JP7143765B2 - Recording medium processing device and image recording device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a recording medium processing device and an image recording device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an image recording apparatus that records an image on a recording medium by applying coloring material such as ink or toner to the recording medium and fixing the coloring material onto the recording medium. This image recording apparatus is equipped with a recording medium processing device that modifies the surface of the recording medium to a state suitable for the adhesion and fixation of the coloring material by performing discharge treatment such as corona discharge on the recording medium. There is (for example, patent document 1).

The recording medium processing device includes a transport roller that transports a recording medium and an electrode (discharge electrode) facing the transport roller, and applies a high voltage between the electrode and the transport roller that is at ground potential. By doing so, a structure is known in which discharge is generated between the recording medium conveyed on the conveying roller and the electrode to modify the surface of the recording medium. In the discharge treatment by such a recording medium processing apparatus, discharge is performed in a state in which a gap of several millimeters is provided between the recording medium and the electrode. quality can be performed with high efficiency.

JP 2015-44405 A

However, in the above-described conventional technology, if the recording medium is warped or wrinkled, the recording medium being transported comes into contact with the electrodes, resulting in an increase in current due to discharge and a decrease in the efficiency of surface modification by discharge treatment. I have a problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording medium processing apparatus and an image recording apparatus capable of suppressing a decrease in surface modification efficiency due to discharge treatment.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of the recording medium processing device according to claim 1 is:
a mounting member having a mounting surface on which the recording medium is mounted;
a conveying driving unit that circulates and moves the mounting member along a predetermined circulating path;
Air is sucked from the side of the mounting member opposite to the mounting surface side through the holes of the mounting member, and the recording medium mounted on the mounting surface is moved to a predetermined position in the circulating path. a suction unit that is attracted to the mounting surface in the suction area;
a first electrode provided facing the mounting surface of the mounting member in the adsorption area;
By applying a predetermined voltage between the first electrode and a second electrode positioned opposite the first electrode across the moving path of the recording medium on the mounting surface in the adsorption area, a discharge driver for generating a corona discharge for modifying the surface of the recording medium between the first electrode and the second electrode;
with
the suction unit sucks and exhausts ozone generated between the first electrode and the second electrode due to the corona discharge ;
The placement member includes a conductive member,
the conductive member is used as the second electrode,
The mounting member is provided with a plurality of holes penetrating between the mounting surface and a surface opposite to the mounting surface,
The plurality of holes are arranged such that the ratio of the length of the portion corresponding to the opening of the plurality of holes to the length of the mounting member along the direction of the circular movement is less than 1/2. is provided,
The plurality of holes are provided so that the ratio is greater than 0 within the range in the width direction orthogonal to the direction of the circular movement in which the plurality of holes are provided,
The plurality of holes are provided so that the ratio is uniform within the range in the width direction where the plurality of holes are provided,
each of the plurality of holes has a rectangular opening shape,
Each side of the rectangle is parallel to the direction of the circular movement or the width direction,
The plurality of holes have a plurality of hole arrays in which the holes are arranged at equal intervals in the width direction,
the interval in the width direction between the holes in the hole array is equal to the length in the width direction of the opening of the hole;
The holes are provided so that the arrangement positions of the holes in the width direction in the hole arrays adjacent to each other in the direction of the circular movement are complementary .

The invention according to claim 2 is the recording medium processing device according to claim 1 ,
The mounting member is an endless steel belt.

The invention according to claim 3 is the recording medium processing device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
each of the plurality of holes has the same opening shape,
The plurality of holes are provided so that the intervals between the holes adjacent to each other in the direction of the circular movement are equal and the intervals between the holes adjacent to each other in the width direction perpendicular to the direction of the circular movement are equal to each other. It is

The invention according to claim 4 is the recording medium processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The plurality of holes are arranged in a houndstooth pattern.

The invention according to claim 5 is the recording medium processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
It is characterized by being sealed by a housing.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, the invention of the image recording apparatus according to claim 6 ,
A recording medium processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ;
an image recording unit that applies a coloring material to a recording medium to record an image;
Prepare.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it is effective in being able to suppress the efficiency fall of the surface modification by electrical discharge treatment.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a recording medium processing unit; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement pattern of holes in a conveying belt; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement pattern of holes in a conveying belt; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement pattern of holes in a conveying belt;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of a recording medium processing apparatus and an image recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention.
The inkjet recording apparatus 1 (image recording apparatus) includes a recording medium supply unit 10, a recording medium processing unit 20 (recording medium processing unit), a recording medium heating unit 30, an image recording unit 40, a fixing unit 50, and a recording unit. A medium ejection unit 60 and the like are provided.

The recording medium supply unit 10 includes a loading tray 11, a medium delivery roller 12, and the like.
The loading tray 11 is a plate-shaped member on which various individual recording media P such as sheets of paper, thick paper, corrugated board, and resin plates can be stacked and placed. They are sent to the recording medium processing unit 20 in order. The loading tray 11 is vertically movable, and is held at a position where the uppermost recording medium P is delivered to the recording medium processing section 20 according to the total weight of the recording media P loaded.
The medium delivery roller 12 is a rotatable roller that sandwiches the recording medium P from above and below, and delivers the recording medium P placed on the top of the placement tray 11 in the horizontal direction here. The medium delivery roller 12 is provided with a guide member that aligns the recording medium P to a predetermined position in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium P (the left direction in FIG. 1). The recording medium P is sent to the recording medium processing section 20 in a state in which the direction is aligned.

The recording medium processing unit 20 modifies the surface of the recording medium P by performing a surface modification process (discharge treatment, corona treatment) by corona discharge on the recording medium P handed over from the recording medium supply part 10 . The recording medium processing section 20 includes a conveying section 21 having a conveying belt 211 (mounting member), a drive roller 212 and a driven roller 213, a support suction section 22, a pressure roller 23, a discharge section 24, and the like.

The transport belt 211 of the transport unit 21 is an endless (annular) belt-like member that is stretched around the driving roller 212 and the driven roller 213 . The transport belt 211 rotates when the driving roller 212 is driven by a transport motor 86 (transport driving unit) (FIG. 2) attached to the driving roller 212, and the driving roller 212 and the driving roller 211 rotate according to the rotating motion. It circulates on a circulating path around the driven roller 213 . The conveying belt 211 is made of a steel belt, which is a conductive member, and is grounded.
The support/suction part 22 is provided along the inner peripheral surface of the transport belt 211 and supports the transport belt 211 that slides on the support/suction part 22 and moves in a circular motion. In addition, the support suction part 22 sucks air from the side opposite to the mounting surface side of the conveyor belt 211, that is, from the inner peripheral surface side through holes provided in the conveyor belt 211 by a suction fan 82 (FIG. 2). By doing so, the recording medium P on the transport belt 211 is attracted onto the outer peripheral surface of the transport belt 211 (the mounting surface of the recording medium P).
The discharge unit 24 has a discharge electrode 241 provided facing the mounting surface of the transport belt 211 , and the discharge electrode 241 and the transport belt 211 , that is, the discharge electrode 241 and the recording medium on the transport belt 211 . A corona discharge is generated between P. The discharge unit 24 modifies the surface of the recording medium P by the corona discharge so that the wettability of the surface of the recording medium P with ink (coloring material) is improved (that is, the surface energy is increased). By performing such a surface modification treatment, it is possible to allow the ink that has landed on the recording medium P to wet and spread over an appropriate range. The recording medium processing section 20 sends out the recording medium P that has undergone surface modification processing by the corona discharge of the discharging section 24 to the recording medium heating section 30 .
The recording medium processing section 20 may be provided downstream of the recording medium supply section 10 in the conveying direction and upstream of the image recording section 40 in the conveying direction. 40 may be provided.
A detailed configuration and operation of the recording medium processing unit 20 will be described later.

The recording medium heating section 30 has a plurality of heating rollers 31 . The plurality of heating rollers 31 rotate while holding the recording medium P from both sides, thereby heating the recording medium P while conveying it. A plurality of heating rollers 31 are provided with axially-shaped medium heaters, and the surfaces of the heating rollers 31 are heated by the medium heaters to transfer heat to the recording medium P, thereby heating the recording medium P. As the medium heater, for example, an electric heating sheet that generates Joule heat by electric current is used. The recording medium heating unit 30 may further include a heating chamber that accommodates a plurality of heating rollers 31 and that can be kept at a constant temperature by a heater. According to such a configuration, temperature unevenness of the recording medium P heated by the heating roller 31 can be reduced, and the temperature can be made more uniform.

The image recording unit 40 is provided on the downstream side of the recording medium heating unit 30 in the transport direction of the recording medium P, and ejects ink onto the recording medium P handed over from the recording medium heating unit 30 to record an image. The image recording unit 40 includes a transport unit 41 having a transport belt 411, a drive roller 412 and a driven roller 413, a support suction unit 42, a pressure roller 43, and one or more (here, four) heads for ejecting ink. A unit 44 and the like are provided. The transport section 41, the support suction section 42 and the pressure roller 43 can have the same configurations as the transport section 21, the support suction section 22 and the pressure roller 23 of the recording medium processing section 20, respectively.

The head unit 44 is provided at a position facing the support suction unit 42 with the transport belt 411 interposed therebetween. The surface of the head unit 44 facing the support/suction part 42 is an ink discharge surface provided with nozzle openings. Ink is ejected and landed on the recording medium P which is attracted and transported. The head unit 44 has one or a plurality of recording heads 441 (FIG. 2) which are provided with nozzle openings in a predetermined arrangement and perform operations related to ink ejection from the nozzle openings. The widthwise arrangement range of the nozzles in the head unit 44 covers the widthwise image recording range of the recording medium P. FIG. The head unit 44 is used at a fixed position when recording an image, and ejects ink sequentially at predetermined intervals (intervals in the transport direction) at different positions in the transport direction as the recording medium P is transported. Records images using the single-pass method. The four head units 44 are connected to ink tanks (not shown) for cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K), respectively, and store these CMYK inks respectively. Dispense. Alternatively, the image recording section 40 may include a head unit 44 that ejects inks other than these four colors, such as orange, green, violet, red, blue, and white, or transparent ink. The ink ejected here is an ultraviolet curable ink that is stably cured by being irradiated with ultraviolet rays (predetermined energy rays).
The image recording section 40 sends the recording medium P onto which ink has been ejected from the head unit 44 to the fixing section 50 .

The fixing section 50 is provided on the downstream side of the image recording section 40 with respect to the conveying direction of the recording medium P, and fixes the ink on the recording medium P handed over from the image recording section 40 . The fixing section 50 includes a conveying section 51 having a conveying belt 511, a drive roller 512 and a driven roller 513, a support suction section 52, a pressure roller 53, an ultraviolet irradiation section 54, and the like. The transport section 51, the support/suction section 52, and the pressure roller 53 can have the same configurations as the transport section 21, the support/suction section 22, and the pressure roller 23 of the recording medium processing section 20, respectively.
The ultraviolet irradiation unit 54 irradiates the recording medium P attracted and conveyed on the mounting surface of the conveying belt 511 by the support/suction unit 52 with ultraviolet rays, thereby fixing the ink that has landed on the recording medium P. It is preferable that the recording medium P placed on the transport belt 511 is irradiated with the ultraviolet rays emitted from the fixing unit 50 without large unevenness (variation in intensity).

The recording medium ejection section 60 places and holds the recording medium P handed over from the fixing section 50 until it is taken out by the user. The recording medium discharge section 60 includes a discharge tray 61 and guide rollers 62 . The discharge tray 61 is set lower than the mounting surface of the transport unit 51 so that the recording medium P can be delivered from the mounting surface, and may be moved up and down depending on the amount of the mounted recording medium P. .

As described above, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 conveys the recording medium P by the plurality of conveying units 21, 41, and 51, and each functional configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 provided with these conveying units 21, 41, and 51, that is, The recording medium processing unit 20, the image recording unit 40, and the fixing unit 50 are configured to perform predetermined processing on the recording medium P, respectively. With such a configuration, the sections in which the recording medium P is placed on the transport belts 211, 411, and 511 in the transport units 21, 41, and 51 can be shortened. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of a problem that the conveying position accuracy of the recording medium P is lowered due to expansion, contraction, non-uniform movement speed of the recording medium P, and the like. As a result, ink can be ejected onto a desired position on the recording medium P particularly in the image recording section 40 .

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus 1. As shown in FIG.
The inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a control section 70, support suction sections 22, 42, and 52 having a suction control section 81 and a suction fan 82, a discharge section 24 having a discharge control section 83 and a discharge drive section 242, and a head control section. 84 and a recording head 441, a transport controller 85, a transport motor 86, an input/output interface 87, a bus 88, and the like. Of these, the suction control unit 81, the discharge control unit 83, the head control unit 84, and the transport control unit 85 may use the respective hardware configurations of the control unit 70 together, or may be separately provided with a dedicated CPU, memory, logic circuit, or the like. may be provided.

The control unit 70 has a CPU 71 (Central Processing Unit), a RAM 72 (Random Access Memory), a ROM 73 (Read Only Memory), and a storage unit 74 .

The CPU 71 reads various control programs and setting data stored in the ROM 73, stores them in the RAM 72, and executes the programs to perform various arithmetic processing. Further, the CPU 71 centrally controls the overall operation of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 .

The RAM 72 provides a working memory space for the CPU 71 and stores temporary data. RAM 72 may include non-volatile memory.

The ROM 73 stores various control programs executed by the CPU 71, setting data, and the like. A rewritable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) or a flash memory may be used instead of the ROM 73 .

The storage unit 74 stores a print job (image recording command) input from the external device 2 via the input/output interface 87, image data of an image to be recorded related to the print job, and the like. As the storage unit 74, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is used, and a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or the like may be used together.

The suction control section 81 rotates the suction fans 82 of the support suction sections 22 , 42 , 52 at a rotation speed according to the control signal from the control section 70 .

The discharge control unit 83 causes the discharge driving unit 242 to apply a predetermined AC voltage between the discharge electrode 241 and the conveying belt 211 in accordance with the control signal from the control unit 70 , thereby controlling the discharge electrode 241 and the conveying belt 211 . A corona discharge is generated between

The head control unit 84 outputs various control signals and image data to the head driving unit in the print head 441 at appropriate timing according to the control signal from the control unit 70, thereby controlling the number of nozzles of the print head 441. Ink is ejected from the opening.

The transport control unit 85 controls the operations of the transport motors 86 attached to the medium feeding roller 12, the driving rollers 212, 412, 512, the heating roller 31, and the guide roller 62, based on control signals supplied from the control unit 70. Each roller is independently controlled to rotate, and the recording medium P is conveyed at an appropriate speed.

The input/output interface 87 mediates transmission and reception of data between the external device 2 and the control unit 70 . The input/output interface 87 is composed of, for example, various serial interfaces, various parallel interfaces, or a combination thereof.

A bus 88 is a path for transmitting and receiving signals between the control unit 70 and other components.

The external device 2 is, for example, a personal computer, and supplies print jobs, image data, and the like to the control section 70 via the input/output interface 87 .

Next, the detailed configuration and operation of the recording medium processing section 20 will be described.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the recording medium processing section 20. As shown in FIG.
The steel belt used as the transport belt 211 in the transport unit 21 of the recording medium processing unit 20 can be made of, for example, stainless steel such as SUS304 or SUS631 having a thickness of about 0.3 [mm], aluminum alloy, or the like. Further, in the transport belt 211, holes having the same opening shape penetrating between the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the transport belt 211, specifically, a large number of holes having a diameter of about 0.5 [mm] (plural ) are arranged at intervals of about 1.4 [mm] so as to have an aperture ratio of about 20%, and air can pass through.
The recording medium P to be conveyed sent from the recording medium supply unit 10 is mounted on the mounting surface 211a of the conveyor belt 211 in a section in which the mounting surface 211a of the conveyor belt 211 moves upward and horizontally, and the conveyor belt 211 is rotated. transported with In this section, the recording medium P and the transport belt 211 face the four discharge electrodes 241 of the discharge section 24 , and the recording medium P passes under the discharge electrodes 241 as the transport belt 211 rotates.

The drive roller 212 and the driven roller 213 have a roller body, a rotating shaft, and a bearing (bearing) made of metal, and the surfaces of the driving roller 212 and the driven roller 213 are grounded via the roller body, the rotating shaft, and the bearing. It is said that In addition, since the transport belt 211 is always in contact with the surfaces of the drive roller 212 and the driven roller 213 , it is grounded via the drive roller 212 and the driven roller 213 .

The support/suction part 22 supports the transport belt 211 in a plane in a suction region R between the drive roller 212 and the driven roller 213 in the circulation path of the transport belt 211, and places the transport belt 211 on the mounting surface 211a. The recording medium P placed and conveyed is attracted to the placement surface 211a. The support suction unit 22 has a support plate 221, a suction unit 222, and the like.
The support plate 221 is provided along the circulation path of the transport belt 211 and supports the transport belt 211 on the surface opposite to the mounting surface 211a. The support plate 221 is provided with ventilation holes that allow air to pass between the surface on the side of the conveyor belt 211 and the surface on the side of the suction unit 222 . As the support plate 221, for example, a plate-like member made of a porous body produced by sintering resin particles such as polyethylene resin, fluororesin, polypropylene resin, etc. can be used. Alternatively, a plate-like member having an artificially provided transmission hole may be used.
The suction unit 222 is provided with a suction fan 82 (FIG. 2). The suction unit 222 sucks air from the inner peripheral surface side of the conveyor belt 211 through the holes of the conveyor belt 211 and the ventilation holes of the support plate 221 by the rotation of the suction fan 82 . P is adsorbed on the mounting surface 211a in the adsorption region R. As shown in FIG.

The pressing roller 23 is a roller rotatably provided at a position facing the driven roller 213 with the transport belt 211 interposed therebetween. In order to suppress the lifting of the paper, especially curling (rolling up) of the leading end portion, so that the paper is more reliably adsorbed, it is pressed against the conveyor belt 211 with an appropriate pressure, and is pushed along the conveyor belt 211. Induce. The pressure roller 23 can be configured such that the distance from the mounting surface 211a of the transport belt 211 is variable according to the thickness of the recording medium P to be transported.

The discharge section 24 applies a high AC voltage between the four discharge electrodes 241 (first electrodes) and between the discharge electrodes 241 and the grounded conveyor belt 211 to generate a voltage between the discharge electrodes 241 and the conveyor belt 211 . A discharge driver 242 for generating corona discharge is provided. As described above, in the present embodiment, the conveying belt 211 facing the discharge electrode 241 across the movement path of the recording medium P on the mounting surface 211a in the adsorption area R is an electrode (second electrode) for generating corona discharge. electrode).

The discharge electrode 241 is a columnar member provided parallel to the width direction at a position facing the mounting surface 211a of the transport belt 211 in the adsorption area R. As shown in FIG. The discharge electrode 241 is provided so as to extend across the maximum width of the recording medium P set as the maximum size that can be transported by the transport unit 21 in the width direction. The discharge electrode 241 has a metal cylindrical electrode core 2411 and a dielectric layer 2412 covering the surface of the electrode core 2411 . Ceramics such as alumina can be used as the dielectric layer 2412 .
Each of the four discharge electrodes 241 is attached to the mounting surface 211a of the conveying belt 211, and the distance between the recording medium P facing the discharge electrode 241 is a predetermined value of about 2 [mm] to 3 [mm]. is placed at a height that In this embodiment, the mounting surface 211a of the conveying belt 211 is set so that the distance between the recording medium P and the discharge electrode 241 can be set to the predetermined value for each of a plurality of types of recording media P having different thicknesses. The position of the entire discharge portion 24 can be adjusted in the direction perpendicular to the .

The discharge driving unit 242 includes a high-frequency power supply that generates an AC voltage signal of 20 to 30 [kHz], and a high-voltage transformer that boosts the voltage signal generated by the high-frequency power supply to 10 to 20 [kV]. A boosted AC voltage is applied between the four discharge electrodes 241 and the grounded conveyor belt 211 . A corona discharge is generated between the discharge electrode 241 and the conveyor belt 211 by applying such an AC voltage. When the recording medium P attracted to the placement surface 211a of the conveying belt 211 passes through the position facing the discharge electrode 241 in a state in which corona discharge is generated, the corona discharge generated between the recording medium P and the discharge electrode 241 is discharged. The surface of the recording medium P is modified by. The recording medium processing unit 20 performs the surface modification processing of the recording medium P by such operations.

In the corona discharge, a high voltage applied between the discharge electrode 241 and the conveyor belt 211 breaks the insulation of the air, electrons are emitted from the electrode, and the space between the discharge electrode 241 and the conveyor belt 211 This is a phenomenon in which an electric current flows in (hereinafter also referred to as a discharge space). In the corona discharge, the emitted electrons and gas molecules (positive ions) ionized by collision with the electrons are generated in the discharge space, and the electric field between the electrodes accelerates these electrons and positive ions to form the recording medium P. collide with As a result, the surface of the recording medium P is modified so that the surface energy increases. Specifically, on the surface of the recording medium P, the impingement of electrons and positive ions causes unevenness at the molecular level, making the surface moderately rough, thereby improving wettability with ink. Further, in corona discharge, molecules on the surface of the recording medium P are brought into a state of having unpaired electrons due to the collision of electrons or positive ions, and polar functional groups such as hydroxyl groups and carbonyl groups are added to wet the ink. There may also be events that improve performance. In addition, wettability can be improved by removing stains on the surface of the recording medium P.
In addition, since the dielectric layer 2412 is provided on the surface of the discharge electrode 241, local arc discharge is less likely to occur in the corona discharge, and the discharge electrode 241 extending in the width direction has substantially uniform strength at each position. A discharge is generated in the discharge space. As a result, the surface of the recording medium P is uniformly modified.
Note that ozone is generated between the conveying belt 211 and the discharge electrode 241 in the corona discharge. The discharge section 24 is provided with an exhaust duct and an exhaust fan (not shown) for sucking and exhausting the generated ozone. Alternatively, in addition to or instead of these exhaust duct and exhaust fan, the suction section 222 of the support suction section 22 may be used to exhaust ozone.

The degree of wettability to ink on the surface of the recording medium P is, for example, the range (diameter) in which an ink droplet of a predetermined liquid volume lands on the surface of the recording medium P spreads, or It is represented by a contact angle or the like. The degree of wettability after the surface modification treatment by corona discharge can be adjusted by the treatment time and discharge energy of corona discharge. Of these, the processing time of corona discharge can be adjusted by the transport speed of the recording medium P and the number of discharge electrodes 241 used for discharge. Since the wettability before the surface modification treatment is different depending on the material of the recording medium P, by adjusting the treatment time and discharge energy of the corona discharge according to the material of the recording medium P, the wettability after the surface modification treatment can be improved. The degree of wettability can be within the desired range.

In the recording medium processing section 20 of the present embodiment, the conveying belt 211 is used as an electrode for corona discharge. Affects distribution. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the holes of the conveying belt 211 are provided in a pattern that makes it difficult for corona discharge unevenness (and therefore, surface state unevenness after modification) to occur.

4A, 4B, and 4C are diagrams showing examples of arrangement patterns of the holes 211b in the conveying belt 211. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4A, the holes 211b of the present embodiment are arranged in a staggered pattern. That is, in FIG. 4A, a large number of hole arrays in which the holes 211b are arranged at equal intervals in the width direction are provided at equal intervals in the circulating movement direction (moving direction) of the circulating movement of the conveyor belt 211. The holes 211b are provided such that the arrangement positions of the holes 211b in the width direction in the arrangement of the holes 211b adjacent to each other in the direction are shifted from each other by 1/2 of the arrangement pitch in the width direction of the holes 211b. In such an arrangement, the intervals between the holes 211b adjacent in the width direction are equal to each other, and the holes 211b adjacent in the circular movement direction (here, in the arrangement of every other hole, the positions in the width direction are equal to each other). are equal to each other). Such an arrangement makes the arrangement density of the holes 211b uniform and suppresses the occurrence of uneven corona discharge.
The shape of the hole 211b is not limited to circular, but may be rectangular (here, square) as shown in FIG. 4B, or may be other shapes than circular and rectangular.

Also, the arrangement of the holes 211b is not limited to the houndstooth pattern. For example, as shown in FIG. 4C, the hole portions 211b may be arranged along a direction inclined by a predetermined angle θ with respect to the revolving direction of the conveying belt 211 . Alternatively, various arrangements having other regularity, such as a matrix-like arrangement in the width direction and the circular movement direction, may be used. may be placed in Here, the random arrangement includes a completely randomly determined arrangement as well as a pseudo-random arrangement determined by deterministic calculation. Alternatively, the arrangement may be generated by repeatedly using a random or pseudo-random partial arrangement pattern.

Regardless of the arrangement, the plurality of holes 211b are arranged at each position in the width direction, with respect to the circumferential length (the length of one round) along the circulating movement direction of the conveyor belt 211. The ratio of the length of the portion corresponding to the opening of the hole 211b is set to be equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit. From the viewpoint of suppressing the occurrence of unevenness in corona discharge, the upper limit value is preferably less than 1/2, and is preferably as small as possible within a range in which sufficient adsorption force can be obtained.
In addition, the plurality of holes 211b are formed within the widthwise range of the conveying belt 211 where the plurality of holes 211b are provided (that is, except for regions near both ends in the width direction where the holes 211b are not provided). within the range), the ratio at each position in the width direction is preferably set to be equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value larger than 0. It is desirable that this lower limit value is closer to the above-mentioned upper limit value so that the ratio at each position in the width direction becomes more uniform.
Furthermore, it is more preferable that the plurality of holes 211b are provided so that the above-described ratios at each position in the width direction are uniform. For example, as shown in FIG. 4B, the interval in the width direction of the rectangular holes 211b is made equal to the length in the width direction of the opening of the holes 211b, and the hole portions arranged adjacent to each other in the rotation direction By providing the holes 211b such that the arrangement positions of the holes 211b in the width direction are complementary, it is possible to make the ratio at each position in the width direction uniform. Here, the uniformity of the ratio means that the ratio at each position in the width direction is completely the same, and that the variation in the ratio is within a predetermined range that does not substantially cause unevenness of corona discharge (that is, Within a range in which corona discharge non-uniformity reflecting the variation does not occur), for example, within a range of ±10% with respect to the average value.

(Modification)
Next, a modification of the above embodiment will be described.
In the above embodiment, a conductive steel belt was used as the conveyor belt 211 , and the conveyor belt 211 was used as an electrode to generate corona discharge between the conveyor belt 211 and the discharge electrode 241 .
On the other hand, in this modification, a dielectric conveying belt 211 is used, and the support plate 221 of the support/suction unit 22 is formed of a conductive member, such as a metal plate, which is set to the ground potential. It is used as an electrode (second electrode). Corona discharge can also be generated between the discharge electrode 241 and the recording medium P (conveyor belt 211) by such a configuration. Here, when a metal plate is used for the support plate 221 , the support plate 221 is provided with a plurality of ventilation holes that serve as air passage paths for the suction unit 222 . The arrangement of the ventilation holes in the support plate 221 is such that the holes 211b of the transport belt 211 sliding on the support plate 221 and the ventilation holes in the support plate 221 are at least one at any time during the circular movement of the transport belt 211. It is arranged so that the parts overlap to secure a ventilation path.
Further, in this modification, since the transport belt 211 is not used as an electrode, the transport belt 211 can support the recording medium P and can be made of various materials having air permeability. For example, as the conveyor belt 211, a resin such as rubber or a porous material can be used.

As described above, the recording medium processing unit 20 of the present embodiment includes the transport belt 211 having the mounting surface 211a on which the recording medium P is placed, and the transport motor 86 that circulates the transport belt 211 along a predetermined circulating route. Then, air is sucked from the opposite side of the conveying belt 211 to the mounting surface 211a side through the holes 211b of the conveying belt 211, and the recording medium P mounted on the mounting surface 211a is moved along the circulation path. A suction portion 222 that is attracted to the mounting surface 211a in the suction region R, a discharge electrode 241 (first electrode) provided facing the mounting surface 211a of the conveying belt 211 in the suction region R, and on the mounting surface 211a By applying a predetermined voltage between the discharge electrode 241 and the conveying belt 211 as a second electrode located opposite to the discharge electrode 241 across the moving path in the adsorption region R of the recording medium P, the discharge electrode 241 and a discharge driving unit 242 for generating discharge between the conveyor belt 211 and the conveyor belt 211 .
According to such a configuration, the recording medium P faces the discharge electrode 241 while being attracted to the mounting surface 211a of the conveying belt 211. Therefore, even if the recording medium P is warped or wrinkled, It is possible to suppress the occurrence of the problem that the recording medium P and the discharge electrode 241 come into contact during the discharge process. As a result, an increase in discharge current due to the contact of the recording medium P with the discharge electrode 241 during discharge is suppressed, so that a decrease in the efficiency of surface modification in the discharge process can be suppressed. In addition, since the distance between the discharge electrode and the recording medium P is kept constant, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the problem that the degree of surface modification due to corona discharge varies from place to place. As a result, the surface of the recording medium P can be uniformly modified, and a high-quality image can be recorded on the recording medium P by the inkjet recording apparatus 1 .

In addition, the conveying belt 211 includes a conductive member, and the conductive member is used as the second electrode. This makes it possible to simplify the configuration of the recording medium processing section 20 as compared with a configuration in which an electrode facing the discharge electrode 241 is provided separately from the conveying belt 211 . In addition, since the corona discharge is performed while the back surface of the recording medium P is covered with the conveying belt 211, the discharge is performed while supporting only a part of the back surface of the recording medium P by the electrode roller. Also, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the problem that the back surface of the recording medium P is modified by the corona discharge and the front surface modification efficiency is lowered.

Further, since the conveyor belt 211 is an endless steel belt, the conveyor belt 211 used as an electrode for corona discharge can be realized with a simple structure.

Further, the transport belt 211 is provided with a plurality of holes 211b penetrating between the mounting surface 211a and the inner peripheral surface opposite to the mounting surface 211a. According to such a configuration, air can be efficiently sucked by the suction portion 222 through the hole portion 211b. Further, by using the flat portion of the conveying belt 211 where the holes 211b are not provided as the second electrode, it is possible to efficiently perform the discharge.

Moreover, the plurality of holes 211b are provided so that the ratio of the length of the portion corresponding to the opening of the plurality of holes 211b to the length of the conveying belt 211 along the direction of rotation is less than 1/2. It is According to such a configuration, at each position in the width direction, half or more of the circumferential length of the conveying belt 211 functions as an electrode. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects such as a decrease or an increase in the As a result, variations in intensity of corona discharge in the width direction are suppressed, and the surface of the recording medium P can be more uniformly modified in the width direction.

Moreover, it is preferable that the plurality of holes 211b be provided such that the above ratio is greater than 0 within the range in the width direction where the plurality of holes 211b are provided. According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent a region in which the hole portions 211b are not provided over the entire circumference of the conveying belt 211 within the range in the width direction where the plurality of hole portions 211b are provided. can. As a result, the ratio of the length of the portion corresponding to the openings of the plurality of holes 211b in the circumference of the conveyor belt 211 to the circumference of the conveyor belt 211 at each position in the width direction can be made more uniform. Variations in intensity of corona discharge in the width direction can be suppressed more effectively. As a result, the surface of the recording medium P can be more uniformly modified in the width direction.

Moreover, it is preferable that the plurality of holes 211b be provided so that the above ratio is uniform within the range in the width direction where the plurality of holes 211b are provided. Thereby, the intensity of corona discharge can be made uniform in the width direction. As a result, the recording medium P can be uniformly modified in the width direction.

Further, each of the plurality of hole portions 211b has the same opening shape, and the plurality of hole portions 211b has the same interval between the hole portions adjacent to each other in the circular movement direction, and the interval between the hole portions adjacent to each other in the width direction. They are provided so that the intervals are equal to each other. With such a configuration, the arrangement density of the holes 211b in the direction of rotation and in the width direction is uniform. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of problems such as non-uniform strength. As a result, the surface of the conveyed recording medium P can be uniformly modified in the circular movement direction and the width direction.

In addition, since the plurality of holes 211b are arranged in a houndstooth pattern, variations in the arrangement density of the holes 211b can be suppressed, and the occurrence of unevenness in corona discharge can be suppressed.

Also, by randomly arranging the plurality of holes 211b, variations in the arrangement density of the holes 211b can be suppressed, and the occurrence of uneven corona discharge can be suppressed.

Further, in the recording medium processing section 20 according to the modified example, a conductive support plate 221 as a second electrode is provided along the circulation path of the conveyor belt 211 at a position facing the discharge electrode 241 across the circulation path. The suction unit 222 sucks air from the inner peripheral surface side of the transport belt 211 through the holes 211 b of the transport belt 211 and the ventilation holes provided in the support plate 221 , thereby moving the recording medium P to the transport belt 211 . is adsorbed on the mounting surface 211a. With such a configuration, the relative positions of the pair of electrodes used for corona discharge can be fixed, so that the surface of the recording medium P can be uniformly modified by stable corona discharge.

In addition, since the discharge used for surface modification is corona discharge, local discharge is less likely to occur, and discharge with less intensity variation in the width direction can be generated. Thereby, the surface of the recording medium P can be uniformly modified.

Further, the image recording apparatus of this embodiment includes the recording medium processing section 20 and an image recording section 40 that applies ink to the recording medium P to record an image. According to such an image recording apparatus, a high-quality image can be recorded on the recording medium P by applying ink to the recording medium P having an appropriate surface condition.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and modifications, and various modifications are possible.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the conveying belt 211 is grounded by grounding the driving roller 212 and the driven roller 213 made of metal. , the outer peripheral surface or the inner peripheral surface of the conveying belt 211 may be grounded via a carbon brush or the like. In this case, it is desirable that the hole 211b is not provided over the entire circumference of the conveying belt 211 in the range where the carbon brush abuts in the width direction. In order to achieve such a configuration, for example, a carbon brush may be brought into contact with the vicinity of both widthwise end portions of the conveying belt 211 on which the recording medium P is not placed.

Further, the structure of the transport belt 211 used as an electrode may be a structure in which a part of the transport belt 211 is made of a conductive member instead of the steel belt as in the above embodiment. For example, a conductive member may be placed on part of the placement surface 211a of the insulating belt as the base material, and the conductive member may be set to the ground potential.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and modified examples, an example in which the belt-shaped conveying belt 211 is used as the mounting member has been described, but the mounting member is not limited to a belt-shaped one. A plate-shaped member attached between a pair of driving belts that are stretched across both ends in the width direction and move around may be used as the mounting member.

Further, the number of discharge electrodes 241 provided in the discharge section 24 is not limited to four, and may be three or less or five or more depending on the size of the area on the recording medium P where corona discharge is performed.

Further, the discharge generated between the electrodes by the recording medium processing section 20 is not limited to the corona discharge, and may be other discharges generated by breaking the insulation of the space between the electrodes in response to the application of a high voltage between the electrodes. can be

Further, in the above-described embodiment and modification, the recording medium processing unit 20 that discharges in the atmosphere has been described as an example. (for example, a rare gas or an inert gas such as nitrogen) to discharge.

Further, in the recording medium processing section 20 of the above-described embodiment and modified example, an example in which the AC voltage is applied between the electrodes by the discharge driving section 242 has been described, but instead of this, a DC voltage is applied between the electrodes. discharge may be generated by

Further, in the above-described embodiment and modification, images are recorded by sequentially supplying individual recording media, but after recording is performed on a continuous recording medium at predetermined intervals, cutting and separation are performed in post-processing. The present invention may be applied to an inkjet recording apparatus having the above configuration.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and modification, each functional configuration is divided into separate conveying units to convey the recording medium. For example, operations related to a plurality of functional configurations may be executed on one transport unit.

Further, in the above embodiments and modified examples, the ink jet recording apparatus 1 is used as an example of the image recording apparatus, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a dry electrophotographic image recording apparatus that forms an image with toner particles as a coloring material on a photosensitive drum and transfers the image onto a recording medium, and a wet electrophotographic image recording apparatus that uses liquid toner instead of toner particles. The present invention can be applied to various image recording apparatuses such as an image recording apparatus that transfers an ink thin film formed on a belt to a recording medium. Any image recording apparatus is provided with a recording medium processing apparatus that performs surface modification processing on the recording medium P to which the coloring material is applied, and the present invention can be applied to this recording medium processing apparatus.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalent ranges thereof. .

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a recording medium processing device and an image recording device.

1 inkjet recording device 2 external device 10 recording medium supply unit 11 mounting tray 12 medium delivery roller 20 recording medium processing units 21, 41, 51 conveying units 211, 411, 511 conveying belt 211a mounting surface 211b holes 212, 412, 512 drive rollers 213, 413, 513 driven rollers 22, 42, 52 support suction part 221 support plate 222 suction parts 23, 43, 53 pressure roller 24 discharge part 241 discharge electrode 242 discharge drive part 2411 electrode mandrel 2412 dielectric layer 30 recording Medium heating section 31 Heating roller 40 Image recording section 44 Head unit 441 Recording head 50 Fixing section 54 Ultraviolet irradiation section 60 Recording medium discharge section 61 Discharge tray 62 Guide roller 70 Control section 71 CPU
72 RAM
73 ROMs
74 storage unit 81 suction control unit 82 suction fan 83 discharge control unit 84 head control unit 85 transport control unit 86 transport motor 87 input/output interface 88 bus P recording medium

Claims (6)

a mounting member having a mounting surface on which the recording medium is mounted;
a conveying driving unit that circulates and moves the mounting member along a predetermined circulating path;
Air is sucked from the side of the mounting member opposite to the mounting surface side through the holes of the mounting member, and the recording medium mounted on the mounting surface is moved to a predetermined position in the circulating path. a suction unit that is attracted to the mounting surface in the suction area;
a first electrode provided facing the mounting surface of the mounting member in the adsorption area;
By applying a predetermined voltage between the first electrode and a second electrode positioned opposite the first electrode across the moving path of the recording medium on the mounting surface in the adsorption area, a discharge driver for generating a corona discharge for modifying the surface of the recording medium between the first electrode and the second electrode;
with
the suction unit sucks and exhausts ozone generated between the first electrode and the second electrode due to the corona discharge ;
The mounting member includes a conductive member,
the conductive member is used as the second electrode,
The mounting member is provided with a plurality of holes penetrating between the mounting surface and a surface opposite to the mounting surface,
The plurality of holes are arranged such that the ratio of the length of the portion corresponding to the opening of the plurality of holes to the length of the mounting member along the direction of the circular movement is less than 1/2. is provided,
The plurality of holes are provided so that the ratio is greater than 0 within a range in the width direction orthogonal to the direction of the circular movement in which the plurality of holes are provided,
The plurality of holes are provided so that the ratio is uniform within the range in the width direction where the plurality of holes are provided,
each of the plurality of holes has a rectangular opening shape,
Each side of the rectangle is parallel to the direction of the circular movement or the width direction,
The plurality of holes have a plurality of hole arrays in which the holes are arranged at equal intervals in the width direction,
the interval in the width direction between the holes in the hole array is equal to the length in the width direction of the opening of the hole;
A recording medium processing device , wherein each hole is provided so that the arrangement positions of the holes in the width direction in the hole arrays adjacent to each other in the direction of the circular movement are complementary . 2. A recording medium processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said mounting member is an endless steel belt. each of the plurality of holes has the same opening shape,
The plurality of holes are provided so that the intervals between the holes adjacent to each other in the direction of the circular movement are equal and the intervals between the holes adjacent to each other in the width direction perpendicular to the direction of the circular movement are equal to each other. 3. The recording medium processing device according to claim 1 or 2 . The recording medium processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the plurality of holes are arranged in a houndstooth pattern. 5. The recording medium processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the recording medium processing device is sealed with a housing. A recording medium processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ;
an image recording unit that applies a coloring material to a recording medium to record an image;
An image recording device comprising:

Images