JPH06253119A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain high quality printing not causing a joint due to scanning of a print head onto a printed picture. CONSTITUTION:The printer having an image reader section 6 reading a picture drawn on a designed original 5 through photoelectric conversion and printing out the picture information read by the image reader section 6 onto a printed matter W by supplying the information to a contactless print head 8 is provided with a carrying means 10 fixing the print head 8 or making it movable in a sliding direction with respect to the printed matter W and carrying the printed matter W in a direction synchronously with a picture read speed by a linear sensor 104 of the image reader section 6.

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 performing full-color printing on an object to be printed such as paper, a plastic plate, or a tape cassette.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, disc cartridges containing optical disks, magneto-optical disks, etc., tape cassettes containing magnetic tapes (hereinafter collectively referred to as recording medium storage cases), are manufactured by our company. It is printed with a logo mark for asserting that it is and various designs added to enhance the commercial value.
Printing on the recording medium storage case is generally performed according to the following procedure.

First, an original having a design to be printed on a recording medium storage case is color-separated by a color CCD scanner. Then, after producing a color positive film according to the color separation, a plate for each color is produced. next,
After calibrating this, test printing on a cassette to adjust the ink viscosity. Finally, the color plates are registered and printed on the recording medium storage case.

[0004]

By the way, all of the above-mentioned printing steps are performed by workers skilled in this field with a sense of craftsmanship, and most of the steps are performed manually. Therefore, variations in so-called white solid, three primary colors, black ink, topcoat pattern matching, ink toning, ink viscosity adjustment, etc. are likely to occur. Further, there is a problem that it is extremely difficult to perform the plate making replacement and the registration work for each color matching, and moreover, it takes a lot of time and it is impossible to print a plurality of them collectively. Further, since it is necessary to prepare the plate-making according to each color, it is disadvantageous in terms of cost.

Most of the recording medium storage cases are usually formed by injection molding a resin. Therefore, due to the shrinkage due to the cooling that is peculiar to the resin that occurs in the injection molding process, warping, bending,
A sink mark or the like occurs, and the flatness of the printing surface of the recording medium storage case deteriorates. In particular, in the case of solid printing on the entire flat surface of the recording medium storage case, if there is a slight warp, bending, unevenness, etc., the contact with the transfer roller will be insufficient, resulting in color unevenness, color loss, character smearing, etc. Deteriorates.

Therefore, it is conceivable to increase the printing transfer pressure as an improvement of the contact of the transfer roller with the recording medium storage case. However, if the transfer pressure is increased, the transfer roller rubber layer is distorted, and the transferred image and characters are distorted and printed. Further, due to the high printing pressure, when the recording medium storage case is deformed and restored, negative images and prints are liable to cause stains and stains, resulting in a marked reduction in printing quality. Therefore, up to now, only the flat surface of the recording medium storage case can be printed.

Further, conventionally, for color printing of a recording medium storage case, dark gray series, black series cassette, disk cartridge color improvement, high adhesion layer formation, three primary color coloring printing and coating of protective film on printing surface However, there is no non-contact inkjet printing system having a combination structure capable of satisfying the above printing.

When a commercially available marking ink jet print head or an ink jet print head of a printer is used for the above printing, a single color or full color ink jet is used for the width of the recording medium storage case of these print heads. Since there is no output width, therefore, a seam in a printed pattern with a small output width becomes conspicuous, which causes a problem that print quality is deteriorated.

Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional technical problems, the present invention does not require plate making, ink color adjustment, ink viscosity adjustment, etc., and can print at a higher quality than the first roll without trial printing. An object of the present invention is to provide a printing device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of high-quality printing in which a printed image does not have a joint due to a scan of a print head.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of continuously printing from a flat surface to an uneven surface, an inclined surface, and a curved surface without being affected by the difference in hardness of the printed material. And

[0012]

According to the present invention, a printing original 5 is provided.
An image reading unit 6 for photoelectrically converting the image depicted in FIG. 1 is provided, and the image information read by the image reading unit 6 is supplied to a non-contact type print head 8 to be printed W.
In the printing apparatus for performing the printing, the printing head 8 is fixed, and the transporting means 10 for transporting the printing material W in one direction is provided in synchronization with the image reading speed of the image reading means 6.

In this case, the print head 8 may be movable with respect to the object to be printed W only in the contact and separation directions. Then, a print surface shape detecting means (for example, a laser displacement sensor 31) for keeping the distance between the print surface of the printed material W conveyed and the head surface of the print head 8 constant is added to the print head 8. Good.

[0014]

In the printing apparatus according to the present invention, first, the image drawn on the printing original 5 is read by the image reading means 6, and the read image information is supplied to the non-contact print head 8. , The image is printed on the printing object W.

In particular, in the present invention, since the print head 8 is fixed or movable only in the contact / separation direction with respect to the object to be printed W, ink dripping caused by scanning the print head 8 in the lateral direction, The deterioration of the alignment accuracy does not occur, and the quality of the pattern printed on the printing material W can be improved.

That is, when the print head 8 is scanned in the lateral direction, each time the scan direction is switched to the opposite direction, the vibration generated at the time of switching is transmitted to the print head 8,
In particular, when the print head 8 is of the direct jet type, there is a problem in that the vibration drastically drops the ink from the nozzles, and the print quality is significantly impaired. Further, since it is necessary to move the print head 8 frequently, the guide mechanism that guides and conveys the print head 8 is severely rattled and worn, and the printing position is changed over time to reproduce the printed product. There is a problem that the printing quality deteriorates with the deterioration of the property.

However, in the case of the printing apparatus according to the present invention,
Since the print head 8 does not scan in the lateral direction, the above inconvenience does not occur, and the printing time can be shortened. Further, in the present invention, since the material W to be printed is conveyed in one direction in synchronization with the image reading speed of the image reading means 6, there is no seam due to scanning, and the printing quality can be improved.

Further, in the printing apparatus according to the present invention,
Since the image information read by the image reading means 6 is supplied to the non-contact type print head 8 to print on the print object W, the print object is directly printed by the print head 8 based on the output image information. Printing is performed on W.

That is, each color plate that has been used up to now replaces image output, and as a result, no troublesome work such as plate making, plate exchange, registration of each color plate, ink color adjustment, and ink viscosity adjustment becomes unnecessary. It is possible to improve productivity and reduce costs. Further, since the image is output, it is possible to perform higher-quality printing than the first roll without trial printing.

Further, since the print head 8 is not in contact with the object W to be printed, the object W to be printed is warped, bent,
Even if there are irregularities, it is possible to perform high-quality printing without being affected by these. Therefore, color unevenness, color loss, and character blurring do not occur.

Further, in the printing apparatus according to the present invention,
Since the non-contact type print head 8 is provided with the print surface shape detecting means 31 for keeping the distance between the print surface of the print object W and the head surface of the print head 8 constant, Printing is performed in a state of being held at a constant height even if there is warp, bending, or unevenness. Therefore, it is possible to print continuously from the flat portion to the uneven surface, the inclined surface, and the curved surface without causing color unevenness, color loss, and character blurring.

[0022]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a printing system in which a color negative image is printed in full color on a designated portion of a substrate by a non-contact type print head.

In the printing system of this embodiment, for example, after performing a so-called white solid treatment which is a base treatment on the surface of a substrate to be printed, full color printing is performed in three primary colors, and finally a top coat treatment for forming a protective film is performed. It ’s a series of things,
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a white solid print processing section A, a full color print processing section B, and a top coat processing section (not shown).
Composed of and.

In this printing system, the white solid printing processing section A, the full-color printing processing section B, and the topcoat processing section are basically the same in structure, and the full-color printing processing section B is the main one. The full color print processing section B will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, the full-color printing processing section B includes an image reader section 6 for reading image information of a design original 5 on which a color design picture is drawn, and image processing for converting the read signal into a predetermined image. And a non-contact type print head 8 which operates by image-converted information,
A transport mechanism unit 10 transports a stage 9 on which a magneto-optical disk W as a material to be printed is mounted and fixed by an output signal from a system controller described later.

The image reader section 6 is, for example, a CCD.
The linear sensor 104 has a color CCD scanner 11 that is movable in one direction.
The scanner 11 reads the image information of the design manuscript 5 in which a predesigned color pattern is drawn,
Color separation into R, G, and B is performed for each pixel.
As the design original 5, a design corresponding to a material to be printed (in this case, a magneto-optical disk) W is drawn in, for example, an A4 size copy paper size.

The image processing section 7 includes the image reader section 6 described above.
The R, G, and B color original digital signals color-separated for each pixel are color-separated for each R, G, B. Then, the image processing section 7 outputs the color-separated color-separated digital signals to the print head 8 described later.

The print head 8 is a so-called ink jet recording type print head which prints in a non-contact state by ejecting ink from the tip of a fine nozzle toward a printing material. The print head 8 includes an image processing unit 7
Full-color printing is performed on the print-designated portion of the printing material W in accordance with the respective color-separated digital signals output from the printer.

In particular, in the print head 8 according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the maximum printable width of the print head 8 is the width of the print object W (specifically, the length in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the print object W). ) Is almost the same, and is only movable in the vertical direction. That is, the print head 8 is attached to the print head actuating mechanism portion 15 that allows the print head 8 to move in the vertical direction with respect to the print object W placed and fixed on the stage 9, so that the print head 8 is attached to the head portion 16. Ink is ejected from the tip of a nozzle provided so that full-color printing is performed on the print-designated portion of the printing material W. In this case, the print head 8 is fixed in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the printing material W and can print an area corresponding to the width of the printing material W in one printing operation.

The print head 8 has a cyan,
Ink pipes 18 led out from four ink tanks 17 respectively storing magenta and yellow three primary colors and black ink are connected. That is, the head portion 16
Each ink pipe 18 led out from each ink tank 17 is connected to each nozzle provided in the.
The ink tank 17 is connected to the image processing unit 7,
It operates in response to each color-separated digital signal from the image processing unit 7 and sends ink to each nozzle.

Further, the print head 8 is provided with an object W to be printed.
A shape detecting means for detecting the unevenness of is provided. As the shape detecting means, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a non-contact type sensor 31 such as a laser displacement sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a photoelectric sensor or the like is used. From the non-contact type sensor 31, an object to be printed (in this case, a magneto-optical disk) W
A detection signal (digital signal) corresponding to the unevenness of the surface is output.

This detection signal is supplied to the system controller described later. Then, based on the detected output, the print head actuating mechanism 15 is operated by a command from the system controller, and the position of the print head 8 in the height direction is controlled. As a result, the facing distance of the print head 8 with respect to the object to be printed W is always kept constant regardless of whether it is a flat surface, an uneven surface, an inclined surface or a curved surface.

Therefore, when printing is performed on the printing material W, the position of the print head 8 in the height direction with respect to the printing material W is controlled by the non-contact type sensor 31, and the flat surface which is the recording surface of the printing material W is controlled. Printing is continuously performed from the surface 30a to the uneven surface 32a on which the hub 32 is provided.

As a result, continuous printing can be performed from a flat surface to an uneven surface, an inclined surface, and a curved surface, and color unevenness, color loss, and
It is possible to perform high-quality printing that does not cause character blurring. In addition, since the print head 8 is not in contact with the print object W, external pressure is not applied to the print object W,
Printing can be performed in the state where the final product is finished.

Further, when the object W to be printed has a large unevenness such as a video tape cassette, the shape detecting means for detecting the unevenness is as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, for example. It is possible to use a pair of scanning sensors 21 and 22 having contacts 19 and 20 that come into contact with the surface of the material to be printed W. The scanning sensors 21 and 22 are arranged such that the tip portions of the contacts 19 and 20 project from the ink ejection surface of the head portion 16 so that the head portions 16 are arranged in a line in the vertical direction with respect to the traveling direction of the material W to be printed. It is fixed to.

The pair of scanning sensors 21 and 22 are constructed so that the contacts 19 and 20 can detect, for example, in the direction of 360 degrees, and come into contact with the surface of the material W to be printed to respond to the unevenness of the surface. The detection signal (analog signal) is output. By outputting this detection output to the system controller, the print head actuating mechanism section 15 operates according to a command from the system controller based on the detection output, and the position of the print head 8 in the height direction is controlled.

When a laser displacement sensor is used as another shape detecting means for detecting the unevenness, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the head portion 16 has, for example, four laser displacement sensors 23. , 24, 25, and 26 are fixed so as to be aligned in a vertical line with respect to the traveling direction of the material to be printed W. In this way, each laser displacement sensor 23, 24, 25, 26 outputs a detection signal (digital signal) corresponding to the unevenness of the surface of the printing material W.

By outputting this detection output to the system controller, the print head actuating mechanism section 15 operates according to a command from the system controller based on the detection output, and the position of the print head 8 in the height direction is moved. Is controlled.

As shown in FIG. 8, laser displacement sensors 23, 24, 25, and 26 are provided for the print heads 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d provided for each color, and each laser displacement sensor 23 is provided. , 24, 25, and 26, the print heads 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d may be controlled independently of each other in the height direction with respect to the material to be printed W.

As described above, if the print head 8 is provided with the shape detecting means for detecting the unevenness of the object to be printed W, high-quality printing can be performed on any shape, whether hard or soft. it can. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, for the video tape cassette 27 in which the 8 mm tape is stored, the opening / closing lid 28 is controlled while the position of the print head 8 in the height direction with respect to the video tape cassette 27 is controlled by the scanning sensor 21. Printing is continuously performed from the curved surface 28a to the concave surface 27a and the flat surface 27b provided on the cassette body.

Similarly, for the audio cassette 29, as shown in FIG. 10, while controlling the position of the print head 8 in the height direction with respect to the audio cassette 29 by the copy sensors 21 and 22, the concave surface of the cassette body is controlled. Printing is continuously performed from 29a to the flat surface 29b.

On the other hand, the transport mechanism section 10 includes the linear sensor 1
The stage 9 is configured to be transported in synchronism with the scan speed 04 in one direction. The reason why the stage 9 is synchronized with the scanning speed of the linear sensor 104 is to enable high quality printing. The transfer mechanism section 1
0 has feed mechanism parts 38 and 39 for carrying the stage 9 along a pair of carrying rails 36 and 37 arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval as shown in FIG.

The feed mechanism parts 38 and 39 are provided below the pair of transfer rails 36 and 37, respectively.
A pair of feed rails 40 and 4 provided in parallel with
1 and sliders 42 and 43 that slide on the feed rails 40 and 41. This slider 4
The feed hook holes 4 provided in the stage 9 are provided in the reference numerals 2 and 43.
Tray feed hooks 46 and 47 that are inserted into and engaged with 4, 45 are provided. These tray feed hooks 46, 47
Are configured to project or retract with respect to the sliders 42 and 43. That is, the tray feed hook 46,
Numeral 47 projects from the sliders 42 and 43 to be inserted into the feed hook holes 44 and 45 when the stage 9 is fed to the top coat processing section 4 in the next step, and is retracted to the sliders 42 and 43 otherwise. It will be in the state of doing.

The feed mechanism sections 38, 39 configured as described above are controlled by the sequencer 48 and the controller 49. That is, when the stage 9 on which the object W to be printed, which has been subjected to the white solid printing process in the previous step, is placed and fixed, is sent to the full curler printing processing unit 3, it is provided on the slider 42 of the one feeding mechanism unit 38. The tray feed hook 46 projects, and the feed hook hole 44 corresponding to this protrudes.
Insert into and engage with. Then, the stage 9 is colored CC
The linear sensor 104 in the D scanner 11 is sent in synchronism with the scanning speed in one direction, and after the completion of full-color printing, the linear sensor 104 is sent to the top coat processing unit 4, which is the next step.

In the meantime, the other feeding mechanism section 39 is faster than the feeding speed at the time of printing from the position where the stage 9 is fed to the top coat processing section 4 in a state where the tray feeding hook 47 is retracted in the slider 43. The process then returns to the initial position where the stage 9 for performing the next full-color printing is provided. Therefore, by alternately feeding the two feeding mechanism portions 38 and 39, the stage 9 on which the printed material W having undergone the white solid printing processing is placed and fixed is continuously transferred to the top coat processing portion 4 in the next process. It can be continuously transported.

Further, the transfer mechanism section 10 is provided with stopper mechanism sections 50 and 51 for stopping the stage 9 at a predetermined position. These stopper mechanism parts 50, 51 are a pair of slide rails 52, 53 and 54, 55 provided on both sides of the pair of transfer rails 36, 37 orthogonally to the transfer rails 36, 37, respectively.
It is composed of a pair of stage positioning members 56, 57 and 58, 59 which slide on the slide rails 52, 53 and 54, 55.

The stage positioning members 56, 57 and 58, 59 are provided on the slide rails 52, 53 and 5 respectively.
By sliding on 4, 55, it comes into contact with the corner portion of the stage 9 and regulates the position of the stage 9. These stopper mechanism parts 50 and 51 are
The stage 9 conveyed from the white solid print processing section A to the full color print processing section B is provided at a portion for positioning the stage 9 at a printing position for full color printing and a top coat processing section for performing a next top coat processing.

By the way, the operation of the full-color printing processing section B configured as described above is performed according to the processing block diagram shown in FIG. First, color CC the design manuscript 5 on which a predesigned color picture is drawn.
The image is read by the D scanner 11, the read image information is color-separated for each pixel, and output to the image processing unit 7 in the subsequent stage. The image processing unit 7 separates the R, G, and B color original digital signals color-separated for each pixel into each color R, G, B, and outputs them to the print head 8 as color separation digital signals. .

At this time, the print head 8, the print head actuating mechanism section 15 and the transport mechanism section 10 are connected to the image processing section 7 shown in FIG.
It is controlled by a system controller 62 composed of one. That is, the system controller 62 supplies a clock signal synchronized with the scan timing signal of the linear sensor 104 from the color CCD scanner 11 to the transport mechanism section 10. The transport mechanism unit 10 transports the stage 9 based on the supplied clock signal.

As a result, the stage 9 is conveyed at a speed synchronized with the scanning speed of the linear sensor 104. At this time, the detection outputs from the copy sensors 21 and 22 provided on the print head 8 are sent to the system controller 62, and the output from the system controller 62 causes the print head 8 and the cassette 14 to be output.
The print head actuating mechanism 15 is controlled so that the facing distance between the print head and the print head is constant.

Under the control conditions as described above, the respective color inks are selectively ejected from the respective ink nozzles of the print head 8, and full-color printing is performed on the object W to be printed on the basis of preset image information. Is done. And
Finally, the pressure roller 63 finishes the printing surface.

Here, the transport speed of the stage 9 by the transport mechanism section 10 is 131 to 500 mm / sec, and specifically, the resolution of the pattern to be printed in full color and the ejection from the ink nozzles of the print head 8. Is determined by the ink ejection frequency, and in this embodiment, the values are set as shown in Table 1 below.

[0053]

[Table 1]

On the other hand, the white solid print processing section A has the same structure as the full color print processing section B. That is, the image information from the image processing unit 7 is supplied to the non-contact type print head 8, and at the same time, the stage 9 causes the system controller 62 to operate.
Under the control of (1), the solid printing is performed on the printing material W by conveying the material in synchronization with the movement of the linear sensor 104.

Solid white printing is performed as a base treatment for full-color printing in the next step, for example, printing an ink made of a white pigment containing a high-density anchoring agent on a printing material. In particular, when the material W to be printed is a video tape cassette or the like, since the surface is a gray or black resin color, it is necessary to perform solid white printing about four times in consideration of the light emitting property of color coloring. . Therefore, the print head 8 is provided with four ink tanks 17.

Then, the image processing section 7 creates a background pattern from the image information from the color CCD scanner 11 and supplies pattern information corresponding to the background pattern to the print head. The print head 8 ejects a fixed amount of ink from each ink nozzle based on the supplied pattern information. This constant amount of ink ejection is
This is performed for each ink tank, and as a result, solid white printing is performed four times.

The pattern information used here is a ring-shaped pattern excluding the portion corresponding to the central hub 32 (see FIG. 3) if the material to be printed W is, for example, a magneto-optical disk. In the case of a cassette, a shell window manufacturing pattern or the like is used.

Although not shown, the top coat processing section has the same structure as the full color printing processing section B. That is, based on the output signal from the color CCD scanner 11, the stage 9 moves in synchronism with the scanning speed of the linear sensor 104 while being controlled by the system controller 62, and the printed material W is subjected to the top coat processing. This topcoat treatment is a treatment for forming a transparent protective film for the purpose of improving the properties such as alcohol resistance and scratch resistance of the full-color printed pattern. This processing is also the same as in the case of solid white printing described above, and the image processing unit 7
The top coat layer is formed based on the underlayer pattern information from.

Then, in this embodiment, solid white printing, full-color printing, and topcoat processing are continuously performed as follows.

First, in the white solid print processing section A, ink is ejected from the non-contact type print head 8 based on the image information read by the color CCD scanner 11,
At the same time, the stage 9 is conveyed in synchronism with the movement of the linear sensor 104, so that white solid printing is performed on the print designation portion of the printing target W.

When the solid white printing is completed, the stage 9 is sent to the full-color printing processing section B which is the next step by the carrying mechanism section 10 this time. Then, ink ejection from the non-contact type print head 8 based on the image information read by the color CCD scanner 11 and at the same time,
By the stage 9 being conveyed in synchronism with the movement of the linear sensor 104, full-color printing is performed on the print designation portion of the printing medium W.

When the full-color printing is completed, the stage 9 is sent to the top coat processing section, which is the final step, by the transfer mechanism section 10. In this case as well, ink is ejected from the non-contact type print head 8 based on the image information read by the color CCD scanner 11, and at the same time, the stage 9 causes the linear sensor 10 to move.
By being conveyed in synchronism with the movement of No. 4, the top coat layer is formed on the portion where the full-color printing is performed. Finally, the printing surface is finished by the pressure roller 63, and the printing is completed.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 13, when the printed plastic plate 33 is used as an example, as shown in FIG.
A white solid layer 95 is formed on the curved surface 33a, the uneven surface 33b, and the inclined surface 33c, full-color printed characters 96 and the like are formed thereon, and a top coat layer (not shown) is further formed thereon. It Although illustration is omitted,
Similarly, in the object to be printed (magneto-optical disk) W shown in FIG. 1, a full-color printed pattern 96 is formed on the white solid layer 95, and a top coat layer is formed thereon.

As described above, in the printing system according to the above-described embodiment, the maximum printable width of the non-contact type print head 8 is substantially the same as the width of the object W to be printed, and is movable only in the vertical direction. Therefore, the ink dripping and the deterioration of the alignment accuracy caused by scanning the print head 8 in the horizontal direction do not occur, and the quality of the pattern printed on the printing object W can be improved.

That is, when the print head 8 is scanned in the horizontal direction, each time the scan direction is switched to the opposite direction, the vibration generated at the time of switching is transmitted to the print head 8.
In particular, when the print head 8 is of the direct jet type, there is a problem in that the vibration drastically drops the ink from the nozzles, and the print quality is significantly impaired. Further, since it is necessary to move the print head 8 frequently, the guide mechanism that guides and conveys the print head 8 is severely rattled and worn, and the printing position is changed over time to reproduce the printed product. There is a problem that the printing quality deteriorates with the deterioration of the property.

However, in the case of this embodiment, since there is no scanning operation in the lateral direction, the above inconvenience does not occur,
Moreover, since it is possible to print the area corresponding to the width of the printing object W by one printing operation, it is possible to shorten the printing time. Further, in this embodiment, the stage 9 on which the material W to be printed is placed and fixed is mounted on the color CCD scanner 1
Since the sheet is conveyed in one direction in synchronism with the movement of the linear sensor 104 of No. 1, the joint by scanning is eliminated, and the printing quality can be improved.

Further, in the printing system of this embodiment, the signal read by the image reader unit 6 is converted into a predetermined image, and the image-converted information is supplied to the non-contact print head 8 to be printed. Since the printing is performed on W, the print head 8 can directly print on the printed material based on the output image information.

Therefore, the troublesome work such as plate making, plate exchange, registration of each color plate, ink color adjustment, ink viscosity adjustment, etc., which has been necessary up to now, is not required at all, and the productivity can be improved and the cost can be greatly reduced. Can be achieved. Further, since the image is output, it is possible to perform higher-quality printing than the first winding without trial printing, and it is possible to significantly improve the yield. Furthermore, since the print head 8 is not in contact with the print object W, external pressure is not applied to the print object W, and printing is not limited to hard and soft materials. Further, since it is an image output, color balance can be automatically performed by digital copying, and its numerical value can be made, and the printing process can be greatly simplified.

Further, in the printing system according to the present embodiment, the non-contact type print head 8 prints on the printing material W based on the detection output from the shape detecting means for detecting the unevenness of the printing material W. Since the height is controlled, it is possible to perform printing with the facing distance between the print head 8 and the printing object W being maintained at all times, and the head unit 1 for the printing object W according to the unevenness.
The height of 6 can always be constant. Therefore, the ink film thickness can be digitized, high-quality printing can be performed, and even if the printed material W is warped, bent, or uneven, color unevenness, color loss, character blurring, etc. do not occur. From the flat part to the uneven surface, the inclined surface, the curved surface,
Printing can be continuously performed on the elliptical portion and the polygonal portion.

Next, a printing system according to another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The same reference numerals are given to those corresponding to FIG.

The printing system according to the other embodiment is composed of a solid white print processing section A, a full color print processing section B and a top coat processing section C, as in the printing system according to the above-mentioned embodiment. .

Each of the processing units A, B and C has a print head 8 and an ink tank 17 which are fixedly installed.
The print head 8 includes the image reader unit 6 to the image processing unit 7.
It is configured to operate on the image information supplied via the, and eject the ink supplied from the ink tank 17 in the horizontal direction to print on the printing object W.

Further, in this printing system, for example, a tape cassette as the object to be printed W is replaced with a color CCD.
The transport mechanism unit 10 transports in one direction by a belt transport method in synchronization with a scan speed of a linear sensor (not shown) in the scanner 11. This transport mechanism section 10
Uses a stepping motor 105 that is rotationally driven based on a pulse signal from the system controller 62 as a drive source. The system controller 62 is a color CCD
By generating pulse signals of the number of pulses and frequency based on the scan timing of the linear sensor from the scanner 11 and rotationally driving the stepping motor 105, the printed material W mounted and fixed on the belt 106 is printed.
Is synchronized with the scanning speed of the linear sensor and conveyed.

In this other embodiment, the print head 8 is of a type that ejects ink horizontally, so that the print surface of the print material W is vertical and the nozzle surface of the print head 8 is vertical. The transport mechanism unit 1 so as to face the
Carried by 0. For example, when the printing object W is, for example, a tape cassette, the tape cassette W is
The spine label side is placed face down and conveyed. In addition, the maximum printable width of the print head 8 is substantially equal to the width of the printing target W, and in the above example, is approximately the same as the length of the tape cassette W in the height direction.

In this other embodiment, white solid printing, full color printing, and top coat processing are continuously performed as follows.

First, in the white solid print processing section A, horizontal ejection of ink from the non-contact type print head 8 based on the image information read by the color CCD scanner 11, and at the same time, the material W to be printed is linear. By being conveyed in synchronization with the movement of the sensor, solid white printing is performed on the print designation portion of the printing material W.

When the white solid printing is completed, the material W to be printed is sent to the full-color printing processing section B, which is the next step, by the carrying mechanism section 10. Then, horizontal ejection of ink from the non-contact type print head 8 based on the image information read by the color CCD scanner 11, and at the same time, the material to be printed W is conveyed in synchronization with the movement of the linear sensor. As a result, full-color printing is performed on the print-designated portion of the printing object W.

When the full-color printing is completed, the material W to be printed is sent to the top coat processing section C, which is the final step, by the transport mechanism section 10. In this case as well, ink is ejected in the horizontal direction from the non-contact type print head 8 based on the image information read by the color CCD scanner 11, and at the same time, the substrate W is conveyed in synchronization with the movement of the linear sensor. As a result, the top coat layer is formed on the portion where the full-color printing is performed.

In the printing system according to the other embodiment, the non-contact type print head 8 is fixedly installed, and the maximum printable width thereof is almost the same as the width of the object W to be printed.
Ink drip and the deterioration of the alignment accuracy due to the conventional horizontal scanning do not occur, and the quality of the pattern printed on the printing object W can be improved. Moreover, since it is possible to print the area corresponding to the width of the printing object W by one printing operation, it is possible to shorten the printing time. In addition, also in this other embodiment, since the material W to be printed is conveyed in one direction in synchronization with the movement of the linear sensor of the color CCD scanner 11, there is no joint due to scanning, and the printing quality is improved. You can

[0080]

According to the printing apparatus of the present invention, it has image reading means for photoelectrically converting the image drawn on the printing original and reading the image information read by the image reading means in a non-contact manner. In a printing device that supplies to a print head of a type and prints on an object to be printed, the print head is fixed,
Since the conveying means for conveying the printed material in one direction is provided in synchronism with the image reading speed by the image reading means, plate making, ink color adjustment, ink viscosity adjustment, etc. are unnecessary, and moreover, trial printing is not required. Both can print with higher quality than the first volume. In addition, it is possible to perform high-quality printing in which a seam does not occur in the printed image due to the scan of the print head.

Further, according to the printing apparatus of the present invention, the print head can be moved only in the contact / separation direction with respect to the object to be printed, and the printed surface of the object to be printed being conveyed and the print head can be moved. Since the print surface shape detecting means for keeping a constant distance from the head surface is added to the print head, it is not affected by the difference in hardness of the print material, and moreover, the uneven surface from the flat surface, the inclined surface, It is possible to enable continuous printing on a curved surface.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a main part of an embodiment (hereinafter, simply referred to as a printing system according to an embodiment) in which a printing apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a printing system for performing full-color printing on a designated portion of a substrate, particularly white solid printing It is a block diagram showing a processing unit and a full-color printing processing unit.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a full-color print processing unit of the printing system according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which printing is performed on a magneto-optical disk by a print head provided with a laser displacement sensor as shape detection means.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of a print head provided with a scanning sensor as a shape detection unit.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of an essential part showing a printing state by a print head provided with a copy sensor as a shape detection unit.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of a print head provided with a laser displacement sensor as a shape detection unit.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view of essential parts showing a printing state by a print head provided with a laser displacement sensor as a shape detection unit.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged side view of an essential part showing a printing state by a print head individually provided with a laser displacement sensor as a shape detection unit.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing a state in which printing is performed on a video cassette by a print head provided with a scanning sensor as shape detection means.

FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state in which printing is performed on a tape cassette by a print head provided with a scanning sensor as a shape detection unit.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a transport mechanism section.

FIG. 12 is a processing block diagram illustrating an operation of a full-color print processing unit according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which white solid printing and full-color printing are sequentially performed on an irregular-shaped printing material.

FIG. 14 is a configuration diagram showing a printing system according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A ... White solid print processing section B ... Full color print processing section C ... Top coat processing section 5 ... Design manuscript 6 ... Image reader section 7 ... Image processing section 8 ... Printing Head 9 ... Stage 10 ... Conveyance mechanism 11 ... Color CCD scanner W ... Printed material 16 ... Head 17 ... Ink tank 21, 22 ... Copy sensor 23, 24, 25, 26 ... Laser displacement sensor 44, 45 ... Feed hook hole 46, 47 ... Tray feed hook 104 ... Linear sensor

Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location B41J 5/30 E 8703-2C 25/308 B41J 25/30 K

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An object to be printed having image reading means for photoelectrically converting an image drawn on a printing original to read, and supplying image information read by the image reading means to a non-contact type print head. The printing apparatus for printing according to claim 1, wherein the printing head is fixed, and the printing apparatus has a conveying unit that conveys the object to be printed in one direction in synchronization with an image reading speed of the image reading unit. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print head is movable only in a contacting / separating direction with respect to the object to be printed. 3. A printing surface shape detecting means for keeping a distance between a printing surface of the printing material conveyed and a head surface of the printing head constant, is added to the printing head. Item 2. The printing device according to item 2.