Inkjet printers using light-curable inks

Abstract

The present invention discloses an inkjet printer using photocurable ink, comprising: a spray carriage, a nozzle mounting plate, a first light source, a second light source and a printing platform; the spray carriage is located above the printing platform, the nozzle mounting plate is located in the spray carriage, the first light source and the second light source are installed in parallel in the spray carriage and are respectively located on both sides of the nozzle mounting plate, the distance between the first light source and the printing platform is smaller than the distance between the second light source and the printing platform, and the first light source and the second light source are used to irradiate transparent ink. The first light source and the second light source of the printer are at unequal heights from the printing platform, so that when curing the ink in the same area of ​​the printing medium, inks of different levels and colors can be cured to different degrees, ensuring that the curing effects of inks of different levels and colors are the same, thereby ensuring that the color of the printed product is uniform, the glossiness is good, and the surface is flat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of inkjet printing, and in particular to an inkjet printer using light-curable ink. Background Art

[0002] With the improvement of spiritual and cultural life, people's appreciation of art and quality requirements are getting higher and higher, including the requirements for printed products. In order to improve the quality and gloss of printed products, a layer of varnish is usually sprayed on the ink used to form the pattern of the printed product. Covering the ink with a layer of varnish can not only improve the gloss of the product, but also prevent the ink used to form the pattern on the surface of the printed product from fading and scratching. After the product is varnished, the surface is smoother, the color is more saturated, and the image is more delicate. It looks more upscale than the product with varnish.

[0003] However, currently, inkjet printers all use parallel light sources at the same height to cure products. Figure 1 The light intensity of parallel light sources at the same height is single, which will lead to uneven curing of the pattern-forming ink and varnish coating, and ultimately lead to incomplete curing of the pattern-forming ink on the product surface, making the product prone to uneven color, i.e., positive and negative colors; incomplete curing of varnish makes the product surface uneven and has poor gloss, and it is easy to leave fingerprints after finger contact. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiment of the present invention provides an inkjet printer using light-curable ink, so as to solve the problems of uneven color and insufficient surface glossiness of products cured by light sources at the same height and parallel in the prior art.

[0005] An embodiment of the present invention provides an inkjet printer using photocurable ink, comprising: a spray carriage, a nozzle mounting plate, a nozzle, a first light source, a second light source and a printing platform; the spray carriage is located above the printing platform, the nozzle mounting plate is located in the spray carriage, the nozzle is mounted on the nozzle mounting plate, the first light source and the second light source are installed in parallel in the spray carriage and are respectively located on both sides of the nozzle mounting plate, the distance between the first light source and the printing platform is smaller than the distance between the second light source and the printing platform, and the first light source and the second light source are used to irradiate transparent ink.

[0006] Preferably, the first light source includes at least two light emitting units, and the power of each light emitting unit is different; the second light source includes at least two light emitting units, and the power of each light emitting unit is different.

[0007] Preferably, the power of the first light source is smaller than the power of the second light source.

[0008] Preferably, it also includes: a third light source and a fourth light source; the third light source and the fourth light source are installed in parallel in the spray carriage and are respectively located on both sides of the nozzle mounting plate, the third light source and the first light source are located on the same side of the nozzle mounting plate, and the third light source is separated from the first light source by a predetermined distance; the fourth light source and the second light source are located on the same side of the nozzle mounting plate, and the fourth light source is separated from the second light source by a predetermined distance, and the distance between the third light source and the printing platform is equal to the distance between the fourth light source and the printing platform.

[0009] Preferably, the third light source includes at least two light-emitting units, and the power of each light-emitting unit is different; the fourth light source includes at least two light-emitting units, and the power of each light-emitting unit is different.

[0010] Preferably, the third light source includes three light-emitting units, namely a first light-emitting unit, a second light-emitting unit and a third light-emitting unit. The power of the first light-emitting unit is smaller than that of the second light-emitting unit. The power of the second light-emitting unit is smaller than that of the third light-emitting unit.

[0011] Preferably, it also includes: a control unit, which is respectively connected to the first light source, the second light source, the third light source and the fourth light source, so that each time the ink is cured, the control unit controls at least one light-emitting unit among the first light source, the second light source, the third light source and the fourth light source to emit light.

[0012] Preferably, it also includes: a Y-axis driving unit and an X-axis driving unit; the control unit determines whether the first light source, the second light source, the third light source and the fourth light source are emitting light according to the driving signal of the Y-axis driving unit, and the control unit determines the number of light-emitting units in the first light source, the second light source, the third light source and the fourth light source according to the driving signal of the X-axis driving unit, and the driving directions of the Y-axis driving unit and the X-axis driving unit are perpendicular to each other.

[0013] Preferably, the control unit comprises: a PLC controller.

[0014] Preferably, it also includes: a main control board, the main control board is connected to the spray truck, and the control unit is the main control board.

[0015] In summary, the inkjet printer using photocurable ink provided in the embodiment of the present invention cures the printed product by means of the first light source and the second light source installed in the inkjet carriage at unequal heights from the printing platform. The first light source and the second light source are unequally located at heights from the printing platform, so that when curing the transparent ink in the same area of ​​the printing medium, the transparent ink has sufficient leveling time. At the same time, light sources at different heights can cure transparent inks at different levels to different degrees, ensuring that the curing effects of transparent inks at different levels are the same, thereby ensuring that the printed product has good gloss and a smooth surface, and solving the problem that the printed product has insufficient surface gloss and an uneven surface due to different curing effects of inks at different levels caused by light sources at the same height. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiment of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0017] Figure 1 It is a rendering of the prior art.

[0018] Figure 2 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an inkjet printer using photocurable ink according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an inkjet printer using photocurable ink according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an inkjet printer using photocurable ink according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 4 is a schematic structural diagram of an inkjet printer using photocurable ink according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an inkjet printer using photocurable ink according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 7 The figure is a rendering of a cured printed product of an inkjet printer using light-curable ink according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will be described in detail below. In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and Examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only configured to explain the present invention and are not configured to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can be implemented without the need for some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is only to provide a better understanding of the present invention by illustrating examples of the present invention.

[0025] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the statement "include..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0026] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3An embodiment of the present invention provides an inkjet printer using photocurable ink, the printer comprising: a spray carriage 100, a nozzle mounting plate 200, a nozzle (not shown in the figure), a first light source 700, a second light source 800 and a printing platform 500; the spray carriage 100 is located above the printing platform 500, the nozzle mounting plate 200 is located in the spray carriage 100, the nozzle is mounted on the nozzle mounting plate 200, and is used to spray pattern forming ink and transparent ink; the first light source 700 and the second light source 800 are installed in parallel in the spray carriage 100 and are respectively located on both sides of the nozzle mounting plate 200, the distance between the first light source 700 and the printing platform 500 is smaller than the distance between the second light source 800 and the printing platform 500, and the first light source 700 and the second light source 800 are used to irradiate the transparent ink. In this embodiment, the first light source 700 and the second light source 800 are at different heights from the printing platform 500, so that when curing the transparent ink in the same area of ​​the printing medium, different layers of transparent ink can be cured to different degrees, ensuring that the curing effect of transparent ink at different layers is the same, thereby ensuring that the color of the printed product is uniform, the gloss is good, and the surface is flat. In this embodiment, the printer also includes a crossbeam 110, and the spray carriage 100 moves on the printing platform 500 along the crossbeam 110. The first light source 700 and the second light source 800 move with the spray carriage 100, and the transparent ink is irradiated and cured after the nozzle sprays the transparent ink, and the nozzle mounting plate 200 is used to install and fix the nozzle.

[0027] Preferably, the power of the first light source 700 is less than the power of the second light source 800. In this embodiment, the power of the first light source 700 is 60W, and the power of the second light source 800 is 80W. When curing the transparent ink, although the second light source 800 is far away from the printing platform 500, the power of the second light source 800 is greater than the power of the first light source 700, so the curing effects of the first light source 700 and the second light source 800 are the same, ensuring that the color of the printed product is uniform and the surface is flat.

[0028] See also Figure 4, the first light source 700 includes at least two light emitting units 710, and the power of each light emitting unit 710 is different; the second light source 800 includes at least two light emitting units 810, and the power of each light emitting unit 810 is different. In this embodiment, the light emitting units 710 in the first light source 700 and the light emitting units 810 in the second light source 800 are both composed of UV lamps and arranged in columns, and the power of the UV lamps in each column is different. When curing the transparent ink in the same area of ​​the printing medium, the control unit at least controls one column of the light emitting units 710 in the first light source 700 and one column of the light emitting units 810 in the second light source 800 to emit light each time, so that the light intensity irradiating the transparent ink is different each time the transparent ink is cured, thereby ensuring that the curing effect of transparent ink at different levels in the same area of ​​the printing medium is the same, so that the printed product has uniform color and good surface gloss. Among them, the light emitting units in the first light source 300 and the second light source 400 can also be arranged in rows, and the power of the light emitting units in each row is different. The arrangement of the light emitting units is not specifically limited here.

[0029] See also Figure 5 In another embodiment, the light-emitting unit 710 in the first light source 700 and the light-emitting unit 810 in the second light source 800 are both composed of a plurality of LED-UV lamp beads and each light-emitting unit is arranged in columns, the number of LED-UV lamp beads in each column is the same, and the power of the LED-UV lamp beads in each column is the same, and the power of the LED-UV lamp beads in different columns is different, so that the power of the light-emitting unit 710 in each column of the first light source 700 is different, and the power of the light-emitting unit 810 in each column of the second light source 800 is different, and this arrangement structure is simple and regular, which ensures that the light of the light-emitting unit is evenly distributed in a stepped shape. Among them, the light-emitting unit 710 in the first light source 700 and the light-emitting unit 810 in the second light source 800 can also be UV mercury lamps, which are not specifically limited here.

[0030] See also Figure 3, the printer further includes a third light source 300 and a fourth light source 400; the third light source 300 and the fourth light source 400 are installed in parallel in the spray carriage 100 and are respectively located on both sides of the nozzle mounting plate 200, the third light source 300 and the first light source 700 are located on the same side of the nozzle mounting plate 200, and the third light source 300 and the first light source 700 are separated by a predetermined distance; the fourth light source 400 and the second light source 800 are located on the same side of the nozzle mounting plate 200, and the fourth light source 400 and the second light source 800 are separated by a predetermined distance. Furthermore, the distance between the third light source 300 and the printing platform 500 is equal to the distance between the fourth light source 400 and the printing platform 500, and the third light source 300 and the fourth light source 400 are used to irradiate the ink for pattern formation. Among them, the length of the third light source 300 and the fourth light source 400 is equal to the length of the nozzle, the pattern forming ink includes at least one of C (cyan) ink, M (magenta) ink, Y (yellow) ink, and W (white) ink, and the third light source 300 and the first light source 700 are separated by the distance of a nozzle, thereby ensuring the leveling time of the transparent ink after printing is completed, so that the transparent ink can be evenly spread over the printing area and then solidified, thereby ensuring the flatness of the surface of the printed product. Similarly, the fourth light source 400 and the fourth light source 400 are separated by the length of a nozzle, which is also used for the leveling of the transparent ink.

[0031] Preferably, the third light source 300 includes at least two light-emitting units, and the power of each light-emitting unit is different; the fourth light source 400 includes at least two light-emitting units, and the power of each light-emitting unit is different. In this embodiment, the light-emitting units in the third light source 300 and the fourth light source 400 are composed of a plurality of LED-UV lamp beads and each light-emitting unit is arranged in columns, the number of LED-UV lamp beads in each column is the same, and the power of the LED-UV lamp beads in each column is the same, and the power of the LED-UV lamp beads in different columns is different. Among them, the light-emitting units in the third light source 300 and the fourth light source 400 can also be arranged in rows, and the power of the light-emitting units in each row is different. The arrangement of the light-emitting units is not specifically limited here.

[0032] Preferably, the third light source 300 includes three columns of light-emitting units, namely, the first column of light-emitting units, the second column of light-emitting units, and the third column of light-emitting units. The power of the first column of light-emitting units is less than the power of the second column of light-emitting units, and the power of the second column of light-emitting units is less than the power of the third column of light-emitting units. In this embodiment, when curing the ink for pattern formation in the same area of ​​the printing medium, the control unit controls the first column of light-emitting units to emit light during the first curing, the control unit controls the second column of light-emitting units to emit light during the second curing, the control unit controls the third column of light-emitting units to emit light during the third curing, and the control unit controls the first column and the second column of light-emitting units to emit light during the fourth curing, and the curing is performed in sequence until the ink for pattern formation in the same area of ​​the printing medium is cured. When the control unit controls the first column, the second column and the third column of light-emitting units to emit light at the same time, the ink in the same area of ​​the printing medium has not been cured, and the first column, the second column and the third column of light-emitting units are continued to be turned on at the same time until the ink for pattern formation in the same area of ​​the printing medium is cured. In this embodiment, the fourth light source 400 also includes three columns of light-emitting units corresponding to the third light source 300, and the power variation law of each column of light-emitting units is also the same, and the specific content is not repeated.

[0033] Preferably, the wavelength of the first column of light-emitting units is smaller than the wavelength of the second column of light-emitting units, and the wavelength of the second column of light-emitting units is smaller than the wavelength of the third column of light-emitting units. In this way, when the pattern-forming ink on the printing medium is cured, the curing effects of the pattern-forming ink printed at different times are the same. For example, in multi-pass scanning printing, the same area of ​​the printing medium needs to be printed multiple times to complete printing. Printing and curing at the same time will make the curing time of the ink printed for the first time longer than the curing time of the ink printed for the last time, and different colors of inks have different light absorption of different wavelengths. Although the curing time of the ink printed for the first time is longer when multi-wavelength and multi-power light is used for ink curing, the luminous intensity and wavelength of the curing device are enhanced as the printing process progresses, so the curing effect of the varnish printed later is the same as that of the varnish printed earlier, thereby ensuring that the printed product has uniform color, good gloss and smooth surface.

[0034] Preferably, the printer also includes: a control unit 600, and the control unit 600 is respectively connected to the first light source 700, the second light source 800, the third light source 300 and the fourth light source 400, so that each time the ink is cured, the control unit 600 controls at least one light-emitting unit among the first light source 700, the second light source 800, the third light source 300 and the fourth light source 400 to emit light.

[0035] See also Figure 6The printer further includes: a Y-axis driving unit 910 and an X-axis driving unit 920; the control unit determines whether the first light source 700, the second light source 800, the third light source 300 and the fourth light source 400 emit light according to the driving signal of the Y-axis driving unit 910, and the control unit determines the number of light-emitting units in the first light source 700, the second light source 800, the third light source 300 and the fourth light source 400 according to the driving signal of the X-axis driving unit 920, and the driving directions of the Y-axis driving unit 910 and the X-axis driving unit 920 are perpendicular to each other. In this embodiment, the first light source 700 and the second light source 800 are used to irradiate transparent ink. When the print medium printed with transparent ink enters the irradiation range of the first light source 700 and the second light source 800 under the drive of the Y-axis drive unit 910, the control unit controls the first light source 700 and the second light source 800 to emit light to irradiate the transparent ink to solidify it according to the drive signal of the Y-axis drive unit 910. When the print medium printed with transparent ink leaves the irradiation range of the first light source 700 and the second light source 800 under the drive of the Y-axis drive unit 910, the control unit controls the first light source 700 and the second light source 800 to turn off according to the drive signal of the Y-axis drive unit 910. The third light source 300 and the fourth light source 400 are used to irradiate the ink for pattern formation. The control unit determines the number of times of irradiating the same area of ​​the printing medium according to the driving signal sent by the X-axis driving unit 920, and determines the column number and the number of columns of the light emitting units in the third light source 300 and the fourth light source 400 according to the number of irradiations. For example, if the number of times of irradiating the same area of ​​the printing medium is 3 times, the control unit controls the first column of light emitting units to irradiate the same area of ​​the printing medium for the first time according to the first signal sent by the X-axis driving unit 920 to drive the nozzle carriage to move toward the X-axis. The control unit determines the number of times of irradiation of the same area of ​​the printing medium according to the driving signal sent by the X-axis driving unit 920. 0 sends a second signal to drive the nozzle carriage to move toward the X-axis to control the second column of light-emitting units to irradiate the same area of ​​the printing medium for the second time, and the control unit controls the third column of light-emitting units to irradiate the same area of ​​the printing medium for the third time according to the third signal sent by the X-axis driving unit 920 to drive the nozzle carriage to move toward the X-axis. During the entire irradiation process, the first light source 700 is always turned on and will not be turned off; at the same time, the control unit also controls the first light source 700 and the second light source 800 to light-cure the transparent ink according to the driving signal of the X-axis driving unit 920. The specific control method is the same as that of the third light source 300, which will not be repeated here.In another embodiment, the first column of light-emitting units is used for the first irradiation of the printing medium, the first column of light-emitting units is still used for the second irradiation of the printing medium, and the second column of light-emitting units is used for the third irradiation of the printing medium. The rest is the same as the above embodiment. The control unit controls the first light source 700 and the second light source 800 in a manner that randomly changes according to the properties of different printing media or printing pattern forming inks. Because different printing media absorb the pattern forming ink differently, and different pattern forming inks have different adhesion and permeability to each other, the control rule is automatically adjusted according to different printing modes or printing requirements, so that the ink can be better solidified to make its printed product smooth and uniform in color.

[0036] Preferably, the printer further comprises: a main control board, the control unit 600 is the main control board, the main control board controls the storage and distribution of all print data and print names of the entire printer, and monitors the working status of various components. In this embodiment, the main control board is used to control the power of the curing light source, which saves control components, simplifies the structure of the printer, and saves costs.

[0037] Preferably, the control unit comprises: a PLC controller. Compared with the main control board of the printer, an additional PLC controller is used to control the power change of the varnish, which reduces the workload of the main control board in the printer and improves the accuracy and efficiency of control.

[0038] In summary, the inkjet printer using light-curable ink provided in the embodiment of the present invention cures the printed product by means of the first light source 700 and the second light source 800 installed in the inkjet carriage 100 at unequal heights from the printing platform 500. The first light source 700 and the second light source 800 are at unequal heights from the printing platform 500, so that when curing the transparent ink in the same area of ​​the printing medium, the transparent ink has sufficient leveling time. At the same time, light sources at different heights can cure transparent inks at different levels to different degrees, ensuring that the curing effects of transparent inks at different levels are the same, thereby ensuring that the printed product has good gloss and a smooth surface, and solving the problem of insufficient gloss and uneven surface of the printed product caused by different curing effects of inks at different levels due to light sources at the same height. Please refer to Figure 7 The present invention is a printing product effect diagram of ink curing using the inkjet printer using the light-curing ink of the present invention.

[0039] The above is a detailed introduction to the stepper motor torque automatic adjustment circuit and printer provided by the present invention. The principle and implementation mode of the present invention are described in this article using specific examples. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and core idea of ​​the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation mode and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification is only the implementation mode of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made by using the content of the present invention specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly used in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention. It should not be understood as a limitation of the present invention.

Claims

1. An inkjet printer using a light-curable ink, characterized in that: include: Spray carriage, spray head mounting plate, spray head, first light source, second light source and printing platform; The inkjet carriage is located above the printing platform, the nozzle mounting plate is located in the inkjet carriage, the nozzle is mounted on the nozzle mounting plate, the first light source and the second light source are parallelly mounted in the inkjet carriage and are respectively located on both sides of the nozzle mounting plate, the distance between the first light source and the printing platform is smaller than the distance between the second light source and the printing platform, and the first light source and the second light source are used to irradiate transparent ink; When the inkjet printer is used to print transparent ink and ink forming a pattern, the printer further includes a third light source, a fourth light source and a control unit, the control unit includes a Y-axis driving unit and an X-axis driving unit, the third light source and the fourth light source are used to irradiate the ink forming the pattern, the first light source includes at least two light-emitting units, and the power of each of the light-emitting units is different; Wherein, the first light source includes at least two light-emitting units, and the power of each light-emitting unit is different; the second light source includes at least two light-emitting units, and the power of each light-emitting unit is different; the third light source includes at least two light-emitting units, and the power of each light-emitting unit is different; the fourth light source includes at least two light-emitting units, and the power of each light-emitting unit is different; The control unit determines the number of times of irradiating the same area of ​​the printing medium according to the driving signal sent by the Y-axis driving unit, and controls the column number and number of columns of the first light source and the second light source light-emitting unit to illuminate the transparent ink according to the number of irradiations; The control unit determines the number of times of irradiating the same area of ​​the printing medium according to the driving signal sent by the X-axis driving unit, and determines the column number and the number of columns of the light-emitting units in the third light source and the fourth light source according to the number of times of irradiation; The third light source and the fourth light source are installed in parallel in the spray carriage and are respectively located on both sides of the nozzle mounting plate, the third light source and the first light source are located on the same side of the nozzle mounting plate, and the third light source and the first light source are separated by a predetermined distance; the fourth light source and the second light source are located on the same side of the nozzle mounting plate, and the fourth light source and the second light source are separated by a predetermined distance, and the distance between the third light source and the printing platform is equal to the distance between the fourth light source and the printing platform; The control unit is connected to the first light source, the second light source, the third light source and the fourth light source respectively, so that each time the ink is cured, the control unit controls at least one light-emitting unit of the first light source, the second light source, the third light source and the fourth light source to emit light; The control unit determines whether the first light source, the second light source, the third light source and the fourth light source emit light according to the driving signal of the Y-axis driving unit, and the control unit determines the number of light-emitting units among the first light source, the second light source, the third light source and the fourth light source according to the driving signal of the X-axis driving unit, and the driving directions of the Y-axis driving unit and the X-axis driving unit are perpendicular to each other.

2. The inkjet printer using light-curable ink according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power of the first light source is smaller than the power of the second light source.

3. The inkjet printer using light-curable ink according to claim 1, characterized in that: The third light source includes three light emitting units, namely a first light emitting unit, a second light emitting unit and a third light emitting unit. The power of the first light emitting unit is smaller than that of the second light emitting unit, and the power of the second light emitting unit is smaller than that of the third light emitting unit.

4. The inkjet printer using light-curable ink according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit includes: a PLC controller.

5. The inkjet printer using light-curable ink according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A main control board, wherein the main control board is connected to the spray truck, and the control unit is the main control board.

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