known as an image recording apparatus that can respond flexibly to the demand for a small quantity and a wide variety of products. An inkjet image recording apparatus records an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink from nozzles provided on the surface of the recording head facing the recording medium and landing and fixing on the recording medium. Unlike the image recording means using the gravure printing method or flexographic printing method, a plate making process is not required, so that it can easily and quickly respond to a small amount of demand. In addition, there is an advantage that color image recording can be easily performed by using multi-color ink with less noise.

  In recent years, an inkjet image recording apparatus using a photocurable ink has been known as an image recording apparatus compatible with various recording media (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This is because a photocurable ink containing a photoinitiator having a predetermined sensitivity to light such as ultraviolet rays is used, and the ink is cured by irradiating the ink landed on the recording medium with light. It is to fix on top. Inkjet image recording devices using such photo-curable inks are hardened instantaneously by irradiating light after landing on the ink, so there is little ink penetration or bleeding into the recording medium, and plain paper Needless to say, it is possible to perform image recording on a recording medium such as plastic or metal which does not have an ink receiving layer and has no ink absorbability.

  However, in general, when image recording is performed using a recording medium having an ink receiving layer using water-based ink or oil-based ink, most of the ink is absorbed by the recording medium, whereas photocurable ink is used. When recording an image using a recording medium having no ink-receiving layer, the ink is cured and fixed at the same time as light is irradiated and is not absorbed by the recording medium, so that the ink remains on the surface of the recording medium, The ink is cured with the ink landing portion raised.

  For this reason, it is recognized as a variation in glossiness when visually observed due to roughness or unevenness in the recorded image or the smoothness of the surface of the recording medium being impaired. There is a problem that it is not possible to perform proper image recording.

In this regard, as a technique for eliminating the uneven glossiness generated on the surface of the recording medium and further improving the storability of the recorded image, an ink containing no colorant (hereinafter referred to as “transparent ink”) is used for image recording. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).
JP 2001-310454 A JP 2003-191601 A

  However, even if the transparent ink is used for image recording, if the light for curing the ink is uniformly irradiated, the basic color ink and the transparent ink are cured and fixed separately, and the surface of the recorded image is rough or uneven. There is a problem that high-quality image quality cannot be obtained because the glossiness of the entire image is not uniformed due to the occurrence of a portion where the glossiness is strong and weak depending on the portion. The glossiness of the recorded image varies depending on the user's preference and the type of image. However, even if transparent ink is used in addition to the basic color ink, recording is performed when light is uniformly irradiated. There is a problem that the glossiness of the image cannot be selected and a desired glossiness cannot be obtained individually.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. When image recording is performed using photocurable ink, the glossiness of the entire image is made uniform and high-definition image recording is performed. An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus capable of obtaining an image having a desired glossiness.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is directed to a basic color recording head that discharges a photocurable basic color ink that is cured by light irradiation, and a photocurable transparent ink. In an image recording apparatus comprising a recording head for transparent ink and performing image recording while conveying a recording medium in a certain direction,
Light irradiation for irradiating each ink ejected on the recording medium downstream of the basic color recording head in the recording medium transport direction and downstream of the transparent ink recording head in the recording medium transport direction. A light emitting device disposed between the recording head for ejecting ink firstly and the recording head for ejecting ink later among the recording head for basic color and the recording head for transparent ink. A control device that controls the irradiation amount according to the glossiness of the desired image is provided.

In the invention according to claim 1 having such a configuration, in the line printing type image recording apparatus, the recording head for ejecting ink first and the ink after the recording head for the basic color and the recording head for transparent ink. The amount of light emitted by the light irradiation device positioned between the recording head and the recording head to be ejected is controlled by the control device according to the desired glossiness of the image, and light is emitted after the previously ejected ink has landed on the recording medium. The timing until irradiating can be changed.

Further, the invention described in claim 2 is a basic color recording head that ejects a photocurable basic color ink that is cured by irradiating light, and a transparent ink recording head that ejects a photocurable transparent ink. An image recording apparatus for recording an image while transporting the recording medium in a fixed direction and reciprocally moving the recording heads in a main scanning direction perpendicular to the recording medium transport direction.
A light irradiating device for irradiating each ink ejected on the recording medium is disposed upstream of the basic color recording head in the moving direction and upstream of the transparent ink recording head in the moving direction. , desires dose of light by the light irradiation apparatus which is located between the recording head for ejecting ink after a recording head for ejecting ink out destination of the basic color recording head and the transparent ink recording head A control device that controls the glossiness of the image is provided.

Therefore, according to the second aspect of the present invention, in the serial printing type image recording apparatus, the primary color recording head and the transparent ink recording head, the recording head for discharging ink first, and the recording head for discharging ink later, The amount of light emitted by the light irradiating device positioned between the two is controlled by the control device in accordance with the desired glossiness of the image, until the ink ejected on the recording medium hits the recording medium until the light is irradiated The timing can be changed.

  Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the second aspect, each recording head ejects ink only when scanning in one direction to perform image recording, and the basic color recording The transparent ink recording head is disposed on the upstream side in the moving direction during image recording of the head, and the light irradiation device is disposed on the upstream side in the moving direction during image recording of each recording head. .

  As described above, according to the third aspect of the present invention, in the serial printing type image recording apparatus that performs one-way image recording, the transparent ink is ejected after ejecting the basic color ink.

  Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the second aspect, each recording head performs image recording by ejecting ink when bidirectionally scanning, and the basic color recording head. The transparent ink recording heads are arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side in the moving direction, respectively, and the light irradiation devices are arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side in the moving direction of the basic color recording head and the transparent ink recording head, respectively. It is characterized by that.

  Therefore, according to the fourth aspect of the invention, bidirectional image recording can be performed in a serial print type image recording apparatus that records images using basic color ink and transparent ink. ing.

The invention according to claim 5 is the image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising selection means for selecting a degree of glossiness of the recorded image, wherein the control apparatus The light irradiation device is controlled to be turned on / off, the amount of light, the irradiation time, or the light irradiation timing from the light irradiation device in accordance with the glossiness of the image selected by the selection means.

  Thus, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the degree of gloss of the recorded image can be selected by the selection means.

  Furthermore, the invention according to claim 6 is the image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the selection unit selects to perform glossy image recording, The control device turns off the light irradiation device positioned between the recording head for ejecting ink first and the recording head for ejecting ink later among the recording head for basic color and the recording head for transparent ink. And when the selection means selects that glossy image recording is performed, the control device performs recording in which ink is ejected first between the basic color recording head and the transparent ink recording head. Control is performed so that the light irradiation device positioned between the head and a recording head for discharging ink later is turned on.

  In this way, the invention according to claim 6 is the light irradiation positioned between the recording head for ejecting ink first and the recording head for ejecting ink later, among the recording head for basic color and the recording head for transparent ink. The drive of the device is controlled according to the image quality by the control device, and the degree of glossiness of the recorded image is selected by changing the timing from when the previously ejected ink hits the recording medium until it is irradiated with light Can be done.

Further, according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, a plurality of the basic color recording heads are provided, and the basic color recording heads are provided between the basic color recording heads. Each of the light irradiation devices is arranged, and the control device turns on / off the light irradiation device, the light amount, the irradiation time, or the light irradiation from the light irradiation device according to the glossiness of the image selected by the selection unit. It is characterized by controlling timing .

  As described above, the invention according to claim 7 irradiates the ink ejected from each basic color recording head with light from the light irradiation device provided between the basic color recording heads, and cures and fixes the ink. It is supposed to let you.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the basic color ink includes at least inks of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. It is said.

  In the invention according to claim 8 having such a configuration, image recording is performed using at least each ink of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black as the basic color ink.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the ink is ultraviolet curable ink that is cured by irradiating with ultraviolet rays, and the light irradiation device. Is characterized in that at least a part of the light irradiated from is ultraviolet rays.

  In the invention according to claim 9 having such a configuration, the ink is cured and fixed by irradiating the ink landed on the recording medium with ultraviolet rays, and a predetermined image is formed. .

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the line print type image recording apparatus, the ink discharged first from the basic color ink and the transparent ink lands on the recording medium until light is irradiated. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the degree of the dot diameter expansion of the ink ejected earlier and the degree of mixing with the ink ejected later. As a result, it is possible to select whether the image quality of the recorded image is glossy or matte with no glossiness, and high-definition image recording having a desired glossiness can be performed. There is an effect that can be done.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the serial printing type image recording apparatus, the ink ejected first from the basic color ink and the transparent ink reaches the recording medium until light is irradiated. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the degree of the dot diameter expansion of the ink ejected earlier and the degree of mixing with the ink ejected later. As a result, it is possible to select whether the image quality of the recorded image is glossy or matte with no glossiness, and high-definition image recording having a desired glossiness can be performed. There is an effect that can be done.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, in a serial print type image recording apparatus that performs one-way image recording, the glossiness of a recorded image is efficiently uniformed with a minimum light source, and a desired glossiness is achieved. High-definition image recording can be performed. Further, since the transparent ink is ejected after ejecting the basic color ink, it is possible to form a recorded image with high image storage stability.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in a serial print type image recording apparatus that performs bidirectional image recording, the glossiness of the recorded image is made uniform, and high-definition image recording having a desired glossiness is achieved. It can be performed. Further, since the transparent ink can be ejected after ejecting the basic color ink, it is possible to form a recorded image with high image storability.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the degree of glossiness of the recorded image can be selected by the selection means, an image having an appropriate glossiness is recorded according to the user's preference, the type of image, and the like. Therefore, there is an effect that high-definition image recording can be performed.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, from the time when the previously ejected ink has landed on the recording medium by controlling the driving of the light irradiation device according to the selected image quality, the light is irradiated. It is possible to change the timing and adjust the extent of the dot diameter expansion of the ink ejected earlier and the degree of mixing with the ink ejected later, so according to the user's preference and the type of image etc. As a result, it is possible to record an image with an appropriate glossiness, and it is possible to perform high-definition image recording.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the ink ejected from the basic color recording heads is irradiated with light from the light irradiation device provided between the basic color recording heads to be cured and fixed. Thus, it is possible to always perform high-definition image recording.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since image recording is performed using at least cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks as the basic color ink, it is possible to perform colorful image recording. Play.

  According to the invention described in claim 9, since the ink is cured and fixed by irradiating ultraviolet rays after ink ejection, the recording medium has an ink receiving layer such as paper and has a good ink absorbability, There is an effect that high-definition image recording can be performed on a recording medium having a low ink absorbability such as a resin film or a recording medium having no ink absorbability.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of an image recording apparatus 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the image recording apparatus 1 is a serial printing type image recording apparatus 1. In this image recording apparatus 1, a recording medium P formed in a flat plate shape is placed on a non-recording surface. A platen 2 is provided to support the plate.

  Further, the image recording apparatus 1 includes, for example, a conveyance roller (not shown), and the recording medium P is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow X shown in FIG. 1 by rotating the conveyance roller by the recording medium conveyance mechanism 12 (see FIG. 2). Hereinafter, the recording medium P is conveyed in the conveyance direction (not shown) orthogonal to the “main scanning direction X”.

  Further, a bar-shaped carriage rail 3 is arranged above the platen 2 so as to extend in the main scanning direction X perpendicular to the transport direction. A carriage 4 is supported on the carriage rail 3 so as to reciprocate along the carriage rail 3. The carriage 4 is reciprocated along the main scanning direction X by a carriage drive mechanism 11 (see FIG. 2). It has become so.

  The carriage 4 has four basic colors corresponding to the basic colors (black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y)) used in the image recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. Recording heads 5, 5... Are mounted as a group. Note that the color of the ink used in the image recording apparatus 1 is not limited to this, and for example, colors such as light yellow (LY), light magenta (LM), and light cyan (LC) can be used. In this case, basic color recording heads 5, 5... Corresponding to the respective colors are mounted on the carriage 4.

  Further, on the carriage 4, on both sides of the basic color recording heads 5, 5,... Provided as a group, transparent ink recording heads 6a, 6b for discharging transparent ink (CL) are respectively disposed. ing. The number of transparent ink recording heads 6a, 6b is not limited to one, and a plurality of recording heads may be provided on both sides of the basic color recording heads 5, 5,.

  Further, among the basic color recording heads 5, 5..., Between the basic color recording heads 5 and 5 and the transparent ink recording heads 6a and 6b, and between the transparent ink recording heads 6a and 6b. Between each side wall of the carriage 4, ultraviolet irradiation devices 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d as light irradiation devices are respectively disposed. A plurality of ultraviolet irradiation devices 7 may be arranged at each position. Further, a plurality of ultraviolet irradiation devices 7 may be provided between the respective basic color recording heads 5, 5. By adopting such a configuration, each ink ejected from the recording heads 5, 5,... For each basic color can be cured at an early stage, so that mixing with each basic color ink prevents the image quality from deteriorating. And high-definition image recording can be performed.

  The ultraviolet irradiation devices 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d have ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d that irradiate ultraviolet rays as light for curing and fixing the ink ejected and landed on the recording medium P. As the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d, for example, a high pressure mercury lamp, a low pressure mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp, a semiconductor laser, a cold cathode tube, an excimer lamp, or an LED (Light Emitting Diode) can be applied. is there.

  The ink used in the present embodiment is a photocurable ink having a property of being cured when irradiated with ultraviolet rays as light, and has at least a polymerizable compound (including a known polymerizable compound) as a main component. And a photoinitiator and a coloring material. The photocurable ink is roughly classified into a radical polymerization ink containing a radical polymerizable compound as a polymerizable compound and a cationic polymerization ink containing a cationic polymerizable compound. Both inks are included in this embodiment. Each can be applied as an ink to be used. Further, a hybrid ink in which radical polymerization ink and cation polymerization ink are combined may be applied as the ink used in this embodiment. However, since cationic polymerization inks that have little or no inhibitory action on polymerization reaction due to oxygen are superior in functionality and versatility, it is particularly preferable to use cationic polymerization inks. The cationic polymerization ink is a mixture containing at least a cationic polymerizable compound such as an oxetane compound, an epoxy compound, and a vinyl ether compound, a photocationic initiator, and a coloring material.

  Further, as the recording medium P, recording paper P made of various materials such as various papers such as plain paper, recycled paper, glossy paper, various fabrics, various non-woven fabrics, resin, metal, and glass can be applied. In addition, as the form of the recording medium P, various forms such as a roll form, a cut sheet form, and a plate form are applicable.

  Next, the control configuration of the image recording apparatus 1 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

  The image recording apparatus 1 performs various image recordings such as the image quality such as the glossiness of the recorded image, the type of the recording medium P, and whether the basic color ink or the transparent ink is ejected first. An input unit 9 is provided as selection means for inputting conditions and the like. Information input from the input unit 9 is sent to the control device 10. The input unit 9 is, for example, a keyboard or an operation panel, and the user can select an image quality such as a glossy image quality or a matte image quality without glossiness by operating the keys or the panel. It can be done.

  The control device 10 controls the carriage drive mechanism 11 to reciprocate the carriage 4 along the main scanning direction X, and transports the recording medium P in the transport direction in accordance with the operation of the carriage 4. The operation of the mechanism 12 is controlled.

  The control device 10 is configured to receive image data related to a recorded image input from an external device (not shown) such as a personal computer. The control device 10 receives the received image data and input data. The basic color recording heads 5, 5... And the transparent ink recording heads 6 a and 6 b are operated based on the information input from the unit 9, and inks of appropriate discharge amounts are output from the recording heads 5, 5. And a predetermined image is recorded on the recording medium P. The control device 10 operates each of the recording heads 5, 5... 6a, 6b when the carriage 4 moves in the right direction or the left direction shown in FIG. Ink is ejected to perform image recording.

  Further, the control device 10 controls the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d according to the image quality such as glossiness of the recorded image input from the input unit 9, and turns on the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d. The ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d are turned off, and the amount of ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d is adjusted. Here, the irradiation amount of ultraviolet rays is the product of the amount of ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d and the irradiation time. The amount of ultraviolet rays irradiated increases. Therefore, for example, the control device 10 can adjust the light amount by changing the voltage or current applied to the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d, and increase or decrease the amount of ultraviolet rays irradiated to the ink. Further, when the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d that can control the individual light sources constituting the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d, such as LEDs, are used. The amount of ultraviolet rays irradiated as a whole can be reduced by controlling so that only the part is lit. Further, if the moving speed of the carriage 4 is increased, the time for which the ink is irradiated with ultraviolet rays is shortened. Conversely, if the moving speed of the carriage 4 is decreased, the time for which the ink is irradiated with ultraviolet rays is increased. It is also possible to adjust the irradiation amount of ultraviolet rays without changing the light amounts of the individual light sources 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d.

  Here, when image recording is performed using the basic color ink and the transparent ink, the basic color ink is ejected first and then the transparent ink is ejected thereon, and the transparent ink is ejected first and the basic color is ejected thereon. In some cases, ink is ejected. For example, if the transparent ink is ejected after the basic color ink is ejected and cured and fixed, as shown in FIG. 3A, the mats are cured and fixed without mixing each other, and the mat has no glossiness as a whole. A tone image can be formed. Further, when the basic color ink is ejected first and the transparent ink is ejected before being cured and fixed on the recording medium P, as shown in FIG. By spreading with the transparent ink discharged later and mixing with the transparent ink discharged later, it is possible to form a glossy image as a whole image. The same applies to the case where the transparent ink is ejected first and then the basic color ink is ejected.

  Therefore, when the matte image quality is selected, the control device 10 causes the ink ejected earlier (hereinafter referred to as “primary ink”) to be ejected later (hereinafter referred to as “secondary ink”). In order to prevent mixing, the ultraviolet irradiation device located on the downstream side of the recording head that discharges the primary ink is turned on, and after the primary ink is discharged, the ink is irradiated with ultraviolet rays and cured and fixed. Then, the secondary ink is ejected. On the other hand, when a glossy image quality is selected, the control device 10 turns off the ultraviolet irradiation device located downstream of the recording head that discharges the primary ink, and the primary ink is not cured. In this state, the dot diameter is expanded to the periphery, and the secondary ink is ejected thereon. Further, when an intermediate image quality between the glossy image quality and the matte image quality is selected, the control device 10 includes a recording head that discharges the primary ink and a recording head that discharges the secondary ink. The amount of ultraviolet light emitted from each ultraviolet irradiation device and the movement speed of the carriage are controlled so as to reduce the amount of ultraviolet light in the ultraviolet irradiation device located between them, and the secondary ink is discharged after the secondary ink is discharged. Both inks are completely cured and fixed by the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device located on the downstream side of the recording head. Accordingly, the primary ink and the secondary ink are cured and fixed in a slightly mixed state on the recording medium, and an image having a desired image quality intermediate between the glossy image quality and the matte image quality can be formed. .

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  When the image recording conditions such as whether the recorded image has a glossy image quality or a matte image quality and which of the basic color ink and the transparent ink is ejected first are input from the input unit 9, this information Is sent to the control device 10 as an electrical signal. The control device 10 controls the basic color recording heads 5, 5... And the transparent ink recording heads 6 a and 6 b to start preparation for image recording, and is selected when preparation for image recording is completed. The ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d of the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d necessary for forming an image having an image quality are turned on or the amount of ultraviolet rays is adjusted. Next, the control device 10 controls the recording medium conveying mechanism 12 to convey the recording medium P in a predetermined conveying direction, and the carriage driving mechanism 11 controls the carriage 4 to perform main scanning on the recording medium P. Reciprocate along direction X. At this time, the control device 10 controls the basic color recording heads 5, 5... And the transparent ink recording heads 6 a and 6 b mounted on the carriage 4 so as to meet the selected image quality and image recording conditions. Ink is ejected onto the recording medium P from the recording heads 5, 5... 6a, 6b. The ink landed on the recording medium P is irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d, and an image is recorded on the recording medium P.

  Examples of image recording patterns when the primary ink is basic color ink include the following patterns.

  First, when the input unit 9 is selected to form a glossy image, when the carriage 4 moves to the left in FIG. 1, the control device 10 moves to the uppermost position in the movement direction of the carriage 4. Only the ultraviolet light source 8d of the ultraviolet irradiation device 7d located is turned on, and the other ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c are turned off. The control device 10 controls the recording medium transport mechanism 12 to transport the recording medium P in a predetermined transport direction and controls the basic color recording heads 5, 5... To control the basic colors of the respective colors based on the image data. Ink is ejected, and the transparent ink recording head 6b located upstream of the basic color recording heads 5, 5... In the moving direction of the carriage 4 is controlled to eject the transparent ink. In this case, since the ultraviolet light source 8c of the ultraviolet irradiation device 7c located between the basic color recording heads 5, 5... And the transparent ink recording head 6b is turned off, the basic color recording heads 5, 5. The discharged basic color ink is not cured and fixed, and the dot diameter of the basic color ink is enlarged on the recording medium P. Further, since the transparent ink is discharged from the transparent ink recording head 6b when the basic color ink is in such a state, the basic color ink and the transparent ink are mixed on the recording medium P. Then, ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the ultraviolet ray irradiation device 7d located upstream of the transparent ink recording head 6b, whereby each ink is cured and fixed, as shown in FIG. Is recorded on the recording medium P. When the moving direction of the carriage 4 is switched to the right, the control device 10 irradiates the ultraviolet ray so that only the ultraviolet light source 8a of the ultraviolet ray irradiating device 7a located at the most upstream in the moving direction of the carriage 4 is turned on. Switch devices. Thus, when bidirectional image recording is performed, a glossy image can be recorded even when the carriage 4 is moving in either the right direction or the left direction shown in FIG. .

  Irrespective of the direction in which the carriage 4 moves, the ultraviolet irradiation that is not directly related to the irradiation timing of the ultraviolet rays to the primary ink from when the primary ink is ejected until the secondary ink is ejected. The ultraviolet light sources 8a and 8d of the devices 7a and 7d may be controlled so that they always light. When the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d are used, such as LEDs, that do not require time until they can be irradiated with a predetermined amount of ultraviolet light, the lighting is controlled for each scan. Can be said to be desirable because it contributes to reduction of power consumption. For example, a light source such as a high-pressure mercury lamp that requires time until it can be irradiated with a predetermined amount of ultraviolet light is used as the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d. In this case, it may be desirable to always turn on the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7a and 7d.

  Next, in the case where selection is made from the input unit 9 to form a matte tone image without glossiness, the control device 10 determines the basic color recording heads 5, 5... And the basic color recording heads 5, 5. The ultraviolet light source 8c of the ultraviolet irradiation device 7c positioned between the transparent ink recording head 6b positioned upstream of the carriage 4 in the moving direction of the carriage 4 and the ultraviolet irradiation device 7d positioned upstream of the moving direction of the carriage 4, 8d is turned on, and the other ultraviolet light sources 8a and 8b are turned off. The control device 10 controls the recording medium transport mechanism 12 to transport the recording medium P in a predetermined transport direction and controls the basic color recording heads 5, 5... To control the basic colors of the respective colors based on the image data. Ink is ejected, and the transparent ink recording head 6b located upstream of the basic color recording heads 5, 5... In the moving direction of the carriage 4 is controlled to eject the transparent ink. In this case, the basic color ink discharged earlier is cured and fixed by the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 7c located upstream of the basic color recording heads 5, 5,... Since the ink is cured and fixed by the ultraviolet ray irradiated from the ultraviolet ray irradiation device 7d located on the upstream side of the ink recording head 6b, the basic color ink and the transparent ink are not mixed on the recording medium P. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3A, the respective inks are cured without being mixed with each other, and a matte-like image having no gloss as a whole is recorded on the recording medium P. Also in this case, when the movement direction of the carriage 4 is switched, the control device 10 is positioned upstream of the basic color recording heads 5, 5,... And the basic color recording heads 5, 5,. Switching is performed so that the ultraviolet light source 7b located between the transparent ink recording head 6a and the ultraviolet light sources 8a and 8b of the ultraviolet light irradiation device 7a located in the uppermost stream in the moving direction of the carriage 4 are turned on.

  Note that the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d of the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d may be controlled so that they are always lit regardless of the direction in which the carriage 4 moves. In this case, since the ink is sufficiently irradiated with ultraviolet rays after the landing of the primary ink, the primary ink and the secondary ink are cured and fixed without mixing to form a matte tone image. can do. In addition, as described above, depending on the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d applied to the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d, it is desirable to always turn on the light without controlling the turning on / off for each scan. Because there is also.

  Further, when the selection to form an intermediate quality image is made from the input unit 9, the control device 10 is positioned between the basic color recording heads 5, 5... And the transparent ink recording head 6b. The ultraviolet light source 8c of the ultraviolet irradiating device 7c is controlled so as to reduce the amount of ultraviolet light, the ultraviolet light source 8d of the ultraviolet irradiating device 7d located at the most upstream in the moving direction of the carriage 4 is turned on, and the other ultraviolet light sources 8a , 8b are turned off. The control device 10 controls the recording medium transport mechanism 12 to transport the recording medium P in a predetermined transport direction and controls the basic color recording heads 5, 5... To control the basic colors of the respective colors based on the image data. Ink is ejected, and the transparent ink recording head 6b located upstream of the basic color recording heads 5, 5... In the moving direction of the carriage 4 is controlled to eject the transparent ink. In this case, the basic color ink ejected earlier is cured to such an extent that it cannot be completely cured by the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 7c located upstream of the basic color recording heads 5, 5,. Each ink is completely cured and fixed by discharging the transparent ink and irradiating the ultraviolet ray from the ultraviolet irradiation device 7d located on the upstream side of the recording head 6b for transparent ink. For this reason, the basic color ink is somewhat enlarged in dot diameter after being ejected onto the recording medium P, and is somewhat mixed with the transparent ink ejected later. As a result, an image having an intermediate glossiness is recorded on the recording medium P. Also in this case, when the moving direction of the carriage 4 is switched, the control device 10 switches between the ultraviolet irradiation device 7a to be turned on and the ultraviolet irradiation device 7b to reduce the amount of ultraviolet rays.

  Note that, regardless of which direction the carriage 4 moves, the ultraviolet light sources 8a and 8d of the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7a and 7d are always turned on, and the ultraviolet light sources 8b and 8c of the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7b and 7c always control the amount of ultraviolet irradiation. You may control to light down and to light. In this case, after the landing of the primary ink, the ink is irradiated with an ultraviolet ray that does not completely cure the ink, so that the primary ink and the secondary ink are cured and fixed in a slightly mixed state. Thus, an intermediate quality image can be formed. In addition, as described above, depending on the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d applied to the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7b, 7c7a, and 7d, it may be desirable to always turn on the light without controlling the turning on / off for each scan. Because.

  The control device 10 does not control the ultraviolet irradiation from the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d, and the moving speed of the carriage 4 from the discharge of the basic color ink to the discharge of the transparent ink. By controlling the above, it is possible to change the irradiation amount of the ultraviolet rays with respect to the basic ink ejected earlier, and obtain the same effect. That is, by increasing the moving speed of the carriage 4 from the time when the basic color ink is ejected to the time when the transparent ink is ejected, it is possible to reduce the amount of UV irradiation and form a glossy image. On the other hand, if the moving speed of the carriage 4 is slowed down, the amount of UV irradiation can be increased, and a matte tone image without glossiness can be formed.

  Next, as a pattern for image recording when the primary ink is a transparent ink, for example, there are the following patterns.

  First, when selection is made to form a glossy image from the input unit 9, the control device 10 uses the carriage for the basic color recording heads 5, 5... And the basic color recording heads 5, 5. 4, only the ultraviolet irradiation device 7 c provided between the transparent ink recording head 6 b on the upstream side in the moving direction and the other ultraviolet irradiation devices 7 a, 7 b, 7 d are turned off. Then, the control device 10 discharges the transparent ink from the transparent ink recording head 6a located downstream of the basic color recording heads 5, 5... In the moving direction of the carriage 4, and then the basic color recording heads 5, 5. Basic ink is discharged from Each ink landed on the recording medium P is cured and fixed by ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 7c located upstream of the basic color recording heads 5, 5... In the carriage 4 movement direction, as shown in FIG. Thus, a glossy image is recorded on the recording medium P. In addition, when the moving direction of the carriage 4 is switched, switching of the ultraviolet irradiation device 7b to be lit by the control device 10 is the same as in other cases.

  When the input unit 9 selects to form a matte image without glossiness, the control device 10 controls the basic colors on both sides of the basic color recording heads 5, 5. The ultraviolet light sources 8b and 8c of the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7b and 7c provided adjacent to the color recording heads 5, 5... Are turned on, and the other ultraviolet light sources 7a and 7d are turned off. Then, the control device 10 discharges the transparent ink from the transparent ink recording head 6a located downstream of the basic color recording heads 5, 5,. Ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 7b located on the upstream side of 6a, and the ink is cured and fixed. Thereafter, the basic color ink is ejected from the basic color recording heads 5, 5..., And each ink landed on the recording medium P is located on the upstream side of the basic color recording heads 5, 5. The material is cured and fixed by the ultraviolet rays irradiated from 7c, and a matte image having no glossiness is recorded on the recording medium P as shown in FIG.

  Further, when the selection to form an intermediate quality image is made from the input unit 9, the control device 10 controls the basic color recording heads 5, 5... And the basic color recording heads 5, 5. Control is performed so as to reduce the amount of ultraviolet light of the ultraviolet light source 8b of the ultraviolet irradiation device 7b located between the transparent ink recording head 6a on the downstream side in the moving direction of the carriage 4, and the basic color recording heads 5, 5,. The ultraviolet light source 8c of the ultraviolet irradiation device 7c provided adjacent to the upstream side in the moving direction of the carriage 4 is turned on, and the other ultraviolet light sources 8a and 8d are turned off. Then, the control device 10 controls the transparent ink recording head 6a located downstream of the basic color recording heads 5, 5... In the carriage 4 movement direction to discharge the transparent ink, and further each basic color recording head. The heads 5, 5... Are controlled to discharge basic color inks of the respective colors based on the image data. In this case, the transparent ink previously ejected from the transparent ink recording head 6a is cured to such an extent that it is not completely cured by the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 7b located on the upstream side of the transparent ink recording head 6a. After that, the basic color inks are ejected and irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet irradiation device 7c located on the upstream side of the basic color recording heads 5, 5,. For this reason, after the transparent ink is ejected onto the recording medium P, its dot diameter is somewhat enlarged, and it is mixed somewhat with the basic color ink ejected later. As a result, an image having an intermediate glossiness is recorded on the recording medium P. When the moving direction of the carriage 4 is switched, the control device 10 switches between the ultraviolet irradiation device 7b to be lit and the ultraviolet irradiation device 7c to reduce the amount of ultraviolet light to be irradiated.

  Also in these cases, the control device 10 does not control the ultraviolet irradiation from the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d, but before the basic color ink is discharged after the transparent ink is discharged. Similar to the case where the primary ink is the basic color ink, it is possible to obtain the same effect by controlling the moving speed of the carriage 4 to change the irradiation amount of the ultraviolet rays with respect to the basic ink previously ejected. It is.

  As in the case of each image recording when the primary ink is a transparent ink, a part of the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d of the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d is always lit. Or you may control so that the amount of ultraviolet rays to irradiate may always be decreased. As described above, an image with a desired image quality can be obtained in this way as well, and depending on the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d applied to the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7b, 7c7a, and 7d, the light is turned on / off for each scan. This is because it may be desirable to always turn on the lamp without controlling the lamp.

  According to the present embodiment, by controlling the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d, the other ink is ejected without curing and fixing the previously ejected ink of the basic color ink and the transparent ink, and thereafter Curing and fixing can be performed in a state where the inks are somewhat mixed. For this reason, it is possible to perform high-definition image recording in which the surface of the recorded image is made uniform as a whole without causing roughness or unevenness on the surface of the recorded image or uneven glossiness of the entire image. .

  Also, a single image recording apparatus 1 can selectively record images with different image quality such as glossy image quality, matte image quality without glossiness, and intermediate image quality. It is possible to perform image recording with an optimum image quality according to the type.

  Further, transparent ink recording heads 6a, 6b are arranged on both sides of the basic color recording heads 5, 5,..., And ultraviolet irradiation devices 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d are arranged on both sides of the transparent ink recording heads 6a, 6b. Therefore, one image recording apparatus 1 selectively performs bidirectional image recording for ejecting the basic color ink prior to the transparent ink and image recording for ejecting the transparent ink prior to the basic color ink. It is possible.

  In the present embodiment, the image recording apparatus 1 can selectively perform bidirectional image recording in which basic color ink is ejected prior to transparent ink and image recording in which transparent ink is ejected prior to basic color ink. However, it is also possible to perform one-way image recording by operating only some recording heads and some ultraviolet irradiation devices. In addition, the printer specification is limited to, for example, image recording in which basic color ink is ejected prior to transparent ink or image recording in which transparent ink is ejected prior to basic color ink. Image recording may be performed only when moving in a predetermined one direction. In this way, when the printer specifications are limited, it is not necessary to turn on part of the ultraviolet irradiation device in the carriage, and the transparent ink recording heads are provided on both sides of the basic color recording head. Since it is not necessary, an unnecessary ultraviolet irradiation device or a transparent ink recording head may not be mounted on the carriage 5. In the case of such a configuration, the carriage 5 can be reduced in size and weight. That is, for example, in the case where only the image recording in which the basic color ink is ejected first is performed and the printer specifications are limited so that the image recording is performed only when the carriage moves in one direction, FIG. As shown, the transparent ink recording head 14 is disposed only on the left side of the basic color recording heads 13, 13..., And the ultraviolet irradiation devices 15, 15 are disposed only on both sides of the transparent ink recording head 14. By adopting the arrangement, it is possible to perform image recording by ejecting ink in the order of basic color ink and transparent ink only when the carriage 4 moves in the right direction shown in FIG. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to efficiently uniformize the gloss of the recorded image with a minimum ultraviolet light source, and to perform image recording having a desired gloss. Further, since the transparent ink is ejected after the basic color ink is ejected, it is possible to form a recorded image with high image storage stability.

  In addition, in the case of recording an image of any pattern, the ultraviolet irradiation device located at the uppermost stream in the moving direction of the carriage 4 may be turned on. By adopting such a configuration, each ink can be reliably cured and fixed.

  In the present embodiment, three types of image quality that can be selected have been described: glossy image quality, non-glossy matte image quality, and intermediate image quality. Further subdivided image quality such as those close to a certain image quality or closer to a matte image quality may be selected. In this case, the degree of glossiness is adjusted by the control device 10 controlling the amount of ultraviolet rays emitted from the ultraviolet light sources 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d of the ultraviolet irradiation devices 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the user inputs a desired image quality such as a glossy image quality from the input unit 9, but whether the image to be recorded is a photograph or other, Image recording may be performed by selecting the image quality most suitable for the input image type by inputting the image type.

  In this embodiment, image recording is performed using ink that is cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays. However, the ink is not necessarily limited to this, and for example, ultraviolet rays, electron beams, X-rays, and visible rays are used. The ink may be cured by irradiating light other than ultraviolet rays such as electromagnetic waves such as infrared rays. In this case, a polymerizable compound that is polymerized and cured with light other than ultraviolet light and a photoinitiator that initiates a polymerization reaction between the polymerizable compounds with light other than ultraviolet light are applied to the ink. In the case of using a photocurable ink that is cured by light other than ultraviolet light, a light source that emits the light is applied instead of the ultraviolet light source.

  In addition, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate.

  Next, a second embodiment of the image recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be described.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the image recording apparatus 16 ejects ink from the recording heads 14 and 14 fixed to the main body of the image recording apparatus 16, and conveys the recording medium P by a conveyance mechanism (not shown). The line printing type image recording apparatus 16 for recording an image.

  The image recording device 16 is provided with a platen 17 that holds the recording medium P from the non-recording surface side. Above the platen 17, each basic used in the image recording device 16 in the present embodiment is used. Four basic color recording heads 18, 18,... Corresponding to colors (black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y)) are arranged as a group. Each of the basic color recording heads 18, 18... Has a length dimension substantially equal to the width dimension of the recording medium P, and is provided so as to extend in the width direction of the recording medium P. The color of the ink used in the image recording device 16 is not limited to this, and for example, colors such as light yellow (LY), light magenta (LM), and light cyan (LC) can be used. Are provided with basic color recording heads 18, 18... Corresponding to the respective colors.

  Further, transparent ink recording heads 19a and 19b for discharging the transparent ink (CL) are arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction Y from the basic color recording heads 18, 18,. Has been. Each of the transparent ink recording heads 19a, 19b has a length dimension substantially equal to that of the basic color recording heads 18, 18,..., And is provided in parallel with the basic color recording heads 18, 18.. The number of transparent ink recording heads 19 is not limited to one, and a plurality of transparent ink recording heads 19 may be provided on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction Y with respect to the basic color recording heads 18, 18.

  Further, the recording heads 18, 18... Provided in a group on the downstream side in the transport direction Y and the downstream sides in the transport direction Y of the recording heads 19 a and 19 b for transparent ink are arranged on the downstream side. 18 ..., 19a, 19b are formed with a length approximately equal to the length of the recording head 18 and the ultraviolet irradiation devices 20a, 20b, 20c as the light irradiation devices having ultraviolet light sources 21a, 21b, 21c that irradiate ultraviolet rays as light are adjacent to each other. , 19a, 19b are arranged in parallel.

  Further, the image recording apparatus includes an input unit (not shown) and a control device (not shown) as selection means similar to the first embodiment.

  The control device controls the ultraviolet irradiation devices 20a, 20b, and 20c according to the image quality such as glossiness of the recorded image input from the input unit to turn on the ultraviolet light sources 21a, 21b, and 21c and irradiate ultraviolet rays. The ultraviolet light sources 21a, 21b, and 21c are turned off, and the amount of ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light sources 21a, 21b, and 21c is adjusted. That is, for example, the control device can adjust the amount of light by changing the voltage or current applied to the ultraviolet light sources 21a, 21b, and 21c to increase or decrease the amount of ultraviolet light applied to the ink. As described above, when a light source that can control each light source is used, the amount of ultraviolet rays irradiated as a whole can be reduced by controlling only a part of the light source to light. Furthermore, if the conveyance speed of the recording medium P is fast, the time for which the ultraviolet rays are irradiated to the ink is shortened. Therefore, the amount of ultraviolet rays as a whole decreases, and if the conveyance speed of the recording medium P is slow, the ink is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. Since the irradiation time of the recording medium P is increased because the time required for the recording is increased, the amount of irradiated ultraviolet light can be adjusted by controlling the conveyance speed of the recording medium P.

  When image recording is performed using basic color ink and transparent ink, the basic color ink is ejected first and then the transparent ink is ejected thereon, and the transparent ink is ejected first and the basic color ink is ejected thereon. When the basic color ink is ejected first, the ink is ejected from the transparent ink recording head 19a located upstream in the transport direction Y from the basic color recording heads 18, 18,. First, after the basic color ink is ejected from the basic color recording heads 18, 18,..., The transparent ink is output from the transparent ink recording head 19b located downstream in the transport direction Y from the basic color recording heads 18, 18.. Is to be discharged. On the contrary, when the basic color ink is discharged after the transparent ink is discharged first, from the transparent ink recording head 19a located upstream in the transport direction Y from the basic color recording heads 18, 18,. After the ink is ejected, control is performed so that the basic color ink is ejected from the basic color recording heads 18, 18.

  At this time, after the previously ejected ink (hereinafter referred to as “primary ink”) is cured and fixed, the ink ejected later (hereinafter referred to as “secondary ink”) is ejected. Thus, the ink can be cured and fixed without being mixed, and a matte tone image having no gloss can be formed as a whole. In addition, if the secondary ink is ejected after the primary ink is ejected and before being cured and fixed on the recording medium P, the first ejected primary ink spreads on the recording medium P, and later By mixing with the discharged secondary ink, it is possible to form a glossy image as a whole image. In addition, when the secondary ink is ejected after the primary ink has been cured to a degree that does not completely cure, each ink is cured in a slightly mixed state, so that glossy image quality and matte image quality are achieved. An intermediate quality image can be formed. Therefore, when the matte image quality is selected, the control device turns on the ultraviolet irradiation device located downstream in the transport direction Y from the recording head that discharges the primary ink, and discharges the primary ink. After that, the ink is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure and fix the ink, and then the secondary ink is ejected. In contrast, when a glossy image quality is selected, the control device turns off the ultraviolet irradiation device located downstream of the recording head that discharges the primary ink, and the primary ink is not cured. The state is such that the dot diameter expands to the periphery, and the secondary ink is ejected thereon, and ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device so that the ink is mixed and cured and fixed. In addition, when an intermediate image quality between the glossy image quality and the matte image quality is selected, the control device is arranged between the recording head that discharges the primary ink and the recording head that discharges the secondary ink. The ultraviolet ray irradiation device located in the position is controlled to reduce the amount of ultraviolet rays, and after the secondary ink is ejected, the ultraviolet ray irradiation device located downstream of the recording head that ejected the secondary ink is irradiated. Both inks are completely cured and fixed by ultraviolet rays. Accordingly, the primary ink and the secondary ink are cured and fixed in a slightly mixed state on the recording medium, and an image having a desired image quality intermediate between the glossy image quality and the matte image quality can be formed. .

  Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  Selected when the image recording conditions such as whether the recorded image has a glossy image quality or a matte image quality and whether the basic color ink or the transparent ink is ejected first are input from the input unit. The ultraviolet light sources 21a, 21b, and 21c of the ultraviolet irradiation devices 20a, 20b, and 20c necessary for forming an image of an image quality are turned on or the amount of ultraviolet rays is adjusted. When the recording medium P is transported in the transport direction Y and reaches a predetermined position, ink of each color is ejected onto the recording medium P from each of the basic color recording heads 18, 18,... And the transparent ink recording heads 19a, 19b. Then, an image is recorded on the recording medium P by irradiating the ink landed on the recording medium with ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet light sources 21a, 21b, and 21c.

  Examples of image recording patterns when the primary ink is basic color ink include the following patterns.

  First, when the selection to form a glossy image is made from the input unit, only the ultraviolet light source 21a of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20a located on the most downstream side in the recording medium conveyance direction Y is turned on, and the other ultraviolet rays are emitted. The light sources 21b and 21c are turned off. Then, the recording medium P is conveyed in a predetermined conveyance direction, and the basic color inks of the respective colors are ejected from the basic color recording heads 18, 18,. Further, the transparent ink is ejected from the transparent ink recording head 19a located downstream of the basic color recording heads 18, 18. In this case, since the ultraviolet light source 21b of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20b located between the basic color recording heads 18, 18... And the transparent ink recording head 19a is turned off, the basic color recording heads 18, 18. The discharged basic color ink is not cured and fixed, and the dot diameter of the basic color ink is enlarged on the recording medium. Further, since the transparent ink is ejected when the basic color ink is in such a state, the basic color ink and the transparent ink are mixed on the recording medium P. Then, ultraviolet rays are irradiated from an ultraviolet irradiation device 20a located downstream in the transport direction Y from the recording head 19a for transparent ink, whereby each ink is cured and fixed, and the gloss of the basic color ink and the transparent ink is mixed. An image is recorded on the recording medium P.

  Next, when selection is made to form a matte image without glossiness from the input unit, the recording medium is more than the basic color recording heads 18, 18... And the basic color recording heads 18, 18. The ultraviolet light sources 21a and 21b of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20b positioned between the transparent ink recording head 19a positioned downstream in the transport direction Y and the ultraviolet irradiation device 20a positioned most downstream in the transport direction Y are turned on, The other ultraviolet light sources 21c are turned off. Then, the recording medium P is transported in a predetermined transport direction Y, and the basic color inks of the respective colors are ejected from the respective basic color recording heads 18, 18,. Transparent ink is ejected from the transparent ink recording head 19a located on the downstream side of Y. In this case, the basic color ink ejected first is cured and fixed by the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 20b located on the downstream side of the basic color recording heads 18, 18,... Since the ink is cured and fixed by the ultraviolet ray irradiated from the ultraviolet ray irradiation device 20a located on the downstream side of the ink recording head 19a, the basic color ink and the transparent ink are not mixed on the recording medium P. As a result, a matte image without glossiness is recorded on the recording medium P.

  Further, when an intermediate image quality image is selected from the input unit, the recording medium transport direction Y is greater than the basic color recording heads 18, 18... And the basic color recording heads 18, 18. The ultraviolet light source 21b of the ultraviolet light irradiation device 20b located between the transparent ink recording head 19a located on the downstream side is controlled so as to reduce the amount of ultraviolet light, and the ultraviolet light irradiation located on the most downstream side in the transport direction Y is controlled. The ultraviolet light source 21a of the apparatus 20a is turned on and the other ultraviolet light sources 21c are turned off. Then, the recording medium P is transported in a predetermined transport direction Y, and the basic color inks of the respective colors are ejected from the respective basic color recording heads 18, 18,. Transparent ink is ejected from the transparent ink recording head 19a located on the downstream side of Y. In this case, the basic color ink discharged earlier is cured to such an extent that it does not reach complete curing by the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 20b located downstream of the basic color recording heads 18, 18,. Each ink is completely cured and fixed by discharging the transparent ink and irradiating ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet irradiation device 20a located on the downstream side of the recording head 19a for transparent ink. For this reason, the basic color ink is somewhat enlarged in dot diameter after being ejected onto the recording medium P, and is somewhat mixed with the transparent ink ejected later. As a result, an image having an intermediate glossiness is recorded on the recording medium P.

  The control device does not control the ultraviolet irradiation from the ultraviolet irradiation devices 20a, 20b, 20c, and controls the conveyance speed of the recording medium P from the time when the basic color ink is discharged until the time when the transparent ink is discharged. By controlling, the irradiation amount of the ultraviolet rays with respect to the basic ink ejected previously can be changed, and the same effect can be obtained. That is, by increasing the conveyance speed of the recording medium P from the time when the basic color ink is ejected to the time when the transparent ink is ejected, it is possible to reduce the amount of UV irradiation and form a glossy image. On the other hand, if the conveyance speed of the recording medium P is decreased, the irradiation amount of the ultraviolet rays can be increased, and a matte-like image without glossiness can be formed.

  Next, as a pattern for image recording when the primary ink is a transparent ink, for example, there are the following patterns.

  First, when selection is made to form a glossy image from the input unit, the basic color recording heads 18, 18... And the basic color recording heads 18, 18. Only the ultraviolet light source 21b of the ultraviolet irradiation device 21a provided between the transparent ink recording head 19a is turned on, and the ultraviolet light sources 21a and 21c of the other ultraviolet irradiation devices 20a and 20c are turned off. Then, the transparent ink is ejected from the transparent ink recording head 19b located upstream of the basic color recording heads 18, 18... In the transport direction Y, and then the basic color ink is ejected from the basic color recording heads 18, 18.. . Each ink landed on the recording medium P is cured and fixed by the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 20b located downstream in the transport direction Y of the basic color recording heads 18, 18,..., And an image is recorded on the recording medium P. Is done. In this case, the ultraviolet irradiation device 20a located on the most downstream side in the transport direction Y may also be turned on. By doing so, it is possible to more reliably carry out the curing and fixing of the ink.

  Next, when the transparent ink is ejected prior to the basic color ink, and a selection is made to form a matte image with no glossiness from the input unit, the basic group provided as a group The ultraviolet light sources 21b and 21c of the ultraviolet irradiation devices 20b and 20c provided on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction Y of the color recording heads 18 and 18 are turned on, and the other ultraviolet light sources 21a are turned off. The transparent ink is ejected from the transparent ink recording head 19b on the upstream side in the transport direction Y with respect to the basic color recording heads 18, 18,..., And is positioned downstream of the transparent ink recording head 19b. The ultraviolet ray is irradiated from the ultraviolet ray irradiation device 20c, and the ink is cured and fixed. After that, the basic color inks are ejected from the basic color recording heads 18, 18..., And each ink landed on the recording medium P is positioned downstream of the basic color recording heads 18, 18. The image is recorded on the recording medium P after being cured and fixed by the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 20b. In this case, all the ultraviolet irradiation devices 20a, 20b, and 20c may be turned on. By doing so, it is possible to more reliably carry out the curing and fixing of the ink.

  Further, when the transparent ink is ejected prior to the basic color ink and the intermediate image is selected from the input unit, the basic color recording heads 18, 18. The ultraviolet light source 21c of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20c positioned between the color recording heads 18, 18... And the transparent ink recording head 19b located upstream in the transport direction Y is controlled so as to decrease. The ultraviolet light source 21b of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20b provided adjacent to the downstream side in the transport direction Y of the basic color recording heads 18, 18... Is turned on, and the other ultraviolet light sources 21a are turned off. Then, transparent ink is ejected from the transparent ink recording head 19b positioned upstream in the transport direction Y from the basic color recording heads 18, 18,... Color ink is ejected. In this case, the transparent ink previously ejected from the transparent ink recording head 19b is cured to such an extent that it is not completely cured by the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 20c located on the downstream side of the transparent ink recording head 19b. After that, the basic color ink is discharged and the ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 20b located downstream of the basic color recording heads 18, 18,. For this reason, after the transparent ink is ejected onto the recording medium P, its dot diameter is somewhat enlarged, and it is mixed somewhat with the basic color ink ejected later. As a result, an image having an intermediate glossiness is recorded on the recording medium P. In this case, the ultraviolet irradiation device 20a located on the most downstream side in the transport direction Y may also be turned on. By doing so, it is possible to more reliably carry out the curing and fixing of the ink.

  In these cases as well, the control device does not control the ultraviolet irradiation from the ultraviolet irradiation devices 20a, 20b, 20c, and the recording medium from when the transparent ink is discharged until the basic color ink is discharged. Similar to the case where the primary ink is the basic color ink, it is possible to change the irradiation amount of the ultraviolet rays on the previously ejected basic ink by controlling the transport speed of P and obtain the same effect. is there.

  According to the present embodiment, by controlling the ultraviolet irradiation devices 20a, 20b, and 20c, the other ink is ejected without curing and fixing the previously ejected ink of the basic color ink and the transparent ink, and the inks are thereafter Can be cured and fixed in a slightly mixed state. For this reason, it is possible to perform high-definition image recording in which the surface of the recorded image is made uniform as a whole without causing roughness or unevenness on the surface of the recorded image or uneven glossiness of the entire image. .

  Also, a single image recording device 16 can selectively record images with different image quality such as glossy image quality, matte image quality without glossiness, and intermediate image quality. It is possible to perform image recording with an optimum image quality according to the type.

  Further, transparent ink recording heads are arranged upstream and downstream in the transport direction Y from the basic color recording heads 18, 18,..., And the basic color recording heads 18, 18,. Since the ultraviolet irradiation device 20a is disposed on the downstream side of Y and on the downstream side of the transport direction Y of each transparent ink recording head 19a, the line printing type image recording device 16 also includes one image recording device 16. Thus, it is possible to selectively perform image recording in which the basic color ink is ejected prior to the transparent ink and image recording in which the transparent ink is ejected prior to the basic color ink.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment.

  In this embodiment, the image recording apparatus 16 can selectively perform image recording in which basic color ink is ejected prior to transparent ink and image recording in which transparent ink is ejected prior to basic color ink. However, the specification of the printer is limited to, for example, either image recording in which basic color ink is ejected prior to transparent ink or image recording in which transparent ink is ejected prior to basic color ink. Also good. When the printer specifications are limited as described above, it is not necessary to turn on a part of the ultraviolet irradiation device, and it is not necessary to provide a recording head for transparent ink on both sides of the recording head for basic colors. Further, an unnecessary ultraviolet irradiation device and a recording head for transparent ink can be provided. With such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the apparatus. That is, for example, when the printer specifications are limited so that only the image recording in which the basic color ink is ejected first is performed, the transparent ink recording head 23 is replaced with the basic color recording head 22, as shown in FIG. 22 are arranged only downstream in the transport direction Y, and the ultraviolet irradiation devices 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, and 24e are disposed downstream of the basic color recording heads 22, 22 in the transport direction Y and recording for each transparent ink. A configuration in which the head 23 is disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction Y can be employed. On the contrary, when the printer specifications are limited so that only the image recording for discharging the transparent ink prior to the basic color ink is performed, the transparent ink is used only on the upstream side in the transport direction Y of the basic color recording head. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which a recording head is arranged and an ultraviolet irradiation device is arranged on the downstream side in the transport direction Y of each recording head.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the basic color recording heads 18, 18 positioned at the most downstream among the basic color recording heads 18, 18... Provided as a group as the ultraviolet irradiation device 20 b for curing the basic color ink. Although the ultraviolet irradiation device 20b is provided only on the downstream side in the transport direction Y in FIG. 6, as shown in FIG. 6, the ultraviolet irradiation devices 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, and 24e may be provided. By adopting such a configuration, it becomes possible to reliably cure and fix each basic color ink after ejection. In the case where such a configuration is adopted, when the transparent ink is discharged before the basic color ink is cured to form a glossy image, the downstream of each of the basic color recording heads 22, 22. It is necessary to turn off the ultraviolet light sources 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d, and 25e of all the ultraviolet irradiation devices 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, and 24e provided on the side, and they are not completely cured after discharging the basic color ink. When an intermediate image quality image is formed by ejecting transparent ink, all the ultraviolet irradiation devices 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d provided downstream of the basic color recording heads 22, 22. It is necessary to control the amount of ultraviolet rays by controlling 24e.

1 is a front view showing a main configuration of a first embodiment of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention. It is a principal part block diagram which showed the outline of the control apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment. FIG. 3A is a diagram schematically showing a cured state of ink in the case of matte image quality. FIG. 3B is a diagram schematically showing the cured state of the ink when the image quality is glossy. It is the front view which showed the principal part structure of the modification of 1st embodiment of the image recording device which concerns on this invention. It is the side view which showed the principal part structure of 2nd embodiment of the image recording apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is the side view which showed the principal part structure of the modification of 2nd embodiment of the image recording device which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image recording device 5 Basic color recording head 6a, 6b Transparent ink recording head 7a, b, c, d Ultraviolet irradiation device 8a, b, c, d Ultraviolet light source 9 Input unit 10 Controller P Recording medium X Main scanning direction Y Recording medium transport direction

Claims (9)

Equipped with a basic color recording head that ejects light-curing basic color ink that cures when irradiated with light and a transparent ink recording head that ejects photo-curing transparent ink, and transports the recording medium in a certain direction In an image recording apparatus that performs image recording while
Light irradiation for irradiating each ink ejected on the recording medium downstream of the basic color recording head in the recording medium transport direction and downstream of the transparent ink recording head in the recording medium transport direction. A light emitting device disposed between the recording head for ejecting ink firstly and the recording head for ejecting ink later among the recording head for basic color and the recording head for transparent ink. An image recording apparatus comprising: a control device that controls an irradiation amount according to a glossiness of a desired image . Equipped with a basic color recording head that ejects light-curing basic color ink that cures when irradiated with light and a transparent ink recording head that ejects photo-curing transparent ink, and transports the recording medium in a certain direction And an image recording apparatus for recording an image while reciprocally moving each recording head in the main scanning direction orthogonal to the recording medium conveyance direction,
A light irradiating device for irradiating each ink ejected on the recording medium is disposed upstream of the basic color recording head in the moving direction and upstream of the transparent ink recording head in the moving direction. , desires dose of light by the light irradiation apparatus which is located between the recording head for ejecting ink after a recording head for ejecting ink out destination of the basic color recording head and the transparent ink recording head An image recording apparatus comprising a control device that controls the glossiness of an image.   Each of the recording heads performs image recording by ejecting ink only when scanning in one direction, and the recording head for transparent ink is arranged on the upstream side in the moving direction during image recording of the basic color recording head. The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the light irradiation device is arranged on the upstream side in the moving direction of each recording head during image recording.   Each of the recording heads performs image recording by discharging ink when scanning in both directions, and disposing the transparent ink recording heads on the upstream side and the downstream side in the moving direction of the basic color recording head, 3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the light irradiation device is disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side in the moving direction of the basic color recording head and the transparent ink recording head, respectively. The control device includes a selection unit that selects a degree of glossiness of the recorded image, and the control device turns on / off the light irradiation device , the light amount, the irradiation time, or the light irradiation according to the glossiness of the image selected by the selection unit. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the irradiation timing of light from the apparatus is controlled.   When the selection unit selects to perform glossy image recording, the control device includes the basic color recording head and the transparent ink recording head, the recording head that discharges ink first, and the subsequent recording head. The light irradiation device located between the recording head that ejects ink is controlled to be turned off, and when the selection unit selects to perform glossy image recording, the control device Control is performed so that the light irradiation device positioned between the recording head for ejecting ink firstly and the recording head for ejecting ink later among the recording head for basic color and the recording head for transparent ink is turned on. The image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A plurality of the basic color recording heads are provided, and the light irradiation device is disposed between each of the basic color recording heads, and the control device determines the glossiness of the image selected by the selection unit. 6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light recording apparatus controls lighting on / off of the light irradiation apparatus , light amount, irradiation time, or irradiation timing of light from the light irradiation apparatus.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the basic color ink includes at least inks of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.   9. The ink according to claim 1, wherein the ink is ultraviolet curable ink that is cured by irradiating with ultraviolet rays, and at least a part of the light emitted from the light irradiation device is ultraviolet rays. The image recording apparatus according to one item.

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