JP6160394B2 - Printing apparatus and printing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing method for performing printing on a recording medium using a photocurable liquid, and more particularly to heat dissipation of a light source that irradiates a recording medium with light.

  In a technique for recording an image on a recording medium such as paper or a resin sheet, for example, a photocurable liquid such as an ultraviolet curable ink is attached to the recording medium, and then the liquid is cured by irradiating the recording medium with light. There is something. Here, when the temperature of the light source that irradiates light rises, the illuminance decreases, so the light source needs to be cooled. In addition, since heat generated from the light source may affect the printing process, it is also necessary to dissipate heat generated around the light source. For example, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, a cooling fan is provided in a light source unit arranged close to a printer head, and a guiding structure that guides an airflow so that an airflow generated by the cooling fan flows away from the printer head. Is provided.

JP 2010-000735 A

  In the above prior art, although the influence of heat on the printer head is reduced as compared with the case where the light source unit is simply combined with a cooling fan, the warmed airflow does not stay around the printer head or the light source unit to some extent. Unavoidable. Moreover, the warm air once exhausted may circulate in the housing and be supplied to the light source unit again by the cooling fan. For these reasons, the above-described conventional technique may cause problems such as the influence of heat on the printing process and a decrease in the cooling efficiency of the light source.

  Some embodiments according to the present invention provide a technique capable of solving the above-described problems and more efficiently dissipating the heat generated from the light source and reducing the influence on the printing process.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, a printing unit capable of ejecting liquid onto a recording medium, a light source capable of irradiating light onto the liquid ejected onto the recording medium, the printing unit and the light source are accommodated in different positions. A first opening and a second opening formed therein, a heat radiating part capable of releasing heat generated by the light source into the air, and a third opening formed at a different position from the third opening to the fourth opening. A first air flow path forming portion that has a first air flow path that reaches the first air flow path, and a third air flow that extends from the fifth opening to the sixth opening formed at different positions. A second air flow path forming portion having a path, wherein the fifth opening is disposed at a position facing the fourth opening with a gap, and the sixth opening is connected to the second opening; When the heat dissipating part is located in the gap between the fourth opening and the fifth opening An air flow is generated in which the flow rate of the airflow flowing out of the second air flow path from the sixth opening is larger than the flow rate of the air flow flowing into the second air flow path from the fifth opening through the heat radiating portion. It is a printing apparatus provided with an airflow generation part.

  In another aspect of the present invention, a printing unit capable of ejecting liquid onto a recording medium, a light source capable of irradiating light onto the liquid ejected onto the recording medium, the printing unit and the light source are accommodated, respectively. A housing in which a first opening and a second opening are formed at different positions, a heat dissipating part capable of releasing heat generated by the light source into the air, and a third opening formed at a different position to the fourth. A first air flow path forming portion having a first air flow path leading to an opening, wherein the third opening is connected to the first opening, and a fifth air opening extending from a fifth opening formed at a different position to the sixth opening. 2nd air flow path formation which has 2 air flow paths, said 5th opening is arrange | positioned in the position which opposes said 4th opening in a space | interval, and said 6th opening is connected with said 2nd opening Part, the first air flow path forming part and the second air flow path forming part, A printing method using a printing apparatus including an air flow generation unit that generates an air flow from a mouth toward the second opening, the step of positioning the heat dissipation unit between the fourth opening and the fifth opening; When the heat dissipating part is positioned in the gap between the fourth opening and the fifth opening, the flow rate of the air flowing through the heat dissipating part and flowing into the second air flow path from the fifth opening is And a step of generating the airflow by the airflow generation unit such that the flow rate of the airflow flowing out of the second air flow path from the sixth opening is larger.

  In the invention configured as described above, outside air is supplied from the outside of the housing through the first air flow path to the heat radiating portion, while air heated by heat from the heat radiating portion passes through the second air flow path to the housing. It is discharged outside the body. Therefore, the light source can be cooled much more efficiently than the conventional cooling method in which air is circulated in the housing. And the flow volume of the airflow which flows out into the 1st air flow path from the outside, and flows out through the 2nd air flow path from the heat dissipation section is larger than the flow volume of the air flow supplied to the heat dissipation section. That is, since the discharge amount is larger than the gas supply amount to the heat radiating portion, it is effectively avoided that warmed air flows into the housing. For these reasons, in the present invention, it is possible to dissipate the heat generated from the light source more efficiently and reduce the influence on the printing process.

  In the present invention, for example, the air flow generation unit includes a first fan positioned between the heat dissipation unit and the third opening when the heat dissipation unit is positioned in the gap between the fourth opening and the fifth opening, and the heat dissipation unit. And a second fan located between the first opening and the sixth opening. According to such a configuration, the cooling efficiency can be further increased by actively supplying the outside air to the heat radiating unit and discharging the air warmed by the heat from the heat radiating unit. In this case, the flow rate of the air flow generated by the first fan may be smaller than the flow rate of the air flow generated by the second fan, the flow rate of the air flow generated by the first fan, and the flow rate of the air flow generated by the second fan. May be equivalent.

  Further, for example, the heat radiating unit has a heat radiating fin through which heat generated by the light source is transmitted, and when the heat radiating unit is located in the gap between the fourth opening and the fifth opening, the air flow generated by the air flow generating unit is The configuration may be such that it flows from one end of the radiating fin facing the fourth opening and passes through the radiating portion by flowing out from the other end of the radiating fin facing the fifth opening. According to such a configuration, the outside air introduced from the outside of the housing is reliably discharged from the first air flow path to the outside of the housing through the heat radiation fins and the second air flow path. This more reliably prevents the heat released from the light source through the heat radiating portion from remaining in the housing and affecting the printing process.

  Further, for example, the first air flow path forming portion and the second air flow path forming portion are fixed to the casing, and the light source and the heat radiating portion are moved relative to the first air flow path forming portion and the second air flow path forming portion. It may be possible. In such a configuration, it is structurally difficult to maintain perfect airtightness between the first air flow path forming portion and the heat radiating portion, and between the second air flow path forming portion and the heat radiating portion, and some degree between them. It is inevitable that air leakage will occur. However, by increasing the flow rate of the gas discharged from the heat radiating portion to the second air flow path from the flow rate of the gas supplied from the first air flow path to the heat radiating portion, the gas warmed by the heat of the heat radiating portion is reduced. Inflow into the housing is avoided.

  For example, you may provide the heat transport part which transports the heat which the light source emitted to the thermal radiation part. According to such a configuration, heat generated by the light source can be efficiently transported to a position away from the light source in a short time, and the light source can be efficiently cooled. Moreover, the design freedom about arrangement | positioning with a light source and a thermal radiation part can be raised.

1 is a front view schematically illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus to which the present invention is applicable. The figure which illustrates typically the schematic structure of UV irradiation device. The figure which shows typically the flow of the air in the thermal radiation member vicinity. The figure which shows the example of the relationship between the opening shape of a thermal radiation member and an exhaust duct. The figure which shows the 1st and 2nd modification. The figure which shows the 3rd and 4th modification. The figure which shows the 5th and 6th modification.

  FIG. 1 is a front view schematically illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus to which the present invention is applicable. In FIG. 1, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system corresponding to the left-right direction X, the front-rear direction Y, and the vertical direction Z of the printing apparatus 1 is displayed in order to clarify the positional relationship between the respective units of the apparatus.

  In the printing apparatus 1, the feeding unit 2, the process unit 3, and the winding unit 4 are arranged in the left-right direction X. These functional units 2, 3, 4 are accommodated in an internal space IS surrounded by the housing member 10. Yes. The feeding unit 2 and the winding unit 4 have a feeding shaft 20 and a winding shaft 40, respectively. Then, both ends of a sheet S (web) which is a recording medium are wound around the feeding shaft 20 and the winding shaft 40 in a roll shape, and are stretched between them. In this way, the sheet S is conveyed along the path Pc from the feeding shaft 20 to the process unit 3 and subjected to a printing process by the process unit 3U, and then conveyed to the winding shaft 40. The type of the sheet S is roughly classified into a paper type and a film type. Specific examples include high-quality paper, cast paper, art paper, coated paper, and the like for paper, and synthetic paper, PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), and the like for film. In the following description, of both surfaces of the sheet S, the surface on which an image is recorded is referred to as the front surface, and the opposite surface is referred to as the back surface.

  The feeding unit 2 includes a feeding shaft 20 around which the end of the sheet S is wound, and a driven roller 21 around which the sheet S drawn from the feeding shaft 20 is wound. The feeding shaft 20 supports the end of the sheet S by winding the end thereof with the surface of the sheet S facing outward. Then, when the feeding shaft 20 rotates clockwise on the paper surface of FIG. 1, the sheet S wound around the feeding shaft 20 is fed to the process unit 3 via the driven roller 21. Incidentally, the sheet S is wound around the feeding shaft 20 via a core tube (not shown) that can be attached to and detached from the feeding shaft 20. Therefore, when the sheet S of the feeding shaft 20 is used up, a new core tube around which the roll-shaped sheet S is wound can be mounted on the feeding shaft 20 and the sheet S of the feeding shaft 20 can be replaced. It has become.

  The process unit 3 appropriately performs processing by the process unit 3U disposed along the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 30 while supporting the sheet S fed from the feeding unit 2 by the rotating drum 30 to form the sheet S. The image is printed. In the process unit 3, a front driving roller 31 and a rear driving roller 32 are provided on both sides of the rotating drum 30, and the sheet S conveyed from the front driving roller 31 to the rear driving roller 32 is rotated by the rotating drum 30. To receive an image print.

  The front drive roller 31 has a plurality of minute protrusions formed by thermal spraying on the outer peripheral surface, and winds the sheet S fed from the feeding unit 2 from the back side. And the front drive roller 31 conveys the sheet | seat S fed out from the feeding part 2 to the downstream of a conveyance path | route by rotating clockwise on the paper surface of FIG. A nip roller 31 n is provided for the front drive roller 31. The nip roller 31n is in contact with the surface of the sheet S while being urged toward the front drive roller 31, and sandwiches the sheet S between the front drive roller 31 and the nip roller 31n. Thereby, the frictional force between the front drive roller 31 and the sheet S is ensured, and the sheet S can be reliably conveyed by the front drive roller 31.

  The rotating drum 30 is a cylindrical drum having a center line parallel to the Y direction, and the sheet S is wound around the outer peripheral surface thereof. Further, the rotating drum 30 has a rotating shaft 302 extending in the axial direction through the cylindrical center line. The rotation shaft 302 is rotatably supported by a support mechanism (not shown), and the rotation drum 30 rotates about the rotation shaft 302.

  The sheet S conveyed from the front driving roller 30 to the rear driving roller 32 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 30 from the back surface side. The rotating drum 30 supports the sheet S from the back side while receiving the frictional force between the rotating drum 30 and rotating in the conveyance direction Ds of the sheet S. Incidentally, the process section 3 is provided with driven rollers 33 and 34 for folding the sheet S on both sides of the winding section around the rotating drum 30. Among these, the driven roller 33 wraps the surface of the sheet S between the front drive roller 31 and the rotating drum 30 and folds the sheet S. On the other hand, the driven roller 34 wraps the surface of the sheet S between the rotating drum 30 and the rear drive roller 32 and folds the sheet S. In this way, by folding the sheet S on the upstream and downstream sides in the transport direction Ds with respect to the rotating drum 30, a long winding portion of the sheet S around the rotating drum 30 can be secured.

  The rear driving roller 32 has a plurality of minute protrusions formed by thermal spraying on the outer peripheral surface, and winds the sheet S conveyed from the rotating drum 30 via the driven roller 34 from the back surface side. Then, the rear drive roller 32 conveys the sheet S to the winding unit 4 by rotating clockwise on the paper surface of FIG. A nip roller 32n is provided for the rear drive roller 32. The nip roller 32 n is in contact with the surface of the sheet S while being urged toward the rear drive roller 32, and sandwiches the sheet S between the rear drive roller 32. Accordingly, a frictional force between the rear drive roller 32 and the sheet S is ensured, and the sheet S can be reliably conveyed by the rear drive roller 32.

  Thus, the sheet S conveyed from the front drive roller 31 to the rear drive roller 32 is supported on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 30. In the process unit 3, a process unit 3 </ b> U is provided for printing a color image on the surface of the sheet S supported by the rotating drum 30. The process unit 3U includes a configuration in which the print heads 36a to 36d and the UV irradiators 37 and 38 are supported by a unit support member 35. The unit support member 35 supports the print heads 36a to 36d and the UV irradiators 37 and 38 by sandwiching the print heads 36a to 36d and the UV irradiators 37 and 38 in the front-rear direction Y by two unit support flat plates having an arc shape along the circumferential shape of the rotating drum 30. To do. As shown in FIG. 1, there is a gap Δ between the unit support member 35 (unit support flat plate) and the rotating drum 30.

  The four print heads 36a to 36d arranged in order in the transport direction Ds correspond to yellow, cyan, magenta, and black, and eject inks of the corresponding colors from the nozzles by an inkjet method. These four print heads 36 a to 36 d are arranged radially from the rotating shaft 302 of the rotating drum 30 and are arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 30. The print heads 36a to 36d are positioned with respect to the rotating drum 30 by the unit support member 35 and face the rotating drum 30 with a slight clearance (platen gap). Accordingly, the print heads 36a to 36d face the surface of the sheet S wound around the rotating drum 30 with a predetermined paper gap. When the paper gap is defined by the unit support member 35 in this way, each of the print heads 36a to 36d ejects ink, so that the ink is landed at a desired position on the surface of the sheet S, and a color image is formed on the surface of the sheet S. It is formed.

  As the ink used in the print heads 36a to 36d, UV (ultraviolet) ink (photo-curable ink) that is cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays (light) is used. Therefore, in the process unit 3U, UV irradiators 37 and 38 are provided to cure the ink and fix it on the sheet S. The ink curing is performed in two stages, temporary curing and main curing. A temporary curing UV irradiator 37 is disposed between each of the four print heads 36a to 36d. In other words, the UV irradiator 37 irradiates ultraviolet rays having a relatively weak irradiation intensity so that the ink is cured (preliminarily cured) to a degree that the wetting and spreading of the ink is sufficiently slower than the case where the ultraviolet rays are not irradiated. Yes, it does not fully cure the ink. On the other hand, a UV irradiator 38 for main curing is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction Ds with respect to the four print heads 36a to 36d. In other words, the UV irradiator 38 irradiates ultraviolet rays having a higher irradiation intensity than the UV irradiator 37, and thereby fully cures the ink to such an extent that the wetting and spreading of the ink stops. By performing the temporary curing and the main curing in this way, the color images formed by the plurality of print heads 36a to 36d can be fixed on the surface of the sheet S.

  In this way, the print heads 36a to 36d and the UV irradiators 37 and 38 are mounted on the unit support member 35 to constitute the process unit 3U. The unit support member 35 is supported by two rails 351 extending in the front-rear direction Y, and can be moved in the front-rear direction Y on the rails 351 with the print heads 36a to 36d and the UV irradiators 37, 38. It has become. That is, the process unit 3U is movable in the front-rear direction Y. As a result, the process unit 3U has a printing position in the front-rear direction Y that is arranged at substantially the same position as the feeding unit 2 and the winding unit 4, and a maintenance position in which the feeding unit 2 and the winding unit 4 have significantly different Y-direction positions. It is possible to move between. With the process unit 3U positioned at the printing position, it is possible to form the conveyance path Pc of the sheet S from the feeding unit 2 through the process unit 3 to the winding unit 4, and the process unit 3U performs printing on the sheet S. Can do. On the other hand, when the process unit 3U is in the maintenance position, the process unit 3U is exposed to the external space, and various maintenance operations such as parts replacement by the operator can be performed.

  The sheet S on which the color image is formed by the process unit 3 is conveyed to the winding unit 4 by the rear drive roller 32. The winding unit 4 has a driven roller 41 that winds the sheet S from the back surface side between the winding shaft 40 and the rear drive roller 32 in addition to the winding shaft 40 around which the end of the sheet S is wound. The winding shaft 40 winds and supports the end of the sheet S with the surface of the sheet S facing outward. That is, when the winding shaft 40 rotates clockwise on the paper surface of FIG. 1, the sheet S conveyed from the rear drive roller 32 is wound around the winding shaft 40 via the driven roller 41. Incidentally, the sheet S is wound around the winding shaft 40 via a core tube (not shown) that can be attached to and detached from the winding shaft 40. Therefore, when the sheet S wound around the winding shaft 40 becomes full, it is possible to remove the sheet S together with the core tube.

  By the way, as will be described next, the UV irradiator 38 includes a cooling mechanism for cooling a light source that irradiates ultraviolet rays. The cooling mechanism cools the light source using an airflow that takes in air from the outside of the housing member 10 and discharges the air to the outside of the housing member 10. Therefore, the housing member 10 is provided with an intake port 51 for taking in air from the outside and an exhaust port 53 for discharging air to the outside with respect to the UV irradiator 38. Specifically, the intake port 51 and the exhaust port 53 are configured by louvers or the like that open to the housing member 10. Further, inside the housing member 10, an intake duct 55 extending from the intake port 51 to the UV irradiator 38 and an exhaust duct 57 extending from the UV irradiator 38 to the exhaust port 53 are provided for the UV irradiator 38. ing.

  The intake port 51 and the intake duct 55 are connected, and the exhaust port 53 and the exhaust duct 57 are connected. Here, the connection between the intake port 51 and the intake duct 55 does not mean only the state in which the housing member 10 and the intake duct 55 are connected in direct contact, but the housing member 10 and the intake duct 55 are connected. The case where it connects through another member is also included. Furthermore, it includes a state in which one end of the intake duct 55 protrudes from the intake port 51 to the outside of the housing member 10 and the gap between the intake port 51 and the intake duct 55 is filled with other members. The same applies to the connection between the exhaust port 53 and the arousing duct 57.

  As will be described in detail later, an intake fan 67 is provided inside the intake duct 55. An exhaust fan 68 is provided inside the exhaust duct 57, and the air flow path Pg <b> 1 that is sucked from the intake port 51 and formed inside the intake duct 55 by the operation of these fans, and the upper end of the UV irradiator 38. And the airflow AF discharged from the exhaust port 53 through the air flow path Pg2 formed inside the exhaust duct 57 is generated. Due to this air flow AF, heat generated from the UV irradiator 38 is discharged outside the apparatus.

  The above is the outline of the configuration of the printing apparatus 1. As described above, the printing apparatus 1 includes the UV irradiator 38 that irradiates light having a relatively high irradiation intensity. Since such a UV irradiator 38 drives a light source composed of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or the like so as to irradiate ultraviolet rays having a strong irradiation intensity, the temperature of the light source rises. However, as the temperature rises, the illuminance of the light source changes. Therefore, the UV irradiator 38 stabilizes the illuminance of the light source by a cooling mechanism that cools the light source. Next, the UV irradiator 38 and related configurations will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a schematic configuration of the UV irradiator. In FIG. 2, the sheet S and the sheet conveyance direction Ds are shown in a region where the UV irradiator 38 faces. As described above, the sheet S and the sheet conveyance direction Ds are curved along the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 30. However, in FIG. 2, in the short area | region which UV irradiation device 38 opposes, these are represented by the straight line so that it can approximate to linear form. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the side plates 380 provided on both side surfaces in the Y direction of the UV irradiator 38 are removed and the internal structure is exposed.

  The UV irradiator 38 has a configuration in which a plurality of light emitting elements E such as LEDs that emit UV light are arranged on a surface 61a of a light source substrate 61 having a flat plate shape. In the light source substrate 61, a plurality of light emitting elements E are arranged in both the front-rear direction Y and the sheet conveyance direction Ds orthogonal to the front-rear direction Y. In other words, the plurality of light-emitting elements E in the front-rear direction Y and the sheet conveyance direction Ds. Are arranged in a matrix. The surface 61a of the light source substrate 61 faces the sheet S, and the light emitting elements E arranged on the surface 61a irradiate the sheet S with ultraviolet rays having a strong irradiation intensity enough to fully cure the UV ink.

  Further, the UV irradiator 38 has a flat support substrate 62 that supports the light source substrate 61. Specifically, the light source substrate 61 is screwed onto the support substrate 62 in a state where the back surface 61b of the light source substrate 61 (the surface opposite to the front surface 61a) and the surface 62a of the support substrate 62 are joined via a thermally conductive grease layer. 63 is fixed. The support substrate 62 is a metal such as copper or aluminum, and is a heat conductive member having high heat conductivity.

  Further, the UV irradiator 38 has a heat pipe 65 connected to the support substrate 62. The heat pipe 65 has a shape in which a rod is bent, and three heat pipes 65 are provided in the front-rear direction Y. Specifically, a connected portion 65a provided at one end of the heat pipe 65 is soldered to the back surface 62b (surface opposite to the front surface 62a) of the support substrate 62 via a solder layer. Thus, the connected portion 65 a of the heat pipe 65 connected to the light source substrate 61 via the support substrate 62 is in thermal contact with the light emitting element E of the light source substrate 61. That is, the heat of the light emitting element E is conducted to the connected portion 65 a of the heat pipe 65 through the support substrate 62. In addition, in the sheet conveyance direction Ds, the connected portion 65a is provided so as to include a range in which the plurality of light emitting elements E are arranged, and high thermal conductivity from each light emitting element E to the connected portion 65a. It is secured. In other words, the connected portion 65a is provided longer than the arrangement length of the plurality of light emitting elements E in the sheet conveying direction Ds. In the present embodiment, an example in which three heat pipes 65 are provided is disclosed. However, the number of heat pipes 65 is not limited to this, and may be one or more, and the cooling effect of the UV irradiator 38 increases as the number increases.

  The heat pipe 65 is roughly divided into a first region R1 and a second region R2. The first region R1 of the heat pipe 65 is a region extending in the sheet conveyance direction Ds in parallel with the main surface (front surface 61a, back surface 61b) of the light source substrate 61, and is a region where the above-described connected portion 65a is provided. On the other hand, the second region R2 of the heat pipe 65 is bent and extends from the first region R1 in the extending direction Di intersecting the main surface (the front surface 61a and the back surface 61b) of the light source substrate 61. The region extending in the extending direction Di away from the first region R1.

  A portion to be cooled 65b is provided at a point where the second region R2 extends from the first region R1 (the other end of the heat pipe 65). That is, in this embodiment, the cooled portion 65b is drawn out to a position that is separated from the light source substrate 61 in the extending direction Di from the connected portion 65a. For example, in this embodiment, at least a part of the cooled portion 65b rotates in the radial direction of the rotating drum 30 more than the ends of the print heads 36a to 36d farther from the rotating drum 30 (or the sheet S). It arrange | positions so that it may be located in the side away from the dynamic drum 30. The heat pipe 65 performs heat transport for transporting the heat of the light emitting element E received by the connected portion 65a to the cooled portion 65b.

  A heat radiating member 66 configured by arranging a large number of heat radiating fins 661 is attached to the cooled portion 65 b of the heat pipe 65. Specifically, a portion 65b to be cooled of each heat pipe 65 is press-fitted into a through-hole penetrating a large number of heat radiation fins 661 of the heat radiation member 66 from the extending direction Di, and the heat radiation fins 661 constituting the heat radiation member 66 The portion to be cooled 65b is in thermal contact. In the heat radiating member 66, a large number of flat heat radiating fins 661 are combined to form a large number of air passages Pg3 having a relatively small cross-sectional area penetrating in the X direction. The heat of the fins 661 moves to the air and is carried away with the air flow. In this way, the heat radiating member 66 releases heat to the air flowing through the inside.

  The printing apparatus 1 includes a cooling fan that cools the cooled portion 65b. An intake fan 67 and an exhaust fan 68 are provided as cooling fans. The intake fan 67 is provided in the UV irradiator 38, and is opposed to the cooled portion 65b and the heat radiating member 66 from a direction intersecting the extending direction Di (for example, an orthogonal direction), and the cooled portion 65b. And it blows toward the heat radiating member 66. Specifically, in the intake fan 67, the duct 55 is disposed on the air flow path Pg1 that guides the air from the intake port 51 toward the cooled portion 65b and the heat radiating member 66. The intake fan 67 blows outside air (air outside the housing member 10) taken from the intake port 51 through the intake duct 55 toward the cooled portion 65 b and the heat dissipation member 66.

  The exhaust fan 68 is provided in the duct 57. The air that has passed through the cooled portion 65b and the heat radiating member 66 flows into the air flow path Pg2 having the inner wall surface of the exhaust duct 57 as a side wall. An exhaust fan 68 is provided in the air flow path Pg2 at a position close to the exhaust port 53, and the exhaust fan 68 discharges air in the air flow path Pg2 from the exhaust port 53 to the outside of the housing member 10. That is, in this embodiment, by the operation of the intake fan 67 and the exhaust fan 68, the airflow AF is generated from the intake port 51 to the outside through the air flow path Pg1, the cooled portion 65b, the heat radiating member 66, and the exhaust port 53. In this way, the airflow AF generated by the intake fan 67 and the exhaust fan 68 is supplied to the cooled portion 65b and the heat radiating member 66, and the cooled portion 65b and the heat radiating member 66 are cooled. Thus, the heat generated from the light emitting element E is released to the outside of the housing member 10.

  Further, in the UV irradiator 38, three drive circuit boards 69 on which a drive circuit for driving the light emitting element E of the light source board 61 is mounted are arranged side by side in the sheet conveying direction Ds. Each drive circuit board 69 is arranged alongside the heat pipe 65 between the light source board 61 and the cooled portion 65b in the extending direction Di. Then, each drive circuit board 69 supplies a drive signal to the light emitting element E via a signal line (not shown) to cause the light emitting element E to emit light. Note that the amount of light emission with respect to the magnitude of the drive signal varies depending on the light emitting element E. Therefore, each drive circuit board 69 supplies the drive signal to each light emitting element E after adjusting the magnitude of the drive signal for each light emitting element E so that the light emission amount of each light emitting element E falls within a predetermined range. .

  In this embodiment, the heat generated from the light emitting element E is transported to a position away from the light source substrate 61 by the heat pipe 65 and then released to the outside. For this reason, the space near the light emitting element E can be used for arranging a configuration other than the configuration for heat dissipation. Therefore, the drive circuit board 69 is disposed in the vicinity of the light emitting element E using the space near the light emitting element E. As a result, for example, the signal line from the drive circuit board 69 to the light emitting element E can be shortened to reduce the influence of noise on the signal line. Further, since the drive circuit board 69 and the light emitting element E can be arranged close to each other, when the drive circuit board 69 and the light source board 61 are exchanged, they can be exchanged together, and the work associated with the exchange can be easily performed. There is also an effect that can be done.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the UV irradiator 38 having the light source substrate 61 disposed to face the sheet S is provided, and the light emitting element E that irradiates the ink with ultraviolet rays is provided on the light source substrate 61. ing. The connected portion 65a of the heat pipe 65 that transports heat from the connected portion 65a to the cooled portion 65b is connected to the light source substrate 61 and is in thermal contact with the light source substrate 61. On the other hand, the cooled portion 65b of the heat pipe 65 is located away from the connected portion 65a with respect to the light source substrate 61, and the intake fan 67 and the exhaust fan 68 are thus cooled portion 65b drawn from the light source substrate 61. The portion to be cooled 65b is cooled so as to be opposed to. Therefore, the heat of the light emitting element E is transported to the cooled portion 65 b of the heat pipe 65 away from the light source substrate 61 through the connected portion 65 a of the heat pipe 65 connected to the light source substrate 61. The heat of the light emitting element E transported to the cooled portion 65b is taken away by the airflow AF passing through the air flow paths Pg1, Pg3, Pg2.

  The portion 65b to be cooled and the heat radiating member 66 of the heat pipe 65 drawn from the light source substrate 61 are cooled by the outside air taken from the outside of the apparatus. Since various heat sources are provided in the apparatus, specifically, the internal space IS of the apparatus surrounded by the housing member 10, the temperature of the air in the apparatus is often higher than the outside air temperature. Therefore, by cooling the cooled portion 65b with relatively cool air taken from the outside, the heat of the light emitting element E transported to the cooled portion 65b can be efficiently taken. As a result, in this embodiment, the light emitting element E of the UV irradiator 38 can be efficiently cooled.

  By the way, as described above, in this embodiment, the process unit 3U including the UV irradiator 38 is movable in the Y direction (front-rear direction) along the rail 351 with respect to the housing member 10. On the other hand, the intake duct 55 and the exhaust duct 57 are fixed to the housing member 10 and do not move with the process unit 3U. For this reason, the UV irradiator 38 and the intake duct 55 and the UV irradiator 38 and the exhaust duct 57 cannot be completely brought into close contact with each other. In order to avoid rubbing, a gap is provided between the members.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the intake fan 67 and the intake duct 55 provided in the UV irradiator 38 are held in a separated state in a state where the process unit 3U is located at the printing position. A gap G1 is provided between them. Further, the heat radiating member 66 and the exhaust duct 57 provided in the UV irradiator 38 are kept in a separated state, and a gap G2 is provided between them. The size of these gaps is typically a few millimeters. That is, the air flow path extending from the intake port 51 to the exhaust port 53 and the internal space IS of the apparatus are partially communicated. For this reason, not all the air taken in from the intake port 51 is exhausted from the exhaust port 53 as it is.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the air flow in the vicinity of the heat radiating member. As shown by an arrow in FIG. 3A, when the intake fan 67 is operated, outside air flows into the air flow path Pg1 from the intake port 51 due to the suction action, but from the gap G1 between the intake fan 67 and the intake duct 55. However, a small amount of air is inevitable. The air thus sucked into the intake fan 67 is supplied to the heat radiating member 66 to cool the heat radiating member 66, and then sent out to the air flow path Pg2.

  In the air flow path Pg2, the exhaust fan 68 performs exhaust toward the outside. At this time, for example, more air than the flow rate of air that can be exhausted from the exhaust port 53 by the exhaust fan 68 is sent from the heat radiation member 66 side. In some cases, a part of the air leaks from the gap G2 between the heat radiating member 66 and the exhaust duct 57, as in the case of this. The airflow passing through the heat radiating member 66 is warmed by the heat from the light emitting element E. When such warmed air leaks into the apparatus from the gap G2, the internal temperature of the apparatus rises, and the printing process May be affected. For example, the cooling efficiency of the light-emitting element E is lowered, and the temperature of the light-emitting element E is increased, which may deteriorate the image quality.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the exhaust fan 68 from the air flow path Pg2 to the flow rate F1 of the air flow taken in from the air flow path Pg1 side by the intake fan 67 and passing through the heat radiation member 66 shown in FIG. The operations of the intake fan 67 and the exhaust fan 68 are set so that the flow rate F2 of the airflow discharged to the outside is larger, that is, F1 <F2. These flow rates F1 and F2 can be defined, for example, by the volume of air passing through the heat radiation member 66 and the exhaust port 53 per unit time, respectively. For example, the flow rate F1 can be 6 m ³ / min and the flow rate F2 can be 8 m ³ / min.

  If the flow rate is set in this way, as shown in FIG. 3, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), an airflow flowing from the internal space IS of the apparatus through the gap G2 into the air flow path Pg2 may be generated. No airflow flowing from the air flow path Pg2 to the internal space IS is generated. In other words, even though the heat staying in the internal space IS is discharged to the outside together with the air flow, the heat released from the light emitting element E to the air flow AF through the heat pipe 65 and the heat radiating member 66 is again in the internal space IS. Inflow is avoided. Thereby, the temperature rise of the internal space IS is suppressed, and the light emitting element E can be cooled more efficiently.

  Note that air leakage in the gap G1 between the intake duct 55 and the intake fan 67 is not a problem when considering heat dissipation. This is because the airflow leaking from the internal space IS through the gap G1 into the air flow path Pg1 acts in a direction to suppress the temperature rise of the internal space IS, and the airflow flowing into the internal space IS from the air flow path Pg1 through the gap G1. This is because the air is relatively cold air taken from the outside of the apparatus and contributes to cooling of the internal space.

  In order to discharge the warmed air that has passed through the heat radiating member 66 more reliably, the relationship between the shape of the heat radiating member 66 and the shape of the opening of the exhaust duct 57 will be described below. Should also be set appropriately. As described above, in order to efficiently cool the light emitting element E, it is desired that all the warm air that has passed through the heat dissipation member 66 is discharged to the outside through the air flow path Pg2. For this reason, it is necessary to consider the shape so that the air sent from the heat radiating member 66 is smoothly guided to the exhaust duct 57.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the heat radiation member and the opening shape of the exhaust duct. In addition, the figure shown by the code | symbol 57a in FIG.4 (b) and FIG.4 (c) represents the opening shape when the heat radiation member side opening of the exhaust duct 57 is seen from a X direction, and the figure shown by the code | symbol 66a is shown. The envelope outline of the heat radiating member 66 in the X direction, more precisely, the envelope outline of a number of air flow paths provided in the heat radiating member 66 is shown. As shown in FIG. 2, the heat radiating member 66 is formed with a plurality of air flow paths Pg3 for flowing air flow in the X direction by combining the heat radiating fins 661. FIG. 4 (b) and FIG. 4 (c). The rectangle 66a represents the envelope outer shape, that is, the shape of the region surrounded by the outermost radiating fin.

  As shown as a comparative example in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the opening 57 a of the heat radiating duct 57 is formed by the heat radiating member 66 when viewed from the flow direction of the airflow passing through the heat radiating member 66 (X direction in this example). 4a, it is inevitable that a part of the air flow blown out from the heat radiating member 66 leaks to the outside of the heat radiating duct 57 as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 4C, the opening 57 a of the heat radiating duct 57 is made larger than the envelope outer shape 66 a of the heat radiating member 66, so that the heat radiating member 66 side In combination with increasing the flow rate F2 of the air flow discharged from the exhaust port 53 rather than the flow rate F1 of the air flow sent out, the warm air that has passed through the heat radiating member 66 is surely discharged to the outside from the exhaust port 53. I am doing so.

  As a specific method for increasing the flow rate F2 of the airflow discharged from the exhaust port 53 rather than the flow rate F1 of the airflow sent from the heat radiating member 66, for example, the following method can be considered. First, the amount of air blown by the exhaust fan 68 is made larger than the amount of air blown by the intake fan 67. Specifically, a fan having a larger blowing capacity than the intake fan 67 may be used as the exhaust fan 68, and a fan having a capacity equal to or less than that of the intake fan 67 is used as the exhaust fan 68. You may make it operate | move on the operating condition which becomes large. Further, more fans than the intake fan 67 may be operated in parallel to function as the exhaust fan 68 so that the air flow rate of the exhaust fan 68 is larger than the air flow rate of the intake fan 67.

  Second, by applying a larger air load to the intake fan 67 than the exhaust fan 68, the flow rate F2 of the airflow discharged from the exhaust port 53 becomes larger than the flow rate F1 of the airflow sent from the heat radiation member 66. Can be. As a method of changing the load applied to the fan, it is conceivable to change the shape or cross-sectional area of the duct, or to install an obstacle that obstructs the air flow before or after the fan. In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 3B, the exhaust fan 68 is opened at the front and rear, and the load is relatively light. On the other hand, a large number of air flow paths having a small cross-sectional area are formed at the rear of the intake fan 67. A heat radiating member 66 is disposed, and this heat radiating member 66 is a relatively heavy load for the intake fan 67. Therefore, even if the same fan is used as the intake fan 67 and the exhaust fan 68 at the same rotation speed, a preferable condition (F1 <F2) may be satisfied as a result.

  Next, several modifications of the printing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the modification described below, the arrangement of the intake fan and the exhaust fan is mainly different from that of the above embodiment, but the functions of the respective parts are basically the same. Therefore, in FIGS. 5 to 7, the same reference numerals are given to configurations common to the above embodiment or configurations corresponding to the above embodiment, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In addition, unless otherwise specified, each configuration provided in the above embodiment is omitted in the drawings, but is also provided in the following modified examples.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing first and second modifications. In the above embodiment, the intake fan 67 and the heat radiating member 66 are coupled in the UV irradiator 38, whereas in the first modification shown in FIG. 5A, the intake fan 67 is fixed to the intake duct 55. Has been. Therefore, there is no gap between the intake fan 67 and the intake duct 55, and instead, a gap G3 is provided between the intake fan 67 and the heat dissipation member 66. In this case, it is assumed that a part of the air flow sent out from the intake fan 67 flows out from the gap G3. However, as in the above-described embodiment, the exhaust fan 68 causes the exhaust port to flow more than the flow rate of the air flow passing through the heat radiation member 66. By increasing the flow rate of the airflow discharged from 53, warm air that has passed through the heat dissipation member 66 is prevented from flowing into the internal space IS of the apparatus.

  Further, in the second modification shown in FIG. 5B, the arrangement position of the intake fan 67 is further changed to the vicinity of the intake port 51 from the first modification described above. Even with such a configuration, the same effects as those of the first modification described above can be obtained.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing third and fourth modifications. In the third modification shown in FIG. 6A, the position of the exhaust fan 68 is changed from the embodiment shown in FIG. Specifically, the exhaust fan 68 is attached to the most upstream side of the exhaust duct 57 in the direction of the airflow AF, that is, the end opposite to the exhaust port 53. In such a configuration, the airflow that has passed through the heat dissipation member 66 can be immediately captured by the exhaust fan 68. Therefore, when the exhaust fan 68 sucks in an airflow larger than the airflow sent from the intake fan 67 to the heat radiating member 67, the airflow passing through the heat radiating member 66 is almost surely sent into the air flow path Pg2. Leakage into the space IS can be prevented.

  Further, in the fourth modification shown in FIG. 6B, the intake fan 67 is moved to the intake duct 55 side in the same manner as the first modification from the third modification described above. In such a configuration, although a part of the air flow generated by the intake fan 67 may leak from the gap with the heat radiating member 66, all the air flow generated by the exhaust fan 68 is sent to the air flow path Pg2. Therefore, the above condition (F1 <F2) may be satisfied even if the airflow generated by the intake fan 67 and the exhaust fan 68 is the same.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing fifth and sixth modifications. In the fifth modification shown in FIG. 7A, the intake duct 55 and the exhaust duct 57 are connected by a partition wall 58 on the (+ Z) side of the heat dissipation member 66, that is, above the heat dissipation member 66. Even with such a configuration, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained, and entry / exit of air from the gap in the upper portion of the heat dissipation member 66 can be eliminated. Even in the case of such a duct shape, the positions of the intake fan 67 and the exhaust fan 68 can be appropriately changed as in the above-described modifications.

  In the sixth modification shown in FIG. 7B, the intake fan 67 is omitted, as is clear from the comparison with the present embodiment shown in FIG. 2 or the first modification shown in FIG. . When the gap G3 between the intake duct 55 and the heat radiating member 66 and the gap G2 between the exhaust duct 57 and the heat radiating member 66 can be made sufficiently small with respect to the cross-sectional area of the intake duct 55, only the exhaust fan 68 is used. In some cases, it may be possible to generate an air flow AF from the intake port 51 to the exhaust port 53 through the heat radiation member 66. In this case, since the structure for actively generating the airflow is not provided on the intake duct 55 side corresponding to the upstream side of the airflow AF of the heat radiating member 66, the flow rate of the airflow passing through the heat radiating member 66 is the exhaust fan 68. The amount of exhaust from the engine can be kept smaller. Therefore, the air heated by the heat radiating member 66 does not flow out from the gap G2 into the internal space IS of the apparatus.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the above-described embodiment and each modified example, the heat radiating member in which the heat generated from the light source substrate 61 in which the many light emitting elements E are arranged is provided on the upper portion of the housing member 10 by the heat pipe 65. 66. An intake duct 55 extending from an intake port 51 provided in the housing member 10 and an exhaust duct 57 extending from an exhaust light 53 provided in the housing member 10 are provided for the heat radiating member 66. The airflow AF released from the outside of the apparatus again to the outside through the airflow path Pg1 formed by the air intake 51 and the air intake duct 55, the heat radiating member 66, the air flow path Pg2 formed by the exhaust duct 57 and the air exhaust 53 is returned. It is formed. Thereby, external relatively cool air is supplied to the heat radiating member 66 one after another, so that heat is radiated efficiently. As a result, the light emitting element E can be efficiently cooled.

  The embodiment and the modification thereof are configured such that the flow rate F2 of the air flow discharged from the exhaust port 53 through the air flow path Pg2 is larger than the flow rate F1 of the air flow passing through the heat radiation member 66. ing. For this reason, it is suppressed that the air warmed by the heat radiating member 66 flows into the internal space IS of the apparatus from the gap between the heat radiating member 66 and the exhaust duct 57, and temperature rise in the apparatus is prevented. Thereby, cooling of the light emitting element E can be performed more reliably and efficiently. As a result, the fluctuation of the irradiation intensity on the sheet S due to the temperature rise of the light emitting element E is suppressed, and the influence of heat on each print head and the sheet S can be suppressed, so that an image can be stably formed with excellent image quality. be able to.

  In order to generate the airflow AF, it is desirable to provide the exhaust fan 68 at least on the exhaust duct 57 side. However, the intake fan 67 is provided on the intake duct 55 side to actively generate the airflow sent to the heat radiating member 66. More preferably, the cooling efficiency of the heat radiating member 66 can be improved and the flow rate of the airflow can be controlled more reliably.

  The heat dissipating member 66 is of a type in which an air flow is circulated through the air flow path formed by the heat dissipating fins, so that the air flow that is taken in from the outside and receives heat from the heat dissipating member 66 and then released to the outside again. And warm air can be more effectively prevented from flowing into the apparatus.

  By making the flow rate of exhaust gas larger than the flow rate of the airflow supplied to the heat radiating member 66, even if there is a slight gap (gap) between the heat radiating member 66 and the intake duct 55 and the exhaust duct 57, it is allowed. The That is, warm air from these gaps is prevented from flowing into the apparatus. Therefore, even when the process unit 3U including the heat radiating member 66 is configured to be movable with respect to the housing member 10, the intake duct 55 and the exhaust duct 57 can be fixed to the housing member 10. By thus providing a gap between the heat radiating member 66 and the intake duct 55 and the exhaust duct 57, the process unit 3U can be easily moved and the maintainability of the apparatus can be improved.

  Further, the heat generated from the light emitting element E is moved to the heat pipe 65 through the light source substrate 61 and the support substrate 62 having higher thermal conductivity, and the heat pipe 65 transports the heat to the heat radiating member 66 to dissipate the heat. Therefore, heat can be quickly taken from the light source substrate 61, more specifically, the light emitting element E, and the temperature rise of the light emitting element E and its peripheral components can be prevented. In addition, since the generated heat can be efficiently transported to a position away from the heat source (light emitting element E), the degree of freedom of arrangement of each component around the light source substrate 61 is increased, and an apparatus layout that is optimal for the printing process. Can be realized.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the sheet S corresponds to the “recording medium” of the present invention. The print heads 36a to 36d function as the “printing unit” of the present invention, and the housing member 10 functions as the “casing” of the present invention. Further, the light source substrate 61, particularly the individual light emitting elements E arranged on the substrate 61, functions as the “light source” of the present invention. The air flow path Pg1 corresponds to the “first air flow path” of the present invention, and the intake duct 55 functions as the “first air flow path forming portion” of the present invention. The air flow path Pg2 corresponds to the “second air flow path” of the present invention, and the exhaust duct 57 functions as the “second air flow path forming portion” of the present invention.

  In addition, in the intake port 51 where the housing member 10 and the intake duct 55 are connected through the respective openings, the opening on the housing member side is the “first opening” of the present invention, and the opening on the intake duct 55 side is the “first opening”. This corresponds to “3 openings”. Further, in the exhaust port 53 where the housing member 10 and the exhaust duct 57 are connected to each other through the respective openings, the opening on the housing member side is the “second opening” of the present invention, and the opening on the exhaust duct 57 side is the “first”. This corresponds to “6 openings”. Of the openings that open at both ends of the cylindrical intake duct 55, the opening opposite to the third opening corresponds to the “fourth opening” of the present invention. Of the openings opened at both ends of the cylindrical exhaust duct 57, the opening opposite to the sixth opening corresponds to the “fifth opening” of the present invention.

  Further, the heat radiating member 66 functions as the “heat radiating portion” of the present invention, and the support substrate 62 and the heat pipe 65 function as the “heat transporting portion” of the present invention. The intake fan 67 and the exhaust fan 68 function as the “first fan” and the “second fan” of the present invention, respectively, and these integrally constitute the “airflow generation unit” of the present invention.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made to the above-described one without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the process unit 3U is movable with respect to the housing member 10, and accordingly, a gap is provided between the intake duct 55, the exhaust duct 57, and the heat radiating member 66. However, the application object of the present invention is not limited to the one in which the process unit is movable with respect to the housing. In a printing apparatus that does not involve movement of the process unit, it may not be necessary to provide a gap between the heat radiating member and the duct, but warmed air flows into the apparatus from a minute gap between the members, for example. It is useful to apply the present invention for the purpose of preventing.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment is an apparatus which has four print heads 36a-36d as a printing means and forms a color image, the number of print heads and ink colors is not limited to this, For example, it is a single color ink. The present invention can also be applied to an apparatus that forms a monochrome image.

  In addition, the printing apparatus of the above embodiment is an apparatus that prints an image by attaching a photocurable ink to a long sheet S as a recording medium by an inkjet method, but the type of the recording medium is not limited to this and is arbitrary. Can be used. Further, what is attached to the recording medium is not limited to ink as long as it is a photocurable liquid, and the purpose of printing is not limited to image formation.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing apparatus, 10 ... Housing member (housing | casing), 36a-36d ... Print head (printing means), 38 ... UV irradiator, 51 ... Intake port (1st opening, 3rd opening), 53 ... Exhaust port ( Second opening, sixth opening), 55 ... intake duct (first air flow path forming part), 57 ... exhaust duct (second air flow path forming part), 61 ... light source substrate (light source), 62 ... support substrate (heat transport) Part), 65 ... heat pipe (heat transport part), 66 ... heat radiating member (heat radiating part), 67 ... intake fan (first fan, airflow generating part), 68 ... exhaust fan (second fan, airflow generating part), E ... Light emitting element (light source), S ... Sheet (recording medium)

Claims (8)

A printing unit capable of discharging liquid onto a recording medium;
A light source capable of irradiating light onto the liquid discharged to the recording medium;
A housing that houses the printing unit and the light source, and has a first opening and a second opening formed at different positions;
A heat dissipating part capable of releasing heat generated by the light source into the air;
A first air flow path forming portion having a first air flow path from a third opening to a fourth opening formed at different positions, wherein the third opening is connected to the first opening;
A second air flow path from a fifth opening to a sixth opening formed at a different position; the fifth opening is disposed at a position facing the fourth opening with a gap; and A second air flow path forming portion in which six openings are connected to the second opening;
When the heat dissipating part is positioned in the gap between the fourth opening and the fifth opening, the heat dissipating part passes through the heat dissipating part and flows from the fifth opening into the second air flow path. A printing apparatus comprising: an airflow generation unit that generates an airflow having a larger flow rate of the airflow flowing out of the second air flow path from the six openings.   The air flow generation unit includes a first fan positioned between the heat dissipation unit and the third opening when the heat dissipation unit is positioned in the gap between the fourth opening and the fifth opening; The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second fan positioned between a heat radiating unit and the sixth opening.   The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a flow rate of the air flow generated by the first fan is smaller than a flow rate of the air flow generated by the second fan.   The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a flow rate of the air flow generated by the first fan is equal to a flow rate of the air flow generated by the second fan.   The heat dissipating part has heat dissipating fins through which heat generated by the light source is transmitted, and the air flow generating part is generated when the heat dissipating part is located in the gap between the fourth opening and the fifth opening. The air flow that flows through the heat radiating portion by flowing in from one end of the radiating fin facing the fourth opening and flowing out from the other end of the radiating fin facing the fifth opening. The printing apparatus according to claim 4.   The first air flow path forming section and the second air flow path forming section are fixed to the housing, and the light source and the heat radiating section are integrally formed with the first air flow path forming section and the second air flow path forming section. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is movable with respect to the part.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a heat transport unit that transports heat generated by the light source to the heat radiating unit. A printing unit capable of discharging liquid onto a recording medium;
A light source capable of irradiating light onto the liquid discharged to the recording medium;
A housing that houses the printing unit and the light source, and has a first opening and a second opening formed at different positions;
A heat dissipating part capable of releasing heat generated by the light source into the air;
A first air flow path forming portion having a first air flow path from a third opening to a fourth opening formed at different positions, wherein the third opening is connected to the first opening;
A second air flow path from a fifth opening to a sixth opening formed at a different position; the fifth opening is disposed at a position facing the fourth opening with a gap; and A second air flow path forming portion in which six openings are connected to the second opening;
A printing method using a printing apparatus including an air flow generation unit that generates an air flow from the first opening toward the second opening through the first air flow path forming unit and the second air flow path forming unit,
Positioning the heat radiating portion between the fourth opening and the fifth opening;
When the heat dissipating part is positioned in the gap between the fourth opening and the fifth opening, the heat dissipating part passes through the heat dissipating part and flows from the fifth opening into the second air flow path. And a step of generating the airflow by the airflow generation unit so that the flow rate of the airflow flowing out of the second air flow path from the six openings becomes larger.

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