JPS61249755A - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform high grade recording by preventing the diffusion of an ink dot, by providing an emitting means for emitting an ink curing agent penetratable into a recording medium in a dot form and a means for emitting ink to the emitted ink curing agent. CONSTITUTION:Not only an ink tank 7 and an ink nozzle 6 but also a tank 15 for storing an ink curing agent and the nozzle 16 for emitting the ink curing agent from said tank 15 are provided to the surface 14A opposed to a recording medium 1 of a recording head 14. The ink tank 7 and the curing agent tank 15 are perfectly separated in the recording head 14 and the supply passages to the nozzle 6 and the nozzle 16 are also separated. Now, it is assumed that the recording head 14 is moving to the left direction from the recording head toward the recording medium 1. Herein, the liquid droplets of the ink curing agent are emitted to the recording medium 1 from the ink curing agent nozzle 16 and subsequently emitted from the nozzle 16 with the delay of a DELTAt time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a recording device, and particularly to an inkjet type recording device that performs recording by ejecting ink in dots.

[Summary of the Disclosure] This specification and the drawings describe a recording device that performs recording by ejecting ink in dots and landing it on a recording medium, in which an ink curing agent that can permeate into the recording medium is ejected in dots. By providing a means for discharging the ink and a means for discharging the ink onto the curing agent of the ink discharged from the discharging means and landing on the recording medium, the ink dots that have landed on the recording medium are diffused and the quality of images and printing is improved. The present invention discloses a technique that can prevent damage to the information and obtain stable, high-quality recording.

[Conventional technology 1] In recent years, with the advancement of information technology, the development of peripheral devices centered on computers has become active, and various studies have been made regarding recording devices. There is an urgent need for low-noise, high-quality garlic. In addition, as recording devices suitable for meeting these requirements, heat transfer-vise type and inkjet type are mainstream. 6 shows an example of a conventional inkjet recording apparatus of this kind, in which a recording medium is held by a 1t1 feed reroller 2, and a guide shaft 3 parallel to the roller axis is located at a position opposite the recording medium 1. A recording head 4 is provided which is movable along the recording head 4, and is moved in the direction of the arrow by a wire 5 driven by a motor (not shown) in accordance with recording timing.

Furthermore, in the recording head 4, a plurality of ink nozzles 6 are arranged on the surface 4A facing the medium 1, and in the case of a piezo-type on-demand type, a plurality of ink nozzles 6 are arranged inside the head 4 corresponding to these nozzles 6. If the piezoelectric element is a bubble jet type on-demand type, a heating element (not shown) is provided, and these elements eject the ink led from the ink tank 7 onto the recording medium l. Recording is performed by letting the bullet land on the target. Note that these elements are connected to an external control circuit by a flexible cable 8 and are selectively controlled.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] However, such inkjet type and thermal transfer
A major disadvantage of this type of recording device is that the quality of the recording varies depending on the quality of the recording paper used as the recording medium.In particular, in the case of an inkjet type, the quality of recording tends to be impaired due to the diffusion of ink. Yes, for example,
Although the ink ejected from the ink nozzle is spherical and has a diameter of around 60#L, after this droplet lands on the recording medium 1, the diameter of the dot becomes 3cm due to the diffusion of the ink.
It can also be around 00. This way of spreading is mainly due to the ink itself penetrating between the fibers of the medium due to capillary action, and is susceptible to the influence of the fiber direction of the recording medium and the roughness of the fibers, etc., making it difficult for the dots to form a correct circular shape. In order to maintain this property, it was necessary to apply a special coating or the like on the recording medium l.

The object of the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an inkjet type recording device that can maintain landed ink droplets in a circular shape without being affected by the paper quality of the recording medium.

[Means for Solving the Problems] That is, the present invention provides a recording device that performs recording by ejecting ink in the form of dots and landing it on a recording medium. The present invention is characterized in that it includes a discharging means for discharging the agent in dots, and a means for discharging the ink onto the curing agent of the ink discharged from the discharging means and landed on the recording medium.

1. In the recording apparatus configured as described above, the ink is ejected from the ink curing agent ejecting means and landed on the ink curing agent in the form of dots on the recording medium. It is possible to prevent the ink dots that have landed on the medium from spreading and deteriorating the quality of images and printing, and it is possible to obtain stable, high-quality recording.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail and specifically based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention. Here, 14 is a recording head, and 1. In addition to the ink tank 7 and the ink nozzle 6, a tank 15 for storing an ink hardening agent and a nozzle 16 for discharging the ink hardening agent from the tank 15 are provided on the surface 14A of the recording head 14 facing the medium l. It is being Thus, the ink tank 7 and the curing agent (storage) tank 15 are completely separated within the recording head 14 to prevent their liquids from mixing. Further, the supply paths to the nozzle 6 and the nozzle 1B are also separated.

Next, the discharge operation during recording will be specifically explained with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2C. In FIG. 2A, it is assumed that A is the target landing point of the ink dot, and the recording pad 14 is currently moving in the direction of the arrow. The ejection timing will be described later, but here the moment when the ink curing agent droplet 17 is ejected from the ink curing agent nozzle 1B is shown. FIG. 2B shows the moment when the ink droplet 18 is ejected from the ink nozzle 6, with Δ delayed in time, as will be described later than in FIG. 2A, and at this point, the ink curing agent droplet 17
has landed at the target landing point A on the recording medium l. However, it is not necessary that the ink curing agent droplet 17 lands on the point A on the recording medium 1 at the moment the ink droplet 18 is ejected from the ink nozzle 6, and the timing relationship during this time will be described later.

FIG. 2C shows an ink droplet 18 at the target landing point A on the recording medium l.
A state is shown in which the ink has landed and is mixed with the ink curing agent droplet 17 that landed earlier, and in this state, the recording process for one dot is completed. Note that the energization of the ink nozzle 6 and the energization of the curing agent nozzle 16 must be performed as a pair at a predetermined time interval.

Next, the steps up to curing of the ink will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3A to 3C.

FIG. 3A shows the state immediately after the ink curing agent droplet 17 has landed on the recording medium 1, and the ink curing agent droplet 17 has a hemispherical shape. However, after the lever, the ink hardening agent permeates into the recording medium 1 and becomes spread and smooth as shown in FIG. do. Note that since the ink curing agent has a higher viscosity than the ink, it does not completely penetrate into the recording medium l, but a portion of it remains in a thin film form as shown in the figure.

Figure 3C shows an ink droplet 18 on top of a thin layer of ink hardener.
The landed ink is mixed with the ink curing agent and solidified. Note that the ink curing agent alone does not solidify even when exposed to air.

It is necessary to select a component of the ink curing agent that has high water absorption (coagulates when combined with water), but it is also important to select a material that coagulates when combined with ethylene glycol, urea, diethylene glycol, m-agent, etc. You can.

Next, the timing of ejection from the ink nozzle 6 and the curing agent nozzle 16 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C and FIG. 5.

4A shows the driving pulse of the motor that moves the recording head 14, that is, the driving step of the stepping motor or the output pulse of the encoder. FIG. 4B shows the timing of energization to the curing agent nozzle 16, and FIG. It shows the timing of energization.

However, if there is a delay of Δt between the timing of energization to both nozzles, the curing agent droplet 17 and the ink droplet 1 will arrive at the same impact point A due to the delay time of Δt.
8, the distance between the nozzles 6 and 18 and the recording medium 1 is determined as shown in FIG. 5, and the distance between the nozzles is determined as e.

The moving speed of the recording head 14 is V, the curing agent ejection speed from the curing agent nozzle 16 is VOI, the ink ejection speed from the ink nozzle 6 is vo2, and Vol<V. 2, this delay time Δt can be expressed by the following equation (1).

That is, by setting the delay of time Δt in this way and controlling the ink to be ejected from the ink nozzle 6 after a time Δ after the curing agent is ejected from the curing agent nozzle 16, the curing agent droplet 17 As described in FIGS. 2A to 2C, the ink droplets 18 and 18 are made to land one after another at the dot landing positions on the recording medium l, thereby making it possible to obtain stable recorded images and prints.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, an inkjet recording apparatus includes a discharge means for discharging an ink curing agent that can penetrate into a recording medium in the form of dots, and This method prevents the ink dots that have landed on the recording medium from spreading and deteriorating the quality of images and prints. This makes it possible to obtain stable, high-quality recordings.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the main part of the recording apparatus of the present invention, and FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C show the relationship between the movement of the recording head and the ejection operation by the recording head over time. FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are explanatory diagrams showing, over time, the state of the curing agent and ink that have landed on the recording medium by the recording head, and FIGS. 4A and 4B, respectively. 4C is a waveform diagram showing the output timing of the print head drive signal, curing agent nozzle ejection signal, and ink nozzle ejection signal, and FIG. 5 is an explanation of various physical elements related to the print medium and each ejection nozzle of the print head. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the main parts of a conventional inkjet recording apparatus. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Recording medium, 2... Feed roller, 3... Guide shaft, 4.14... Recording head, 4A... Opposing surface, 5... Wire, 6... Ink nozzle , 7... Ink tank, 8... Flexible gable, 15... Curing agent tank, 16... Curing agent nozzle, 17... Curing agent droplet, 18... Ink droplet, A. ...Target impact point.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A recording apparatus that performs recording by ejecting ink in dots and landing on a recording medium includes an ejection means for ejecting an ink curing agent that can permeate into the recording medium in dots, and a curing agent ejected from the ejection means. A recording apparatus comprising: means for ejecting the ink onto a curing agent for the ink that has landed on the recording medium.