JP7298996B2 - Printing device and printing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and printing method.

2. Description of the Related Art As a printing apparatus that prints on a medium, for example, an inkjet printing apparatus that ejects droplets from a head onto the medium is known (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-100001). Such a printing apparatus includes, for example, a mounting table on which a medium can be mounted, a head that ejects droplets toward the surface of the medium while reciprocating on the mounting table in the main scanning direction, and a head that is moved in the main scanning direction. and a relative movement unit for relatively moving the head and the mounting table in the sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction.

JP 2015-13455 A

In the above printing apparatus, when multiple processes are performed on a predetermined area of the medium, such as when performing print processing after performing pre-processing on the media, or when performing post-processing after performing print processing. , each process must be performed on a different device. For this reason, it takes time and effort to perform a plurality of processes on media.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus and a printing method capable of efficiently performing a plurality of processes on media.

A printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a mounting table that supports a medium, a first head that performs a first process on the medium, and a first guide member that guides the first head in a main scanning direction. 1 processing unit and a second processing unit arranged side by side in a sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction with respect to the first processing unit, and performing a second process, which is a process performed on the medium after the first process. a second processing unit having two heads and a second guide member for guiding the second head in the main scanning direction; and a guide member for moving the first guide member and the second guide member in the sub-scanning direction. a driving unit, a relative movement unit for relatively moving the mounting table, and the respective heads of the first head and the second head; and the first guide member and the second guide member by the guide member driving unit. while maintaining the distance in the sub-scanning direction between them, causing the relative movement unit to perform the relative movement, causing the first head to perform the first process, and causing the second head to perform the second process. and a control unit for causing the process to be performed.

According to the present invention, while maintaining the distance between the two guide members, the first guide member and the second guide member, the mounting table and the first head and the second head are moved relative to each other, so that the first head The first processing and the second processing by the second head can be continuously performed on the medium at appropriate timings. This allows multiple processes to be efficiently performed on the media. Further, since the first head and the second head are guided in the main scanning direction by the first guide member and the second guide member, respectively, the direction in which the first head performs the first process and the direction in which the second head performs the second process can be aligned with the direction in which the This makes it easy to perform the second process by aligning the position with the area of the medium on which the first process was performed.

Moreover, the control unit may adjust the distance according to the content of the first process and the second process.

According to the present invention, even when the contents of the first process and the second process are different for each image forming operation, such as when the media are different, the first process and the second process are continuously performed on the medium at appropriate timing. can be done by

The first process may be a process of ejecting a first ink onto the medium, and the second process may be a process of performing a position corresponding to the first ink ejected onto the medium. .

According to the present invention, after the first ink is ejected onto the medium, the position corresponding to the ejected first ink can be processed at an appropriate timing.

Further, the second process may be a process of ejecting the second ink over the first ink ejected onto the medium.

According to the present invention, after the first ink is ejected onto the medium, the process of ejecting the second ink over the ejected first ink can be performed at an appropriate timing.

Further, the medium may be cloth, the first ink may be a base material, and the second ink may be an ink for forming an image.

When the medium is fabric, if the image forming ink is directly ejected onto the fabric, the ink for forming the image (image forming ink) may permeate into the fabric and cause bleeding. Therefore, bleeding can be prevented by ejecting a base material in advance onto a region of the fabric where the image forming ink is to be ejected, and then ejecting the image forming ink over the base material.

Further, the second process may be a process of flattening the first ink ejected onto the medium.

According to the present invention, after the first ink is ejected onto the medium, the process of flattening the ejected first ink can be performed at an appropriate timing.

Moreover, at least one of the first guide member and the second guide member may have a plurality of the heads individually movable in the main scanning direction.

According to the present invention, media can be efficiently processed by a plurality of heads. In addition, by making each head individually movable in the main scanning direction, the unused heads can be kept on standby. As a result, the weight of the carriage can be reduced, and the power required to drive the carriage can be reduced.

A printing apparatus according to the present invention is a first printing apparatus that includes a mounting table that supports a medium, a printing head that performs printing processing on the medium, and a first guide member that guides the printing head in a main scanning direction. a processing unit, a first head arranged side by side in a sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction with respect to the first processing unit, and performing a first process different from the printing process on the medium; a second processing unit having a second head that performs a second process that is a process performed after the first process; a second guide member that guides the first head and the second head in the main scanning direction; a guide member driving unit for moving the first guide member and the second guide member in the sub-scanning direction; and a control unit that causes the first head to perform the first process and the second head to perform the second process.

According to the present invention, the print head is arranged on the first guide member, and the first head and the second head that perform processing different from the print processing are arranged on the second guide member. can be efficiently processed.

A printing method according to the present invention includes: a first guide member that guides a first head that performs a first process on a medium in a main scanning direction; and a second guide member that guides in the main scanning direction a second head that is arranged in the same direction and performs a second process, which is a process to be performed on the medium after the first process. Relatively moving the medium and the first head while maintaining a distance, performing the first process with the first head, and relatively moving the medium and the second head after the first process. and performing the second processing with the second head.

According to the present invention, while maintaining the distance between the two guide members, the first guide member and the second guide member, the mounting table and the first head and the second head are moved relative to each other, so that the first head The first processing and the second processing by the second head can be continuously performed on the medium at appropriate timings. This allows multiple processes to be efficiently performed on the media. Further, since the first head and the second head are guided in the main scanning direction by the first guide member and the second guide member, respectively, the direction in which the first head performs the first process and the direction in which the second head performs the second process can be aligned with the direction in which the This makes it easy to perform the second process by aligning the position with the area of the medium on which the first process was performed.

According to aspects of the present invention, multiple processes can be efficiently performed on media.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a printing apparatus according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a control unit; FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the operation flow of the printing apparatus. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the operation of the printing device. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of the printing device. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the operation of the printing device. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the operation of the printing device. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a printing device according to a modification. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a printing device according to a modification. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the operation of the printing device according to the modification.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of a printing apparatus and a printing method according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment. In addition, components in the following embodiments include components that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art, or components that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the components described below can be combined as appropriate, and when there are multiple embodiments, each embodiment can be combined.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a printing device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 100 is a device that forms an image on a medium M by ejecting ink onto the medium M. As shown in FIG. Examples of the media M include paper, fabric, film, and plate materials, but are not limited to these. The printing apparatus 100 includes a mounting table 10 , a first processing section 20 , a second processing section 30 , a drive section 40 and a control section 50 .

The mounting table 10 has a rectangular plate shape, for example, and has a work surface 11 on which the medium M is mounted. The shape of the mounting table 10 is not limited to a rectangle, and may be another shape. The working surface 11 is planar. The mounting table 10 is arranged with the work surface 11 directed upward in the vertical direction. The work surface 11 is therefore parallel to the horizontal plane. The mounting table 10 is movable in the X direction.

The first processing unit 20 performs the first processing on the medium M. FIG. In the present embodiment, the first process is, for example, a process of forming a base layer on the medium M by ejecting a base material of ultraviolet curable ink used for image formation onto the medium M. FIG. The base material contains a material that serves as a base for the ultraviolet curable ink, which will be described later. For example, when a cloth is used as the medium M, if the ultraviolet curable ink is directly discharged onto the cloth, the ultraviolet curable ink may permeate the cloth and cause bleeding. Therefore, bleeding can be prevented by ejecting a base material in advance onto a region of the fabric where the ultraviolet curable ink is to be ejected, and then ejecting the ultraviolet curable ink over the base material.

The first processing unit 20 includes a first Y bar (first guide member) 21, a first carriage 22, a second carriage 23, a first dispenser (first head) 24, and a second dispenser (first head). 25. The first Y bar 21 is arranged vertically above the mounting table 10 at a predetermined interval. The first Y bar 21 is provided linearly along the main scanning direction parallel to the horizontal direction (Y axis). The first Y bar 21 guides the first carriage 22 that reciprocates along the main scanning direction.

The first carriage 22 and the second carriage 23 are held by the first Y bar 21 and can reciprocate along the first Y bar 21 in the main scanning direction. The first carriage 22 and the second carriage 23 are individually controlled to move in the main scanning direction. The first carriage 22 and the second carriage 23 wait at predetermined standby positions when not moving in the main scanning direction. Therefore, the first carriage 22 and the second carriage 23 start moving in the main scanning direction from their standby positions, and return to the standby positions when the movement ends. The first carriage 22 holds the first dispenser 24 on the surface facing the work surface 11 of the mounting table 10 in the vertical direction. The second carriage 23 holds the second dispenser 25 on the surface facing the work surface 11 of the mounting table 10 in the vertical direction.

The first dispenser 24 and the second dispenser 25 eject, as the first ink, toward the work surface 11 ink in which, for example, a base material is dispersed in a dispersion medium. Note that the liquid base material may be discharged directly toward the work surface 11 . Although the first dispenser 24 and the second dispenser 25 eject, for example, the same type of ink, they are not limited to this, and may be configured to eject different types of ink.

The first dispenser 24 is mounted on the first carriage 22 and can reciprocate in the main scanning direction as the first carriage 22 moves in the main scanning direction. The first dispenser 24 is connected to an ink tank (not shown) mounted on the first carriage 22 via, for example, various ink flow paths, regulators, pumps, and the like. The first dispenser 24 is electrically connected to the control section 50 and its driving is controlled by the control section 50 .

The second dispenser 25 is mounted on the second carriage 23 and can reciprocate in the main scanning direction as the second carriage 23 moves in the main scanning direction. The second dispenser 25 is connected to an ink tank (not shown) mounted on the second carriage 23 via various ink channels, regulators, pumps, and the like. The second dispenser 25 is electrically connected to the control section 50 and its drive is controlled by the control section 50 .

The second processing unit 30 performs a second process on the medium M. FIG. The second process is a process performed after the first process. Therefore, the second process may be a post-process of the first process. Also, the first process may be a pre-process of the second process. The second process may be a process performed on an area of the medium M on which the first process has been performed. The second process may be a process performed on a formation (for example, a base layer or the like) formed on the medium M by the first process. In the present embodiment, the second process is, for example, a process of forming an image by ejecting ultraviolet curable ink onto a base layer formed on the medium M so as to overlap the base layer.

The second processing section 30 has a second Y bar (second guide member) 31 , a carriage 32 and an inkjet head (second head) 33 . The second Y bar 31 is arranged vertically above the mounting table 10 at a predetermined interval. Also, the second Y bar 31 is arranged side by side with the first Y bar 21 in the sub-scanning direction. The second Y bar 31 is provided linearly along the main scanning direction parallel to the horizontal direction (Y axis). The second Y bar 31 guides the carriage 32 that reciprocates along the main scanning direction.

The carriage 32 is held by the second Y bar 31 and can reciprocate along the second Y bar 31 in the main scanning direction. The carriage 32 is controlled to move in the main scanning direction. The carriage 32 waits at a predetermined standby position when not moving in the main scanning direction. Therefore, the carriage 32 starts moving in the main scanning direction from each standby position, and returns to the standby position when the movement ends. The standby position of the carriage 32 can be set to a position (Y coordinate) corresponding to the standby position of the first carriage 22 or the standby position of the second carriage 23 in the main scanning direction (Y direction). For example, the standby position of the carriage 32 may be set at the same position (Y coordinate) as the standby position of the first carriage 22 or the standby position of the second carriage 23 in the main scanning direction (Y direction). At the standby position of the carriage 32, the carriage 32 holds an inkjet head 33 and an ultraviolet ray irradiator (not shown) on the surface facing the work surface 11 of the mounting table 10 in the vertical direction.

The inkjet head 33 ejects ultraviolet curable ink as the second ink toward the work surface 11 . The inkjet head 33 is mounted on the carriage 32 and can reciprocate in the main scanning direction as the carriage 32 moves in the main scanning direction. The inkjet head 33 is connected to an ink tank (not shown) mounted on the carriage 32 via various ink channels, regulators, pumps, and the like. A plurality of inkjet heads 33 are provided according to the type of ultraviolet curable ink used for image formation on the medium M. FIG. The inkjet head 33 ejects the ultraviolet curable ink in the ink tank toward the work surface 11 by an inkjet method.

Types of UV curable ink include, for example, white ink, colored ink such as cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y) and black (K), depending on the color of the image to be formed on the medium M, A transparent ink or the like can be used as appropriate. The inkjet head 33 is electrically connected to the controller 50 , and its drive is controlled by the controller 50 .

The UV irradiator irradiates the UV curable ink ejected onto the work surface 11 with UV rays. The UV irradiator is composed of, for example, an LED module capable of irradiating UV rays. The ultraviolet irradiator is mounted on the carriage 32 and can reciprocate in the main scanning direction as the carriage 32 moves in the main scanning direction. The ultraviolet irradiator is electrically connected to the control unit 50 and its driving is controlled by the control unit 50 .

The drive unit 40 has a Y bar drive unit (guide member drive unit) 41 and a relative movement unit 42 . The Y bar driving section 41 moves the first Y bar 21 and the second Y bar 31 in the sub-scanning direction (X direction) perpendicular to the main scanning direction. The Y bar drive unit 41 includes a transmission mechanism such as a conveyor belt individually connected to the first Y bar 21 and the second Y bar 31, and a drive source such as an electric motor for driving the conveyor belt. The Y-bar drive unit 41 transmits the power generated by each drive source to the first Y-bar 21 and the second Y-bar 31 to individually move the first Y-bar 21 and the second Y-bar 31 . The Y-bar drive unit 41 individually moves the first Y-bar 21 and the second Y-bar 31 in the sub-scanning direction, thereby adjusting the distance between the first Y-bar 21 and the second Y-bar 31 in the sub-scanning direction (hereinafter referred to as Y (referred to as inter-bar distance) can be adjusted. The Y bar drive unit 41 has a regulating unit that regulates the movement of the first Y bar 21 and the second Y bar 31 in the sub-scanning direction so as to maintain the distance between the Y bars when the distance between the Y bars is adjusted. You may The Y bar driving section 41 is electrically connected to the control section 50 and its driving is controlled by the control section 50 .

The relative movement unit 42 relatively moves between the mounting table 10 , the first dispenser 24 , the second dispenser 25 and the inkjet head 33 . The relative movement section 42 has a carriage driving section 43 and a mounting table driving section 44 .

The carriage drive unit 43 reciprocates (scans) the first carriage 22 and the second carriage 23 individually in the main scanning direction (Y direction) with respect to the first Y bar 21 . The carriage drive unit 43 can move the first dispenser 24 and the second dispenser 25 in the main scanning direction by moving the first carriage 22 and the second carriage 23 in the main scanning direction.

Further, the carriage driving unit 43 reciprocates (scans) the carriage 32 in the main scanning direction (Y direction) with respect to the second Y bar 31 . The carriage drive unit 43 can move the inkjet head 33 in the main scanning direction by moving the carriage 32 in the main scanning direction.

The carriage drive unit 43 includes, for example, a transmission mechanism such as a conveyor belt that is individually connected to the first carriage 22, the second carriage 23, and the carriage 32, and a drive source such as an electric motor that drives the conveyor belt. . The carriage drive unit 43 individually moves the first carriage 22, the second carriage 23, and the carriage 32 along the main scanning direction with power generated by each drive source via a transmission mechanism. The carriage driving section 43 is electrically connected to the control section 50 and its driving is controlled by the control section 50 .

The mounting table drive unit 44 moves the mounting table 10 in the sub-scanning direction (X direction) orthogonal to the main scanning direction. The mounting table drive unit 44 relatively moves the work surface 11 formed on the mounting table 10 in the sub-scanning direction with respect to the first dispenser 24, the second dispenser 25, the inkjet head 33, and the ultraviolet irradiation device.

The control unit 50 comprehensively controls the mounting table 10 , the first processing unit 20 , the second processing unit 30 , and the driving unit 40 . The control unit 50 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that functions as a controller that executes various processes, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that functions as a memory that stores various types of information, a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. . The control unit 50 is connected to the storage unit 60 . The storage unit 60 may be provided inside the control unit 50 .

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the control section 50. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2 , the controller 50 has a head controller 51 , a mounting table controller 52 , a Y bar controller 53 and a carriage controller 54 . The head control unit 51 controls ejection operations of the first dispenser 24 , the second dispenser 25 , and the inkjet head 33 .

The mounting table control section 52 controls the operation of the mounting table driving section 44 . The mounting table control section 52 controls the movement of the mounting table 10 by controlling the operation of the mounting table driving section 44 . For example, a program or the like that defines the movement speed, movement direction, movement timing, etc. of the mounting table 10 is created in advance and stored in the storage unit 60, and the mounting table control unit 52 executes the program to control the mounting table. 10 movements can be controlled.

The Y bar control section 53 controls the operation of the Y bar drive section 41 . The Y bar control section 53 adjusts the distance between the Y bars by controlling the operation of the Y bar driving section 41 . The Y-bar control unit 53 sets the distance between the Y-bars according to the contents of the first process and the second process. The Y-bar control unit 53 determines the movement time of the mounting table 10 from the position below the first Y bar 21 to the position below the second Y bar 31 based on the movement speed of the mounting table 10 during the movement. , to set the distance between the Y bars.

In the present embodiment, the first process is, for example, using at least one of the first dispenser 24 and the second dispenser 25 to eject a base material onto the medium M to form a base layer. Further, in the present embodiment, the second process is, for example, a process of forming an image by ejecting UV curable ink over the base layer using the inkjet head 33 . In this case, the Y-bar control unit 53 controls the mounting table according to the time from the discharge of the base layer to the drying so that the second process is performed in a state in which the base layer formed in the first process is dry. Set 10 travel times. For this travel time, for example, experiments or simulations are performed in advance, the results are stored in the storage unit 60 as a data table, and the Y bar control unit 53 selects the travel time value from the data table. can be done.

In addition, the Y-bar control unit 53 acquires a setting value of the movement speed of the mounting table 10 from the mounting table control unit 52 or the like, and based on the obtained setting value and the set movement time of the mounting table 10, the Y-bar interval is determined. Calculate the distance. Based on the calculation result, the Y bar control unit 53 moves at least one of the first Y bar 21 and the second Y bar 31 in the sub-scanning direction to adjust the distance between the Y bars. For example, the Y-bar distance corresponding to each combination of the first process and the second process is stored in the storage unit 60 in advance as a data table, and the Y-bar control unit 53 selects a target value from the data table. It may be configured to In this case, the mounting table control section 52 may set the movement speed of the mounting table 10 based on the selected distance and the movement time set by the Y-bar control section 53 .

A carriage control unit 54 controls the operation of the carriage driving unit 43 . The carriage control unit 54 controls movements of the first carriage 22 , the second carriage 23 , and the carriage 32 by controlling the operation of the carriage driving unit 43 .

Next, the operation of the printing apparatus 100 will be described. In this embodiment, an operation example in which an image is formed on the medium M made of cloth will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations of the printing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 4 to 7 are diagrams showing the operation of the printing apparatus 100. FIG. First, the control unit 50 determines whether image data of an image to be formed on the medium M is input from an external device or the like (step S10). When the input of the image data is not detected, the control unit 50 determines that the image data has not been input (No in step S10). In this case, the control unit 50 repeats the determination in step S10 until the input of image data is detected. Further, when the input of image data is detected, the control unit 50 determines that the image data has been input (Yes in step S10). In this case, the control unit 50 causes the mounting table 10, the first processing unit 20, the second processing unit 30, and the driving unit 40 to perform image forming operations based on the input image data.

First, the controller 50 adjusts the distance between the Y bars (step S20). In step S20, the Y-bar control unit 53 sets the movement time of the mounting table 10 based on the contents of the first process and the second process in the image forming operation. Also, the Y-bar control unit 53 acquires the setting value of the moving speed of the mounting table 10 . Then, the Y-bar control unit 53 calculates the distance based on the set moving time and the acquired moving speed, and sets the calculated result as the Y-bar distance D1 (see FIG. 4, etc.). The control unit 50 performs subsequent processing while maintaining the distance D1 between the Y bars.

Next, the control section 50 causes the first processing section 20 to perform the first processing on the medium M (step S30). In step S30, as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 50 moves the first carriage 22 in the forward direction (-Y direction) of the main scanning direction to perform forward scanning. The movement of the first carriage 22 causes the first dispenser 24 to move forward together with the first carriage 22 . Note that the control unit 50 keeps the second carriage 23 on standby without moving it. When the first dispenser 24 passes over the image forming area of the medium M, the controller 50 causes the first dispenser 24 to eject ink containing the base material to form the base layer S on the medium M. In this embodiment, the shape of the underlayer S is, for example, a belt-like shape extending in the main scanning direction (Y direction).

Further, when scanning in the backward direction is performed after the scanning in the forward direction is completed, the control unit 50 moves the mounting table 10 by a predetermined distance in the sub-scanning direction (+X direction). Then, the control unit 50 moves the first carriage 22 in the backward direction (+Y direction) of the main scanning direction to perform scanning in the backward direction. When the first dispenser 24 passes over the image forming area of the medium M, the controller 50 causes the first dispenser 24 to eject ink containing the base material to form the base layer S on the medium M. Note that the control unit 50 may not perform scanning in the backward direction depending on the image data.

After the base layer S is formed, the control unit 50 returns the first carriage 22 to the standby position and moves the mounting table 10 toward the second processing unit 30 at a preset moving speed, as shown in FIG. Let While the mounting table 10 is moving, the underlying layer S is dried. When the mounting table 10 reaches below the second processing section 30, the base layer S is sufficiently dried. Further, the control unit 50 moves the carriage 32 arranged in the second processing unit 30 in the forward direction of the main scanning direction, and waits at the start position of the second processing.

When the mounting table 10 reaches below the second processing section 30, the control section 50 causes the second processing section 30 to perform the second processing on the medium M (step S40). In step S40, the controller 50 moves the carriage 32 in the forward direction (-Y direction) of the main scanning direction to perform forward scanning, as shown in FIG. As the carriage 32 moves, the inkjet head 33 moves in the forward direction together with the carriage 32 . When the inkjet head 33 passes over the base layer S of the medium M, the control unit 50 causes the inkjet head 33 to eject ultraviolet curable ink to form an ink layer P on the base layer S. Then, the ink layer P is solidified on the base layer S by irradiating the ink layer P with ultraviolet rays using an ultraviolet irradiator.

Further, when scanning in the backward direction is performed after the scanning in the forward direction is completed, the control unit 50 moves the mounting table 10 by a predetermined distance in the sub-scanning direction (+X direction). Then, the control unit 50 moves the carriage 32 in the backward direction (+Y direction) of the main scanning direction to perform scanning in the backward direction. When the inkjet head 33 passes over the base layer S, the controller 50 causes the inkjet head 33 to eject ultraviolet curable ink to form an ink layer P on the base layer S. Then, the ink layer P is solidified on the base layer S by irradiating the ink layer P with ultraviolet rays using an ultraviolet irradiator. Note that the control unit 50 may not perform scanning in the backward direction depending on the image data.

The control unit 50 causes the second processing unit 30 to alternately and repeatedly perform scanning in the forward direction (−Y direction) and backward direction (+Y direction) of the main scanning direction. As a result, an image Q of the ink layer P is formed on the medium M, as shown in FIG. After the image Q is formed on the medium M, the controller 50 returns the carriage 32 to the standby position and moves the mounting table 10 in the sub-scanning direction.

As described above, the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment relatively moves the mounting table 10, the first dispenser 24, and the inkjet head 33 while maintaining the distance D1 between the Y bars. , and the second process by the inkjet head 33 can be continuously performed on the medium M at appropriate timings. Thereby, a plurality of processes can be efficiently performed on the medium M. FIG. In addition, since the first dispenser 24 and the inkjet head 33 are guided in the main scanning direction (Y direction) by the first Y bar 21 and the second Y bar 31, respectively, the direction in which the first dispenser 24 performs the first process and the inkjet head 33 The direction in which the head 33 performs the second process can be aligned. This makes it easy to perform the second process by aligning the area (base layer S) of the medium M on which the first process has been performed.

Further, in the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 50 causes the first dispenser 24 as the first head and the inkjet head 33 as the second head to be aligned in parallel by the first Y bar 21 and the second Y bar 31. direction to perform the first process and the second process. Therefore, the first dispenser 24 and the inkjet head 33 can each eject ink in the same direction (main scanning direction, Y direction). This makes it possible to easily perform the operation of performing the second process on the area on which the first process has been performed. For example, when forming a strip-shaped region (base layer S) along the main scanning direction by the first process, the inkjet head 33 may complete the second process by scanning once or several times in the main scanning direction. Therefore, image formation can be performed efficiently.

Further, for example, when a robot is used to move the first dispenser 24 or the inkjet head 33, teaching by an operator or the like is required for each movement. Teaching becomes unnecessary. As a result, the burden on the operator can be reduced, and the time can be shortened.

Further, in the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, since the first processing unit 20 has a plurality of heads (for example, the first dispenser 24 and the second dispenser 25) that are individually movable in the main scanning direction, the plurality of heads Therefore, the media M can be efficiently processed. Further, by making each head individually movable in the main scanning direction, it is possible to keep unused heads (the second dispenser 25 in this embodiment) on standby. As a result, the weight of the carriage can be reduced, and the power required to drive the carriage can be reduced.

In addition, in the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 50 adjusts the Y-bar distance D1 according to the contents of the first process and the second process. Also, even if the content of the second process differs for each image forming operation, the first process and the second process can be continuously performed on the medium M at appropriate timings.

Further, in the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the first process is a process of ejecting the first ink (ink containing the base material in this embodiment) onto the medium M, and the second process is ejecting onto the medium M. Since the process is performed on the base material (base layer S) that has been applied, after the first ink is ejected onto the medium M, the process on the ejected first ink can be performed at an appropriate timing.

Further, in the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the second process is a process of ejecting the second ink (ultraviolet curing ink in the present embodiment) over the first ink ejected onto the medium M. It is possible to perform the process of ejecting the ultraviolet curable ink over the S at an appropriate timing.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the first process is the process of ejecting the first ink onto the medium M, and the second process is the process of ejecting the second ink over the first ink ejected onto the medium M. Although a certain case has been described as an example, it is not limited to this. For example, the first process may be a process of ejecting the first ink onto the medium M, and the second process may be a process of planarizing the first ink ejected onto the medium M.

In this case, in the first process, for example, ultraviolet curable ink is ejected onto a predetermined region of the medium M to form an ink layer. Then, in the second process, a head having a flattening unit such as a flattening roller and an ink recovery section is scanned in the main scanning direction, and the ink layer is flattened by the flattening roller. A part of the ink layer removed by the flattening roller is recovered by the ink recovery section. Thereby, the formation of the ink layer as the first process and the flattening process as the second process can be continuously performed at appropriate timings.

Further, for example, the first process may be a process of ejecting the first ink onto the medium M to form the ink layer P, and the second process may be a post-treatment of ejecting a softening agent onto the ink layer P. . Thereby, the texture of the image Q formed on the medium M can be improved.

Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the first process is the process of ejecting the first ink onto the medium M, and the second process is the process of ejecting the first ink onto the medium M. However, it is not limited to this, and the second process may be a process different from the process for the first ink. For example, as a first process, a process of ejecting a first ink (ink containing a base material) onto the medium M is performed, a printing process is performed on the base material after the first process, and then, as a second process, the ink A post-treatment of ejecting a softening agent onto the layer P may be performed. In this case, for example, one of the first dispenser 24 and the second dispenser 25 may eject the ink containing the base material, and the other may eject the softener. As a result, it is possible to efficiently process the medium M using a plurality of heads.

For example, the second process may be a process of cutting a portion of the medium M onto which the first ink has been ejected. In this case, in the first process, for example, ultraviolet curable ink is ejected onto a predetermined region of the medium M to form an ink layer. Then, in the second process, the head having the cutting portion is caused to scan in the main scanning direction, and the cutting portion cuts the medium M in the main scanning direction. Thereby, the formation of the ink layer as the first process and the cutting process of the medium M as the second process can be continuously performed at appropriate timings.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a printing apparatus 100A according to a modification. In the printing apparatus 100A shown in FIG. 8, a cutter 27 is arranged in addition to the first dispenser 24 and the second dispenser 25 in the first processing section 20A. The cutter 27 is a unit that can cut the medium M and is mounted on the third carriage 26 .

The third carriage 26 is held by the first Y bar 21 and can reciprocate along the first Y bar 21 in the main scanning direction (Y direction). The movement of the third carriage 26 in the main scanning direction is controlled separately from the first carriage 22 and the second carriage 23 . The third carriage 26 waits at a predetermined standby position when not moving in the main scanning direction. Therefore, similarly to the first carriage 22 and the second carriage 23, the third carriage 26 starts moving in the main scanning direction from each standby position, and returns to the standby position when the movement ends.

When the cutter 27 is used, raster control is performed to cut the medium M with the cutter 27 while controlling the movement of the third carriage 26 in the main scanning direction, and movement of the third carriage 26 in the main scanning direction is controlled, and the first Y bar 21 is moved. Vector control for cutting the medium M with the cutter 27 can be performed while controlling movement in the sub-scanning direction (X direction). Therefore, by combining raster control and vector control, the cutter 27 can be freely moved in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction, so that a cutting line of a desired shape can be formed on the medium M.

9 and 10 are diagrams showing an example of a printing apparatus 100B according to a modification. In the printing apparatus 100B shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, an inkjet head 29 is arranged in place of the first dispenser 24 and the second dispenser 25 in the first processing section 20B. The configuration can be the same as that of the inkjet head 33 described above.

That is, the inkjet head 29 ejects ultraviolet curable ink toward the work surface 11 as the first ink. The inkjet head 29 is mounted on a carriage 28 and is reciprocally movable in the main scanning direction as the carriage 28 moves in the main scanning direction. The inkjet head 29 is connected to an ink tank (not shown) mounted on the carriage 28 via various ink channels, regulators, pumps, and the like.

A plurality of inkjet heads 29 are provided according to the type of ultraviolet curable ink used for image formation on the medium M. FIG. The inkjet head 29 ejects the ultraviolet curable ink in the ink tank toward the work surface 11 by an inkjet method. Types of UV curable ink include, for example, white ink, colored ink such as cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y) and black (K), depending on the color of the image to be formed on the medium M, A transparent ink or the like can be used as appropriate. The inkjet head 29 is electrically connected to a control section 50 (see FIG. 1), and the driving thereof is controlled by the control section 50 .

Next, when performing an image forming operation on the medium M in the printing apparatus 100B described above, the control section 50 adjusts the distance between the Y bars. The Y-bar control unit 53 acquires the setting value of the moving speed of the mounting table 10, calculates the distance based on the set moving time and the acquired moving speed, and sets the calculated result as the Y-bar distance D2. . The control unit 50 performs subsequent processing while maintaining the distance D2 between the Y bars.

Next, the control section 50 causes the first processing section 20B to perform the first processing on the medium M. FIG. The controller 50 moves the carriage 28 in the forward direction (-Y direction) of the main scanning direction to perform forward scanning. As the carriage 28 moves, the inkjet head 29 moves in the forward direction together with the carriage 28 . When the inkjet head 29 passes through a predetermined position on the medium M, the control unit 50 causes the inkjet head 29 to eject ultraviolet curable ink to form an ink layer P2 having a predetermined shape. Then, the ink layer P2 is solidified on the surface of the medium M by irradiating the ink layer P2 with ultraviolet rays using an ultraviolet irradiator. The ink layer P2 has a shape (for example, a cross shape) in which linear portions protrude radially from the central portion. Note that the shape of the ink layer P2 is not limited to the shape described above.

After the ink layer P2 is solidified, the control unit 50 returns the carriage 28 to the standby position and moves the mounting table 10 toward the second processing unit 30 at a preset moving speed. The control unit 50 moves the carriage 32 arranged in the second processing unit 30 in the forward direction of the main scanning direction, and waits at the start position of the second processing.

When the mounting table 10 reaches below the second processing section 30 , the control section 50 causes the second processing section 30 to perform the second processing on the medium M. FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 50 moves the carriage 32 in the forward direction (-Y direction) of the main scanning direction to perform forward scanning. As the carriage 32 moves, the inkjet head 33 moves in the forward direction together with the carriage 32 .

When the inkjet head 33 passes over the ink layer P2 of the medium M, the control unit 50 causes the inkjet head 33 to eject the ultraviolet curable ink, and the ink layer P2 at a position between the adjacent linear portions. Layer P3 is formed. The ink layer P3 is formed at a position spaced apart from the straight portion of the ink layer P2. Then, the ink layer P3 is solidified by irradiating the ink layer P3 with ultraviolet rays from an ultraviolet irradiator. By solidifying the ink layer P3, an image QB including the ink layer P2 and the ink layer P3 is formed.

In this way, the region where the second ink is formed by the second process is not limited to the region overlapping the first ink formed by the first process, but the position corresponding to the ink layer P2 formed by the first process. If so, the ink layer P3 may be formed at a position not overlapping the ink layer P2.

10 Mounting table 11 Work surface 20, 20A, 20B First processing unit 21 First Y bar 22 First carriage 23 Second carriage 24 First dispenser 25 Second dispenser 26 Third carriage 27 Cutter 28, 32 Carriage 29, 33 Inkjet head 30 second processing unit 31 second Y bar 40 drive unit 41 Y bar drive unit 42 relative movement unit 43 carriage drive unit 44 mounting table driving unit 50 control unit 51 head control unit 52 mounting table control unit 53 Y bar control unit 54 carriage control Unit 60 Storage units 100, 100A, 100B Printers D1, D2 Distance between Y bars M Media P, P2, P3 Ink layers Q, QB Image S Base layer

Claims (3)

a mounting table that supports the medium;
a first processing unit having a first head that performs a first process on the medium; and a first guide member that guides the first head in a main scanning direction;
a second head arranged side by side with respect to the first processing unit in a sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction and performing a second process, which is a process performed after the first process, on the medium; a second processing unit having a second guide member that guides the second head in the main scanning direction;
a relative movement unit that relatively moves the mounting table and each of the first head and the second head in the main scanning direction;
causing the relative movement unit to perform the relative movement while maintaining the distance in the sub-scanning direction between the first guide member and the second guide member, and causing the first head to perform the first process; and a control unit that causes the second head to perform the second process,
the first process is a process of ejecting a first ink onto the medium;
the second process is a process for a position corresponding to the first ink ejected onto the medium;
The second process is a process of ejecting the second ink over the first ink ejected onto the medium,
the medium is fabric,
The second ink is an ink for forming an image,
The first ink is a base material for suppressing bleeding of the second ink,
further comprising a guide member driving unit that adjusts the distance in the sub-scanning direction between the first guide member and the second guide member;
The printing apparatus, wherein the control unit adjusts the distance according to the content of the first process and the second process. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first processing section and said second processing section has a plurality of said heads that are individually movable in said main scanning direction. a first guide member that guides a first head that performs a first process on a medium in a main scanning direction; while maintaining the distance in the sub-scanning direction between the medium and the second guide member that guides the second head in the main scanning direction to perform the second process, which is the process performed after the first process. and the first head are relatively moved in the main scanning direction, and the first processing is performed by the first head;
Relatively moving the medium and the second head after the first process, and performing the second process with the second head,
the first process is a process of ejecting a first ink onto the medium;
the second process is a process for a position corresponding to the first ink ejected onto the medium;
The second process is a process of ejecting the second ink over the first ink ejected onto the medium,
the medium is fabric,
The second ink is an ink for forming an image,
The first ink is a base material for suppressing bleeding of the second ink,
In the first process and the second process, the distance between the first guide member and the second guide member in the sub-scanning direction is adjusted according to the contents of each process.

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