JPH10329314A - Printer, data storage unit, and print system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To analyze the relation between the temperature error generating phenomenon of a print head and the content of corresponding control while matching the time. SOLUTION: Means 4 for holding a detected temperature and a corresponding data is disposed in a printer body P in order to store the temperature record data of a head and the control content data in time series upon detection of an abnormal head temperature, or the like. Every time when a specified time elapses, the data is transmitted on a communication table 12 to an external controller 22 and accumulated in a memory means 30 thus obtaining a record data. When the record data is employed, a temperature error, a countermeasure therefor and the effect thereof can be grasped accurately in time series and the cause of the error can be studied.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, for example, a method in which a liquid such as ink is ejected from an ejection port by the action of thermal energy, and the ejected droplets are applied to a print medium such as paper, cloth, nonwoven fabric, or back print paper. The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing system that perform printing by attaching them, and is suitably applied to an inkjet printing apparatus that continuously prints on a printing medium having a long width or a large width, such as a textile printing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are various printing methods for printing by forming dots using thermal energy, such as a thermal printing method, a thermal transfer printing method, and an ink jet printing method using a bubble jet method proposed by Canon Inc. There is something.

On the other hand, in a printing apparatus, it is desirable to control the temperature of the print head in order to maintain the size of formed dots and maintain stable print quality. For example, in general, the viscosity of ink used in an ink jet printing apparatus changes with temperature. When the ink viscosity changes, the ink ejection amount during the printing operation changes,
The dot diameter of the ink adhering to the print medium changes.
This change in dot diameter is not recognized by the human eye if the change in ink viscosity is small, so it is not substantially a problem. There is a problem that print density cannot be obtained. Further, when the dot diameter changes depending on the location on the same print medium, there is a problem that human eyes recognize it as so-called density unevenness.
For this reason, controlling the temperature of the ink within a certain range (a range in which the density change cannot be recognized by human eyes) is desirable in order to achieve both print quality stabilization and cost reduction by simple temperature control. is there.

[0004] The method of controlling the temperature of the ink is substantially performed as the temperature control of the print head. As a factor of a change in the temperature of the print head, a change in the ambient temperature around the apparatus may be considered. ing. Rather, most of the factors of the temperature change of the print head are the temperature rise due to the heat generated at the time of driving the print head, and severe temperature in an apparatus using an ink jet print head that uses thermal energy to discharge ink. Management is required.

[0005] Such temperature management is performed by first measuring the temperature of the head, and appropriately controlling the temperature by driving the heating means or the cooling means based on the measured temperature. In particular, when an inkjet printing apparatus is used for industrial purposes such as printing and textile printing, it is strongly desired to obtain a stable printed matter of a constant quality. In addition to performing temperature control, the temperature measurement is a very important factor in analyzing phenomena that appear in the apparatus based on the history of temperature change.

Conventionally, as a means for measuring the temperature of a head or acquiring a temperature history during operation in such a printing apparatus, a thermocouple is brought into direct contact with a print head substrate,
Alternatively, if the temperature sensor is incorporated in the head substrate, the wiring is pulled out, and the electrical signals extracted by these are input to a recorder or the like and recorded on a recording medium such as paper, or stored in a memory or the like. is there.

FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a conventional printing apparatus and temperature measuring system. Here, reference numeral 1 denotes a CPU for controlling each unit of the printing apparatus, 2 denotes a ROM for storing programs and other fixed data corresponding to a processing procedure for the control, and 3 denotes a RAM for storing control data and the like.
Reference numeral 5 denotes a range setting value storage area provided as a part of the storage area of the RAM 3 for setting a value corresponding to a temperature range for controlling the head, and 8 denotes a state flag area for storing the temperature state of the print head. Reference numeral 35 denotes an error data log area for storing a history of data relating to an error, specifically, a history of data relating to a temperature error of a print head. Reference numeral 6 denotes an operation unit such as a keyboard for inputting data such as a set value of a temperature range. Reference numeral 7 denotes a display for displaying data such as a set value of a temperature range.
This is a timer that generates a timer interrupt signal or the like for PU1.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a print head in the form of an ink jet head for discharging ink by utilizing thermal energy,
Reference numeral 4 denotes a print element provided in the print head,
It is composed of an electrothermal converter that generates thermal energy for causing film boiling of the ink, a liquid path having an ejection port, and the like (hereinafter, this print element may be referred to as a nozzle). Reference numeral 15 denotes a temperature sensor provided on the print head 14, reference numeral 16 denotes a heater for heating the head or ink at a low temperature, and reference numeral 17 denotes a cooling means for cooling the head at a high temperature. Here, a water cooler is used. A data buffer 40 is provided for the head and temporarily stores data relating to printing.

Reference numeral 18 denotes an A / D converter for converting a detection signal (voltage value of an analog amount) of the temperature sensor 15 into a digital signal. Reference numeral 19 denotes a water cooler for cooling water used for cooling the head by the water cooler 17. , 20 transmit the A / D-converted sensor output, the drive signal of the heater 16, the drive signals of the water cooler 17 and the water cooler 19 to the CPU via a control system bus line.
This is an I / O unit for exchanging data with the I / O unit 1. 2
Reference numeral 1 denotes an image processing system for processing image data.

Reference numeral 49 denotes a measuring instrument provided outside the control system of the printing apparatus, which is an A / D converter 50 for converting a detection signal of the temperature sensor 15 into a digital signal and a recorder 51 for recording temperature data. have.

[0011]

However, in such a conventional example, when the measuring instrument 49 is stopped, there is a possibility that the phenomenon analysis becomes difficult. Measuring instrument 49 to record
Must always be running. For that purpose, it is necessary to perform management such as replenishment of the recording paper used by the recorder, or to use a large-capacity memory when using a memory.

Further, in order to accurately know the relationship between the recorded data and the phenomenon (temperature fluctuation) actually occurred and the temperature control corresponding to the phenomenon, it is necessary to associate the time with each other. In a strict sense, the correlation between the occurrence phenomenon, control, and recorded data has to rely on estimation, and there is a problem that correct analysis becomes difficult.

Further, even when an automatic recording function is added,
Since the recorded contents need to be set before the operation of the device is started and cannot be changed during operation, if the acquisition of the data of the type that has not been set is desired after the start of the operation, the operation should be interrupted and restarted. You have to either set it up or set it up from the start to get all the types of data you think you need. This requires considerable effort to collect the data, and when it is necessary to acquire a new type of data, it takes time to reset the data. May be missed.

[0014]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and for this purpose, the present invention provides a printing apparatus for performing printing using a print head, in which a stable printing operation is performed by the print head. Detecting means for detecting an error of the operating condition from the operating condition when the operation is performed at a predetermined time period; control means for performing control for stabilizing a printing operation by the print head according to the detection result; When an error is detected, data indicating the occurrence of the error, data related to the content of the error, data related to control performed in response to the error, and data indicating that the error has been eliminated by the control. Holding means for holding.

Here, the detecting means includes detecting means for detecting the temperature of the print head, and means for comparing the detected temperature with the temperature of the print head when the stable printing operation is performed. The control means may include means for adjusting the temperature of the print head.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said temperature adjusting means includes means for heating and cooling said print head.

In the above, the print head may include an element for generating thermal energy for performing the printing operation.

Further, the print head may be in the form of an ink jet head for performing printing by discharging ink. The ink jet head generates film boiling as the energy for discharging the ink. And a heating element for generating heat energy to be generated.

The printing apparatus described above can perform printing on a cloth as a print medium.

Further, the data storage device of the present invention is characterized in that the data storage device is provided for any one of the above-described printing apparatuses, and includes a storage means for storing the contents held by the holding means in time series. And

The data storage device may be in the form of an external device connected to the printing device via communication means.

The printing apparatus may further comprise means for changing and setting a detection cycle of the detection means provided in the printing apparatus.

Further, a printing system according to the present invention is characterized by including any one of the above printing apparatuses and a data storage apparatus.

[0024] In this specification, the term "print" means not only a case where significant information such as characters and figures are formed, but also a meaning which is significant or insignificant and which can be visually perceived by humans. Irrespective of whether or not the image is formed, a case where the image, the pattern, the pattern, and the like are widely formed by applying the liquid on the print medium, or the processing of the medium is also performed.

The "print medium" is not limited to paper used in a general recording apparatus, but also includes a wide range of cloth, plastic film, metal plate, etc., which can receive ink ejected by a head. Shall be.

Further, "ink" refers to the "print" described above.
Is a liquid that can be applied to a print medium to form an image, a pattern, a pattern, or the like, or to process the print medium.

[0027]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First Example) FIGS. 2 and 3 are views showing an example of the configuration of an ink-jet printing apparatus as a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the same.

The ink jet textile printing apparatus shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 includes a printer section 100 for printing an image or the like on a print medium A such as a cloth, a transport section 200 for intermittently transporting the print medium A by a predetermined amount, and a roll-shaped print section. An unwinding unit 300 for unwinding the continuous print medium A, a drying unit 400 for drying the printed print medium A until it can be wound, and a winding unit 500 for winding the dried print medium A It consists of each part.

The print medium A is fed from the unwind roller 310
And the intermediate rollers 320 and 3
30 and is transported in the horizontal direction by a transport unit 200 provided at a position facing the printer unit 100.

The transport unit 200 includes a transport roller 210 provided on the transport path of the print medium A and provided upstream of the printer unit 100 and a belt drive roller 220 provided downstream of the printer unit 100. The endless conveyance belt 230 is wound between these rollers, and the print medium A is driven by a pair of platen rollers 240.
The transport belt 230 is regulated to be flat in a range to be a printing surface, and is stretched with an appropriate tension. An adhesive layer is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the transport belt 230, and the print medium A is attached and transported, and
The sheet is guided to a position opposite to 00, and printing is performed by the printer unit 100. Thereafter, the print medium A is peeled from the transport belt 230 by the feed roller 520, dried by the drying unit 400 including a heater or the like, and taken up by the winding roller 510 via the intermediate rollers 530 and 540.
Winded up by.

In FIG. 3, the printer unit 100 is provided with a pair of parallel scanning rails 101 and 102 in the main scanning direction orthogonal to the above-described transport direction of the print medium A. A head carriage 1100 on which the print head 1000 is mounted is slidably supported via a ball bearing 1110. The head carriage 1100 is driven by a drive motor (not shown) fixed to a frame of the printer unit 100 via a drive belt (not shown). The head carriage 1100 reciprocates on the scanning rails 101 and 102 in the directions of arrows P1 and P2 in the figure, and
000, the printing operation is performed on the continuous print medium A. More specifically, 50% of the image data is distributed to the print head 1000 on the upstream side of the transport unit and the print head 1000 on the downstream side, and the entire image data is printed by both heads. That is, the print head 1000 on the upstream side
% Of image data is printed and the print medium A is intermittently fed, so that the downstream print head 100
0 prints the remaining 50% of the image data, and the print images formed by the upstream and downstream print heads 1000 are superimposed.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the print head 1000 and a liquid pipe 1040 which is a liquid passage mounted so that a cooling liquid F such as water flows in contact with the print head 1000. The print head 1000 includes a fine ink ejection port 1001, an ink path 1002, and a liquid chamber 10 in which ink to be supplied to the ink path 1002 is temporarily stored.
03, an electrothermal conversion element 1004 provided in a part of the ink path 1002, an electrode wiring 1005 for supplying power to the electrothermal conversion element 1004, and the like.
A print head that uses such heat energy to generate bubbles in the ink and discharges the ink with the generation of the bubbles has a high resolution because the ink discharge ports can be arranged at a high density. It is suitable for printing. In addition, it is easy to make print heads more compact, and it is possible to make full use of the advantages of IC technology and micro-machining technology, which have recently achieved remarkable advances in technology in the semiconductor field and improved reliability, making it easy to achieve high-density mounting. Therefore, there are advantages such as a low manufacturing cost.

The print head 1000 has respective ink supply paths for feeding inks having different colors and densities from the ink supply device 2000 (see FIG. 3) to the liquid chamber 1003 inside the print head 1000, and a good ink discharge state. In order to control the temperature of the print head 1000 at an appropriate temperature, a liquid pipe 1040 for flowing the cooling liquid F is attached.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ink supply device 200
0 has, for example, eight ink tanks 2100a to 2100h corresponding to the ink colors to be used, and a supply pump for each ink tank, via an ink supply tube crawled inside the printer unit 100, Each ink is supplied to the corresponding print head 1000. In this ink supply system, ink is supplied according to ejection from the print head 1000 due to a capillary phenomenon during printing.

The inks having substantially different densities, for example, dark and light inks of the same color are stored in the respective ink tanks as separate inks. In this example, as described above, two print heads at the upstream and downstream correspond to one color ink. Accordingly, the head carriage 1100 has 8 printheads × 2 printheads / color = 16 printheads. That is, the same color ink is supplied to the upstream print head 1000 and the corresponding downstream print head 1000.

The recovery operation unit 3000 includes the print head 1
000 performs a recovery operation or the like for obtaining reliable ejection stability, and a capping unit 3 that covers the ejection opening surface of the print head 1000 to prevent an increase in ink viscosity.
100, a wiping unit (not shown) for wiping ink droplets or the like adhering to the discharge port surface of the print head 1000, and receiving an ink discharge for removing thickened ink generated in the print head 1000. A preliminary discharge unit (not shown), a cleaning liquid tank unit (not shown) for supplying a cleaning liquid, a pump unit (not shown) for sucking and discharging the waste liquid,
And a discharge unit (not shown) for receiving and discharging waste liquid discharged from the pump unit.

The cooling liquid circulation device 4000 including the water cooler 13 and the water cooling device 19 is a cooling means for cooling the print head, and is mounted on the print head 1000 by controlling the cooling liquid (water) F to an appropriate temperature. This is a device that supplies the liquid to the liquid pipe 1040 and returns the liquid to the device 4000 again, and has a circulation pump, a coolant storage tank, a cooler, and the like.

FIG. 5 shows a configuration example of a control system of an external control device as a printing device and a data storage device shown in FIGS. Here, P is a printing device,
Parts that can be configured in the same manner as in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals for corresponding parts.

In this embodiment, a transmission buffer 4 is provided in a part of the storage area of the RAM 3 as holding means for holding required data to be transmitted to the external control device 22. Further, a plurality of status flags for storing the temperature status of the head can be provided corresponding to the plurality of print heads. Further, the range setting value area 5 includes, in addition to an appropriate temperature range in which the head temperature is to be controlled within the range, an abnormality in the temperature control system (the heater 1 serving as heating means for heating the head).
6, and a temperature range data for detecting an abnormally high or abnormally low temperature caused by an extreme change in the print duty or the like. In the printing apparatus P, reference numeral 10 denotes an LS for communication control.
I and 11 are communication buffers inside which hold communication data. In the external control device 22 connected to the printing device P via the communication cable 12, reference numeral 26 denotes a communication control LSI, and reference numeral 11 denotes a communication buffer inside the device for holding communication data. Reference numeral 23 denotes a CPU that controls each unit, and 24 denotes an R that stores a program or other fixed data corresponding to a processing procedure for performing the control.
OM and 25 are RAMs provided with a data buffer area 28 for storing received status data of the printing apparatus P in addition to an area for storing control data and the like, and 29 is a timer for generating a timer interrupt signal for the CPU 1 and the like. 3
Reference numeral 0 denotes a relatively large-capacity storage device for storing and storing the contents of the data buffer 28, and may be a hard disk drive (HDD) or any other appropriate form.

The external control unit 22 is provided with an operation unit such as a keyboard for inputting an instruction as desired, a display and / or a printer for visualizing data, and the like. It is also possible to adopt a form that contributes to the work of the phenomenon analysis.

The external control device 22 is connected to the communication cable 1
2 may be disposed relatively close to the printing apparatus, but the printing apparatus P may be connected via a LAN, a public line, or the like.
May be provided in a department other than the department in which the is installed.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a temperature control procedure in the printing apparatus of FIG. ROM2 for printing devices
Print processing such as transferring the print data to the head 1000 by the image processing system 21 is performed according to the program in the above. In parallel with this, the head state and the print state are kept good, and a high-quality image is stably obtained. Monitoring of each part for the purpose. As part of this, monitoring of the head temperature is also performed, and the control shown in FIG.
That is, at the start of the printing operation, the CPU 1 performs the carriage control and the image data transfer control. At the same time, the CPU 1 executes the head temperature control by interruption processing of a predetermined time period set in the timer 9.

When the illustrated procedure is started, the head temperature is read from the temperature sensor 15 in each head via the A / D converter 18 and monitored (step S1).
At this time, if the warning flag 8 is set to the warning mode, the identification number of the head and the code of the temperature information are set in the transmission buffer 4 (steps S3 and S5).

Subsequently, a range setting value area 5 in the RAM 3
The head temperature is compared with an appropriate temperature range (upper limit value, lower limit value) set and stored in advance (step S7), and if it is within the range, the heater 16 and the water cooler 17 are stopped (step S9). When the temperature is lower than the upper limit, the heater 16 warms up (steps S11 and S13), and when the temperature is higher than the upper limit, the water cooler 17 performs cooling operation (steps S11 and S15). If the mode is the warning mode as before, the identification number of the head and the heater 1
6 or the control content of the water cooler 17 is also set in the transmission buffer 4 (steps S17, S19).

Subsequently, a range setting value area 5 in the RAM 3
The head temperature is compared with an abnormal temperature range (upper limit value, lower limit value) set and stored in advance (step S21), and the lower limit value is set to a lower or lower temperature due to an abnormality in the temperature control system, the heater 16, and the water cooler 17. When it is determined that the high temperature is higher than the upper limit, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred, and the printing operation is stopped (step S23).

On the other hand, when the temperature does not reach the abnormal temperature, RA
A warning temperature range (upper limit value, lower limit value) set and stored in advance in the range setting value area 5 in M3 is compared with the head temperature (step S25). If the temperature is lower than the lower limit value and the mode is not yet the warning mode, a warning is issued. The mode is set to the status flag 8 (steps S27 and S29), and the transmission buffer 4
Is set to the head identification number and the error information code (step S31). If the temperature is higher than the upper limit and the mode is not the warning mode yet, the water cooler 17 is started and the warning mode is set in the status flag 8 (step S2).
7, S33, S35, S37), and the transmission buffer 4
Is set to the head identification number and the error information code (step S39).

If the head temperature is within the range between the upper limit temperature and the lower limit temperature relating to the warning temperature and the mode is the warning mode, the water cooler 17 is stopped and the warning mode is released (steps S25, S41, S41). S43, S45),
Further, a head identification number and an error release code are set in the transmission buffer 4 (step S47).

Note that the warning temperature may or may not match the appropriate temperature. If not, set the upper limit to an appropriate value between the upper limit of the appropriate temperature and the upper limit of the abnormal temperature, and set the lower limit to an appropriate value between the lower limit of the appropriate temperature and the lower limit of the abnormal temperature. It can be a value.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a transmission control processing procedure of the data stored in the transmission buffer 4 in the processing of FIG. 6, which is started by an interrupt signal of a predetermined cycle set in the timer 9. When this procedure is started, first, the presence or absence of data in the transmission buffer 4 is detected (step S51), and if there is data to be transmitted, it is confirmed that no data remains in the buffer 11 of the communication LSI 10. Then, the data in the transmission buffer 4 is transferred to the communication LSI 10 (step S53).
To the buffer 11 (step S55), and supplies a transmission control signal to the communication LSI 10 to cause transmission to the external control device (step S57). The communication LSI 10
If the data remains in the buffer 11, the transmission is performed in the present processing procedure by the next timer interrupt.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a reception processing procedure of the external control device in response to data transmission by the printing device of FIG.
In the external control device 22, the communication LSI 26
Detects data reception to
The PU 23 recognizes the data reception, prohibits the reception interrupt, and reads the data from the buffer 27 of the communication LSI 26 to the RAM.
The data is transferred to the reception data buffer 28 in the storage 25 (step S61). When this transfer is completed, the reception interrupt is permitted again to prepare for the next reception (step S6).
3).

FIG. 9 shows an example of a procedure for storing received data, and this processing is started by an interrupt signal of the timer 29. If there is data in the reception buffer 28, the contents are transferred to the storage device 30 as storage means and stored (steps S71 and S73), and a transmission control signal is set until the transfer is completed, and this procedure is repeated (step S71). Step S75).

FIG. 10 shows an example of the structure of transmitted / received or stored data. The contents in the right column of the figure, that is, errors detected due to a warning temperature, an abnormal temperature, etc., the contents thereof, and the driving state of the corresponding temperature control system. (Heater 16 and water cooler 1
7 ON / OFF) and the error release state are indicated by a code (for example, ASC
II code) and saved as history data of the temperature control contents.

In this embodiment, a function capable of holding several records of temperature and control data is provided in the printing apparatus main body, and when a head temperature abnormality or the like is detected, head temperature history data and control content data are stored in chronological order. Then, every time a predetermined time elapses (may be a time when a predetermined number of data is accumulated in the buffer), the data is transmitted to the external control device 22 via a communication cable,
Save data. Then, by using the stored history data, it is possible to analyze the relationship between the occurrence phenomenon of the temperature error and the content of the control performed corresponding to the time-matched state, and to measure the temperature error, the action and the effect thereof by the timer. Can be accurately grasped in a time-series manner at the cycle set as described above, and the cause of the error can be investigated.

Further, by storing the history of data in an external device, the function of the external device can be simply improved without increasing the memory capacity of the printing apparatus.

(Other Embodiments) FIGS. 11A and 11B show FIGS.
9 shows another example of the configuration of the control system of the printing apparatus and the external control device as data storage means shown in FIG. Here, FIG.
Alternatively, parts that can be configured similarly to FIG. 5 are given the same reference numerals for corresponding parts.

In this embodiment, the timer interrupt cycle for activating the temperature control shown in FIG. 6 is input by the operation unit 61 (a keyboard or any other suitable form) provided in the external control device 22 and provided in the RAM 25. The data is stored in the timer value storage area 62 and transmitted from the communication LSI 26 to the communication LSI 10 of the printing apparatus main body P via the communication cable 12. Then, in the printing apparatus P, the
3 is set in the timer value storage area 42 provided so that an interrupt can be issued at a cycle corresponding to the set value. That is, when the timer value is updated by the external control device 22, the printing device P sets a new value in the timer 9, and thereafter executes the temperature control process at a cycle determined by the timer.

According to this embodiment, in addition to obtaining the same effects as those of the first embodiment, since the detection or control activation cycle can be easily set and changed by an external device, the degree of control fineness and temperature can be improved. The time interval of the measurement can be set to an appropriate value according to the analysis work.

In addition to the above two examples, it is also possible to monitor the connection state with an external control device connected to the communication cable to notify that no recording leakage occurs. In addition, depending on the error content received for cause analysis, it may be necessary to determine what kind of data should be collected in order to perform more accurate cause analysis. An instruction to add transmission can also be set from an external control device.

When the present system is positioned in an environment where a network is provided, history data is transmitted via the network by an electronic mail function or the like, and the data is stored in a remote non-stop server. Based on the received history data, the temperature state after the occurrence of the error and the control content can be analyzed later to contribute to the cause investigation work.

In addition, in the above example, the configuration contributing to the work such as the analysis of the history regarding the temperature error and the handling thereof has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the detection system for detecting the occurring phenomenon may be used. If a control system is provided to cope with this, the history of the occurrence phenomenon and the countermeasure can be stored in a state of time coincidence to contribute to the investigation of the cause.

(Others) Next, the entire process of ink-jet textile printing will be described. After the ink-jet printing step using the above-described ink-jet recording apparatus, the fabric is dried (including natural drying). Subsequently, a step of diffusing the dye on the fabric fiber and reacting and fixing the dye to the fiber is performed. By this step, it is possible to obtain sufficient color-forming properties and fastness due to fixation of the dye.

This diffusion and reaction fixing step may be performed by a conventionally known method, for example, a steaming method. In addition,
In this case, the fabric may be subjected to an alkali treatment before the printing step.

Thereafter, in a post-treatment step, unreacted dyes are removed and substances used in the pre-treatment are removed.
Finally, the record is completed through an orderly finishing process such as defect correction and ironing.

In particular, as a fabric for ink-jet printing, (1) the ink can be colored to a sufficient concentration;
(2) high ink dyeing rate; (3) quick drying of the ink on the fabric; (4) less occurrence of irregular ink bleeding on the fabric; And high performance such as excellent transportability. In order to satisfy these required performances, in the present invention, the fabric can be subjected to a pretreatment beforehand, if necessary. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-53492 discloses cloths having an ink receiving layer, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-46589 proposes a cloth containing a reduction inhibitor or an alkaline substance. I have. As an example of such a pretreatment, there can be mentioned a treatment in which a cloth contains a substance selected from an alkaline substance, a water-soluble polymer, a synthetic polymer, a water-soluble metal salt, urea and thiourea.

Examples of the alkaline substance include alkali metal hydroxides such as sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide;
Examples thereof include amines such as mono-, di-, and triethanolamine, and alkali metal carbonates or bicarbonates such as sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, and sodium bicarbonate. Furthermore, there are organic acid metal salts such as calcium acetate and barium acetate, ammonia and ammonia compounds. Further, sodium trichloroacetate which becomes an alkaline substance under steaming and dry heat may be used. Particularly preferred alkaline substances include sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate used for dyeing reactive dyes.

Examples of the water-soluble polymer include starch substances such as corn and wheat; cellulosic substances such as carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose and hydroxyethylcellulose; sodium alginate;
Locust bean gum, tragacanth gum, guar gum,
Examples include polysaccharides such as tamarind seeds, protein substances such as gelatin and casein, and natural water-soluble polymers such as tannin substances and lignin substances.

Examples of the synthetic polymer include polyvinyl alcohol compounds, polyethylene oxide compounds, acrylic acid-based water-soluble polymers, and maleic anhydride-based water-soluble polymers. Among them, polysaccharide polymers and cellulose polymers are preferable.

Examples of the water-soluble metal salt include compounds which form typical ionic crystals and have a pH of 4 to 10, such as halides of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals. Representative examples of such compounds include, for example, NaCl, Na ₂ S
O ₄ , KCl and CH ₃ COONa, and the like, and examples of the alkaline earth metal include CaCl ₂ and Mg
Cl _{2 and the} like. Among them, salts of Na, K and Ca are preferred.

The method for incorporating the above substances and the like into the fabric in the pretreatment is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a commonly used dipping method, padding method, coating method and spraying method.

Furthermore, since the printing ink applied to the fabric for ink-jet printing simply adheres when applied to the fabric, it is necessary to carry out a fixing step of the dye or the like in the ink onto the fiber. Is preferred. Such a fixing step may be performed by a conventionally known method, for example, a steaming method, an HT steaming method, a thermofix method,
When a fabric which has been previously alkali-treated is not used, an alkali pad steam method, an alkali blotch steam method, an alkali shock method, an alkali cold fix method and the like can be mentioned. The fixing step may or may not include a reaction process depending on the dye. As an example of the latter, there is a method in which fibers are impregnated and do not physically separate. As the ink, any suitable ink can be used as long as it has a required pigment, and the ink is not limited to a dye and may include a pigment.

Further, the removal of unreacted dye and the substance used in the pretreatment can be carried out after the above-mentioned reaction fixing step by washing according to a conventionally known method. In addition, it is preferable to use a conventional fixing process in combination with this cleaning.

The printed material which has been subjected to the post-processing steps described above is thereafter cut into a desired size, and the cut pieces are subjected to a process for obtaining a final processed product such as sewing, bonding, welding and the like. Is applied to obtain clothes such as one-piece dresses, dresses, ties, and swimwear, duvet covers, sofa covers, handkerchiefs, curtains, and the like. A method of processing a fabric by sewing or the like to produce clothing or other daily necessities is a conventionally known technique.

Examples of the printing medium include cloth, wall cloth, threads used for embroidery, wallpaper, paper, OHP films, plate-like materials such as alumite, and various other liquids to which a predetermined liquid can be applied using ink jet technology. The cloth includes all woven fabrics, non-woven fabrics and other fabrics regardless of the material, weave or knitting.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described ink-jet printing method, and various printing methods can be adopted. In particular, the present invention is suitably applied to a method of performing printing using heat energy. Further, when the ink jet printing method is adopted, among them, a means for generating thermal energy as energy used for performing ink ejection is provided, and a method of causing a change in the state of the ink by the thermal energy, that is, The use of a bubble jet type print head and printing apparatus proposed by Canon Inc. provides excellent effects. This is because such a method can achieve higher density and higher definition of the print.

The typical structure and principle are described in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740.
It is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent No. 796. This method is a so-called on-demand type,
Although it can be applied to any type of continuous type, in particular, in the case of the on-demand type, it can be applied to a sheet holding liquid (ink) or an electrothermal converter arranged corresponding to the liquid path. Applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the printing information and providing a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling, causing the electrothermal transducer to generate thermal energy, causing film boiling on the heat-acting surface of the printhead. This is effective because bubbles can be formed in the liquid (ink) corresponding to this drive signal on a one-to-one basis. The liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection opening by the growth and contraction of the bubble to form at least one droplet. When the drive signal is formed into a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the ejection of a liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable. As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. If the conditions described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,124 relating to the rate of temperature rise of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent printing can be performed.

As the configuration of the print head, in addition to the combination configuration (straight liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path) of the discharge port, liquid path, and electrothermal converter as disclosed in each of the above-mentioned specifications, A configuration using U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,600, which discloses a configuration in which a heat acting portion is arranged in a bending region, is also included in the present invention. In addition, for multiple electrothermal transducers,
JP-A-59-123670 which discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of an electrothermal transducer and JP-A-59-123670 which discloses a configuration in which an opening for absorbing a pressure wave of heat energy corresponds to a discharge portion. The effect of the present invention is effective even in a configuration based on JP-A-138461. That is, according to the present invention, printing can be performed reliably and efficiently regardless of the form of the print head.

In addition, it goes without saying that the print head can be configured in accordance with the form of the printing apparatus, and in the case of a so-called line printer, the ejection openings are arranged in a range corresponding to the width of the print medium. What should be done. In addition, as a serial type print head as in the above example, a print head fixed to the apparatus main body, or an ink supply from the apparatus main body or an ink supply from the apparatus main body by being attached to the apparatus main body. The present invention is also effective when a replaceable chip-type printhead that can be used or a cartridge-type printhead in which an ink tank is provided integrally with the printhead itself is used.

Further, it is preferable to add a print head ejection recovery means, a preliminary auxiliary means, and the like as the configuration of the printing apparatus of the present invention since the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. If you list these specifically,
Pre-heating means for heating using a capping means, a cleaning means, a pressure or suction means, an electrothermal converter or another heating element or a combination thereof for the print head, Pre-discharge means for performing another discharge can be given.

In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention described above, the ink is described as a liquid. However, an ink which solidifies at room temperature or lower and which softens or liquefies at room temperature may be used. In general, the ink jet method generally controls the temperature of the ink itself within a range of 30 ° C. or more and 70 ° C. or less to control the temperature so that the viscosity of the ink is in a stable ejection range. Sometimes, the ink may be in a liquid state. In addition, in order to positively prevent temperature rise due to thermal energy by using it as energy for changing the state of the ink from a solid state to a liquid state, or to prevent evaporation of the ink, the ink is solidified in a standing state and heated. May be used. In any case, the ink liquefies by the application of the heat energy according to the print signal,
The present invention is also applicable to a case in which an ink having a property of being liquefied for the first time by the application of thermal energy, such as an ink in which a liquid ink is ejected and an ink which starts solidifying when it reaches a print medium, is used. . In such a case, the ink is held in a state in which the ink is held as a liquid or a solid in the concave portion or through hole of the porous sheet as described in JP-A-54-56847 or JP-A-60-71260. Alternatively, it may be configured to face the electrothermal converter. In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

In addition, as an embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the one used as an image output terminal of an information processing device such as a computer, a form of a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like may be adopted.

[0082]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, errors detected in the printing apparatus and their corresponding data are stored in a time series in association with each other, and the stored history data is stored. As a result, it is possible to analyze the occurrence of an error and the relationship between the control contents performed in response to the occurrence of the error in a state in which the times are matched, so that the cause of the error can be surely investigated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a conventional printing apparatus and a temperature measurement system.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic configuration example of an inkjet printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the internal configuration of a print head used in the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a control system of the printing apparatus and the external control apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a temperature control procedure in the printing apparatus of FIG. 5;

7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a transmission control processing procedure of data accumulated in the transmission buffer 4 in the processing of FIG.

8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a reception processing procedure of an external control device in response to data transmission by the printing device in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for storing received data by the external control device in FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of data transmitted / received or stored in the procedures of FIGS. 6 to 9;

11 is a block diagram illustrating another configuration example of the control system of the printing apparatus and the external control apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 P printing device 1,23 CPU 2,24 ROM 3,25 RAM 4 transmission buffer 5 range setting value area 6,61 operation unit 7 display 8 status flag 9,29 timer 10,26 communication LSI 11,27 buffer 15 sensor 16 Heater 17 Water cooler 21 Image processing system 30 Storage device 1000 Print head

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A printing apparatus for performing printing using a print head, comprising: a detection unit configured to detect an error in an operation condition from an operation condition when a stable print operation is performed by the print head at a predetermined time period; Control means for performing control for stabilizing a printing operation by the print head in accordance with the detection result; data indicating the occurrence of the error when the error is detected; data relating to the content of the error; And a holding unit for holding data relating to control performed in response to the control and data indicating that the error has been eliminated by the control. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting unit includes a detecting unit that detects a temperature of the print head, and a unit that compares the detected temperature with the temperature of the print head when the stable printing operation is performed. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means has means for adjusting the temperature of said print head. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said temperature adjusting means includes means for heating and cooling said print head. 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print head has an element that generates heat energy for performing the printing operation. 5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print head has a form of an ink jet head that performs printing by discharging ink. 6. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the ink-jet head has a heating element that generates heat energy for causing film boiling of the ink as energy for discharging the ink. 7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein printing is performed on a cloth as a print medium. 8. A data storage device provided for the printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storage means for storing the contents held by said holding means in a time-series manner. 9. The data storage device according to claim 8, wherein the data storage device has a form of an external device connected to the printing device via a communication unit. 10. The data storage device according to claim 8, further comprising means for changing and setting a detection cycle of said detection means provided in said printing apparatus. 11. A printing system, comprising: the printing device according to claim 1; and the data storage device according to claim 8.