U.S. patent application number 16/064740 was filed with the patent office on 2019-01-17 for inkjet printer and inkjet printing method using the same.
The applicant listed for this patent is THINK LABORATORY CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Shota FUJII, Tatsuo SHIGETA.
Application Number | 20190016134 16/064740 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 59090158 |
Filed Date | 2019-01-17 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190016134 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FUJII; Shota ; et
al. |
January 17, 2019 |
INKJET PRINTER AND INKJET PRINTING METHOD USING THE SAME
Abstract
Provided is an inkjet printer which is capable of preventing ink
flow and color blurring as well as color mixing during multicolor
printing when image formation is performed with aqueous ink on a
web-shaped printing base material, and an inkjet printing method
using the inkjet printer. The inkjet printer is configured to
perform image formation by discharging aqueous ink to a web-shaped
printing base material, and comprises: a conveyance mechanism
configured to continuously convey the web-shaped printing base
material; a single-pass system inkjet head configured to discharge,
by a single-pass system, the aqueous ink to a surface of the
web-shaped printing base material conveyed by the conveyance
mechanism; and a surface pre-heating unit which is arranged on an
upstream side of conveyance from the single-pass system inkjet head
and is configured to heat at least the surface of the web-shaped
printing base material, wherein image formation through use of the
single-pass system inkjet head is performed on the web-shaped
printing base material heated by the surface pre-heating unit.
Inventors: |
FUJII; Shota; (Chiba,
JP) ; SHIGETA; Tatsuo; (Chiba, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
THINK LABORATORY CO., LTD. |
Chiba |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
59090158 |
Appl. No.: |
16/064740 |
Filed: |
December 6, 2016 |
PCT Filed: |
December 6, 2016 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP2016/086125 |
371 Date: |
June 21, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B41J 2/145 20130101;
B41J 11/002 20130101; B41J 2202/02 20130101; B41J 2002/14475
20130101; B41J 15/04 20130101; B41M 5/0011 20130101; B41J 2/2107
20130101 |
International
Class: |
B41J 2/145 20060101
B41J002/145; B41J 11/00 20060101 B41J011/00; B41J 15/04 20060101
B41J015/04; B41J 2/21 20060101 B41J002/21 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 25, 2015 |
JP |
2015-254090 |
Claims
1. An inkjet printer for aqueous ink which is configured to perform
image formation by discharging aqueous ink to a web-shaped printing
base material, the inkjet printer comprising: a conveyance
mechanism configured to continuously convey the web-shaped printing
base material; a single-pass system inkjet head configured to
discharge, by a single-pass system, the aqueous ink to a surface of
the web-shaped printing base material conveyed by the conveyance
mechanism; and a surface pre-heating unit arranged on an upstream
side of conveyance from the single-pass system inkjet head and the
surface pre-heating unit being configured to heat at least the
surface of the web-shaped printing base material, wherein image
formation through use of the single-pass system inkjet head is
performed on the web-shaped printing base material heated by the
surface pre-heating unit.
2. An inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein heating by the
surface pre-heating unit is performed via a hot air blowing means
for applying hot air to the surface of the web-shaped printing base
material.
3. An inkjet printer according to claim 2, wherein the hot air
blowing means comprises: a nozzle group main body having a
plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles arranged to form
gaps therebetween, each of the plurality of slit-shaped hot air
blowing nozzles having a slit-shaped hot air outlet port extending
in a width direction of the web-shaped printing base material; and
a suction mechanism configured to suck an atmosphere of the gaps
formed in the nozzle group main body.
4. An inkjet printer according to claim 1, further comprising a
back surface heating unit configured to heat a back surface of the
web-shaped printing base material.
5. An inkjet printer according to claim 4, wherein heating by the
back surface heating unit is performed via one of a hot air blowing
means and a hot plate.
6. An inkjet printer according to 1, wherein the web-shaped
printing base material is a transparent film.
7. An inkjet printing method, comprising: providing an inkjet
printer comprising: a conveyance mechanism configured to
continuously convey a web-shaped printing base material; a
single-pass system inkjet head configured to discharge, by a
single-pass system, the aqueous ink to a surface of the web-shaped
printing base material conveyed by the conveyance mechanism; and a
surface pre-heating unit arranged on an upstream side of conveyance
from the single-pass system inkjet head and the surface pre-heating
unit is configured to heat at least the surface of the web-shaped
printing base material; performing, via the inkjet printer,
single-pass system image formation via the single-pass system
inkjet head with aqueous ink on the web-shaped printing base
material heated by the surface pre-heating unit of the inkjet
printer.
8. An inkjet printing method according to claim 7, wherein heating
by the surface pre-heating unit is performed via a hot air blowing
means for applying hot air to the surface of the web-shaped
printing base material.
9. An inkjet printing method according to claim 8, wherein the hot
air blowing means comprises: a nozzle group main body having a
plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles arranged to form
gaps therebetween, each of the plurality of slit-shaped hot air
blowing nozzles having a slit-shaped hot air outlet port extending
in a width direction of the web-shaped printing base material; and
a suction mechanism configured to suck an atmosphere of the gaps
formed in the nozzle group main body.
10. An inkjet printing method according to claim 7, further
comprising: providing a back surface heating unit configured to
heat a back surface of the web-shaped printing base material.
11. An inkjet printing method according to claim 10, wherein
heating by the back surface heating unit is performed via one of a
hot air blowing means and a hot plate.
12. An inkjet printing method according to claim 7, wherein the
web-shaped printing base material is a transparent film.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet printer which is
configured to perform single-pass system image formation with
aqueous ink on a web-shaped printing base material, and an inkjet
printing method using the inkjet printer.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Hitherto, as a method of performing inkjet printing with
aqueous ink on a printing base material through use of an inkjet
printer, there has been proposed a method of performing printing
while heating the printing base material being conveyed (Patent
Document 1).
[0003] As a method of heating the printing base material being
conveyed as described above, there has been employed a method of
heating a back surface of the printing base material through use of
a hot plate or the like.
[0004] However, even when the back surface of the printing base
material is heated through use of the hot plate or the like, there
arises the following problem in a case of performing printing while
continuously conveying the printing base material. That is, when a
printing speed reaches a speed of about 15 m/min, ink flow and
color blurring caused by insufficient drying of ink and the like,
color mixing during multicolor printing, and the like occur.
[0005] Further, as methods of performing printing while
continuously conveying the printing base material, there are given
a scan system and a single-pass system. Of those systems, the
single-pass system is more suitable for high-speed printing because
the single-pass system does not require scanning. A single-pass
system inkjet recording method is disclosed, for example, in Patent
Document 2. However, when the printing speed reaches the speed of
about 15 m/min as described above, there arises a problem in that
ink flow and color blurring caused by insufficient drying of ink
and the like, color mixing during multicolor printing, and the like
occur, with the result that there is difficulty in increasing the
printing speed.
PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS
Patent Documents
Patent Document 1: JP 2014-214160 A
Patent Document 2: JP 2010-142966 A
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Problems to be solved by the Invention
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide an
inkjet printer which is capable of preventing ink flow and color
blurring as well as color mixing during multicolor printing when
image formation is performed with aqueous ink on a web-shaped
printing base material, and to provide an inkjet printing method
using the inkjet printer.
Means for Solving Problems
[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an inkjet
printer according to the present invention is an inkjet printer for
aqueous ink which is configured to perform image formation by
discharging aqueous ink to a web-shaped printing base material, and
comprises: a conveyance mechanism configured to continuously convey
the web-shaped printing base material; a single-pass system inkjet
head configured to discharge, by a single-pass system, the aqueous
ink to a surface of the web-shaped printing base material conveyed
by the conveyance mechanism; and a surface pre-heating unit which
is arranged on an upstream side of conveyance from the single-pass
system inkjet head and is configured to heat at least the surface
of the web-shaped printing base material, wherein image formation
through use of the single-pass system inkjet head is performed on
the web-shaped printing base material heated by the surface
pre-heating unit.
[0008] Heating by the surface pre-heating unit is preferably
performed through use of hot air blowing means for applying hot air
to the surface of the web-shaped printing base material. As heating
other than application of hot air to the surface of the web-shaped
printing base material, the web-shaped printing base material can
be heated by irradiation with a laser having a wavelength which is
equal to an absorption wavelength of the web-shaped printing base
material. Heating by irradiation with infrared light is also
conceivable. However, when the web-shaped printing base material is
a transparent film, infrared light passes through the web-shaped
printing base material, with the result that the web-shaped
printing base material is not heated. Therefore, in the case of
heating by irradiation with infrared light, it is necessary that
the web-shaped printing base material have black color or that the
web-shaped printing base material be a base material having such a
wavelength as to absorb infrared light. A combination of the
above-mentioned heating through use of the hot air blowing means,
heating by irradiation with a laser, and heating by irradiation
with infrared light can also be used.
[0009] For example, hot air at a temperature of from 40.degree. C.
to 80.degree. C. is preferably applied to the surface of the
web-shaped printing base material through use of the hot air
blowing means.
[0010] The hot air blowing means preferably comprises: a nozzle
group main body having a plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing
nozzles arranged so as to form gaps therebetween, the plurality of
slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles each having a slit-shaped hot
air outlet port extending in a width direction of the web-shaped
printing base material; and a suction mechanism configured to suck
an atmosphere of the gaps formed in the nozzle group main body.
[0011] The inkjet printer preferably further comprises a back
surface heating unit configured to heat a back surface of the
web-shaped printing base material. Heating by the back surface
heating unit is preferably performed through use of hot air blowing
means or a hot plate.
[0012] Further, heating means similar to the above-mentioned
surface pre-heating unit may be arranged, as a surface post-heating
unit, on a downstream side of conveyance of the web-shaped printing
base material from the inkjet head.
[0013] The web-shaped printing base material is preferably a
transparent film. As the web-like printing base material being the
transparent film, a transparent film using PET (polyethylene
terephthalate), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PP (polypropylene), or
the like may be suitably used.
[0014] An inkjet printing method according to the present invention
comprises performing, through use of the said inkjet printer,
single-pass system image formation through use of the single-pass
system inkjet head with aqueous ink on the web-shaped printing base
material heated by the surface pre-heating unit of the inkjet
printer.
Advantageous Effects of the Invention
[0015] According to the present invention, there is provided a
remarkable effect of being capable of providing an inkjet printer
which is capable of preventing ink flow and color blurring, and
color mixing during multicolor printing when image formation is
performed with aqueous ink on a web-shaped printing base material,
and an inkjet printing method using the inkjet printer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a sectional structural view for illustrating one
embodiment of an inkjet printer according to the present
invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view for illustrating an embodiment
of hot air blowing means to be used in the inkjet printer of the
present invention.
[0018] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view for illustrating a main portion
of FIG. 1.
[0019] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view for illustrating a main portion
of another embodiment of an inkjet printer according to the present
invention.
[0020] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view for illustrating a main portion
of still another embodiment of an inkjet printer according to the
present invention.
MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0021] Embodiments of the present invention are described below but
those embodiments are described as examples and hence it is
understood that various modifications may be made thereto without
departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. In
addition, the same members are denoted by the same reference
symbols.
[0022] FIG. 1 is a sectional structural view for illustrating one
embodiment of an inkjet printer according to the present
invention.
[0023] In FIG. 1, the reference symbol 10A denotes an inkjet
printer of the present invention. The inkjet printer 10A is an
inkjet printer for aqueous ink which is configured to perform image
formation by discharging aqueous ink to a web-shaped printing base
material 12. The inkjet printer 10A comprises: a conveyance
mechanism 14 (conveyance mechanisms 14a and 14b in the illustrated
embodiment) configured to continuously convey the web-shaped
printing base material 12; single-pass system inkjet heads 16a to
16e configured to discharge, by a single-pass system, aqueous ink
to a surface of the web-shaped printing base material 12 conveyed
by the conveyance mechanism 14; and surface pre-heating units 18a
to 18e which are arranged on an upstream side of conveyance from
the inkjet heads 16a to 16e and are configured to heat at least the
surface of the web-shaped printing base material 12. The ink is
discharged by the inkjet heads 16a to 16e to the web-shaped
printing base material 12 heated by the surface pre-heating units
18a to 18e. Further, surface post-heating units 18b to 18f are
arranged on a downstream side of conveyance from the inkjet heads
16a to 16e so that drying of aqueous ink discharged by the inkjet
heads 16a to 16e is further accelerated.
[0024] The surface pre-heating units 18b to 18e also act as surface
post-heating units and also serve as the surface post-heating units
18b to 18e.
[0025] As the inkjet heads 16a to 16e, various known single-pass
system inkjet discharge devices can be used.
[0026] As the conveyance mechanism 14, any known mechanism can also
be used as long as the mechanism can convey the web-shaped printing
base material 12. As illustrated in FIG. 1, it is possible to adopt
a configuration comprising drive belts 20 and 34, an original
roller 22 around which the web-shaped printing base material 12 is
wound, various rollers 24, 26, 28, and 30 configured to convey the
web-shaped printing base material 12, and a roll-up roller 32
configured to roll up the printed web-shaped printing base material
12. There is illustrated an operator O of the inkjet printer.
[0027] Further, the original roller 22 around which the web-shaped
printing base material 12 is wound is accommodated in a heating box
36, and is heated in advance (pre-heated) to a temperature of from
60.degree. C. to 70.degree. C. As a method of heating in the
heating box 36, heating may be performed with hot air or by various
known heaters. In the illustrated example, there is illustrated a
configuration in which the inside of the heating box 36 is heated
with hot air.
[0028] At least the surface of the web-shaped printing base
material 12 heated in advance as described above is heated by the
surface pre-heating unit 18a arranged on the upstream side of
conveyance from the inkjet heads 16a to 16e. As the surface
pre-heating unit 18a, an example is given of hot air blowing means.
In the hot air blowing means, hot air at a temperature of from
about 40.degree. C. to about 80.degree. C., for example, a
temperature of 70.degree. C. is applied to the surface of the
web-shaped printing base material 12. A time period for applying
hot air is from about 2 seconds to about 3 seconds in the case of a
printing speed of 15 m/min, but is appropriately changed also
depending on the temperature of the hot air.
[0029] An embodiment of the hot air blowing means to be used as the
surface pre-heating units 18a to 18e is illustrated in FIG. 2. As
is well illustrated in FIG. 2, as hot air blowing means 42 being
the surface pre-heating unit 18a, it is possible to adopt a
configuration comprising a nozzle group main body 50 having a
plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles 46 arranged so as
to form gaps 48 therebetween, the slit-shaped hot air blowing
nozzles 46 each having a slit-shaped hot air outlet port 44
extending in a width direction of the web-shaped printing base
material 12, and a suction mechanism (not shown) configured to suck
an atmosphere of the gaps 48 formed in the nozzle group main body
50. The atmosphere of the gaps 48 is sucked in a direction opposite
to blowing of hot air H (direction opposite to the arrow of FIG. 2)
by the suction mechanism (not shown). As the suction mechanism,
various known suction devices can be used and hence illustration
thereof is omitted. Thus, the effect of reducing color blurring and
the like caused by aqueous ink is achieved through suction of the
atmosphere of the gaps 48.
[0030] Further, in the example illustrated in FIG. 1, as is well
illustrated in FIG. 3, there is illustrated an example in which hot
air blowing means similar to the hot air blowing means serving as
the surface pre-heating unit 18a is used also as the surface
post-heating unit 18b and arranged on the downstream side of
conveyance from the inkjet head 16a. As is well illustrated in FIG.
1 and FIG. 2, the inkjet heads 16a to 16e are inkjet heads having
respective ink storage tanks (not shown) for cyan (C), magenta (M),
yellow (Y), black (B), and white (W), and aqueous ink I of
respective colors is discharged from the inkjet heads 16a to
16e.
[0031] Further, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a back
surface heating unit 38 configured to heat the web-shaped printing
base material 12 from a back surface thereof is arranged. As the
back surface heating unit 38, a known hot plate can be used, and
for example, an electrothermal heater having a filament laid on a
ceramic plate can be used. When the hot plate is used as the back
surface heating unit 38, it is suitable that the hot plate be used
after being heated to a temperature of, for example, from
40.degree. C. to 65.degree. C. It is appropriate that the back
surface heating unit 38 be arranged so as to correspond to the
inkjet heads 16a to 16e. The back surface heating unit 38 may also
be arranged across setting positions of the inkjet heads 16a to 16e
as illustrated in FIG. 1, or can also be arranged in accordance
with each setting position of the inkjet heads 16a to 16e.
[0032] Further, as the back surface heating unit 38, the hot air
blowing means similar to the surface pre-heating unit 18a can also
be used. Further, when the hot air blowing means is used as the
back surface heating unit 38, it is suitable that, for example, hot
air at a temperature of from 40.degree. C. to 80.degree. C. be
applied to the back surface of the web-shaped printing base
material 12.
[0033] In FIG. 4, there is illustrated an example in which the hot
air blowing means is used as the back surface heating unit 38. In
FIG. 4, there is illustrated hot air blowing means 52 serving as
the back surface heating unit 38. The configuration other than
arrangement of the hot air blowing means 52 as the back surface
heating unit 38 is the same as the above-mentioned
configuration.
[0034] Next, still another embodiment of an inkjet printer
according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 5.
[0035] In FIG. 5, the reference symbol 10B denotes another
embodiment of an inkjet printer of the present invention. In the
inkjet printer 10B, as additional surface post-heating units, laser
irradiation devices 40a to 40e are arranged on the downstream side
of conveyance from the inkjet heads 16a to 16e. The configuration
of the inkjet printer 10B is the same as that of the inkjet printer
10A described above except that the laser irradiation devices 40a
to 40e are arranged.
[0036] With the inkjet printers 10A and 10B constructed as
described above, when ink discharge by the inkjet heads 16a to 16e
is performed with aqueous ink to the web-shaped printing base
material 12 heated by the surface pre-heating unit 18a of the
inkjet printers 10A and 10B, printing can be suitably performed
with respect to a transparent PET film as the web-shaped printing
base material without ink flow and color blurring, color mixing
during multicolor printing, and the like even at a printing speed
of 15 m/min. Further, as illustrated in the inkjet printers 10A and
10B, when the surface post-heating units and the back surface
heating unit are combined, ink flow and ink blurring, color mixing
during multicolor printing, and the like are further eliminated,
and printing can be suitably performed.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
[0037] 10A, 10B: inkjet printer, 12: web-shaped printing base
material, 14, 14a, 14b: conveyance mechanism, 16a to 16e:
single-pass system inkjet head, 18a to 18e: surface pre-heating
unit, 18b to 18f: surface post-heating unit, 20, 34: drive belt,
22: original roller, 24, 26, 28, 30: roller, 32: roll-up roller,
36: heating box, 38: back surface heating unit, 40a to 40e: laser
irradiation device, 42, 52: hot air blowing means, 44: slit-shaped
hot air outlet port, 46: slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzle, 48:
gap, 50: nozzle group main body, H: hot air, I: aqueous ink, O:
operator.
* * * * *