JP4483174B2 - Recording device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a fixing unit that performs recording on a recording medium having thermoplastic resin particles, and heat-presses the recording medium after recording to fix the thermoplastic resin particles of the recording medium.Recording device such asAbout.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Inkjet recording, in which an image is recorded on a recording medium having thermoplastic resin particles, is formed by making the thermoplastic resin particles transparent (fixed) by heating and pressurizing the recording medium after recording, so It is known for preventing bleeding due to contact, improving scratch resistance, and creating high-quality and high-quality prints approaching silver salt photography.
[0003]
In such ink jet recording, it is important to obtain a high-quality and high-quality print by appropriately transparentizing the thermoplastic resin particles of the recording medium after recording. For example, if deposits such as dust or paper dust adhere to the contact surface of the fixing unit with the recording surface of the recording medium, the fixing unit is not properly transparentized and may cause defects in the image surface. There are many. For this reason, conventionally, a contact surface with the recording medium is cleaned by arranging a cleaning belt such as a sponge roller or a nonwoven fabric rotated as a cleaning member on the surface of the heating roller constituting the fixing unit. A technique has been proposed (Patent Document 1).
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-67295 A
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
On the other hand, as a fixing unit, in addition to a type in which a recording medium is sandwiched between a heating roller and a pressure roller and heated and pressed, a fixing unit using a fixing belt spanned between the rollers is known. . The fixing unit includes, for example, a pressure roller that hangs a fixing belt between a heating roller and a rotating roller and presses the fixing belt against the heating roller. The recording medium is heated and pressed by the nip between the fixing belt wound around the heating roller and the pressure roller, and then fixed in a state of being stuck to the fixing belt. Better fixing can be performed as compared with a fixing means of the type that performs fixing.
[0006]
However, in the fixing unit having such a fixing belt, if an adherent such as dust or paper dust adheres to the back side of the fixing belt, that is, the surface opposite to the contact surface with the recording medium, the adhering site is heated. When it comes between the roller and the pressure roller, there is a risk of causing fine unevenness in the nip formed between the pressure roller. Further, the unevenness may remain as a subtle unevenness of the fixing belt itself, resulting in a permanent defect. If such irregularities occur, uniform heating and pressurization cannot be performed across the width direction of the fixing belt, and unevenness in transparency occurs due to uneven fixing in the width direction of the recording medium. May decrease.
[0007]
  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to have a fixing belt as fixing means.RuIn the recording apparatus, it is possible to obtain a high-quality image print by eliminating the uneven fixing of the recording medium due to the deposit adhered to the surface opposite to the contact surface of the fixing belt with the recording medium, and performing uniform fixing. There is to be able to do it.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The above problems are solved by the following inventions.
[0009]
  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus including a fixing unit that performs recording on a recording medium and heats and presses the recording medium after recording to fix the recording medium. The fixing unit includes a heating roller. WhenAn endless fixing belt stretched between the driving roller and a pressure roller for pressure-bonding with a predetermined pressure so as to sandwich the fixing bell between the heating roller;An adhesive roller that contacts the surface of the fixing belt opposite to the contact surface with the recording medium and removes the adhering matter adhering to the surface.And a driven roller that contacts the adhesive roller in a state of being opposed to the fixing belt with the fixing belt interposed therebetween.A removal means comprisingThe adhesive roller and the driven roller are in contact with each other with the fixing belt sandwiched therebetween without applying any tension to the fixing belt, so that the adhesive roller contacts the fixing belt with a predetermined pressure. Abutting with forceThis is a recording apparatus.
[0010]
  The invention according to claim 2The adhesive roller is2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the fixing belt that is opposite to a contact surface with the recording medium is in contact with the fixing belt at a constant speed.
[0012]
  Claim3In the described invention, the driven roller is:Consists of the same adhesive roller as the adhesive roller,The fixing belt is a means for removing adhering substances adhering to the contact surface side with the recording medium.1 or 2It is a recording apparatus of description.
[0013]
  Claim4The driven roller is in contact with the fixing belt at a constant speed on a contact surface side of the fixing belt with the recording medium.1, 2 or 3It is a recording apparatus of description.
[0014]
  Claim5The invention described in claim 1, wherein the adhesive roller is made of silicon rubber or butyl rubber having a viscoelastic surface.4The recording apparatus according to any one of the above.
  Claim6The invention described in claim 1 is characterized in that the adhesive roller has a surface hardness of 3 to 60 according to a hardness test of JIS-K6301-1975 and a spring hardness test (A type).5The recording apparatus according to any one of the above.
  Claim7The described inventionContact the surface of the fixing belt opposite to the contact surface with the recording medium.The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning roller that contacts the adhesive roller and cleans the surface of the adhesive roller.
  Claim8The invention described in claim 1 has a recording head for discharging ink to the recording medium, and the recording on the recording medium is ink jet recording by the recording head.7The recording apparatus according to any one of the above.
  Claim9The invention described in claim 1 is characterized in that the recording medium has thermoplastic resin particles, and the fixing means fixes the thermoplastic resin particles of the recording medium.8It is a recording apparatus of description.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0016]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing an outline of the overall configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention.
[0017]
The recording medium 1, which will be described in detail later, is a recording medium having thermoplastic resin particles in its layer structure, and is a drive motor (not shown) in the form of a long roll paper wound in a roll shape. Is sandwiched between a first conveying roller pair 10 including a driving roller 11 and a driven roller 12 that are rotationally driven by the rotation, and conveyed to the recording unit 2.
[0018]
The recording unit 2 is provided with a recording head 2a movably along a main scanning direction substantially orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording medium 1, and a predetermined direction from the recording head 2a toward the recording surface 1a of the recording medium 1 is provided. By ejecting ink at the timing, a desired image is recorded in cooperation with the conveyance of the recording medium 1 by the first conveying means 10.
[0019]
The recording medium 1 on which an image is recorded and formed on the recording surface 1 a by the recording head 2 a in the recording unit 2 is cut into a predetermined size by the cutter unit 3. The cut recording medium 1 is conveyed to the switchback unit 4 by the second conveying roller pair 20 including the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 and the third conveying roller pair 30 including the driving roller 31 and the driven roller 32. The
[0020]
The switchback unit 4 is provided with a fourth conveying roller pair 40, and the cut recording medium 1 that has been conveyed in the conveying path A by the second conveying roller pair 20 and the third conveying roller pair 30, After being once received from the leading side, the direction is then changed from the trailing end side to be conveyed to a conveying path B toward the fixing device 5 described later. Reference numeral 4a denotes a transfer path switching gate which can be switched by a driving means (not shown).
[0021]
A fifth conveyance roller pair 50 and a sixth conveyance roller pair 60 are further disposed in the conveyance path B between the fourth conveyance roller pair 40 and the fixing device 5, and each conveyance roller pair 40, 50, The recording medium 1 in the transport path B switched back by 60 is transported to the fixing device 5.
[0022]
The fixing device 5 has an endless shape stretched between a heating roller 5a having a heating element 5b built therein such as a halogen lamp heater as a heat source and a driving roller 5c that is rotationally driven by driving of a driving motor (not shown). The fixing belt 5d and the pressure roller 5e that presses the fixing belt 5d with a predetermined pressure so as to sandwich the fixing belt 5d between the heating roller 5a and the thermoplastic resin particles of the recording medium 1 are fixed. In the present embodiment, the fixing belt 5d is disposed so as to face the recording surface 1a of the recording medium 1.
[0023]
The fixing belt 5d is formed by applying a curable silicone resin as a releasable layer to nickel electroforming, and is adjusted so that the peeling force satisfies 30 g / 5 cm or more. As a result, the recording medium 1 that has passed between the heating roller 5a and the pressure roller 5e is brought into close contact with the surface of the fixing belt 5d at the same time, and at the same time, the recording medium 1 is quickly peeled off from the driving roller 5c and smoothly removed from the fixing device 5. It can be discharged.
[0024]
The surface roughness of nickel electroforming as the base material of the fixing belt 5d is preferably 0.1 μm or less, and the Young's modulus is 50 kN / mm.²The above is preferable. A surface treatment layer containing various surface modifiers is provided on the surface of the nickel electroformed belt in order to improve adhesion with the release layer. The film thickness is preferably 0.2 to 10 μm, and preferably has a pencil hardness of HB or more and a swelling ratio of less than 5%. The releasable layer preferably has a surface contact angle of 100 to 120 degrees and a surface roughness of 0.2 μm or less.
[0025]
The recording medium 1 conveyed to the fixing device 5 is sandwiched between a fixing belt 5d and a pressure roller 5e that are stretched around a heating roller 5a, and thermoplastic resin particles contained in the layer structure of the recording medium 1 are sandwiched. Melt and smooth to make it clear. At this time, the fixing temperature by heating of the heating roller 5a is preferably equal to or higher than the Tg (glass transition point) of the thermoplastic resin particles in order to appropriately transparentize the thermoplastic resin particles and obtain a high-quality image print. . The fixing temperature is preferably equal to or lower than the thermal deformation temperature of a support (details will be described later) constituting the recording medium 1. A temperature higher than the heat deformation temperature is not preferable because the recording medium 1 is warped or undulated during fixing. The temperature in the fixing device 5 is controlled based on the temperature detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) arranged near the heating roller 5a or the fixing belt 5d.
[0026]
The fixing device 5 is provided with a first removing means 70 that contacts the surface 5B opposite to the contact surface 5A of the fixing belt 5d with the recording medium 1 and removes the adhering matter adhering to the surface 5B. ing. The first removal means 70 cleans the surface 5B opposite to the contact surface 5A with the recording medium 1 and removes the adhering matter, whereby the unevenness of the nip between the heating roller 5e due to the adhering matter is removed. Thus, the fixing unevenness of the recording medium 1 can be eliminated, and the fixing of the recording medium 1 by the fixing device 5 can be performed.
[0027]
The first removing means 70 is preferably in contact with the fixing belt 5d at a constant speed with a surface 5B opposite to the contact surface 5A with the recording medium 1. By contacting the fixing belt 5d at a constant speed, there is no risk of rubbing and scratching the fixing belt 5d, and since the fixing belt 5d is not rubbed, there is no substantial load on the drive. This is effective for performing the fixing of No. 1 uniformly. The “constant velocity” in this specification means that the linear speeds of the contact surfaces are equal.
[0028]
The first removing means 70 shown in the present embodiment is configured to include an adhesive roller 71 that rotatably contacts the surface 5B in that it can be easily brought into contact with the fixing belt 5d at a constant speed. . Although one is provided in the illustrated example, the number is arbitrary. Here, the adhesive roller 71 is configured as a driven roller that rotates in accordance with the driving of the fixing belt 5d by contacting the surface 5B of the fixing belt 5d. May be configured to rotate at the same speed as the fixing belt 5d by driving the drive motor.
[0029]
As shown in FIG. 2, the adhesive roller 71 is at least as long as the fixing belt 5d and is in contact with the back surface of the fixing belt 5d, that is, the surface 5B opposite to the contact surface 5A with the recording medium 1. Is arranged. When the fixing belt 5d is driven and fixing is started, the fixing belt 5d is rotated at a constant speed along with the driving of the fixing belt 5d, and the adhering matter adhering to the surface 5B is adhered and removed by the adhesive force of the surface. to clean up.
[0030]
The adhesive roller 71 can be used almost without any problem as long as the surface has adhesiveness. Examples of preferable surface materials include natural rubber, chloroprene rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, ethylene / propylene rubber, silicone rubber, fluorine Examples thereof include rubber, urethane rubber, styrene / butadiene rubber, styrene / isoprene rubber, polyisoprene rubber, and acrylic rubber. Among these, the surface is preferably made of silicone rubber or butyl rubber from the viewpoint that the viscoelastic effect is high and deposits attached to the surface 5B of the fixing belt 5d can be effectively removed.
[0031]
Further, as the characteristics of the adhesive roller 71, in addition to adhesiveness, heat resistance, weather resistance, and the like can be mentioned. In consideration of this point, it is preferable to use silicone rubber. Further, examples of the silicone rubber include a peroxide curing type, an addition type, and a condensation type, but an addition type silicone rubber is preferable from the viewpoint of molding processability.
[0032]
In addition, the surface material of the adhesive roller 71 may contain additives such as carbon and iron oxide for the purpose of imparting functions such as improving heat resistance and suppressing static electricity.
[0033]
Similarly, the surface hardness of the adhesive roller 71 is preferably 3 to 60 from the viewpoint that the viscoelastic effect is high and the deposits attached to the surface 5B of the fixing belt 5d can be effectively removed. The term “hardness” as used herein refers to a value according to a hardness test of JIS-K6301-1975 and a spring hardness test (A type). If the hardness is less than 3, the adhesiveness is too high, and it is not preferable because it causes troubles such as damage to the surface 5B and the transfer of the adhesive rubber itself. On the other hand, if the hardness is higher than 60, it is not preferable because the ability to remove deposits is lowered and it becomes difficult to obtain the intended function. A more preferable hardness value is 10-40.
[0034]
Further, for the purpose of adjusting the adhesive force, the adhesive roller 71 is preferably physically roughened by polishing the surface, and the surface roughness is optionally adjusted. That is, when the surface is polished, the roller surface becomes uneven and has an appropriate adhesive force, and it is difficult to cause a problem of damaging the surface 5B while maintaining the effect of removing the deposits. Therefore, it is preferable. As this polishing process, the surface of the roller is polished and shaped with a rotating grindstone to obtain a uniform surface state. By selecting the particle size and rotation speed of the grindstone, the irregularities on the roller surface can be processed to an appropriate level.
[0035]
A secondary roller 72 is disposed on the surface of the adhesive roller 71 so as to come into contact therewith. The secondary roller 72 is composed of an adhesive roller having a greater adhesive force than the adhesive roller 71, and removes the adhering matter that has been removed from the surface 5B of the fixing belt 5d by the adhesive roller 71 and adhered to the surface of the adhesive roller 71. It functions as a cleaning roller that is removed from the surface and cleaned. Accordingly, the surface of the adhesive roller 71 can always be kept clean, and the effect of removing the adhering matter can be maintained for a long time. Therefore, such a secondary roller 72 is disposed in the first removing means 70. This is a preferred embodiment in the present invention.
[0036]
Although not shown in the figure, the secondary roller 72 may be contacted with a third or higher roller having a stronger adhesive force so as to remove the adhering matter adhering to the secondary roller 72.
[0037]
  In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 73 denotes a driven roller disposed so as to abut on the surface opposite to the adhesive roller 71 across the fixing belt 5d, that is, the contact surface 5A of the fixing belt 5d with the recording medium 1. is there. With this driven roller 73 sandwiching the fixing belt 5d,Abutting in an opposed stateWith respect to the fixing belt 5d,TeThe adhesive roller 71 can be brought into contact with the surface 5B of the fixing belt 5d with a predetermined pressing force without applying a tension.rollerThe effect of removing deposits by 71 can be further enhanced.
[0038]
The driven roller 73 may also be constituted by the same adhesive roller as the adhesive roller 71. In this case, the adhered matter adhering to the contact surface 5A of the fixing belt 5d with the recording medium 1 is simultaneously removed. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a means for removing and cleaning the deposits on the contact surface 5A, which is preferable because the structure can be simplified. In particular, in the present embodiment, the contact surface 5A with the recording medium 1 is a surface that directly contacts the recording surface 1a of the recording medium 1. Therefore, removing and cleaning the adhering matter attached thereto is a fixing machine. 5 is a preferable mode because the recording medium 1 can be fixed in an optimal state.
[0039]
Further, the fixing device 5 contacts the surface 5A of the fixing belt 5d with the recording medium 1 and the surface of the pressure roller 5e disposed so as to face the recording medium 1 at a constant speed. It is also preferable to provide a second removing means 80 for removing the deposits attached to the surface.
[0040]
The second removing means 80 is composed of an adhesive roller 81 that is rotatably contacted with the surface of the pressure roller 5e, and is configured as a driven roller that rotates as the pressure roller 5e rotates. Of course, it may be rotated at the same speed as the pressure roller 5e by connecting to a drive motor (not shown).
[0041]
As described above, the second removing means 80 is provided on the surface of the member facing the recording medium 1 on the surface 5A of the fixing belt 5d so as to sandwich the recording medium 1, so that the recording medium 1 is passed through and pressurized. In addition, since the surface of the pressure surface can be a clean smooth surface with no deposits, there is no occurrence of pressure unevenness and the like, and a uniform pressing force can be applied to the recording medium 1, and as a result. Homogeneous fixing can be performed over the entire surface of the recording medium 1.
[0042]
As the adhesive roller 81, an adhesive roller similar to the adhesive roller 71 can be used. Further, the cleaning roller 82 which is a secondary roller for removing the adhering matter attached to the surface of the adhesive roller 81 by contacting the surface of the adhesive roller 81 with an adhesive force larger than that of the adhesive roller 81, and further the cleaning roller 82. Needless to say, a third-order or higher pressure-sensitive adhesive roller may be provided in contact with.
[0043]
The recording medium 1 on which the image is fixed by the fixing device 5 is discharged from the discharge port C to the outside of the apparatus by a discharge roller pair 90 including a driving roller 91 and a driven roller 92.
[0044]
In the ink jet recording apparatus described above, since the adhering matter adhering to the recording surface 1 a of the recording medium 1 is removed in advance before being conveyed to the fixing device 5, the image recording image is recorded on the upstream side of the fixing device 5. It is also preferable to arrange a third removing means for contacting the recording surface 1a of the recording medium 1 at a constant speed to remove the adhering matter adhering to the recording surface 1a. Hereinafter, the third removing means will be described.
[0045]
The third removing means is an upstream side of the fixing device 5 and is capable of removing the adhering matter that comes in contact with the recording surface 1a of the recording surface 1a of the recording medium 1 after image recording at a constant speed. However, in this embodiment, the pair of conveying rollers 40, 50, 60 disposed on the upstream side of the fixing device 5 shown in FIG.
[0046]
As shown in FIG. 3, these conveyance roller pairs 40, 50, 60 are respectively arranged between the driving rollers 41, 51, 61 driven by the driving motor M and the driving rollers 41, 51, 61 in contact with the driving rollers 41, 51, 61. The driven rollers 42, 52, and 62 sandwich the recording medium 1, and the driven rollers 42, 52, and 62 are formed of adhesive rollers.
[0047]
The driven rollers 42, 52, 62 made of adhesive rollers are formed to have at least a length equal to or greater than the width of the recording medium 1, and the recording medium 1 is sandwiched between the driving rollers 41, 51, 61, It arrange | positions so that the recording surface 1a of the recording medium 1 may be contacted. Then, the recording medium 1 is conveyed toward the fixing device 5 by the rotational driving of the driving rollers 41, 51, 61, so that it rotates at the same speed as the recording surface 1a of the recording medium 1 and adheres to the recording surface 1a. The adhered matter is adhered by the adhesive force of the surface and removed from the recording surface 1a of the recording medium 1.
[0048]
In this way, the driven rollers 42, 52 and 62 are constituted by adhesive rollers, and these are used to function as the third removing means, so that the recording surface 1a and the recording surface 1a of the recording medium 1 have the same speed as the simple configuration. And the recording surface 1a is not rubbed and damaged. In the present embodiment, since the third removing unit also serves as one of the conveying roller pair, it is not necessary to provide the third removing unit separately from the conveying unit, and the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be reduced. Simplification can be achieved.
[0049]
As the driven rollers 42, 52, and 62 made of these adhesive rollers, the same adhesive roller as the adhesive roller 71 used in the first removing means 70 can be used.
[0050]
Secondary rollers 43, 53, 63 are arranged on the driven rollers 42, 52, 62 on the opposite side of the contact surface with the driving rollers 41, 51, 61, respectively. It is in contact with the surface. These secondary rollers 43, 53, 63 are constituted by adhesive rollers having a higher adhesive force than the driven rollers 42, 52, 62, and each driven roller 42 consisting of an adhesive roller from the recording surface 1 a of the recording medium 1, It functions as a cleaning roller that removes and removes the adhering matter removed from the surfaces of the driven rollers 42, 52, 62 by the surfaces 52, 62. As a result, the surfaces of the driven rollers 42, 52, 62 can always be kept clean, and the effect of removing the deposits can be maintained over a long period of time. Therefore, the secondary rollers 43, 53, 63 are arranged. Is a more preferred embodiment.
[0051]
Although not shown, the secondary rollers 43, 53 and 63 are contacted with third and subsequent rollers having a stronger adhesive force so as to remove the adhering matter adhering to the secondary rollers 43, 53 and 63. Also good.
[0052]
In this way, by providing the third removing means on the upstream side of the fixing device 5, deposits such as dust and paper dust attached to the recording surface 1 a of the recording medium 1 conveyed to the fixing device 5 are removed. Therefore, the fixing machine 5 is not heated and pressurized in a state where these deposits are adhered, and an image defect caused by the deposits already adhered to the recording surface 1a of the recording medium 1 before fixing occurs. There is no problem.
[0053]
The third removing means is constituted by three rollers, driven rollers 42, 52, and 62 made of adhesive rollers. However, the number of the third removing means is not particularly limited. After the image is recorded by the recording head 3, the cutter is used. When the unit 3 is provided, it is sufficient that at least one unit is provided after the cutter unit 3 and upstream of the fixing device 5.
[0054]
Although not shown, in order to more effectively remove deposits attached to the recording surface of the recording medium 1, in addition to the adhesive roller in the third removing means, on the upstream side of the fixing device 5. A cleaning brush or a cleaning sponge that contacts the recording surface 1a of the recording medium 1 so as not to damage the surface and cleans the surface may be provided.
[0055]
In the ink jet recording apparatus described above, the recording medium 1 is not limited to the one supplied from the illustrated roll paper, but may be a sheet-like one cut in advance to a specified size. In this case, the cutter unit 3 is not necessarily provided.
[0056]
Next, an example of the recording medium 1 used in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described.
[0057]
As shown in FIG. 4, the recording medium 1 has an ink receiving layer 1B containing thermoplastic resin particles on the surface of the support 1A, and a color material and an ink solvent component are adjacent to the ink receiving layer 1B. At least a pigment ink solvent absorbing layer 1C having a void layer in which the ink solvent component is absorbed after separation on the surface of the receiving layer 1B is configured.
[0058]
As the support 1A, a support conventionally used as an inkjet recording medium can be used. For example, in addition to a paper support such as plain paper, art paper, coated paper and cast coated paper, plastic support And a paper support coated with polyolefin on both sides, and a composite support obtained by bonding them together can be used.
[0059]
Examples of the thermoplastic resin particles contained in the ink receiving layer 1B include polycarbonate, polyacrylonitrile, polystyrene, polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyester, polyamide, poly Examples include ethers, copolymers thereof, and salts thereof. The thermoplastic resin particles are appropriately selected in consideration of ink acceptability, glossiness of an image after fixing by heating and pressing, image fastness, and releasability.
[0060]
Regarding the ink receptivity, when the particle diameter of the thermoplastic resin particles is less than 0.05 μm, the separation of the pigment particles and the ink solvent in the pigment ink is delayed, resulting in a decrease in the ink absorption rate. On the other hand, when the thickness exceeds 10 μm, it is not preferable from the viewpoint of adhesion to the pigment ink solvent absorbing layer 1C adjacent to the ink receiving layer 1B when coating on the support and the film strength of the recording medium after coating and drying. For this reason, the preferable thermoplastic resin particle diameter is preferably 0.05 to 10 μm, more preferably 0.1 to 5 μm.
[0061]
The thermoplastic resin particles forming the outermost layer exist in a dispersed state in a solvent such as water before coating and drying. In the case of a single thermoplastic resin particle having no dispersion in the dispersed particle size, the particles are packed in a close-packed hexagonal form by drying after coating to form a single particle layer, and the porosity at that time is about 26%. It is. However, the thermoplastic resin particles are usually polydispersed, and the porosity thereof varies depending on the aggregation state of the thermoplastic resin particles. In addition, the formed void diameter depends on the particle diameter of the thermoplastic resin particles.
[0062]
Moreover, as a coating film thickness on 1 A of support bodies, 0.1-10 micrometers is preferable, More preferably, it is 0.5-7 micrometers.
[0063]
As a criterion for selection of the thermoplastic resin particles, there is a glass transition point (Tg). When Tg is lower than the coating / drying temperature, for example, the coating / drying temperature at the time of production of the recording medium is already higher than Tg, and voids due to the thermoplastic fine particles for allowing the ink solvent to pass through disappear. If Tg is equal to or higher than the temperature at which the support 1A is denatured by heat, a fixing operation at a high temperature is required to perform melt film formation after ink jet recording with pigment ink, and the load on the apparatus and the heat of the support 1A Stability, etc. becomes a problem. A preferable Tg of the thermoplastic resin particles is 50 to 150 ° C., and the temperature control in the fixing machine 5 described above uses this Tg as a target temperature.
[0064]
After the image formation, the recorded image needs to suppress image quality deterioration due to its storage over time as much as possible. When pigment ink is used, there is no need to worry about density reduction and discoloration in a relatively short period of time, as with dye ink, but it is possible to suppress yellowing (decomposition) of unprinted parts by UV light. Therefore, it is necessary to select thermoplastic resin particles.
[0065]
The pigment ink solvent absorption layer 1C adjacent to the outermost ink receiving layer 1B needs to have the ability to absorb pigment ink solvent. This is because inorganic solid fine particles (hereinafter also simply referred to as inorganic fine particles) It is exhibited by containing it in the solvent absorption layer.
[0066]
Examples of the inorganic fine particles used for the above purpose include light calcium carbonate, heavy calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, kaolin, clay, talc, calcium sulfate, barium sulfate, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, zinc hydroxide, zinc sulfide. , Zinc carbonate, hydrotalcite, aluminum silicate, diatomaceous earth, calcium silicate, magnesium silicate, synthetic amorphous silica, colloidal silica, alumina, colloidal alumina, pseudoboehmite, aluminum hydroxide, lithopone, zeolite, magnesium hydroxide, etc. Examples thereof include white inorganic pigments.
[0067]
The average particle diameter of the inorganic fine particles is the simple average value obtained by observing the fine particles themselves or the fine particles appearing on the cross section or surface of the void-type pigment ink solvent absorption layer with an electron microscope and determining the average particle diameter of 100 arbitrary particles. It is calculated as (number average). Here, the particle size of each fine particle is represented by a diameter assuming a circle equal to the projected area.
[0068]
From the viewpoint of forming a high density image, recording a clear image, and producing at low cost, the inorganic solid fine particles include fine particle silica, colloidal silica and alumina or alumina water synthesized by a vapor phase method. It is preferable to use inorganic solid fine particles selected from Japanese. Alumina or alumina hydrate may be crystalline or non-crystalline, and those having any shape such as amorphous particles, spherical particles, and acicular particles can be used. At present, fine particle silica synthesized by such a gas phase method is commercially available, and commercially available fine particle silica includes various types of Aerosil manufactured by Nippon Aerosil Co., Ltd.
[0069]
Although there is no restriction | limiting in particular in the average particle diameter of an inorganic fine particle, 100 nm or less is preferable and the most preferable average particle diameter for forming a space | gap layer changes with compounds. For example, in the case of the above-mentioned vapor phase method silica, the one having the average particle size of primary particles of inorganic fine particles dispersed in the state of primary particles (particle size in the dispersion state before coating) is 4 to 20 nm is the most. It can be preferably used.
[0070]
As the pigment ink solvent absorbing layer 1C, in addition to using the above-mentioned inorganic fine particles, various hydrophilic resins and silicas described in, for example, JP-A Nos. 59-148583, 55-51583, 58-72495, etc. And a urethane resin emulsion containing an alkylene oxide or polycarbonate described in JP-A-9-150574 and JP-A-10-181189 can also be used.
[0071]
In addition to forming a pigment ink solvent absorption layer using the inorganic fine particles, a polyurethane resin emulsion, a coating using a water-soluble epoxy compound and / or acetoacetylated polyvinyl alcohol in combination with an epichlorohydrin polyamide resin. The pigment ink solvent absorption layer 1 </ b> C may be formed using a working liquid.
[0072]
The polyurethane resin emulsion in this case is preferably a polyurethane resin emulsion having a polycarbonate chain, a polycarbonate chain and a polyester chain and a particle diameter of 3.0 μm, and the polyurethane resin of the polyurethane resin emulsion is a polyol having a polycarbonate polyol, a polycarbonate polyol and a polyester polyol. Further, the polyurethane resin obtained by reacting an aliphatic isocyanate compound with a sulfonic acid group in the molecule further has an epichlorohydrin polyamide resin, a water-soluble epoxy compound and / or an acetoacetylated vinyl alcohol. preferable.
[0073]
In the pigment ink solvent absorption layer 1C using the polyurethane resin, it is estimated that weak aggregation of cations and anions is formed, and accordingly, voids having the ability to absorb the pigment ink solvent are formed, so that an image can be formed.
[0074]
In the ink receiving layer 1B and the pigment ink solvent absorbing layer 1C of the recording medium 1, the total amount of voids (void volume) is 1 m of recording paper.²It is preferably 20 ml or more per unit. The void volume is 20ml / m²Less than 1 ml / m at the time of printing²In the case of the following, the ink absorption is good, but the ink amount is 40 ml / m²If it exceeds, the ink is not completely absorbed, and problems such as deterioration in image quality and slow drying are likely to occur.
[0075]
The upper limit of the void volume is not particularly limited, but it is necessary to make the film thickness of the void-type ink absorbing layer usually 50 μm or less so as not to deteriorate the physical properties of the coating such as cracks. 40 ml / m²It is difficult to do this. The void volume is determined according to J.H. TAPPI paper pulp test method no. Liquid transfer amount (ml / m) at an absorption time of 2 seconds as measured by 51-87 paper or paperboard liquid absorbency test method (Bristow method)²). In the above measurement method, pure water (ion-exchanged water) is used for the measurement. However, in order to easily determine the measurement area, a water-soluble dye of less than 2% may be contained.
[0076]
When applying the recording medium, a thickener may be used to improve the coating property. As a coating method, in addition to a bar coater, a roll coater, an applicator, a spinner and the like, in the case where two or more layers are simultaneously coated from the viewpoint of improving production efficiency, extrusion coating and curtain coating are particularly effective.
[0077]
Examples of the silicon emulsion or water-soluble silicon compound preferably contained in the ink receiving layer 1B include, for example, a dimethylsiloxane compound having a functional group of siloxane as methyl and a general release agent, and a vinyl group, hydrogen as a substituent on the compound. Examples thereof include compounds into which atoms, mercapto groups, methacryl groups, acrylic groups, amino groups, phenyl groups and the like are introduced. Further, the content is preferably less than 1% by mass with respect to the thermoplastic resin particles 100. When the addition amount is 1% or more, the releasability is improved, but color unevenness estimated to be caused by nonuniformity of fixing due to heating and pressurization is not preferable.
[0078]
The ink used for the recording surface 1a of the recording medium 1 is roughly classified into a dye ink and a pigment ink. In the present invention, a high-quality image can be obtained by using the pigment ink. Moreover, it is preferable in terms of good image storage stability. Conventionally known organic and inorganic pigments can be used as the pigment ink. For example, azo pigments such as azo lake, insoluble azo pigment, condensed azo pigment, chelate azo pigment, phthalocyanine pigment, perylene pigment, anthraquinone pigment, quinacridone pigment, dioxazine pigment, thioindigo pigment, isoindolinone pigment, quinophthalone pigment, etc. And dye lakes such as basic dye type lakes and acid dye type lakes, organic pigments such as nitro pigments, nitroso pigments, aniline black and daylight fluorescent pigments, and inorganic pigments such as carbon black.
[0079]
Specific organic pigments are exemplified below.
[0080]
Examples of pigments for magenta or red include C.I. I. Pigment red 2, C.I. I. Pigment red 3, C.I. I. Pigment red 5, C.I. I. Pigment red 6, C.I. I. Pigment red 7, C.I. I. Pigment red 15, C.I. I. Pigment red 16, C.I. I. Pigment red 48: 1, C.I. I. Pigment red 53: 1, C.I. I. Pigment red 57: 1, C.I. I. Pigment red 122, C.I. I. Pigment red 123, C.I. I. Pigment red 139, C.I. I. Pigment red 144, C.I. I. Pigment red 149, C.I. I. Pigment red 166, C.I. I. Pigment red 177, C.I. I. Pigment red 178, C.I. I. And CI Pigment Red 222.
[0081]
Examples of the orange or yellow pigment include C.I. I. Pigment orange 31, C.I. I. Pigment orange 43, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 12, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 13, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 14, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 15, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 17, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 93, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 94, C.I. I. And CI Pigment Yellow 138.
[0082]
  Examples of pigments for green or cyan include C.I. I. Pigment blue 15, C.I. I. Pigment blue 15: 2, C.I. I. Pigment blue 15: 3, C.I. I. Pigment blue 16, C.I. I. Pigment blue 60, C.I. I. And CI Pigment Green 7.
  In the above description, an ink jet recording apparatus that performs ink jet recording by ejecting ink from a recording head onto a recording medium having thermoplastic resin particles is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention is applicable to any recording apparatus provided with fixing means having a fixing belt that performs recording and heat-presses the recording medium after recording to fix the recording medium.
[0083]
【The invention's effect】
  According to the present invention, the fixing device has the fixing belt.RuIn the recording apparatus, it is possible to obtain a high-quality image print by eliminating the uneven fixing of the recording medium due to the deposits attached to the back side of the fixing belt and performing uniform fixing.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a fixing device.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of third removal means.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a laminated structure of a recording medium
[Explanation of symbols]
1: Recording medium
1a: Recording surface
2: Recording section
2a: Recording head
3: Cutter unit
4: Switchback section
5: Fixing machine
5A: Contact surface with the recording surface of the recording medium
5B: surface opposite to the contact surface with the recording surface of the recording medium
5a: Heating roller
5b: Heating element
5c: Driving roller
5d: fixing belt
5e: Pressure roller
10: First conveying roller pair
11: Driving roller
12: driven roller
20: Second conveying roller pair
21: Driving roller
22: Followed roller
30: Third conveying roller pair
31: Driving roller
32: driven roller
40: Fourth conveying roller pair
41: Driving roller
42: driven roller (third removing means; adhesive roller)
43: Secondary roller (cleaning roller)
50: Fifth transport roller pair
51: Driving roller
52: driven roller (third removing means; adhesive roller)
53: Secondary roller (cleaning roller)
60: Sixth transport roller pair
61: Driving roller
62: driven roller (third removing means; adhesive roller)
63: Secondary roller (cleaning roller)
70: First removal means
71: Adhesive roller
72: Secondary roller (cleaning roller)
73: driven roller
80: Second removal means
81: Adhesive roller
82: Secondary roller (cleaning roller)
90: discharge roller pair
91: Driving roller
92: driven roller

Claims (9)

In a recording apparatus including a fixing unit that performs recording on a recording medium and heat-presses the recording medium after recording to fix the recording medium.
The fixing unit includes an endless fixing belt that is stretched between a heating roller and a driving roller, and a pressure roller that presses the fixing bell with a predetermined pressure so as to sandwich the fixing bell between the heating roller and the fixing roller. When, in a state of facing each other across the fixing belt against the adhesive roller and the adhesive roller to remove the deposits in contact with the surface opposite to adhere to said surface and the contact surface of the recording medium in the fixing belt it was closed and removing means comprising a contact with the driven roller, and
The adhesive roller and the driven roller are in contact with the fixing belt with a predetermined pressing force by contacting the fixing belt with the fixing belt sandwiched between the fixing belt without applying tension. recording apparatus characterized that you have to.   The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive roller is in contact with a surface of the fixing belt opposite to a contact surface with the recording medium at a constant speed. The driven roller, the constituted by the adhesive roller and the same adhesive roller, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the means for removing deposits adhering to the contact surface of the recording medium in the fixing belt Recording device. The driven roller, the recording apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the contacting with fixing belt and a constant speed in the contact surface of the recording medium in the fixing belt. The adhesive roller A recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the surface is characterized by comprising a silicone rubber or a butyl rubber having viscoelasticity. The adhesive roller is hardness test of JIS-K6301-1975, recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the surface hardness of the spring hardness test (A type) is characterized in that 3 to 60 . 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning roller that contacts the surface of the fixing belt that is in contact with a surface opposite to the surface that contacts the recording medium and that cleans the surface of the adhesive roller. The recording device according to any one of the above. Wherein a recording head for ejecting ink onto a recording medium, recording on the recording medium, a recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that an ink jet recording by the recording head. The recording apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the recording medium has thermoplastic resin particles, and the fixing unit fixes the thermoplastic resin particles of the recording medium.

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