JP7452109B2 - liquid discharge device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid ejection device .

2. Description of the Related Art In an inkjet printing device, which is a type of liquid ejection device, liquid ink is mainly ejected from a liquid ejection head serving as a liquid ejection means to adhere to and stain a printing medium. The main components of the ink are water, an organic solvent, an oligomer that is the base of the resin, dyes and pigments, and additives such as stabilizers. In addition to paper, inkjet printing devices have recently been used to print on films and plastics, and also to print on nonwoven fabrics and fabrics. A printer that prints on nonwoven fabrics or fabrics using an inkjet method is also called an inkjet textile printing device, and is already known as a textile printer or a garment printer (for example, Patent Document 1).

However, in conventional textile printers including Patent Document 1, the state of ink adhesion varies depending on the type and thickness of cloth. In particular, when printing on coarsely woven or thin fabrics, the ink adhering to the front side of the fabric may pass through or permeate the back side of the fabric (hereinafter also referred to as "bleed through"), causing the fabric to become unsupported. There is a problem in that the surface of the platen (hereinafter referred to as a "print medium support member" in generic terminology), which is the base member used for printing, becomes dirty.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to prevent ink stains on the surface of a platen (printing medium support member).

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a print medium support member that supports a print medium, and a liquid ejecting means that ejects a liquid to the print medium supported by the print medium support member. and, the printing medium support member has a contact area that contacts the printing medium on a surface facing the liquid ejecting means, which is smaller than a non-contact area that does not contact the printing medium, and The printing medium support member has a liquid receiving portion for receiving the liquid on a surface opposite to the surface facing the liquid ejecting means, and the liquid receiving portion has a slope on a surface facing the liquid ejecting means. The liquid ejecting device is characterized in that the liquid ejecting device has a liquid storage portion at the bottom of the slope .

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent liquid (for example, ink) staining on the surface of the printing medium support member.

1 is an external perspective view of a printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the printing device of FIG. 1; 2 is a front view of the printing device of FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the basic configuration of a platen according to an embodiment. (a) is a diagram showing a test method for determining the width dimension of the opening of the platen, and (b) is a chart showing the test results in (a). 5(a) is a diagram showing a test method from a different perspective from FIG. 5(a) for determining the width dimension of the opening of the platen, and FIG. 5(b) is a graph showing the test results of FIG. 5(a). (a) is a plan view showing a platen and a receiving portion according to an embodiment different from the one embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of (a). FIG. 7(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged main part of FIG. 7(b). 5 is a plan view showing a grid pattern of a platen according to an embodiment different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a grid pattern of a platen according to another embodiment from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 9. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the platen and the receiving member according to the first embodiment, and is a side sectional view of the platen and the receiving member. It is a figure which shows the structure of the platen and the receiving member based on Example 2, Comprising: It is a partial side sectional view which shows a part of receiving member broken. FIG. 7 is a side view showing the configuration of a platen and a receiving member according to a third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram related to Example 4, and is a plan view showing a platen, a receiving member, etc. used when printing on a T-shirt. FIG. 15 is a plan view showing a T-shirt set on the platen of FIG. 14; FIG. 16 is a schematic enlarged sectional view of the main part of FIG. 15; (a) is a plan view showing an example of using an outer frame when setting a T-shirt on a platen, and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main part of (a).

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention, including examples, will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Throughout each embodiment, components (members and components) having the same function, shape, etc. will be given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted, unless there is a risk of confusion. .
First, a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the printing apparatus, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the printing apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the printing apparatus. Note that in FIGS. 1 and 2, the thickness of the platen 2 is ignored and illustrated simply.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a printing device 1 is an example of a liquid ejecting device, and is a serial type inkjet printer. The printing device 1 is equipped with a plurality of inkjet heads 10 (shown in FIG. 3, hereinafter abbreviated as "heads 10") as liquid ejection heads that are liquid ejection means for ejecting liquid, and a plurality of heads 10. It includes a carriage 11 that can reciprocate in the main scanning direction X, and a platen 2 as a printing medium support member that supports a printing medium. FIG. 3 shows a platen 2 that supports a fabric 400, which is an example of fabric as a printing target/printing medium.
As will be described later, the fabric 400 is conveyed in a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction X, which is the scanning movement direction of the carriage 11 having the plurality of heads 10, that is, in the sub-scanning direction Y.

As described above, the printing device 1 includes a device configuration called a garment printer or a textile printer, which prints by supporting or holding the cloth 400 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "fabric") on the platen 2.

The operator of the printing apparatus 1 is facing the front side of the platen 2 in the sub-scanning direction Y in FIG. The printing apparatus 1 is operated facing the front, which is the downstream side (the lower side of the platen 2 in FIG. 2). The platen 2 has a distance between the nozzle surface of the head 10 and the carriage 11 in order to accommodate print media ranging from relatively thin shirts (including T-shirts, etc.) to relatively thick socks, cloth bags, etc. (Gap) is configured to be movable in the vertical direction Z so that the gap can be adjusted. The printing medium mounted and supported on the platen 2 moves from the diagonally rear right side to the left diagonally front side in FIG. 1 in accordance with printing.

The platen 2 is attached and mounted on the elevating mechanism 41, and is configured to be adjustable in height in the vertical direction Z. A lifting mechanism 41 for the platen 2 is mounted on a slider 42. The slider 42 is movably mounted on a slide rail 43 extending in the sub-scanning direction Y orthogonal to the main-scanning direction X. The elevating mechanism 41 includes an electric motor that can rotate in forward and reverse directions, and is configured using, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism or a ball screw mechanism.
The specific configuration other than the elevating mechanism 41 of the platen 2 and the moving mechanism described below will be described in detail later.

1 to 3, the main scanning direction X indicates the direction in which the carriage 11 is reciprocated, Y indicates the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction X, and Z indicates the direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction X and the sub-scanning direction Y. The vertical direction (also the vertical direction or height direction) is indicated.

A pair of guide members 12 and 13 hold the carriage 11 so that it can reciprocate in the main scanning direction X. The carriage 11 is connected to a timing belt 17 that is passed between a drive pulley 15 and a driven pulley 16, which are rotated by a main scanning motor 14 (see FIG. 2) that can rotate in forward and reverse directions. By driving, the carriage 11 is reciprocated in the main scanning direction X.

The encoder sheet 18 shown in FIG. 1 is arranged along the main scanning direction X. The encoder sheet 18 is provided with periodic slits. The carriage 11 has a reading sensor that reads the slit of the encoder sheet 18, and is configured to be able to detect the position of the carriage 11 in the main scanning direction X from the reading result of this reading sensor.

The controller board 50 shown in FIG. 1 controls the ejection of ink from the head 10 in accordance with the timing from the movement position of the carriage obtained from the reading result of the reading sensor of the carriage 11 to the ejection position where liquid ink is ejected. .

Five heads 10 are mounted on the carriage 11. Each head 10 has two nozzle rows in which nozzles that eject liquid of a desired color are arranged. The carriage 11 also includes a sub-tank that temporarily stores ink as a liquid to be supplied to the head 10. As shown in FIG. 2, ink, which is a liquid of a desired color, is sent from a main tank 21 provided on the main body side of the apparatus to the sub-tank via a supply tube by a liquid sending pump.

The carriage 11 is equipped with five heads 10 that eject ink of each color: white (W), cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (Bk). Each color head 10 is provided with approximately 200 rows of nozzles that eject ink in parallel.

The printing apparatus 1 is provided with a position sensor serving as a height detection means (not shown) that detects the height position of the platen 2 in the vertical direction Z. This position sensor is composed of, for example, an emitting part that emits a laser beam and a light receiving part that receives the laser beam, and detects whether or not the surface of the cloth 400 on the platen 2 interferes with the nozzle surface of the head 10. Detect. That is, the surface position of the cloth 400 on the platen 2 is determined by the position sensor based on whether the surface of the cloth 400 on the platen 2 blocks the laser beam. If the surface of the fabric 400 on the platen 2 blocks the laser light, an error occurs and the platen 2 is controlled to stop.
The distance (gap) between the surface of the fabric 400 and the nozzle surface is preferably as narrow as possible, and is set to prevent contact by operating the lifting mechanism 41. Specifically, it is set to about 0.5 mm to 7 mm.

Although it is desirable to be able to set the distance between the fabric surface and the nozzle surface to be automatically determined and adjusted, it may be manually changed so that the height can be adjusted to a position where no error occurs.

The slider 42 is reciprocated in the sub-scanning direction Y by a sub-scanning drive mechanism via a timing belt 45. By reciprocating the slider 42 in the sub-scanning direction Y, the platen 2 is also reciprocated in the sub-scanning direction Y.

A maintenance unit 60 that maintains and recovers the head 10 is arranged on one end side in the main scanning direction X. The maintenance unit 60 includes a suction cap 61 that caps the nozzle surface of the head 10, a moisturizing cap 62 that caps the nozzle surface of the head 10 for moisturizing, and a wiping member 63 that wipes the nozzle surface of the head 10. . A suction pump is connected to the suction cap 61.

On the other end side in the main scanning direction X, a discharge receiver 66 is arranged. The controller board 50 maintains and recovers the head 10 by ejecting liquid from the head 10 to the ejection receiver 66 during printing.

The printing device 1 also includes a power button 70 for connecting/disconnecting power supplied to the printing device 1, an operation unit 71 for giving instructions to and operating each part of the printing device 1, and supplying power to each part of the printing device 1. It is equipped with a power supply unit 72 and the like.

A series of printing operations of the printing apparatus 1 will be described using an example in which printing is performed on cloth 400 where the printing target/printing medium is cloth.
Fabric 400 (shown in FIG. 3), which is an example of fabric, requires a pretreatment liquid to be applied to the print surface of fabric 400 before printing by printing device 1. This is because the ink used in the present invention will enter the joints of the fabric 400 unless pretreatment is performed by applying a pretreatment liquid, making it difficult to obtain the desired image.
As a pre-treatment liquid, for example, a flocculant for electrically bonding with a pigment (solid: anionic), which is a coloring material, and coagulating it to fix it on the surface, as described in Japanese Patent No. 4053720. (a cationic, e.g. metal) liquid is used. The pretreatment liquid may be applied by a roller, spray, or the like as long as it can be applied uniformly to the printing surface. After coating, it may be set in the printing device 1 as is and printed, but if possible, dry the pretreatment liquid applied to the fabric 400 using heat and pressure using a heat press machine to remove wrinkles and fuzz from the fabric. It is desirable to keep it in check.

When printing on a fabric 400 such as a T-shirt, the fabric 400 is supported and set on the platen 2. The fabric 400 that has undergone a series of pre-printing operations is supported and set by being attached to the platen 2 to prevent wrinkles (unevenness). Thereafter, by operating the operating section 71, the platen 2 is completely pulled into the rear of the apparatus main body (upstream side in the sub-scanning direction Y) via the slider 42.

Then, the platen 2 supporting the fabric 400 moves to the printing start position (downstream side in the sub-scanning direction Y in FIGS. 1 and 2). At this time, the height is detected by the position sensor so that the upper surface of the cloth 400 on the platen 2 does not come into contact with the nozzle surface of the head 10, and the distance (gap) between the upper surface of the cloth 400 and the nozzle surface of the head 10 is detected. The height position of the platen 2 is adjusted via the elevating mechanism 41 so that the height is maintained within the predetermined range. At this time, if the head 10 and the fabric 400 interfere or collide, the retraction of the platen 2 is stopped or the platen 2 is returned to the position where the fabric 400 is set. After the platen 2 passes the position sensor without error, the platen 2 moves to the first writing position of the printing device 1.

When the retraction of the platen 2 is completed, the printer enters a print data standby state. Here, when the printing device 1 receives print data from an external information processing device (for example, a computer such as a personal computer, a smartphone, etc.), a printing operation check is performed (details are omitted) and started. Alternatively, if print data has been stored in the controller board 50 in advance, the print operation is started by selecting the print data using the operation unit 71.

When the printing operation is started, the platen 2 is moved via the slider 42 to the printing start position. Thereafter, the carriage 11 moves in the main scanning direction X while reading the encoder sheet 18 while being guided by the first and second guide members 12 and 13, and discharges onto the surface of the fabric 400 set on the platen 2 by the head 10. do. Printing is performed while the platen 2 moves in the sub-scanning direction Y (from the upstream side at the back to the downstream side at the front) on the first and second guide members 12 and 13 in accordance with the operation of the head 10.
In this way, the carriage 11 moves and the head 10 discharges ink, and one line is printed. When one line is printed, the platen 2 is moved by one line via the slider 42. By repeating one scan of the carriage 11 and intermittent movement of the slider 42, printing is performed on a desired area on the surface of the fabric 400. After printing is completed, the platen 2 is returned to the downstream side (in front of the main body of the apparatus) in the sub-scanning direction Y, and printing is completed.

After printing is completed, the fabric 400 is taken out from the platen 2, and post-processing operations such as heating and fixing are performed using a heat press machine or the like, and a series of operations and operations of the printing apparatus 1 are completed.

Care must be taken when printing on fabrics other than white. The reason for this is that when printed normally, the color tone changes due to the influence of the base color of the fabric. To prevent this, first print a solid white color over the entire print area of the fabric. Thereafter, the printer moves to the print start position again and prints the desired image using the remaining four colors. In other words, it will be printed twice.

The material normally used for the platen 2 is a plate material such as stainless steel (SUS). Since it is a board material, it has a flat surface, which is good, but with coarse-grained fabrics, thin fabrics, etc., it penetrates into the thickness direction (inner part) of the fabric in a short period of time, and then reaches the lining, causing so-called "bleed-through". ” and the surface of platen 2 was smeared with ink.

With reference to FIG. 4, the basic configuration of a platen according to one embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the basic configuration of a platen according to one embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 4, in order to protect the platen 2 from ink stains, it was devised to form the platen 2 into a mesh structure. That is, the ink seeping from the front side of the fabric to the back side is absorbed by the openings of the mesh, or released through the openings. For example, an ink receiving section (omitted in FIG. 4, see FIG. 7, etc. described later) is provided inside the platen 2 to take in the ink that has oozed out.

As shown in FIG. 4, the platen 2 has a support part 3 shown by a thick black solid line that contacts and supports a printing medium/fabric 400 shown by a two-dot chain line, and a support part 3 that does not contact the fabric 400. It is composed of a plurality of openings 4. Specifically, the platen 2 is formed of a mesh structure (wire mesh) in which the support part 3 is "plain-woven" with wire rods made of, for example, stainless steel (SUS) and has a lattice-like pattern. Due to the grid pattern of the support portion 3, sixteen rectangular openings 4 are formed in the platen 2.

The platen 2 is characterized in that the total area of the 16 openings 4 on the surface facing the nozzle surface of the head 10 shown in FIG. 3 is larger than the total area of the support section 3. .
In other words, the contact area (meaning the total area of the support section 3) of the platen 2 that contacts the printing medium (for example, the cloth 400) on the surface facing the nozzle surface of the head 10 is larger than that of the printing medium (for example, the cloth 400). 400) is smaller than the non-contact area (meaning the total area of all openings 4). The basic configuration of a platen having this feature is the same in the embodiments described later.

To further explain the mesh structure of the platen 2, in addition to simple plain weave, crimping, twill weave, tatami weave, twill tatami weave, etc. may be mentioned. The mesh structure (lattice pattern) becomes more complex in this order, from plain weave to twill tatami weave. Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the support part 3 of the platen 2 is simplified based on the plain weave expressed by the wire diameter of the wire rod (the diameter of the metal part) and the width dimension of the opening part 4. I think about it. When a cloth, which is an example of cloth, is placed and supported on a plain-woven wire mesh, the larger the area of the openings 4, the easier it is for ink to pass through the mesh.
However, if the opening is too wide, the fabric will bend downward under its own weight and become depressed. This causes a problem in that the image formed on the cloth surface by the ink ejected from the head 10 of the printing device 1 is distorted, making it impossible to obtain a desired image.

Therefore, in order to prevent the fabric from bending downward under its own weight and denting, it was necessary to find an appropriate size range for the opening 4 formed by the support part 3, that is, an appropriate range for the width of the opening 4. , a simple test shown in FIG. 5(a) was conducted, and the test results shown in Table 1 shown in FIG. 5(b) were obtained.
In FIG. 5(a), square members A and B are members that will become the support part 3 that places and supports the fabric 400 at the wire warp between two adjacent points, and L is the width dimension of the opening. The interval (distance), a and b are the width position of the deflection due to the weight of the fabric 400 within the width dimension L of the opening, P is the weight of the fabric at width position a or b of the width dimension L, and δ is the width dimension x represents the deflection of the fabric at width position a or b of L, and x represents the distance and dimension from one square piece A, respectively. Moreover, the square beam B represents that the square beam A can be changed by a distance from one of the square beams A in the x direction. Note that the method of placing and supporting the fabric 400 is not simply supporting between two points using the square members A and B described above, but for example, using the wire rod forming one opening 4 shown in FIG. Needless to say, a method that provides support is more preferable.

As shown in FIG. 5(a), the fabric 400 is a fabric called "cotton broadsill" which is cut into strips and placed on two square pieces A and B that will become the support part 3 with both ends spread apart. Table 1 shows the width dimensions (mm) between the square pieces A and B when the center part of the fabric bends downward and the maximum bending δ=6 mm is 17, 22, 23, 30, 35, etc. I changed it to ・ and looked it up. For the fabric 400 "with cotton broadsill", the maximum deflection δ=6 mm was set as a practically preferable standard. Within this range, printing is possible without reducing the landing accuracy. "With cotton broadsil" is a fabric used for regular T-shirts. The test environment conditions were a room temperature of 20° C. and a relative humidity of 50% (the same applies to the test shown in FIG. 6, which will be described later).

Note that this fabric 400 is thin, and when printed with the printing apparatus 1 described above, ink bleeds through. From the above test results, it was found that if the distance between the square pieces A and B exceeds 35 mm, the fabric/fabric 400 will deflect downward, exceeding the maximum deflection δ = 6 mm, which is the standard for a practically preferable range. . The width of the opening is determined to be within a desirable range of 35 mm or less, as indicated by ◯ and △ in the evaluation in Table 1.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6(a), a strip of fabric 400, which is the same fabric as shown in FIG. When the free end (tip) is stretched with the end as a free end, the length (mm) of the fabric 400 is changed as shown in FIG. 6(b), and the free end (tip) of the fabric 400 is stretched downward. The deflection (corresponding to the depth in Fig. 6(b)) was investigated.
We investigated the fluctuation of the tip (free end) of the fabric 400 by pulling the center of the strip placed on the platen from both sides. This is because we thought it would be difficult to reinforce the tip. From the test results shown in FIG. 6(b), it was found that when the length of the fabric 400 was extended by 35 mm from the tip, it began to deflect downward, exceeding the maximum deflection δ=6 mm, which is a standard for a practically preferable range. From this, it is determined that the appropriate width of the opening 4 is less than 35 mm.

Considering the test results shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and the type of fabric, it is determined that the width of the opening of the platen is appropriately 30 mm or less.

When printing with a fabric that is softer than the fabric called ``cotton broadsill'' used in the above test (Fabric 400) and picks up the unevenness of the platen surface, it is necessary to This can be solved by pulling the fabric from all sides. However, it is necessary to pull the fabric evenly on all sides, and when the fabric is returned to its original state before being stretched, the image printed on the fabric becomes a distorted image.

The above-mentioned network structure is what is called a woven network, and some are commercially available. It is relatively easy to manufacture a platen made of woven net to have a wide or narrow opening by using the commercially available products mentioned above. However, the surface of the woven net has vertical undulations corresponding to one line. There is no problem with rigid fabrics such as canvas, but with thin and soft fabrics it may cause undulations. The undulations on the fabric surface result in a difference in the gap between the ink and the nozzle surface of the head, causing problems such as misalignment of the ink landing position and generation of mist.

The above test results were obtained when one type of fabric called "cotton broadsill" was used as the fabric held or supported by a platen with a mesh structure, but other fabrics with different rigidity and flexibility were used. It goes without saying that by conducting the same tests as described above for fabrics, it is possible to determine appropriate opening dimensions for each fabric.

As described above, according to one embodiment, the contact area (total area of the support parts 3) of the support parts 3 of the platen 2 that contacts the fabric 400 is larger than the non-contact area (16 in FIG. 4) that does not contact the fabric 400. (total area of all openings 4), it is possible to prevent ink stains on the surface of the platen 2 compared to a platen that does not have such a characteristic structure.
Further, by configuring the total area of all the openings 4 to be relatively larger than the total area of the support portion 3, it also contributes to reducing the weight of the platen 2.

Another embodiment in which the platen has a mesh structure other than a woven mesh will be described with reference to FIG. 7(a) is a plan view showing a platen and a receiving portion according to an embodiment different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 7(a). . FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged main part of FIG. 7(b).
As shown in FIG. 7, the platen 2 is formed of a support portion 3 that contacts and supports the fabric 400 indicated by the two-dot chain line, and a plurality of openings 4 that do not contact the fabric 400. In the platen 2 shown in FIG. 7, a total of 12 openings 4 are formed, three along the main scanning direction X and four along the sub-scanning direction Y, forming a rectangular shape with the support section 3. The pattern of the 12 openings 4 forms a grid.
Each opening 4 is a through hole or a gap formed through the platen 2 in the vertical direction Z, which is the thickness direction. Each opening 4 directs ink 80 (see FIG. 8), which is a liquid that has oozed out from the front surface to the back surface of the fabric 400 supported by the platen 2, in the vertical direction Z (vertically downward direction), which is the direction in which gravity acts. It has the function of releasing or occluding.

The platen 2 shown in FIG. 7 is so-called punching metal, and is manufactured by punching a metal plate with a die. In this method of manufacturing the platen 2 using punched metal, since the material is a single plate, there is no fear that the printing medium will pick up irregularities like the woven mesh having the mesh structure shown in FIG. 4 described above. Of course, it may be manufactured by punching a resin plate with a mold.

Similar to the above-mentioned woven net, punched metal products with various thicknesses, aperture ratios, and aperture pattern shapes are commercially available. Therefore, as the platen, the above-mentioned commercially available punched metal may be used depending on the use and purpose. This also reduces the cost of manufacturing the platen.

The support portion 3 of the platen 2 is made of metal such as stainless steel (SUS) or aluminum, resin such as polycarbonate (PC) or acrylic resin, or an insert material in which metal is inserted into the base of a resin material to improve strength. can be selected and used.
Note that by pasting a suitable cloth or the like on the surface of the support part 3 facing the nozzle surface of the head 10 shown in FIG. It may also have a function of holding or supporting the fabric 400 by friction caused by the fabric.

At the bottom of the platen 2, an ink receiving part 5 is provided as an example of a liquid receiving part that holds the support part 3 of the platen 2 and receives the ink 80 that has passed through each opening 4 of the platen 2. The ink receiving portion 5 only needs to have the function of receiving ink, and is made of, for example, a suitable resin or metal. The ink receiving portion 5 is provided with an ink storage portion 5a as an example of a liquid storage portion that stores ink.

Although the ink receiving part 5 shown in FIG. 8 is held and fixed to the lower part of the outer periphery of the support part 3 of the platen 2 by a member different from the platen 2, the ink receiving part 5 is not limited to this. 5 may be formed integrally with the platen 2. That is, the printing medium support member (platen) only needs to have a liquid receiving portion for receiving liquid (ink) on the surface opposite to the surface facing the liquid ejecting means (head).

As described with reference to FIG. 4, the platen 2 is configured such that the area of the 12 openings 4 on the surface facing the nozzle surface of the head 10 (see FIG. 3) is larger than the area of the support section 3. It is characterized by the fact that That is, the platen 2 has a contact area (total area of the support section 3) that contacts the print medium (for example, cloth 400) on the surface facing the nozzle surface of the head 10, and a non-contact area (total area) that does not contact the print medium. (total area of the openings 4).

In FIG. 8, as described above, ink 80 ejected from the nozzle of the head 10 (see FIG. 3) according to image information adheres to the surface of the fabric 400 to form a printed image. The ink 80 adhering to the fibers on the outer side (front side) of the fabric 400 oozes out to the fibers on the lining (back side) side of the fabric 400, and a part of it adheres to the support part 3 of the platen 2 and A portion of the ink passes through the opening 4 and is received by the ink receiving portion 5.

According to this embodiment, the contact area (total area of the support parts 3) of the support part 3 of the platen 2 that contacts the fabric 400 is the non-contact area that does not contact the fabric 400 (all 12 openings in FIG. 7). 4), it is possible to prevent ink stains on the surface of the platen 2 compared to a platen that does not have such a characteristic structure.

The platen 2 shown in FIG. 9 is made of punched metal in which the openings 4 are formed in a circular lattice pattern by the supporting part 3, and the platen 2 shown in FIG. The punched metal formed in the figure is shown in each figure. 9 and 10, only the planar shape of the platen 2 is shown, and a portion corresponding to the ink receiving portion 5 (see FIG. 7) is omitted. In FIG. 10, only a part of the rhombic/lattice-shaped repeating lattice pattern is illustrated for the sake of simplification.

Punching metal shapes include 60 degree staggered type, square staggered type, parallel type, oblong hole staggered type, oblong hole parallel type, square hole staggered type, square hole parallel type, hexagonal 60 degree staggered type, and long angle. There are staggered hole types, rectangular hole parallel types, etc. Comparing these shape patterns and considering the aperture (porosity) ratio, which is the ratio of the opening (hole diameter) to the supporting part (bone), we found that square hole parallel type, hexagonal 60 degree staggered type, rectangular hole parallel type. Types, etc. are considered appropriate for implementation. Moreover, the aperture (porosity) ratio is preferably 60% or more.

Note that the lattice pattern formed by the openings (hole diameter) and supporting parts (bones) of punched metal is overwhelmingly a repeating pattern in which the opening (hole diameter) has one type of shape, as described above. Many, but not limited to. That is, it may be a lattice pattern in which lattice patterns with different opening (hole diameter) shapes are mixed, for example, a circular shape and a square shape are mixed or combined. In any case, as described above, it is sufficient that the total area of all the openings on the surface of the head facing the nozzle surface is larger than the total area of the support section.

In addition to the above-described characteristic configuration, at least the surface portion of the support portion 3 of the platen 2 may be surface-treated with an ink-repellent resin (for example, a water-repellent fluorine-based resin or a silicon-based resin). good. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent ink stains caused by ink adhesion to the surface of the platen 2.

(Example 1)
Example 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of the platen and the receiving member according to the first embodiment, and is a side sectional view of the platen and the receiving member.
The main difference between the first embodiment and the configuration of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is that the ink receiving section is configured to be detachable from the platen 2. That is, the difference from the first embodiment is that, instead of the ink receiving portion 5, a receiving member 6, which is separate from the platen 2, is newly provided to be detachably attached to the platen 2.

The receiving member 6 is formed to extend in the sub-scanning direction Y and to extend in the main-scanning direction X to receive ink that has passed through each opening 4 of the platen 2.
At one end of the receiving member 6 in the sub-scanning direction Yb (towards the back of the apparatus main body), there is a hook part 6b having a roughly L-shape, and at the other end in the sub-scanning direction Ya (toward the front of the apparatus main body). Ink storage portions 6a serving as liquid storage portions each having a roughly semi-elliptical cross section are integrally formed. The receiving member 6 has an inclined surface inclined diagonally downward to the right in the figure from the one end to the other end. In this way, the receiving member 6 has an inclination, and the ink storage part 6a as a liquid storage part is provided at the bottom of the inclination. By providing the receiving member 6 with an inclination, ink is stored in one location of the ink storage portion 6a, making it easier to dispose of the ink.
Both ends of the receiving member 6 in the main scanning direction X are connected to both inner wall surfaces of the platen 2 in the main scanning direction It is formed to be slightly smaller than the distance between the two.

On the other hand, on the inner wall surface of the vertical wall of the platen 2 in the sub-scanning direction Yb, a roughly L-shaped hooked portion 2a that can selectively engage with the hooked portion 6b of the receiving member 6 is integrally formed. There is. The hook portion 6b of the receiving member 6 and the hooked portion 2a of the platen 2 constitute attachment/detachment means for making the receiving member 6 detachable from the platen 2. The receiving member 6 only needs to have the function of receiving ink, and is made of, for example, a suitable resin, metal, or the like.

When taking out the receiving member 6 in which ink is stored in the ink storage portion 6a from the internal casing of the platen 2, hold the handle (not shown) of the receiving member 6 and lift it upward in the vertical direction Z. The hook portion 6b is removed from the hook portion 2a and pulled out in the sub-scanning direction Ya (toward the front of the device body). On the contrary, when mounting/setting the receiving member 6 in the internal housing of the platen 2, hold the handle part of the receiving member 6 and move the receiving member 6 toward the sub-scanning direction Yb (inner direction of the main body of the apparatus). , and push the hook part 6b downward in the vertical direction Z with respect to the hook part 2a.

According to the first embodiment, in addition to being able to prevent ink stains due to ink adhesion to the surface of the platen 2, it is also possible to dispose of ink accumulated in the lower part of the platen 2 and to clean it without removing or attaching the entire platen 2. etc., which improves operability.

(Example 2)
Example 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the configuration of the platen and the receiving member according to the second embodiment, and is a partially cutaway view showing a part of the receiving member.
The second embodiment differs from the structure of the platen and receiving member of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 11 in that a receiving member 6A separate from the platen 2 is used instead of the receiving member 6. The receiving member 6A functions as a liquid receiving portion and is configured to be detachable from the platen 2. The receiving member 6A only needs to have the function of receiving ink, and is made of, for example, a suitable resin, metal, or the like.

The receiving member 6A extends long in the sub-scanning direction Y and is formed across the main scanning direction X to receive ink that has passed through each opening 4 of the platen 2. Inside the receiving member 6A, from one end in the sub-scanning direction Yb (towards the back of the apparatus main body) to the other end in the sub-scanning direction Ya (towards the front of the apparatus main body), there is an inclined surface inclined diagonally downward to the right in the figure. is formed. In this way, the receiving member 6A has an inclination, and the ink storage part 6a as a liquid storage part is provided at the bottom of the inclination. By providing the receiving member 6A with an inclination, ink is stored in one location of the ink storage portion 6a, making it easier to dispose of the ink.

The platen 2 and the receiving member 6A are composed of a permanent magnet and a ferromagnetic material as attachment/detachment means, and are configured to be detachable from each other via magnet catchers 7 provided at several locations. By removing the receiving member 6A with ink stored in the ink storage portion 6a from the platen 2 via the magnetic catcher 7, the ink stored in the ink storage portion 6a can be discarded.

Note that the attachment/detachment means is not limited to a magnetic catcher that is easy to operate during attachment/detachment, but may also be, for example, one that utilizes the fitting of a pin with a pin hole with a bottom through which the pin is inserted, or one that utilizes a clamp mechanism. (The same applies to Example 3, which will be described later).

According to the second embodiment, in addition to being able to prevent ink stains due to ink adhesion to the surface of the platen 2, by removing the receiving member 6A from the platen 2 via the attachment/detachment means, it is possible to dispose of accumulated ink and to clean it. etc. can be easily performed.

(Example 3)
Example 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a side view showing the configuration of a platen and a receiving member according to the third embodiment.
The third embodiment differs from the second embodiment shown in FIG. 12 in that a receiving member 6B, which is separate from the platen 2, is used instead of the receiving member 6. The receiving member 6B functions as a liquid receiving portion and is configured to be detachable from the platen 2. The receiving member 6B only needs to have the function of receiving ink, and is made of, for example, a suitable resin, metal, or the like.

The receiving member 6B extends long in the sub-scanning direction Y and is formed across the main scanning direction X to receive ink that has passed through each opening 4 of the platen 2. Although not shown in the drawing, inside the receiving member 6B, there is an inclined surface extending from one end in the main scanning direction An ink reservoir (not shown) as a liquid reservoir is provided at the bottom of the slope.

Similarly to the second embodiment, the platen 2 and the receiving member 6B are configured to be detachable from each other via the magnetic catcher 7. By removing the receiving member 6B in which ink is stored in the ink storage section from the platen 2 via the magnetic catcher 7, the ink stored in the ink storage section can be discarded.

According to the third embodiment, in addition to being able to prevent ink stains due to ink adhesion to the surface of the platen 2, by removing the receiving member 6B from the platen 2 via the attachment/detachment means, it is possible to dispose of the accumulated ink and to clean it. etc. can be easily performed.

(Example 4)
Example 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16. Example 4 describes a platen used when printing on T-shirts. FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a platen, a receiving member, etc. used when printing on a T-shirt. FIG. 15 is a plan view showing a T-shirt set on the platen, and FIG. 16 is a schematic enlarged sectional view of the main part of FIG. 15. Note that in FIGS. 15 and 16, illustration of the receiving member 6 is intentionally omitted for the purpose of simplifying the drawings.
In FIGS. 14 to 16, the reference numeral 2A represents a platen exclusively for T-shirts used for printing on T-shirts, and the reference numeral 400A represents a T-shirt manufactured by sewing or sewing the fabric.

The T-shirt platen 2A has a pentagonal outer shape that matches the shape of the T-shirt. The platen 2A is made of punched metal having a support portion 3 and an opening portion 4 shown in FIG. 7, and having a lattice-like mesh structure, for example.
As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, a case in which the printing apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 prints on the chest 400a or back 400b of a T-shirt 400A using the platen 2A will be specifically described. In FIGS. 15 and 16, the symbol PG indicates an area to be printed on the chest of the T-shirt 400A with a two-dot chain line. When printing on the sleeve of the T-shirt 400A, replace it with another dedicated/optional platen, receiving member, etc.

The platen 2A is available in three types, for example, S, M, and L, depending on the size of the T-shirt 400A, and has an outer peripheral shape that looks as if the portions corresponding to both sleeves of the T-shirt 400A are cut out. When the T-shirt 400A is placed over the pentagonal platen 2A, the apex of the platen 2A is exposed as shown by the solid line from the neck area at the center of the upper part of the T-shirt 400A, and both sleeves are exposed. becomes lower. In addition, in FIG. 15, when mounting and setting the T-shirt 400A on the platen 2A and the receiving member 6, the one with the wide opening in the lower body of the T-shirt 400A is first placed on the stationary platen. The T-shirt 400A is set on the platen 2A by passing through the top portion of the platen 2A and gradually shifting the T-shirt 400A downward in the figure.
When the predetermined printing on the chest 400a of the T-shirt 400A is completed, the printed T-shirt 400A is removed from the platen 2A and the receiving member 6. After printing the T-shirt 400A on the chest 400a, if you want to print on the back 400b as well, rotate the T-shirt 400A with the printed chest 400a approximately 180 degrees and attach the platen 2A and the receiving member in the same manner as described above. 6 to perform predetermined printing.

A receiving member 6 shown in FIG. 11 is provided below the platen 2A. The receiving member 6 is useful not only for collecting ink that has bleed through from the fabric of the T-shirt 400A, but also for recovering ink when printing is accidentally performed on the platen 2A that has no fabric. As described above, the receiving member 6 can be easily taken out to dispose of the ink accumulated in the ink storage portion 6a. In addition, since the receiving member 6 is sloped, the ink is stored in one location of the ink storage portion 6a, making it easy to dispose of the ink.
In addition to the receiving member 6, as shown in parentheses in FIG. 14, the ink receiving portion 5 shown in FIG. 7(b), the receiving member 6A shown in FIG. 12, and the receiving member 6B shown in FIG. , may be used as appropriate depending on the use and purpose.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, in addition to being able to prevent ink stains due to ink adhesion to the surface of the platen 2A, by removing the receiving member 6 from the platen 2A, it is possible to dispose of accumulated ink and to clean it. etc. can be easily performed.

Referring to FIG. 17, a supplementary explanation will be given of a method for setting a T-shirt on a platen. FIG. 17(a) is a plan view showing an example of using an outer frame when setting a T-shirt on a platen, and FIG. 17(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 17(a). In FIG. 17(b), illustration of the receiving member and the like is omitted.
In FIG. 17, in place of the platen 2A of the fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, a platen 2B having a generally rectangular shape in plan view that roughly matches the shape of the T-shirt is used, and an outer frame is newly used. This shows how to set it if the As shown in FIG. 17, the T-shirt 400A is attached to the platen 2B (indicated by a broken line because it is covered by the T-shirt 400A), which has a shape that roughly matches the shape of the T-shirt 400A, in substantially the same manner as in Example 4. set. Then, an outer frame 8 having a hollow inner area is placed on it, and the platen 2B and the T-shirt 400A are set so as to be held therebetween.

Next, the user (not shown) stretches the surface of the T-shirt 400A in the inner region portion held by the outer frame 8 using an appropriate cloth or a spatula-like leveling member. By lightly rubbing the surface of the T-shirt 400A, the surface of the T-shirt 400A is made substantially flat and the wrinkles of the T-shirt 400A are smoothed out.
In this way, when the outer frame is used when setting the T-shirt on the platen, it becomes possible to remove wrinkles, looseness, etc. that occur in the T-shirt, and obtain a good printed image. Of course, the method of using the outer frame when setting the T-shirt on the platen can be applied to the fourth embodiment, which uses the platen 2A that matches the shape of the T-shirt.

On the other hand, if you do not want the wrinkle smoothing effect of the T-shirt 400A as explained in FIG. Good too. That is, when the user lightly pulls the T-shirt 400A placed on the platen 2B (which is not visible because it is covered by the T-shirt 400A) without using the outer frame 8 shown in FIG. The surface of the T-shirt 400A may be made substantially flat by moving the wrinkles and looseness of the T-shirt 400A.

The "liquid ejection head" which is the liquid ejection means of the present invention is a functional component that ejects and jets liquid from a nozzle.
The liquid to be discharged is not particularly limited as long as it has a viscosity and surface tension that can be discharged from the head, but the liquid has a viscosity of 30 mPa·s or less at room temperature and pressure, or by heating or cooling. It is preferable. More specifically, solvents such as water and organic solvents, coloring agents such as dyes and pigments, functional materials such as polymerizable compounds, resins, and surfactants, and biocompatible materials such as DNA, amino acids, proteins, and calcium. , edible materials such as natural pigments, etc., and these include, for example, inkjet inks, surface treatment liquids, constituent elements of electronic devices and light emitting devices, and formation of electronic circuit resist patterns. It can be used for purposes such as a liquid for use in liquids, a material liquid for three-dimensional modeling, and the like.

Piezoelectric actuators (laminated piezoelectric elements and thin-film piezoelectric elements), thermal actuators using electrothermal conversion elements such as heating resistors, and electrostatic actuators consisting of a diaphragm and opposing electrodes are used as energy sources for discharging liquid. Includes things that do.

Further, in the terms of this application, image formation, recording, printing, imprinting, printing, modeling, etc. are all synonymous.

The "liquid ejecting device" can include means for feeding, transporting, and discharging objects to which liquid can adhere, as well as pre-processing devices, post-processing devices, and the like.

For example, "liquid ejecting devices" include image forming devices that eject ink to form images on paper, and liquid ejecting devices that eject ink to form images on paper. There is a three-dimensional modeling device (three-dimensional modeling device) that discharges a modeling liquid onto a body layer.

Further, the "liquid ejecting device" is not limited to one in which significant images such as characters and figures can be visualized by ejected liquid. For example, it includes those that form patterns that have no meaning in themselves, and those that form three-dimensional images.

The above-mentioned "something to which a liquid can adhere" refers to something to which a liquid can adhere at least temporarily, such as something that adheres and sticks, something that adheres and penetrates. Specific examples include sheets, recording media such as paper, recording paper, film, and cloth, electronic boards, electronic components such as piezoelectric elements, powder layers, organ models, and examinations. Unless otherwise specified, it includes anything to which liquid adheres.

Materials for the above-mentioned "things to which liquid can adhere" may be paper, thread, fiber, fabric, leather, metal, plastic (including OHP sheets), glass, wood, ceramics, etc. as long as liquid can adhere even temporarily. .

Furthermore, the term "liquid ejection apparatus" includes a device in which a liquid ejection head and an object to which liquid can be attached move relative to each other, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Specific examples include the above-mentioned serial type device in which the liquid ejection head is moved, a line type device in which the liquid ejection head is not moved, and the like.

In addition, "liquid ejecting devices" include processing liquid coating devices that eject processing liquid onto paper in order to coat the surface of the paper with the purpose of modifying the surface of the paper, etc. There is an injection granulation device that granulates fine particles of a raw material by injecting a composition liquid dispersed therein through a nozzle.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and unless specifically limited in the above explanation, the present invention described in the claims Various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit. For example, the technical matters described in the above embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

Not limited to the embodiments described above, the platens 2, 2A, and 2B, which are printing medium support members capable of supporting printing media, are configured to be detachable from the main body of the printing apparatus 1 via the various attachment/detachment means described above. It can be considered that Further, even if the liquid receiving portion is formed substantially integrally with the printing medium support member (for example, the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8), these parts may be attached to the main body of the printing apparatus 1. On the other hand, if it is configured to be detachable, it can be considered that it is configured to be detachable from the main body of the printing apparatus 1. This can be easily configured, for example, by adding the various attachment/detachment means described above to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 11.

Although the above-described printing device 1 was not equipped with a pretreatment liquid application device that applies the pretreatment liquid to the print surface of the fabric 400, the present invention is not limited to this, and the printing device 1 is not limited to this. Good too. Examples of the pretreatment liquid application device include a pretreatment liquid application unit (22) disclosed in FIG. 1 and FIG. 20), etc. In this case, as the pretreatment liquid (22), it is preferable to use a liquid containing a compound that insolubilizes the colorant in the recording liquid, such as that disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent No. 4,053,720.

The platen may be made of a conductive material and may be electrically shorted to other members. Specifically, a platen made of a conductive material such as metal may be connected to an electrode, and electricity may be applied to the platen during maintenance. In this way, the platen can be energized during maintenance, and the mist (ink) in the system can be electrostatically attracted to the platen.

The effects appropriately described in the embodiments of the present invention are merely a list of the most preferred effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. It's not a thing.

1 Printing device (an example of liquid ejection device)
2, 2A, 2B Platen (an example of a printing medium support member)
3 Support part 4 Opening part 5 Ink receiving part (an example of a liquid receiving part)
6, 6A, 6B Receiving member (an example of a liquid receiving part)
7 Magnetic catcher 8 Outer frame 10 Inkjet head (liquid ejection means, example of liquid ejection head)
11 Carriage 80 Ink (an example of liquid)
400 Fabric (printed medium, example of fabric)
400A T-shirt (an example of printing medium and fabric)

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-036152

Claims (8)

a printing medium support member that supports the printing medium;
a liquid ejecting means for ejecting a liquid to the printing medium supported by the printing medium supporting member;
The printing medium supporting member has a contact area in contact with the printing medium on a surface facing the liquid ejecting means that is smaller than a non-contact area not contacting the printing medium,
The printing medium support member has a liquid receiving portion for receiving the liquid on a surface opposite to the surface facing the liquid ejecting means,
A liquid discharging device characterized in that the liquid receiving section has a slope on a surface facing the liquid discharging means, and a liquid storage section is provided at the bottom of the slope . a printing medium support member that supports the printing medium;
a liquid ejecting means for ejecting a liquid to the printing medium supported by the printing medium supporting member;
The printing medium support member is formed of a support part that supports the printing medium and an opening that does not contact the printing medium,
In the printing medium support member, the area of the opening on the surface facing the liquid ejecting means is larger than the area of the support part,
The printing medium support member has a liquid receiving portion for receiving the liquid on a surface opposite to the surface facing the liquid ejecting means,
A liquid discharging device characterized in that the liquid receiving section has a slope on a surface facing the liquid discharging means, and a liquid storage section is provided at the bottom of the slope . 3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing medium is a cloth. 3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the support portion of the printing medium support member has a grid shape. 5. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 2, wherein the width of the opening is 30 mm or less. The liquid ejecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the liquid receiving portion is removable from the printing medium support member . The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the printing medium support member is removable from the liquid ejection device. 8. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 1, wherein the printing medium is transported in a direction perpendicular to a scanning movement direction of a carriage having the liquid ejecting means .

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