Inkjet printer for decorative fabrics

Abstract

An inkjet printer (500) for printing on a cloth (300), comprising a first vacuum belt (150) for conveying a nonwoven fabric (200), which is configured as a second vacuum belt for conveying the cloth (300) below an inkjet print head (505); and a device for applying pressure to the cloth (300) on the second vacuum belt; wherein the device includes a portion for traversing the cloth (300) under friction through relative movement between the pressure device and the second vacuum belt carrying the cloth (300).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the manufacture of decorative fabrics by means of an inkjet printer which may be part of a production line.

[0002] Cloth is a soft material usually made from natural or synthetic fibers and filaments by weaving, felting, or knitting. Background Art

[0003] In the past, fabrics were decorated by screen printing. However, screen printing is labor intensive because a separate screen is required for each color. This is expensive and time consuming, especially when personalization or customization is required.

[0004] Digital printing techniques on cloth have been investigated, but many solutions for applying cloth in digital printers remain difficult problems due to folding and wrinkling of the cloth when transporting or applying it on a support during, before and after printing.

[0005] Handling the cloth on the support of an inkjet printer is not easy due to the forces between its entangled fibers and filaments. Even when printing, the forces cause wrinkles, and the wrinkles lead to regular collisions with the print head of the printer. Increasing the jet distance can overcome the collisions, but this leads to a blurred inkjet printed decorative image. A vacuum support can help to flatten the cloth, but the forces and filaments cause the cloth to be held uncontrollably against the vacuum support, especially at the edges of the cloth. As is known, if the cloth is not a continuous piece of cloth but a single piece of cloth, the edges of the cloth rest against the vacuum support.

[0006] Using a sticky impermeable support to adhere the cloth, and wherein the sticky impermeable support is held to the vacuum support of the printer, is a known method for feeding fabric in inkjet printers. However, the stickiness makes it difficult to (re)position the cloth on the impermeable support, and after removing the cloth from the impermeable support, the cloth has glue contamination, which has to be cleaned in an additional step. In addition, the sticky layer from the impermeable support has to be replaced, or the impermeable support is a consumable that can be reused only once or at most twice, which leads to manufacturing waste.

[0007] It is also known to use an adhesive conveyor belt to transport and / or hold down the fabric during printing, but here too the adhesive layer on the conveyor belt must be replaced / cleaned, which results in waste and time loss during manufacturing. An example application of such an adhesive conveyor belt is in EFI TM Reggiani TMFabric printing solution EFI Reggiani PRO 180.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need to obtain a reliable inkjet printer for performing an efficient and faster process for high quality upholstery fabrics, wherein the process avoids collisions with expensive print heads and allows for easy and quick installation of fabrics in digital printers. Summary of the invention

[0009] In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems, a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been achieved by an inkjet printer suitable for decorative cloth according to claim 1.

[0010] The invention may be part of a production line for decorative fabrics, wherein the production line may include other decorative techniques such as cooling, blowing, embossing, laser ablation, laser marking, top coating, ..., and it may include post-printing techniques such as cutting, folding, perforating and sewing. Therefore, an object of the invention is also a manufacturing method for decorative fabrics.

[0011] An object of the present invention is also a textile product. The textile product comprises a decorative textile produced by the production line or decorated by the inkjet printer. The textile may be a garment or a part of a garment or a part of a plurality of pieces from a garment, preferably a garment on demand.

[0012] The inkjet printer of the present invention comprises two vacuum belts:

[0013] - a first vacuum belt (150) for conveying a second belt suitable for conveying a cloth beneath an inkjet print head (505). The inkjet print head (505) is used to print an image on the cloth as a decoration or logo. The cloth is preferably a continuous piece of cloth, also called a piece of cloth.

[0014] The second vacuum belt is a vacuum belt, and more preferably a nonwoven fabric (200) configured as a vacuum belt. WO2018 / 087119 (AGFA NV) discloses a similar inkjet printer with such a "dual belt system".

[0015] In order to keep the cloth well on the nonwoven fabric (200), which is thus configured as a second vacuum belt, the inkjet printer of the invention has means for applying pressure to the cloth on the second vacuum belt; wherein the means comprises a portion for passing the cloth under friction by a relative movement between the pressure means and the second vacuum belt carrying the cloth. The portion thus traverses one side of the cloth, wherein during a period of time the portion moves under pressure (= friction) along the surface of the side.

[0016] The nonwoven fabric (200) is inherently air permeable, and therefore does not require additional perforations. At a pressure difference of 200 Pa, the air permeability of the nonwoven fabric (200) is preferably less than 90 L / (dm 2 × minutes) and above 15 liters (dm 2 × minutes).

[0017] It has also been found that felt as the nonwoven fabric (200) gives the best results for pressing the cloth against the felt. The felt preferably does not have an adhesive layer, as this would be required and would result in glue contamination on the cloth. The felt is preferably a polyester felt.

[0018] These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 An inkjet printer (500) suitable for inkjet printing on a cloth (300) according to the present invention is shown. The inkjet printer is shown as TAURO from the manufacturer AGFA NV TM .

[0020] Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 A cross-sectional view according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, in which a print head (505) of an inkjet printer (500) not shown prints an image (305), and a dryer (510) dries the image (305) on a cloth (300). The cloth is conveyed on a nonwoven fabric (200) configured as a vacuum belt. The nonwoven fabric (200) is conveyed by another vacuum belt (150). The other vacuum belt (150) is wound around an upstream pulley (905), a downstream pulley (907) and a vacuum table (900). As indicated by the arc arrow, the conveyance of the cloth (300) for printing is performed from left to right. The cloth (300) is pressed on the nonwoven fabric (200) by a pressure device (700), and the pressure device (700) has a portion (705) shown here as a flat portion.

[0021] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment, the nonwoven fabric (200) is wrapped around the upstream sliding support (805) and the downstream sliding support (807). Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the embodiment, the nonwoven fabric (200) is wound around a plurality of pulleys (815, 817).

[0022] exist Figure 4 In the preferred embodiment of the inkjet printer, additional features are added: media setting bar (600), camera system (1004), cutter (1005) and washing station (1008).

[0023] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of a pressure device (700) having a portion (705) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0024] Figure 6 , Figure 7 The figure shows a top view and a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 In the invention, a plurality of cloths (300) are supported on a non-woven fabric (200), which is configured as a vacuum belt. The vacuum belt is supported on another vacuum belt (150). The cloth (300) has a front side (350) and a back side; the front side is to be decorated, and the back side has fibers and filaments. The non-woven fabric (200) has a fiber layer (250) in contact with the back side having fibers and filaments.

[0025] exist Figure 7 In the embodiment of the present invention, an image (305) is inkjet printed on a piece of fabric (350). The nonwoven fabric (200) in this context consists of a fiber layer.

[0026] Figure 8 Preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed, wherein the cloth (350) is a continuous piece of cloth, and the nonwoven fabric (200) can be cleaned in a cleaning station (1001) to remove ink debris, and washed in a washing station (1002) to further clean the nonwoven fabric (200). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Fabric

[0028] In the Jeti Tauro manufactured by AGFA NV TM In the past, it was found that mounting the cloth (300) directly on its vacuum belt was problematic because the suction force of the vacuum force in the printing device was insufficient and because wrinkles were difficult to avoid, which would collide with the printing head (505) of the printing device. The present invention is a solution to this problem by extending the printing device with a nonwoven fabric (200) configured as a second vacuum belt.

[0029] The cloth (300) is preferably a flexible material comprising a network of natural and / or artificial fibers (yarns or threads), such as cotton, flag fabric, knitted polyester fabric or even a blanket.

[0030] In the present invention, the cloth (300) has two sides, a back side with fibers and filaments and a front side. The back side with fibers and filaments is preferably the side in contact with the nonwoven fabric (200), and the front side is the side on which the image is printed.

[0031] The cloth (300) of the present invention may also be a cloth piece for manufacturing cloth products (such as shirts) instead of a web (= a continuous piece of cloth). The cloth piece is also called a cloth piece or a single piece of cloth. The cloth pieces are mostly irregularly shaped or have sharp edges, as can be read in US9623578B1 (AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES), which describes a method for on-demand clothing manufacturing. The present invention is very advantageous for holding the irregularly shaped cloth pieces or the cloth pieces with sharp flat edges, so that no collision with the print head occurs.

[0032] Inkjet Printers

[0033] The invention relates to an inkjet printer (500), but it may also be any other printing device. The printing device marks a pattern on the surface of a cloth (300), further described as the front side of the cloth (300). Marking a pattern on a surface is also called printing. The pattern represents an image, which may be text, a photo, a graphic or a logo. The pattern is mainly the result of a half-toning method of the image, such as an error diffusion method or an amplitude modulation half-toning method. The pattern may be colorless or colored.

[0034] The marking of the printing device can be accomplished by any conventional printing technique, such as offset printing, gravure printing, relief printing, screen printing. These conventional printing methods are described in the second chapter of Printing Technologies With Permanent Printing Master, pages 204-448, in Handbook of Prin Media, Technologies and Production Method's by Helmut Kipphan (ISBN 3-540-67326-1 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York, 2001). Such a printing device is also referred to as a conventional printing device.

[0035] Preferably, the printing device in the present invention is a digital printing device, such as an electrophotographic device, an image-based device, a magnetic recording-based device, or an inkjet-based printing device. A digital printing device is sometimes referred to as a printer, and an inkjet-based printing device is sometimes referred to as an inkjet printer (500). These digital printing methods are all described in Chapter 4 "Printing Computer to ... Technologies", sub-chapter "Computer to Print" (pages 657-674) and Chapter 5 "Printing Technologies without a Printing Plate (NIP Technologies)" (pages 676-758) in Helmut Kipphan's Handbook of Print Media, Technologies and Production Method's (ISBN 3-540-67326-1 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York, 2001). The printing device may be a hybrid printing device in which conventional printing technology and digital and / or non-impact printing technology are combined in the printing device.

[0036] Therefore, the preferred printing technology for the present invention is inkjet printing technology. Therefore, the printing device of the present invention is preferably an inkjet printer (500), which is a printing device comprising an inkjet print head (505). The inkjet technology can be continuous inkjet or drop-on-demand inkjet, which is preferably selected from the group including thermal inkjet, piezoelectric inkjet and electrostatic inkjet. The inkjet printer (500) is preferably a large format inkjet printer (500), where a printable width of more than 135 cm is common, but widths of more than 200 cm can also be printed. An example of such a large format inkjet printer in a multi-pass inkjet printing method is provided by AGFANV TM Made by Jeti Tauro TM , which has a maximum printable width of 254 cm, and which can accommodate, for example, rigid media up to 400 cm in length. Another example of a large format inkjet printer utilizing the single-pass inkjet printing method is the KBA TotaJet TM The maximum printing width of the L series is 1.3 meters.

[0037] The inkjet printer (500) may include a page-wide inkjet printhead that covers the entire width or greater than the width of the fabric (300), a so-called single-pass inkjet printer. In a preferred embodiment, the pattern is inkjet printed in one pass, also known as a single-pass inkjet printing method, which ensures economic benefits by having a greater total throughput than a multi-pass inkjet printing method. Detailed information on inkjet technology and inkjet printer construction can be found in Stephen F. Pond, Torrey Pines, 2000. Inkjet Technology and Product Development Strategies ” is found in

[0038] In order to enhance the adhesion of the pattern on the cloth (300), the printing device may include a dryer to dry the marking pattern on the cloth (300) and / or to have better adhesion of the marking pattern on the cloth (300). In such a printing device, a typical dryer (510) (sometimes also referred to as a curing device) includes an ultraviolet (UV) source and / or an infrared (IR) radiation source.

[0039] The drying of the marking pattern can be done by radiation (UV and / or IR and / or NIR and / or SWIR) from the back side of the cloth (300) to the printed side. Or the drying of the marking pattern can be done by radiation (UV and / or IR and / or NIR and / or SWIR) above the marking pattern.

[0040] Any UV light source can be used as the radiation source as long as it emits a portion of the light, such as high-pressure or low-pressure mercury lamps, cold cathode tubes, black lights, UV LEDs, UV lasers, and flash lamps.

[0041] The IR source is preferably a NIR source (=near infrared source), such as a NIR lamp, or a SWIR (=short wave infrared source), such as a SWIR lamp. The IR source may comprise a carbon infrared emitter, which has a very short response time. The IR source is also referred to as an infrared radiation source. The IR source may comprise a blower for blowing hot air heated by the IR source.

[0042] Expressed in another way, the printing device of the present invention comprises:

[0043] - a marking device for marking the cloth (300), such as an inkjet head,

[0044] - a first vacuum belt (150) which is connected by an upstream pulley (P 上游 ) and downstream pulley (P 下游 ) support, including the print area (A 打印 ) and vacuum area (A 真空 ).

[0045] - a pair of sliding supports as supports for the nonwoven fabric (200), configured as a second vacuum belt, wherein the pair of sliding supports comprises a first sliding support (= upstream sliding support (S 上游 )) and the second sliding support (= downstream sliding support (S 下游 )); wherein the second sliding support member (S 下游 ) is constructed in the printing area (A 打印 ) or vacuum area (A 真空 ) downstream; and wherein the first sliding support member (S 上游 ) is constructed in the printing area (A 打印 ) or vacuum area (A 真空 ) upstream; and wherein the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as a second vacuum belt is supported in the printing area (A 打印 ) or vacuum area (A 真空 The sliding supports on which the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is wound may each be included in the pulley.

[0046] Vacuum area (A 真空 ) is preferred and the printing area (A 打印 ) overlap, because adhesion by vacuum force during printing is very important for printing quality (such as dot position accuracy). Printing area (A 打印 ) (size and form) is primarily defined by the marking device and its movement (or lack of movement), such as the forward and backward movable inkjet printhead in a multi-pass inkjet printer, and the vacuum area (A 真空 ) (size and form) are primarily defined by the orifices in the first vacuum belt (150) and the vacuum force of the vacuum table (900) below the first vacuum belt (150).

[0047] The printing area (A) of the printing device according to the present invention 打印 ) is the upstream area (A 上游 ), wherein the cloth (300) is applied to the printing device, and wherein the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is at the upstream belt contact position (C CB1，上游，CB2 ) to the first vacuum belt (150). The upstream belt contact position (C CB1，上游，CB2 ) is therefore the contact point where the second vacuum belt comes onto the first vacuum belt ( 150 ) which is at the upstream side of the printing device according to the invention.

[0048] The printing area (A) of the printing device according to the present invention 打印 ) is followed by the downstream area (A 下游), wherein the cloth (300) is output from the printing device, and wherein the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is at the downstream belt contact position (C CB1，下游，CB2 ) leaves the first vacuum belt (150). Therefore, the downstream belt contact position (C CB1，下游，CB2 ) is a contact position where the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt leaves the first vacuum belt (150) which is located at the downstream side of the printing device according to the present invention.

[0049] The nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is disposed at the upstream sliding support contact position (C S，上游 ) at the upstream sliding support (S 上游 The nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is disposed at the downstream sliding support member contact position (C S，下游 ) to the downstream sliding support (S 下游 )superior.

[0050] The inkjet printer (500) may include a coating device for applying a base coating on the cloth (300) when the cloth (300) is supported on the non-woven fabric (200), or for coating a top coating on the decorative cloth when the decorative cloth is supported on the non-woven fabric (200).

[0051] The printing area (A) of the printing device according to the present invention 打印 ) is the upstream area (A 上游 ), wherein the cloth (300) is inserted into / onto the printing device, and wherein the cloth (300) is at an upstream belt contact position (C CB1，上游，打印接收器 ) is attached to the first vacuum belt (150) and at the upstream belt contact position (C CB2，上游，打印接收器 ) to a nonwoven fabric (200) configured as a second vacuum belt.

[0052] * C CB1，上游，打印接收器 Therefore, there is a contact position, in which the cloth (300) is attached to the first vacuum belt (150), which is at the upstream side of the printing device according to the present invention.

[0053] * C CB2，上游，打印接收器 This is the contact position in which the cloth (300) comes onto the second vacuum belt, which is located at the upstream side of the printing device according to the invention.

[0054] The printing area (A) of the printing device according to the present invention 打印 ) is followed by the downstream area (A 下游 ), wherein the cloth (300) is output from the printing device, and wherein the cloth (300) is at a downstream belt contact position (C CB1，下游，打印接收器) leaves the first vacuum belt (150) and at the downstream belt contact position (C CB2，下游，打印接收器 ) leaves the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as a second vacuum belt.

[0055] * C CB1，下游，打印接收器 There is thus a contact position, in which the cloth (300) is separated from the first vacuum belt (150), which is at the downstream side of the printing device according to the invention.

[0056] * C CB2，下游，打印接收器 This is the contact position, in which the cloth (300) leaves the second vacuum zone, which is at the downstream side of the printing device according to the invention.

[0057] First vacuum zone

[0058] The inkjet printer (500) of the present invention comprises two vacuum belts:

[0059] - A first vacuum belt (150) for conveying a second belt suitable for conveying the cloth (300) beneath the inkjet print head (505). The second vacuum belt is a vacuum belt, and more preferably a vacuum belt made of nonwoven fabric (200).

[0060] The conveyor belt is a belt for conveying a load such as cloth (300). The conveyor belt has a support side on which the printing load is conveyed and a back side in contact with a pair of pulleys or sliding supports (805, 807).

[0061] There is a substantially parallel relationship with the longitudinal axes of the pulleys to convey the conveyor belt straightly on the pulleys. These parallel pulleys are also called belt pulleys (905, 907). The first vacuum belt (150) is such a conveyor belt.

[0062] The width of the first vacuum belt (150) is the distance of the belt measured in a direction parallel to the pair of pulleys. The width of the belt is the distance between the conveyor belt edges across the conveyor belt parallel to the parallel pulleys.

[0063] The length of the first vacuum belt (150) is the distance of the belt measured perpendicular to the parallel direction of the pair of pulleys. It defines the length of the loop formed by the belt.

[0064] The minimum path of the first vacuum belt (150) is the minimum distance the belt can travel over its pair of pulleys.

[0065] The conveying direction of the first vacuum belt (150) is the direction in which the belt is conveyed, which direction is perpendicular to the pair of pulleys on which the belt is wound or looped. The conveying direction of the first vacuum belt (150) defines the path followed by the belt on the pair of pulleys on which it is wound.

[0066] The pulley is preferably a cylinder mounted on a central axis rod. The pulley includes a pulley cover in contact with the first vacuum belt (150).

[0067] The pulleys may include belt guides to prevent or minimize belt play on the pair of pulleys. Belt play is the phenomenon of moving the pulley from left to right or right to left on a pulley perpendicular to the direction of transport.

[0068] The first vacuum belt (150) of the present invention is also wrapped around the vacuum table (900). Therefore, the first vacuum belt (150) includes a plurality of orifices, thereby generating a vacuum area (A) in the printing device through the vacuum force of the vacuum table (900). 真空 ). If, for example, the vacuum table (900) includes multiple vacuum sub-chambers, such a vacuum area may include multiple vacuum sub-areas. Therefore, the first vacuum belt (150) is a permeable conveyor belt, more precisely a breathable conveyor belt, sometimes called a porous conveyor belt. The bottom of the first vacuum belt (150) (which is the back side) is in contact with the vacuum table (900), and the top of the first vacuum belt (150) (which is the support side) includes a support area for the non-woven fabric (200), which is configured as the second vacuum belt in the present invention. In the literature, the winding of a conveyor belt is sometimes referred to as "looping" around its pulley. In the present invention, the first vacuum belt (150) is wound around the vacuum table (900) and a pair of pulleys (i.e., the upstream pulley (P 上游 ) and downstream pulley (P 下游 )) forms a ring around it.

[0069] Preferably, the width of the first vacuum belt (150) is between 1 meter and 10 meters, more preferably between 3 meters and 6 meters.

[0070] The printing device according to the present invention preferably comprises an adjusting device to adjust the pair of pulleys (P 上游 and P 下游 ) are aligned so as to become parallel to each other. Such adjustment devices are well known in the prior art. It is also well known in the prior art to use more than two pulleys, especially additional pulleys, around which the first vacuum belt (150) is wrapped, to change the tension of the conveyor belt or to control the conveyor belt to have a straight path on the wrapped pulleys.

[0071] In the prior art, printing devices having a vacuum belt to transport a print receiver for marking a pattern thereon are well known. An example of such a printing device is provided by AGFA NV TM Made by Jeti Tauro TM .

[0072] Preferably, the first vacuum belt (150) according to the present invention has two or more layers of material, wherein the lower layer provides linear strength and shape, also referred to as the frame, and the upper layer is referred to as the cover layer or support side. The frame is preferably a textile fabric web, and more preferably a textile fabric web of polyester, nylon, fiberglass or cotton. The material of the cover preferably includes various rubbers, and more preferably plastic compounds, and most preferably thermoplastic polymer resins. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cover of the first vacuum belt (150) is in the vacuum area (A) of the printing device. 真空 ) supports one side of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the frame of the first vacuum belt (150) is the side in contact with the pair of pulleys according to the present invention. In the present invention, the frame is preferably impregnated with polyurethane to minimize the noise of the first vacuum belt (150) being transmitted and rubbed on the pair of pulleys and the vacuum table (900).

[0073] The support side (top side, cover) of the first vacuum belt (150) preferably comprises a thermoplastic polymer resin coated on a rough layer. The support area of ​​the present invention is preferably a wearable engineering plastic composition or comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyoxymethylene (POM) and / or polyaryletherketone (PAEK).

[0074] The top surface of the first vacuum belt (150) (and therefore the cover on which the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt of the present invention is carried) comprises preferably a hard polyurethane, preferably having a thickness (measured from top surface to bottom surface) between 0.2 and 2.5 mm. The total thickness (measured from top surface to bottom surface) of the first vacuum belt (150) is preferably between 1.2 and 7 mm.

[0075] The first vacuum belt (150) may include a thermoplastic intermediate layer for easily looping around a pair of pulleys according to the present invention.

[0076] The thickness of the first vacuum belt (150) is preferably between 1 mm and 5 mm; more preferably between 1.5 mm and 3.5 mm. The thickness of the first vacuum belt (150) is selected to carry the second conveyor belt and the cloth (300), but particularly for said load, preferably the thickness is between 2 mm and 3 mm.

[0077] The pitch line of the first vacuum belt (150) is preferably lower than one third of the thickness of the first vacuum belt (150), more preferably lower than one fifth of the thickness of the first vacuum belt (150), these distances being measured from the back side of the first vacuum belt (150), which is the side in contact with the pulley around which it is wrapped.

[0078] The pitch line of the first vacuum belt (150) is preferably between 0 and 2 mm; more preferably between 0 and 1 mm, and most preferably between 0.1 and 0.8 mm. These distances are measured from the back side of the first vacuum belt (150), which is the side in contact with the pulley around which it is wrapped.

[0079] This pitch line of the first vacuum belt (150) is important in the present invention for having a high marking accuracy; especially in a printing device with a high printing resolution and an inkjet printing device comprising an inkjet head capable of ejecting small droplets of less than 12 pL. The pitch line is a plane within the conveyor belt that experiences neither tension nor compression when the belt is around the pulley, i.e., the neutral plane of the belt structure.

[0080] In order to better suck the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt according to the present invention from the vacuum table (900) according to the present invention together with the first vacuum belt (150), the first vacuum belt (150) has a plurality of holes so that air can be guided and sucked through the first vacuum belt (150). A plurality of these holes can be of small size, preferably with a diameter of from 0.3 to 10 mm, more preferably with a diameter of from 0.4 to 5 mm, most preferably with a diameter of from 0.5 to 2 mm, and preferably evenly spaced on the first vacuum belt (150), preferably with a spacing of 3 mm to 50 mm, more preferably with a spacing of from 4 to 30 mm, and most preferably with a spacing of 5 to 15 mm, so that a uniform vacuum pressure can be generated, which vacuum pressure sucks the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt together with the first vacuum belt (150).

[0081] The first vacuum belt (150) is tensioned between a pair of pulleys according to the present invention. In the present invention, the tensioning can be caused by aligning parallel pulleys and / or widening the distance between the longitudinal axes of the pair of pulleys. This tensioning of the first vacuum belt (150) is important for the correct printing alignment of the reprint receiver and the marking pattern.

[0082] The installation of the first vacuum belt (150) in the printing device requires a demanding process, in which the tension on a pair of pulleys is measured and controlled, for example by widening the longitudinal axes to each other. The two edges (left and right) of the conveyor belt are also controlled in order to calculate the play and / or drift of the conveyor belt on the pair of pulleys. By adjusting the tension, the play and / or drift can be controlled. The stability of the drift and / or play as well as the tensioning of the first vacuum belt (150) are then controlled for more than one hour (=relaxation phase). If some deformation of the first vacuum belt (150) is detected in this demanding process; then a waiting time of 12 hours is required to relax the first vacuum belt (150), after which the whole process must be started again.

[0083] The effective tension on the first vacuum belt (150) must be at least equal to or even greater than the force required for slip-free transport.

[0084] The tension of the first vacuum belt (150) can be controlled by attaching an additional pulley around which the first vacuum belt (150) is wrapped and which can be angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the pair of pulleys. Such additional pulleys are sometimes referred to as alignment pulleys or alignment rollers.

[0085] The conveyance of the first vacuum belt (150) is preferably driven by a motor; more preferably an electric stepper motor; in order to generate torque on one of the pair of pulleys through friction on the first vacuum belt (150) and the powered pulley, the cloth (300) and the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt according to the present invention are conveyed in the conveying direction. The use of an electric stepper motor makes the conveyance of the cloth (300) more controllable, such as changing the conveying speed and moving the load on the vacuum belt in a continuous distance movement. An example of a conveyor belt with an electric stepper motor for media transport of a wide format printer is described in EP1235690 (ENCAD INC.). A preferred embodiment includes a system for conveying the first vacuum belt (150) in a continuous distance movement; also called discrete step increments, to transport the cloth (300) and the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt.

[0086] Another way to convey the first vacuum belt (150) is by a belt stepping conveyor system with high precision positioning capability, which is due to the moving belt gripper mounted on the linear motion system, while the moving belt gripper engages the first conveyor belt and the moving belt gripper moves from the original position to the end position by the linear motion system, and the first vacuum belt (150) is moved in a continuous distance. The first vacuum belt (150) is stopped by the engagement of the stopped belt gripper, while the moving belt gripper moves back to its original position, otherwise the stopped belt gripper has released the conveyor belt. An example of such a conveyor system is disclosed in WO2014184226 (AGFA NV).

[0087] When the first vacuum belt (150) is transported, any of a variety of encoder mechanisms can be used to control the line feed distance. Typically, a rotary encoder is connected to a belt drive roller; the belt drive roller belongs to a pair of pulleys. The information provided by the encoder is processed by the printing device to control the line feed distance.

[0088] The printing device may include multiple conveyor belts as the first vacuum belt (150), for example with different amounts of orifices to generate different vacuum forces.

[0089] A preferred first vacuum zone for use in the present invention is disclosed in US20180264851 (AGFA NV) or a more preferred first vacuum zone for use in the present invention is disclosed in EP3266619 (AGFA NV).

[0090] Vacuum workbench

[0091] The vacuum table (900) is a vacuum support. The vacuum chamber included in the printing device of the present invention presses the cloth (300) against the vacuum table (900). The cloth (300) and the vacuum table (900) sandwich the first vacuum belt (150) and the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt.

[0092] Preferably, the vacuum table (900) in this embodiment includes a set of air channels to provide a pressure difference through the vacuum chamber at the support layer of the vacuum table (900), thereby generating a vacuum area (A 真空 ), and includes a set of orifices at the bottom surface of the printing table connected to the set of air channels. These orifices at the bottom layer can be circular, oval, square, rectangular and / or grooved, such as slits parallel to the bottom layer of the vacuum table (900).

[0093] The support layer of the print station should be constructed to prevent damage to the cloth (300) or the vacuum support (if applicable). For example, the holes in the support layer that connect to the air channel can have rounded edges. The support layer of the print station can be configured to have low friction specifications.

[0094] The top surface (also referred to as the support surface) of the vacuum table (900) or a portion of the vacuum table (900), such as the inner side of its air channels, may be coated to have easy-to-clean properties, for example due to leakage of dust or ink. The coating is preferably a dust-proof and / or ink-proof and / or hydrophobic coating. Preferably, the top surface of the vacuum table (900) or a portion of the vacuum table (900), such as the inner side of its air channels, is treated with a hydrophobic method that repels ink by creating a smooth and repellent surface that reduces friction.

[0095] The vacuum support air channel is an air channel from the support surface to the bottom surface of the vacuum support. If the perimeter of the vacuum support air channel at the support surface is substantially circular, it is also called a suction hole.

[0096] In the present invention, the area of ​​the vacuum support air passage at the support surface of the vacuum support is preferably 0.3 mm 2 and 5 mm 2More preferably, the perimeter of the vacuum support air channel at the support surface has the same shape as a circle, an ellipse, an oval, a rectangle, a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, a heptagon, an octagon, or any polygon containing at least three sides.

[0097] The vacuum support air channel preferably tapers in the direction of the bottom surface to obtain an optimal vacuum pressure effect at the support surface.

[0098] The distribution of the air channels on the support surface of the vacuum support is preferably between 1 air channel per square dm and 100 air channels per square dm; more preferably between 5 air channels per square dm and 50 air channels per square dm.

[0099] The diameter of the suction hole is preferably from 0.3 to 10 mm, more preferably from 0.4 to 5 mm, and most preferably from 0.5 to 2 mm. 真空 ) are preferably evenly spaced on the vacuum support, preferably spaced 3 mm to 50 mm, more preferably spaced from 4 mm to 30 mm, and most preferably spaced from 5 mm to 15 mm, so as to enable a uniform vacuum pressure to be generated to hold the cloth (300) together with the vacuum support.

[0100] The vacuum chamber is a rigid housing constructed from a variety of materials, preferably it may include metal. The material is selected based on strength, pressure and permeability. The material of the vacuum chamber may include stainless steel, aluminum, mild steel, brass, high-density ceramic, glass or acrylic.

[0101] The vacuum pump provides vacuum pressure inside the vacuum chamber, and the vacuum pump is connected to a vacuum pump input (such as an orifice in the vacuum chamber) through a vacuum pump connector (such as a tube). Between the vacuum pump connectors, a vacuum controller (such as a valve or a tap) may be provided to control the vacuum inside the sub-vacuum chamber in which the orifice is located.

[0102] A preferred vacuum table for use with the present invention is disclosed in US9962963 (AGFA NV). Another preferred vacuum table for use with the present invention is disclosed in US9573393 (AGFA NV).

[0103] Second vacuum zone

[0104] The inkjet printer (500) of the present invention comprises two vacuum belts:

[0105] A first vacuum belt (150) for conveying a second belt, the second belt being suitable for conveying a cloth (300) under an inkjet print head (505). The second vacuum belt is a vacuum belt, and more preferably a vacuum belt made of a nonwoven fabric (200). In the present invention, the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt has the function of supporting the cloth (300) in the present invention. The second vacuum belt is therefore wound around a minimum of two sliding supports, which may be pulleys. The nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is actually looped around the first vacuum belt (150) and in the same direction as the first vacuum belt (150). The use of the second vacuum belt may be referred to as a double conveyor belt principle or a double conveyor belt principle.

[0106] The area for applying the cloth (300) on the second vacuum belt is preferably larger than the cloth (300) and is preferably flat. The cloth (300) partially covers the second vacuum belt to have good adhesion at the edge of the cloth (300). When the size of the second vacuum belt is even larger than the cloth (300) and the cloth completely covers the belt, when applying vacuum through the first and second vacuum belts, the edge of the cloth (300) may be wrinkled (wavy or curled) due to the tufted back side with fibers and filaments and their adhesion. This may cause a collision with the print head (505) of the inkjet printer (500).

[0107] The second vacuum belt comprises one or more fiber layers, wherein the back side of the cloth (300) with fibers and filaments is preferably in contact with a fiber layer from the one or more fiber layers. The fiber layer easily adheres to the fiber and tufted back side with fibers and filaments. The fiber layer can be coated and / or is a non-woven fabric (200), such as felt. The felt can be wool felt, but preferably it is polyester felt. Recycled polyester felt can also be used. Polyester felts are most preferred because the felts have a tighter structure and they can operate at operating temperatures above 30°C. Polyester felts can be mixed with other materials, such as wool.

[0108] In the present invention, in order to minimize the vacuum force for air suction, the air permeability of the second vacuum zone can be between 30 and 120 L / (dm 2 ×min), preferably between 35 and 90 L / (dm 2 ×min). The air permeability can be measured by AKUSTRON TM The air permeability tester is measured according to the industrial standards DIN 53887, DIN 53120, ISO9237 and ASTM D 737-96. Therefore, the air permeability is measured in minutes, which is abbreviated as "min".

[0109] If the second vacuum belt comprises multiple layers stacked on top of each other, one or more of the layers are fibrous layers, but preferably all of the layers are fibrous. The layers also need to be air permeable. The air permeability of the second vacuum belt is measured on all of the multiple layers. Preferably, the first layer from the multiple layers in contact with the back side with fibers and filaments has a lower air permeability than the second layer, which is a subsequent layer of the first layer. Most preferably, the subsequent layer of one of the multiple layers has a higher air permeability.

[0110] If the layer in contact with the back side with fibers and filaments is a nonwoven fabric (200), the fiber orientation of the nonwoven fabric (200) and the fibers in contact with the back side with fibers and filaments can be adapted to have better adhesion with the fiber and tufted back side with fibers and filaments. In a preferred embodiment, the first vacuum belt (150) has a conveying direction; the cloth (300) has a back side with fibers and filaments, and the nonwoven fabric (200) has hair oriented parallel to the conveying direction for hooking with the back side with fibers and filaments.

[0111] Good retention and easy fixation of the cloth (300) can be even more efficient by the present invention, wherein the second conveyor belt comprises registration marks for arranging the cloth (300) or more than one cloth on the belt. The second conveyor belt may also comprise registration means for aligning the cloth (300) on the support. The registration marks may be a ruler, a grid of n×m small squares or one or more small lines for easy registration of the cloth (300) or even more than one cloth (300). The marks may comprise an identification code or means for calculating distances. The registration means may also be registration pins or registration rods.

[0112] In order to facilitate operation and have a certain rigidity, the weight of the second vacuum belt is preferably between 0.6 and 2.5 kg / m 2 The thickness of the belt is preferably between 1.5 mm and 4 mm, more preferably between 1.5 mm and 3 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of the second vacuum belt is twice or more the thickness of the supported cloth (300), but more preferably, the thickness of the second vacuum belt does not exceed 100 times the thickness of the supported cloth (300).

[0113] Furthermore, hot pressing of the decorative cloth can be performed in the production line while the cloth is still attached to the second vacuum belt with the back side having fibers and filaments. The production line of the invention also comprises a hot press for said hot pressing. Therefore, the cloth (300) is preferably a cloth which is more preferably primed before printing the decorative image and which is most preferably top-coated after printing the image by a coating device which is part of the production line. The base coating, the cloth (300), the decorative image and the top coating can then be sandwiched together by the hot pressing step.

[0114] The conveying preferably has successive distance movements, also called discrete step increments, which are caused by the conveying of the first vacuum belt (150).

[0115] After the printing step of the present invention, the second vacuum belt can be cleaned. This can be achieved by a support cleaner, which includes:

[0116] - a container for cleaning liquid; and

[0117] - a cleaning roller in contact with said second vacuum belt;

[0118] Wherein the cleaning roller preferably comprises an elongated blanket fabric which is spirally wrapped around the cleaning roller and wherein the pile consists of yarn tufts in a looped and / or cut configuration; and wherein the cleaning roller comprises a spiral channel along the length of the wrapped blanket fabric for draining the cleaning fluid from the cleaning roller and / or for wetting the cleaning roller with the cleaning fluid. The cleaning step may be performed while conveying. A well-known cleaning roller manufacturer is TEKNEK TM , wherein no container for the cleaning liquid is required because an adhesive layer is used on the cleaning roller.

[0119] A cleaning roller, such as a roller with an adhesive layer, is preferably positioned after the downstream sliding support contact position.Cleaning rollers may also be used in inkjet printers for cleaning cloths prior to printing.

[0120] The supporting side of the second vacuum belt (in the present invention the side in contact with the back side with the fibers and filaments) can be impregnated and / or coated with PUR and / or glue. Also the other side that will be in contact with the first conveyor belt can be impregnated for better sliding, for example with PUR. However, coating or impregnating the fiber layer in contact with the back side with the fibers and filaments is less preferred, because then the fibers on the top of the layer are less hooked with the back side with the fibers and filaments.

[0121] When one or more pieces of fabric (=cloth pieces) are supplied on the second vacuum belt, the position can be scanned by a camera system (1004) above the second vacuum belt. The camera system (1004) is then part of the inkjet printer (500) of the invention. If the second vacuum belt has registration marks or registration means or an identification code, the scanning can be used to optimize the supply chain of the decorative fabric of the invention. In the post-processing of the decorative fabric, if the one or more pieces of fabric are still on the second vacuum belt, the identification code and the position of the one or more pieces of fabric can be used, for example, for cutting.

[0122] According to a preferred embodiment, if the second vacuum belt has a nonwoven fabric as the fiber layer and the post-processing is cutting in the cloth (300) while the cloth is still on the second vacuum belt, the cutting causes minimal damage to the support. Then, the nonwoven fabric is preferably polyester felt. Therefore, the second vacuum belt can be reused for subsequent printing operations for decorative cloth according to the present invention.

[0123] In a preferred embodiment, the cloth (300) comprises a matching hole which matches the head portion of the registration pin supplied to the second vacuum belt. The registration pin is preferably made of stainless steel, aluminum or plastic material. The matching holes in the cloth (300) can be added to the cloth by punching holes in the cloth (300) with a puncher, preferably close to the edge of the cloth (300). The edge of the cloth (300) is mostly of low quality, especially when the cloth (300) is half leather or full leather. The matching holes can also be used for post-processing of the inkjet printed fabric for registration, such as cutting in cloth blocks.

[0124] In order to avoid collision with the print head of the inkjet printer (500), the head part of the registration device (such as the registration pin) extends above the cloth (300) to a height less than the jetting distance of the print head, preferably to a height between 0.1 mm and 3 mm. The bottom part of the registration device can have a device for supplying the registration pin into the second vacuum belt, for example by screwing or drilling or piercing. If the supply of the registration pin is carried out in a fiber layer according to the previous embodiment, such as the nonwoven fabric (200), the pin can be easily removed without leaving obvious holes. The second vacuum belt can be reused several times, wherein the pin is (re)positioned more than once.

[0125] The nonwoven fabric (200) configured as a second vacuum belt is also wound around a pair of sliding supports (805, 817) that are substantially parallel to each other. The sliding supports are also substantially parallel to a pair of pulleys around which the first vacuum belt (150) according to the present invention is wound. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one of the sliding supports from the pair of sliding supports is part of the pulleys (815, 817), more preferably, the pair of sliding supports is another pair of pulleys, and therefore not the pair of pulleys on which the first vacuum belt (150) is wound. Such a pulley of the other pair of pulleys (which includes the sliding support according to the present invention) may be non-rotatable, but is preferably rotatable about its longitudinal axis. In the present invention, the rotation of the pulley is preferably performed by friction of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt while being transported by the first vacuum belt (150). The rotation of the pulley may be driven by a motor, for example, to easily handle the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt on the first vacuum belt (150), or to slightly control the transport direction and movement of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt.

[0126] In order to better understand the present invention: the pair of sliding supports (S 上游 and S 下游 ) is mounted outside the first vacuum belt (150), so the first vacuum belt (150) is not wrapped around the pair of sliding supports, and the pair of sliding supports are not part of a pair of pulleys on which the first vacuum belt (150) is wrapped according to the present invention, and so the first vacuum belt (150) is not in contact with the pair of sliding supports (805, 807).

[0127] The nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is in contact with the pair of sliding supports at its back side, possibly through the airflow of the air cushion system contained in the sliding support; the pulleys may be another pair of pulleys. The side of the sliding support on which the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt according to the present invention is supported is called the supporting surface or supporting side of the sliding support.

[0128] The nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt may also be wrapped around an additional pulley or pulleys, such as upper and lower dancer rollers, which are not in contact with the first vacuum belt (150) and are configured outside the first vacuum belt (150).

[0129] Due to the rotation of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt; it passes through the vacuum area (A) from the first vacuum belt (150) 真空 ) in the suction contact, while making the first vacuum belt (150) surround its pair of pulleys (P 上游 , P 下游) rotates; the cloth (300) on the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is moved in the printing device on a sliding support (also referred to as an upstream sliding support (S 上游 )) and another sliding support (also referred to as a downstream sliding support (S 下游 The pair of sliding supports (805, 807) (on which the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as a second vacuum belt is wound) includes an upstream sliding support (S 上游 ) and downstream sliding support (S 下游 Similarly, a pair of pulleys on which the first vacuum belt (150) is wound includes an upstream pulley (P 上游 ) and downstream pulley (P 下游 ), wherein the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as a second vacuum belt and also the cloth (300) are conveyed between an upstream pulley and a downstream pulley. The marking of the cloth (300) is on the upstream sliding support (S 上游 ) and downstream sliding support (S 下游 ) are executed between.

[0130] The conveying direction of the cloth (300) and the nonwoven fabric (200) of the first vacuum belt (150) configured as the second vacuum belt is from the upstream area to the downstream area, from the upstream sliding support (S 上游 ) to the downstream sliding support (S 下游 ) and from the upstream pulley (P 上游 ) to the downstream pulley (P 下游 ) is determined.

[0131] The width of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is the distance of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt measured in a direction parallel to a pair of sliding supports. The width of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is the distance between the edges of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt, across the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt, and parallel to these parallel sliding supports. The width of the nonwoven fabric (200) is preferably between 1m and 10m. Multiple fabrics can be placed adjacent to each other on the nonwoven fabric (200). The inkjet printer (500) can have a movable alignment pin that slides on the media setting rod to be fixed at a desired position. The alignment pin aligns one of the multiple fabrics. Jeti Tauro manufactured by AGFA NV TM Such a pin arrangement is provided to print on multiple pieces of fabric in alignment using a so-called media setting bar.

[0132] The length of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is the distance of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt, which is measured perpendicular to the parallel direction of the pair of sliding supports. It defines the length of the loop formed by the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt.

[0133] The conveying direction of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is a direction in which the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is conveyed, the direction being perpendicular to a pair of sliding supports on which the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is wound or looped. The conveying direction of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt defines a path followed by the conveyor belt on the pair of sliding supports on which it is wound.

[0134] The sliding support may include a belt guide to prevent or minimize the movement of the non-woven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt on a pair of sliding supports, which are the movement of the non-woven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt from left to right / from right to left in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the non-woven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt.

[0135] The printing device according to the present invention preferably includes adjustment means to align the longitudinal axes of the pair of slide supports of the present invention so as to become parallel to each other.

[0136] The printing device may include, for example, a plurality of conveyor belts configured as a second vacuum belt nonwoven fabric (200), and as a preferred embodiment, different glues are provided to produce different glue areas depending on the print receivers carried on these plurality of conveyor belts configured as a second vacuum belt nonwoven fabric (200). Then, the plurality of conveyor belts are also wound around a pair of sliding supports according to the present invention.

[0137] In a preferred embodiment, the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt includes a scale and / or a scaler, which can be used to measure the movement and / or speed of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt (for example, by a sensor, such as an encoder and an optical linear encoder), or to measure the size of the cloth (300). After reading the scale and / or the scaler, the signal from the sensor (such as an optical linear encoder) determines the position of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt or the speed of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt in the control system, and indirectly determines the position of the cloth (300) carried on the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt. The encoder can have a digital resolution between 0.01 microns and 250 microns, more preferably a digital resolution between 0.01 microns and 50 microns, and most preferably a digital resolution between 0.01 microns and 10 microns. In particular, when the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is moved in a successive distance movement, this small digital resolution is important for calculating the real successive distance movement from the encoder signal. The scale and / or the indexer can be included on the supporting side of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt; which is the side connected to the cloth (300), and / or on the back side of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt; which is the side connected to the first vacuum belt (150).

[0138] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is suspended on the downstream sliding support (S 下游 ) and upstream sliding support (S 上游 ), preferably free suspension. Downstream and upstream sliding supports (S 上游 ) is preferably lower than the tension on the first vacuum belt (150) according to the invention, and more preferably no tension is applied between the downstream and upstream sliding supports (S 上游 ). For the sake of clarity, tension here refers to the force on the conveyor belt along the conveying direction, also referred to as conveying direction tension. The nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt slides between the downstream and upstream supports (S 上游 An additional advantage of lower tension or untensioned transport between the second vacuum belt and the nonwoven fabric (200) is that the life of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is extended.

[0139] The total tension inside the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is preferably lower than the total tension inside the first vacuum belt (150), especially during printing.

[0140] If the tension of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is equal to or higher than that of the first vacuum belt (150), it is found that the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is prone to wrinkles and / or unpredictable internal tension, which causes a position change of the cloth (300) on top of the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt. Such position change reduces the print quality of the printed pattern or may cause the cloth (300) to shrink against the marking device or the dryer according to the printing device. This also causes the surrounding of the first conveyor belt and the upstream sliding support (S 上游 ) and downstream sliding support (S 下游 ) It becomes more difficult to apply the non-woven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt, so the total tension inside the non-woven fabric (200) configured as the second vacuum belt is preferably lower than the total tension inside the first vacuum belt (150), especially during printing.

[0141] Pressure device

[0142] The pressure device in the present invention is used to apply pressure to the cloth (300) on the second vacuum belt, and thus also applies pressure to the first vacuum belt (150) of the present invention.

[0143] In the present invention, the pressure device includes a portion for traversing the cloth (300) under friction through relative movement between the pressure device and the second vacuum belt carrying the cloth (300).

[0144] Thus, the portion traverses one side of the fabric (300), wherein during a period of time, the portion moves under pressure (= friction) along the surface of said side. The period of time is preferably greater than 50 μs. Therefore, the means for pressing the fabric (300) onto the nonwoven fabric (200) is not a roller, which results in a very short contact press (≠ friction). It was found that the so-called point contact is not effective enough for a good hold on the nonwoven fabric (200). The roller can even cause the fabric (300) to curl along the surface of the roller.

[0145] Preferably, the portion is a flat portion inclined toward the second vacuum belt, for example configured as a slit. The flat portion may also be a leaf spring or a box spring. If the portion is a flat portion, preferably, the portion is adapted to traverse the cloth (300) under friction when the cloth (300) is conveyed on the second vacuum belt. The angle between the flat portion and the second vacuum belt is preferably less than 65°, more preferably less than 30°. The angle is at least 0.5°.

[0146] The flat portion is preferably elastic, wherein when the flat portion traverses the cloth (300) under friction by the relative movement between the pressure device and the second vacuum belt carrying the cloth (300), the flat portion becomes (almost) parallel to the second vacuum belt of the invention. Due to the elasticity, fewer scratches caused by the portion appear on the cloth (300).

[0147] The flat part is preferably made of or comprises metal, steel, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyoxymethylene (POM) and / or polyaryletherketone (PAEK).

[0148] When the portion crosses the cloth (300) under friction due to the relative movement between the pressure device and the second vacuum belt, the end of the portion in contact with the cloth (300) is preferably rounded to prevent scratches on the cloth (300), or includes a soft block to shield the sharp end of the portion.

[0149] The inkjet printer (500) preferably includes a height adjuster for adjusting the distance between the portion and the first vacuum belt (150). The thickness of the cloth can vary, so the height adjuster is useful for controlling the pressing of the cloth against the second vacuum belt. The nonwoven fabric (200), especially the felt and the cloth (300), are compressible, which makes the pressure feasible.

[0150] Base coating

[0151] The basecoat applied to the cloth (300) provides a level of image quality commensurate with the luxurious aspect of the cloth, as the low viscosity of the inkjet inks causes them to quickly penetrate into the cloth, resulting in a reduction in image quality.

[0152] The primer layer can be applied as a single layer, or can be applied as multiple layers. The multiple layers can even have different compositions to improve properties such as adhesion or flexibility.

[0153] The primer layer preferably comprises a polyurethane-based polymer or copolymer, as this has been found to improve the flexibility of the printed fabric. The primer layer preferably further comprises a polyamide polymer or copolymer, as polyamide has been found to improve compatibility with the fabric and improve the strength of the primer layer. The primer layer is preferably applied by spraying, but may be applied by any known coating technique, such as knife coating, extrusion coating, slide hopper coating, and curtain coating. If the present invention or it can be applied when the fabric (300) is already attached to the nonwoven fabric, it can be applied before attaching the fabric (300) to the nonwoven fabric configured as a vacuum belt.

[0154] The base coat may be transparent, but is preferably an opaque base coat. If the opaque base coat is applied when the cloth (300) is already attached to the nonwoven fabric, preferably steps are taken not to spray or paint the area of ​​the nonwoven fabric where the identifier, registration means, registration pins, registration strips, rulers or positioning marks are located, or to cover them with, for example, a piece of removable tape before spraying or painting. In this way, the identifier or positioning mark can still be observed by the human eye.

[0155] The base coat can be a white base coat to enhance the color vividness of the inkjet printed image, but preferably the base coat has a color similar to the color of the back and front sides of the cloth. Any desired color can be selected for the base coat, such as red, green, brown, black, blue, ...

[0156] Top coating

[0157] A topcoat may be applied over the decorative image and / or the basecoat to enhance the scratch resistance of the decorative image.

[0158] The topcoat layer can be applied as a single layer, or can be applied as multiple layers. The multiple layers can even have different compositions to improve properties such as scratch resistance.

[0159] The protective topcoat layer may have the same or similar composition as the basecoat layer. Typically, the protective topcoat layer will be optimized to some degree based on the fabric application.

[0160] The topcoat layer preferably comprises a crosslinking agent and a polyurethane and / or polyamide based polymer or copolymer.

[0161] Adhesives

[0162] In a less preferred embodiment, adhesive is applied to the nonwoven fabric (200) configured as a second vacuum belt. The hold is not fixed by vacuum force alone. The adhesive thereby forms a sticky layer on the second vacuum belt. The most preferred embodiment of the invention is a second vacuum belt without said sticky layer. The amount of adhesive required to fix the hold is less than using the sticky single conveyor belt principle according to the prior art.

[0163] The adhesive is used to attach the cloth (300) having fibers and filaments on its back side to the second vacuum belt of the present invention. The adhesive can be applied to the second vacuum belt, to the cloth (300), or to both.

[0164] Any adhesive known in the art may be used in the present invention, from conventional known adhesives to biomimetic based adhesives. Repositionable adhesives are preferred because they help ensure that the fabric is attached to the carrier completely flat and will not cause collisions with the inkjet printhead. Removable pressure sensitive adhesives are also available from manufacturers such as 3M's Post-ItTM Known in the application of notes.

[0165] There is no restriction on the manner in which the adhesive is applied to the surface, which may be by coating or spraying, for example. Repositionable spray adhesives are preferred because they cause no or very limited damage to the back side with the fibers and filaments when the carrier is separated from the cloth. A commercial example of a suitable spray adhesive is 3M TM Repositionable 75 spray adhesive. Spray adhesives are also called aerosol adhesives.

[0166] Pigmented inkjet inks

[0167] The one or more pigmented inkjet inks for inkjet printing can be selected from aqueous pigmented inkjet inks, solvent-based pigmented inkjet inks and radiation-curable pigmented inkjet inks. However, the one or more pigmented inkjet inks are preferably one or more radiation-curable inkjet inks, most preferably one or more ultraviolet-curable inkjet inks.

[0168] The one or more pigmented inkjet inks preferably contain organic color pigments, as they allow a high color gamut to be obtained on the cloth (300). Carbon black and titanium dioxide are inorganic pigments that can be advantageously used in the present invention to form the black and white pigmented inkjet inks, respectively.

[0169] In a preferred embodiment, the one or more pigmented inkjet inks form a CMYK(W) or CRYK(W) inkjet ink set.

Claims

1. An inkjet printer (500) for printing on a cloth (300), comprising: - a first vacuum belt (150) for conveying a nonwoven fabric (200), the nonwoven fabric (200) being configured as a second vacuum belt, and wherein the second vacuum belt is adapted to convey the fabric (300) below an inkjet print head (505); and - means for applying pressure to said fabric (300) on said second vacuum belt; The device comprises a portion for traversing the cloth (300) under friction by relative movement between the pressure device and the second vacuum belt carrying the cloth (300).

2. The inkjet printer (500) according to claim 1, wherein: The nonwoven fabric (200) has a L / (dm 2 ×min) air permeability.

3. The inkjet printer (500) according to claim 2, wherein: The nonwoven fabric (200) is felt.

4. The inkjet printer (500) according to claim 3, wherein: The nonwoven fabric (200) includes an adhesive layer for adhering the cloth (300) to the nonwoven fabric (200).

5. The inkjet printer (500) according to claim 3, wherein: The first vacuum belt (150) has a conveying direction; the cloth (300) has a back side with fibers and filaments, and the nonwoven fabric (200) has hairs oriented parallel to the conveying direction for hooking the fibers and filaments.

6. The inkjet printer (500) of claim 3, wherein the portion is a flat portion angled toward the second vacuum zone.

7. The inkjet printer (500) according to claim 3, wherein: The part is a leaf spring or a box spring.

8. The inkjet printer (500) according to claim 6, wherein: The flat portion is adapted to traverse the cloth (300) under friction while conveying the cloth (300) on the second vacuum belt.

9. The inkjet printer (500) according to claim 1, wherein: The inkjet printer (500) includes a guide for guiding the second vacuum belt, whereby the second vacuum belt has a straight conveying path.

10. The inkjet printer (500) according to claim 2, wherein: The device includes a height adjuster for adjusting the distance between the portion of the device and the first vacuum zone (150).

11. The inkjet printer (500) according to claim 2, wherein: The nonwoven fabric (200) includes registration marks for arranging the cloth material (300) on the nonwoven fabric (200).

12. The inkjet printer (500) according to claim 2, wherein: The second vacuum belt is wrapped around the first vacuum belt (150) and is supported by at least two sliding supports (805, 807, 815, 817).

13. The inkjet printer (500) according to claim 2, wherein: The nonwoven fabric (200) comprises an alignment device for aligning the cloth (300) on the nonwoven fabric (200).

14. The inkjet printer (500) according to claim 2, wherein: The cloth is a continuous piece of cloth.

15. The inkjet printer (500) according to claim 2, wherein: The inkjet printer includes a guide for guiding the second vacuum belt, wherein the second vacuum belt has a straight conveying path.

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