Recording apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides a recording apparatus. A first recording unit and a second recording unit can record on a recording medium with a plurality of types of liquids, respectively, a part of the first recording unit and a part of the second recording unit being disposed at different positions in a vertical direction, a part of a region obtained by projecting the first recording unit in the vertical direction and a part of a region obtained by projecting the second recording unit in the vertical direction overlap each other in the horizontal direction, and the recording medium conveyed from the first recording unit is conveyed in a horizontal posture. The recording medium is dried until the recording medium passes through a predetermined distance in the first drying section of the first recording unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus for performing recording by applying liquid to a recording medium. Background Art

[0002] Among recording devices for recording by applying liquid such as ink to a recording medium, there is a device that has a drying section for promoting evaporation of a liquid component of the ink at a subsequent stage of a recording section for applying the ink. Japanese Patent No. 6449942 discloses a recording device having a plurality of recording sections for performing multi-color printing on a recording medium and a drying section provided at a subsequent stage of each recording section.

[0003] In Japanese Patent No. 6449942, since the conveying path is configured so that the recording medium passes through the drying section just downstream of the recording section while being conveyed in an attitude inclined relative to the horizontal, there is a possibility that the ink moves on the recording medium along the inclination depending on the ink application amount.

[0004] On the other hand, in the recording device of Japanese Patent No. 6449942, the recording medium is conveyed in a horizontal posture by configuring the drying section, and a plurality of recording units consisting of the recording section and the drying section are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction, which causes a problem that the size of the recording device in the horizontal direction becomes larger. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention suppresses the size of a recording apparatus in a horizontal direction in a recording apparatus including a plurality of recording units having a recording section for applying liquid to a recording medium and a drying section for drying the recording medium to which the liquid is applied.

[0006] The present invention is a recording device, comprising: a first recording unit having a first recording section and a first drying section, the first recording section recording by applying a liquid while conveying a recording medium in a conveying direction, the first drying section being arranged downstream of the first recording section in the conveying direction and drying the liquid applied to the recording medium; and a second recording unit having a second recording section and a second drying section, the second recording section recording by applying a liquid while conveying the recording medium in the conveying direction, the second drying section being arranged downstream of the second recording section in the conveying direction and drying the liquid applied to the recording medium, wherein the first recording unit and the second recording unit can each record on the recording medium with a plurality of types of liquids, in the recording device, at least a portion of the first recording unit and at least a portion of the second recording unit are arranged at different positions in a vertical direction, and at least a portion of an area obtained by projecting an area in which the first recording unit is arranged in a vertical direction and at least a portion of an area obtained by projecting an area in which the second recording unit is arranged in a vertical direction overlap each other in a horizontal direction, and the recording medium conveyed from the first recording section is conveyed in a horizontal posture until the recording medium passes a predetermined distance in the first drying section.

[0007] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of a recording device;

[0009] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a housing of a sheet conveying unit of a recording unit;

[0010] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the recording head lifting mechanism;

[0011] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first drying section and a second drying section;

[0012] Figure 5 is a schematic plan view of the airflow space of the drying section;

[0013] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of an air flow duct of a cooling section;

[0014] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a first recording unit;

[0015] Figure 8is a schematic diagram showing a relative positional relationship between a first recording unit and a second recording unit;

[0016] Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a control unit; and

[0017] Fig.10 1 is a schematic diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the first recording unit and the second recording unit of Example 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the constituent elements described in the following embodiments are merely exemplary, and the composition and various conditions of the device to which the present invention is applicable can be appropriately modified or changed within the scope of not departing from the gist of the present invention, and are not limited to the following embodiments. For example, the size, material, shape, and relative arrangement of the constituent components described in the following embodiments, etc. can be appropriately changed according to the configuration and various conditions of the device to which the present invention is applicable, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments unless otherwise specifically described.

[0019] Example 1

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 The left and right directions in the X direction are Figure 1 The direction perpendicular to the paper surface is the Y direction, and the up-down direction is the Z direction. The X direction is the longitudinal direction of the recording device 1, and Figure 1 The direction from right to left in the embodiment is assumed to be positive. The Y direction is the sheet width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the sheet S, and the direction from the front of the sheet surface to the depth side is assumed to be positive. In the Z direction, the direction toward the top of the recording device 1 is assumed to be positive. The recording device 1 in Embodiment 1 is a high-speed line printer that uses a continuous sheet wound into a roll state as a recording medium.

[0021] Recording equipment

[0022] Figure 1 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the recording apparatus 1. The recording apparatus 1 includes an unwinding roll portion 2, a first tension adjusting portion 3, a first main conveying portion 4, a meandering correction portion 5, a conveying detection portion 6, a recording portion 7, a fixing portion 8, a conveying tension detection portion 9, a recorded image position detection portion 10, a scanner portion 11, a second main conveying portion 12, a second tension adjusting portion 13, a winding roll portion 14, and a maintenance portion 15. A sheet S as a recording medium is conveyed along a sheet conveying path indicated by a solid line in the figure, and is processed in each unit.

[0023] The recording apparatus 1 in Embodiment 1 has a first recording unit 16a and a second recording unit 16b along a sheet conveying path (sheet S). In the first recording unit 16a, ink applied to the sheet S is fixed by the first recording section 7a, the first drying section 40a, and the first cooling section 50a, and an image is recorded on the sheet S. In the second recording unit 16b, ink applied to the sheet S that has passed through the first recording unit 16a is fixed by the second recording section 7b, the second drying section 40b, and the second cooling section 50b, and an image is recorded on the sheet S. In the recording apparatus 1 as described above, an image can be continuously recorded on the sheet S by passing the sheet S through the first recording unit 16a and the second recording unit 16b. In addition, the recording apparatus 1 can record an image on the sheet S by using either the first recording unit 16a or the second recording unit 16b. In this case, in a recording unit that is not selected, the sheet S is only conveyed, and an image is not recorded. For example, the selection of the recording unit is determined according to the recording conditions. Note that, regarding the conveying direction of the sheet S, the direction from the unwinding section 2 to the winding section 14 is defined as a forward direction, and the direction opposite to this direction is defined as a backward direction.

[0024] The unwinding section 2 is a unit for holding and supplying a sheet S wound in a roll state. The unwinding section 2 is configured to accommodate a roll to be unwound, and to pull out and supply a sheet S. Note that the number of rolls that can be accommodated is not limited to one, but may be configured to accommodate two or three or more rolls and select, pull out, and supply a sheet S. Note that the unwinding section 2 is rotated / controlled solely by a drive motor (not shown) capable of forward and reverse rotation.

[0025] The first tension adjusting section 3 is a unit for applying a certain tension to the sheet between the unwinding section 2 and the first main conveying section 4. The first tension adjusting section 3 applies the tension to the sheet by a tension applying member not shown.

[0026] The first main conveying unit 4 is a unit that conveys the sheet S to each unit provided along the sheet conveying path (sheet S) and applies sheet tension between the first main conveying unit 4 and the second main conveying unit 12. The first main conveying unit 4 is rotated by driving a motor (not shown) and conveys the sheet S with tension.

[0027] The meander correction section 5 is a unit for correcting meandering in the width direction of the sheet when the sheet S is conveyed with tension. In Embodiment 1, regarding the meander correction section 5, in the sheet conveying path, the first meander correction section 5a is provided upstream of the first recording unit 16a, and the second meander correction section 5b is provided upstream of the second recording unit 16b. The meander correction section 5 includes a meander correction roller and a meander detection sensor not shown for detecting meandering of the sheet S. The meander correction roller can change the inclination relative to the sheet S by a motor not shown, and perform meander correction of the sheet S based on the measurement of the meander detection sensor. By winding the sheet S around the meander correction roller, the function of the meander correction is improved.

[0028] The conveyance detection section 6 is a unit for detecting the conveyance speed of the sheet S and a mark pre-printed on the sheet S so as to control the image formation timing of the recording section 7. In Embodiment 1, in the conveyance detection section 6, a first conveyance detection section 6a is provided upstream of the first recording unit 16a and a second conveyance detection section 6b is provided upstream of the second recording unit 16b in the sheet conveyance path, respectively. The first conveyance detection section 6a and the second conveyance detection section 6b are used to control the image formation timing of the first recording section 7a and the second recording section 7b, respectively.

[0029] The recording section 7 records by applying ink while conveying a sheet S as a recording medium in a conveying direction. The recording section 7 is a sheet processing section that forms an image by applying liquid (ink) to the sheet S from above by a recording head 22 on the sheet S being conveyed. The conveying path in the recording section 7 is formed by a guide roller 23 arranged in an arc shape protruding upward, and a gap relative to the recording head 22 is ensured by a certain tension applied to the sheet S. The recording section 7 has a plurality of recording heads 22 arranged to be arranged along the conveying direction. The first recording section 7a has a total of two line-type recording heads corresponding to W (white) ink (white ink) and a reaction liquid. The second recording section 7b has a total of eight line-type recording heads corresponding to a reaction liquid and three dot inks in addition to four color inks of Bk (black) (black ink), Y (yellow), M (magenta), and C (cyan). The reaction liquid is a liquid containing a component for increasing the viscosity of the ink and improving the fixability of the ink.

[0030] Here, the increase in ink viscosity is a state in which the color material and resin constituting the ink are in contact with the component that increases the viscosity of the ink, thereby chemical reaction or physical adsorption occurs, and the increase in ink viscosity occurs. The increase in ink viscosity is not limited to the increase in the viscosity of the entire ink, but also includes the increase in local viscosity caused by partial coagulation of the components constituting the ink, such as the color material or resin. The components that increase the viscosity of the ink are not particularly limited, such as metal ions and polymer coagulants, but substances that cause the pH of the ink to change and coagulate the color material in the ink can be used, and organic acids can be used. By applying the reaction liquid before the ink is applied to the sheet S, the ink that has reached the sheet S can be fixed immediately. As a result, the bleeding of adjacent inks mixing with each other can be suppressed. Note that the type / number of colors and the number of recording heads 22 are not limited.

[0031] For the inkjet method, there may be employed a method using a heating element, a method using a piezoelectric element, a method using an electrostatic element, a method using a MEMS element, etc. Inks are supplied from unillustrated ink tanks through ink tubes to the recording heads 22 , respectively.

[0032] Figure 2 : is a schematic diagram showing the positioning configuration of the recording head 22 in the recording section 7. In the recording section 7, the guide roller 23 arranged in an arc shape is held by a roller frame 71. On the roller frame 71, a plurality of recording head positioning members 711 for positioning the recording head 22 are provided. In Embodiment 1, with respect to the recording head 22 of one unit, the recording head positioning members 711 are arranged one on the front side and two on the depth side in the sheet width direction (Y direction) in a state where the sheet S is clamped. At the lower part of the recording head 22, in the sheet width direction (Y direction), one recess 221a is provided on the front side, and two recesses 221b, 221c are provided on the depth side. The recording head 22 is positioned by fitting the recording head positioning members 711 into the recesses 221a, 221b, 221c provided on the recording head 22.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, the recording head 22 has a recording head support shaft 27, and the recording head support shaft 27 is supported by the recording head holding portion 26 in a manner of supporting from below. The recording head holding portion 26 performs an up-and-down lifting operation along a rail 29 for lifting provided in a recording head lifting frame 28. This lifting operation is performed by a driving mechanism (not shown) provided in the recording head holding portion 26. The recording head 22 is lifted and lowered in the up-and-down direction (Z direction) while being held by the recording head holding portion 26.

[0034] In the recording apparatus 1 of Embodiment 1, the ink is applied to the sheet S by using an inkjet head, but the method of applying the ink to the sheet S is not limited thereto. In addition, in Embodiment 1, the reaction liquid is applied to the sheet S by the recording head 22, but it may be configured to be applied by a roller, a die coating device (die coater), a blade coating device (blade coater), or the like.

[0035] The fixing section 8 is provided downstream of the recording section 7 in the conveying direction, and fixes the ink applied to the sheet S by drying. In Embodiment 1, the fixing section 8 has a drying section 40 for drying the ink and a cooling section 50 provided downstream of the drying section 40 in the conveying direction and cooling the sheet S.

[0036] The recording device 1 includes a first recording unit 16a and a second recording unit 16b, each of which has a recording section 7 and a fixing section 8, and for the first recording unit 16a and the second recording unit 16b, recording can be performed with multiple types of inks, respectively. The first recording unit 16a has a first recording section 7a, a first fixing section 8a (a first drying section 40a, a first cooling section 50a), and the second recording unit 16b has a second recording section 7b, a second fixing section 8b (a second drying section 40b, a second cooling section 50b). In the following description, when the first recording unit 16a and the second recording unit 16b and their constituent elements are not distinguished, the first recording unit 16a and the second recording unit 16b and their constituent elements are described as the recording unit 16, the recording section 7, the fixing section 8, the drying section 40, the cooling section 50, etc. in some cases.

[0037] The drying section 40 is a unit that reduces the liquid portion contained in the ink applied to the sheet S in the recording section 7 to improve the fixing performance between the sheet S and the ink. The drying section 40 blows air toward the sheet S to dry the applied ink. In the drying section 40, air is blown toward the sheet S passing through at least from the side to which the ink is applied to dry the ink-applied surface of the sheet S. Note that, in addition to blowing air, the drying method can also be configured by combining a method of irradiating the surface of the sheet S with electromagnetic waves (ultraviolet rays or infrared rays, etc.) and a conduction heat transfer method by contacting a heating element. The details of the drying section 40 will be described later.

[0038] The cooling section 50 cools the sheet S dried in the drying section 40 to solidify the softened ink and suppress the amount of temperature change of the sheet S in the downstream process of the recording apparatus 1. Within the cooling section 50, air having a temperature lower than that of the sheet S is blown toward the passing sheet S at least from the ink application surface side to cool the ink application surface of the sheet S. In order to increase the cooling efficiency of the sheet S, the air may be blown toward both sides of the sheet S. Note that the cooling method is not limited to blowing air, but may be a conduction heat transfer method by contacting a heat dissipation member, or may be configured by combining them. The details of the cooling section 50 will be described later.

[0039] The conveyance tension detection unit 9 is a unit that detects tension when tension conveyance is performed between the first main conveyance unit 4 and the second main conveyance unit 12 .

[0040] The recorded image position detecting section 10 is a unit for detecting a deviation of an image formed on the sheet S by the recording section 7 during printing and for causing printing to be corrected.

[0041] The winding guide roller R1 is a roller for winding the surface of the sheet S on the opposite side of the ink application surface of the downstream sheet S at a certain winding angle in the conveying direction of the second recording section 7b. In Embodiment 1, two units of the winding guide roller R1 are arranged between the second recording section 7b and the second drying section 40b, and the sheet S is folded 180 degrees between the front and back of the two winding guide rollers R1. The sheet S on the upstream side and the sheet S on the downstream side of the two winding guide rollers R1 are located above and below (different positions in the Z direction) and are in substantially parallel positions. The second drying section 40b is arranged below (-Z direction) relative to the second recording section 7b.

[0042] The scanner section 11 is a unit that reads a test image formed on a sheet S in the recording section 7 before regular printing, detects a deviation or density of the image, and causes regular printing to be corrected.

[0043] The second main conveying section 12 is a unit that conveys the sheet S while applying tension to the sheet S in cooperation with the first main conveying section 4 and adjusts the tension of the sheet S. The second main conveying section 12 is rotated by driving a motor not shown, and controls the conveying speed according to the tension value detected by the conveying tension detection section 9 by a tension control section not shown. Note that as an additional configuration for adjusting the tension of the sheet S, such a configuration that adjusts the tension of the sheet S by a clutch (not shown) capable of controlling the driven / coupling torque may be added. In this case, as a tension control method, by using two methods, namely, a torque control method for controlling the torque value transmitted from the clutch and a speed control method for controlling the roller speed of the second main conveying section 12, the tension control method can be switched according to the purpose or the two methods can be used simultaneously.

[0044] The second tension adjusting section 13 is a unit for applying a certain tension to the sheet between the second main conveying section 12 and the winding section 14. The second tension adjusting section 13 applies the tension to the sheet by a tension applying member (not shown).

[0045] The winding section 14 is a unit for winding the recording-processed sheet S around a winding core. The number of rolls that can be recovered is not limited to one, but it can be configured to set two or three or more winding cores, and the sheet S is recovered by selection and switching. The winding section 14 is rotated / controlled by a drive motor (not shown) in a manner that can rotate forward and reverse individually. The sheet S is conveyed in the forward direction and conveyed in the reverse direction by the forward rotation control or reverse rotation control of the respective drive motors (not shown) of the unwinding section 2 and the winding section 14. In the case of conveying in the reverse direction, similarly to the forward direction conveying, tension conveying is performed between the first main conveying section 4 and the second main conveying section 12. Note that, depending on the processing content after recording, it can be configured so that: instead of the configuration of winding around the winding core, the sheet S is cut by using a cutter, and the cut sheet S is loaded.

[0046] The first maintenance section 15a and the second maintenance section 15b are units each including a mechanism for restoring the discharge performance of the recording head 22 provided in the first recording section 7a and the second recording section 7b. As the mechanism as described above, a cover mechanism for protecting the ink discharge surface of the recording head 22, a wiping mechanism for wiping the ink discharge surface, and a suction mechanism for negatively pressure suctioning the ink in the recording head 22 from the ink discharge surface can be cited. In addition, the maintenance section 15 includes a track and a driving mechanism not shown, and can reciprocate in the horizontal direction (X direction) along the track. The maintenance section 15 moves to the right below the recording head 22 when maintaining the recording head 22, and moves to a position retreated from the right below the recording head 22 when no maintenance operation is performed.

[0047] The control section 31 is a unit that manages control of each part in the recording apparatus 1. The control section 31 has a CPU, a storage device, a controller including various control sections, an external interface, and an operation section 32 (on which a user performs input / output). The operation of the recording apparatus 1 is controlled based on instructions from a host device 33 such as a host computer connected to the controller via an external interface or the like.

[0048] Configuration of the drying section 40

[0049] The configuration of the drying section 40 will be described. Figure 4A and Figure 4B It is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the drying section 40, which is perpendicular to the sheet width direction (Y direction). Figure 4A A first drying section 40a is shown, and Figure 4B FIG. 4 shows the internal configuration of the second drying section 40 b. Figure 4A and Figure 4B, the sheet conveying direction is indicated by an arrow SD. The drying section 40 has a housing 401, and a sheet supporting section 410 and an airflow space 430 are provided in the housing 401, wherein in the sheet supporting section 410, a sheet supporting roller 411 is arranged at a position in contact with the conveyed sheet S. The sheet supporting section 410 restricts displacement of the sheet S in the Z direction by the sheet supporting roller 411. In the first drying section 40a, a gap is provided in the +Z direction (upward) with respect to the sheet S conveyed opposite to the sheet supporting section 410, and an airflow space 430 is provided. In addition, in the second drying section 40b, a gap is provided in the -Z direction (downward) with respect to the sheet S conveyed opposite to the sheet supporting section 410, and an airflow space 430 is provided. The airflow space is a space for storing one or more airflow ducts 431. In Embodiment 1, in the airflow space 430, three airflow ducts 431a, 431b, 431c are installed. The drying section 40 is configured by installing a plurality of housings 401 arranged along the conveying direction according to a determined productivity (conveying speed of the sheet S). Note that the number of the airflow spaces 430, the airflow ducts 431, and the housings 401 is not limited. The details of the internal configuration of the first drying section 40a will be described later.

[0050] Configuration of airflow space 430

[0051] The configuration of the airflow space 430 will be described. Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the airflow space 430 viewed from the sheet S in the +Z direction. The airflow space 430 includes a second housing 405 and a plurality of airflow ducts 431 ( 431 a , 431 b , 431 c ) stored in the second housing 405 .

[0052] In the second housing 405 , a connection path (not shown) for sending air to the airflow duct 431 , a plurality of circulation exhaust ports 434 ( 434 a , 434 b ), a ventilation port 435 , and an exhaust port 436 are provided.

[0053] Outside the airflow space 430, an air circulation heating unit 408 is provided, wherein an air blower 432 and a plurality of heaters 433 (433a, 433b, 433c) are mounted on the air circulation heating unit 408. The air blower 432 inhales the air in the airflow space 430 from the circulation exhaust port 434 in the direction of arrow F21 (from the circulation exhaust ports 434a, 434b in the directions of arrows F21a, F21b, respectively). The inhaled air is blown out from the air blower 432 to the airflow duct 431 in the direction of arrow F22 (directions of arrows F22a, F22b, F22c pointing to the airflow ducts 431a, 431b, 431c, respectively), and at this time passes through the heater 433 and is heated. The temperature of the heated air is detected by an air temperature detection unit not shown. Based on the detected temperature, the heating of the heater 433 is controlled according to a predetermined target temperature.

[0054] The temperature of the air having passed through the heater 433 in Embodiment 1 is controlled in the range of 50 to 100° C. The heated air flows in the direction of the arrow F22 and is blown toward the sheet S from the airflow duct 431. In the airflow duct 431, a plurality of circular holes are arranged regularly, each of which has a small diameter (e.g., 1.5 to 5 mm), and is configured so that the air is blown out uniformly from the circular holes toward the sheet S. Note that the hole shape of the airflow duct 431 is not limited to a circular hole, but may be a linear slit hole, an elliptical shape, etc., or may be configured by combining them.

[0055] When the liquid part of the ink on the sheet S evaporates, the vapor pressure of the airflow space 430 rises. If the vapor pressure in the airflow space 430 rises excessively, the desired evaporation amount cannot be obtained, and there is a possibility that sufficient drying cannot be performed. Therefore, the airflow space 430 is ventilated by sucking in external air through an intake fan 437 provided in the second housing 405 and by exhausting the air in which the vapor is accumulated through an exhaust fan 438.

[0056] The intake fan 437 draws external air in the direction of arrow F23 through the vent 435 and draws the external air into the airflow space 430. Here, the external air is air that has been drawn into the recording apparatus 1 through an opening portion (not shown) provided in the recording apparatus 1.

[0057] The exhaust fan 438 exhausts air in the direction of arrow F24 from the air flow space 430 through the exhaust port 436. The exhausted air is exhausted to the outside of the drying section 40 through an exhaust duct (not shown).

[0058] Note that in Embodiment 1, ventilation is performed by the intake fan 437 and the exhaust fan 438, but the ventilation method is not limited to this example. For example, it may be configured so that ventilation is performed by any one of the intake fan 437 and the exhaust fan 438. In addition, the vent 435 and the exhaust vent 436 may be provided on the air circulation heating unit 408 side.

[0059] In addition, any drying form of blowing air to the sheet S can be applied to the airflow space 430. For example, the airflow duct 431 and the air circulation heating unit 408 are not limited to the above examples, but can be implemented by any number of installations or by air supply components and heating components. In addition, the drying method by the radiation heating heater can be used at the same time or can be used in combination. In addition, Example 1 has a form of circulating hot air by the heater 433, but it can also be configured to circulate normal temperature air without the heater 433.

[0060] Control of the drying section 40

[0061] A description will be given of a control process of the drying section 40 performed by the control section 31. When recording data is transmitted from the host device 33 to the control section 31, the recording apparatus 1 starts a preparatory action for recording.

[0062] The control section 31 determines the driving condition of the drying section 40 based on the recording condition. The driving condition is determined based on the type of recording medium, the recording density, and the user-specified value. In the memory of the control section 31, the predetermined relationship between the recording condition and the driving condition is recorded as a table, and the control section 31 determines the driving condition corresponding to the recording condition by referring to the table. The driving condition includes, for example, the target temperature and target air volume of the air flow of the air flow duct 431 and the driving control values ​​of each unit such as the blower 432 and the heater 433. The control of the blower 432 is performed, for example, by PWM control, and the driving control value is specified as a duty ratio taking a value between 0% of stopping and 100% of full speed rotation. Note that in Embodiment 1, an example of determining the driving condition by referring to the table is shown, but this is not restrictive. In addition to adjusting the air volume of the air flow duct 431 by the driving duty ratio of the blower 432, the following control can be considered. For example, by setting a nozzle internal pressure detection component not shown in the air flow duct 431, the blower 432 can be controlled by feedback control based on the target value of the pressure value within the nozzle and the detected pressure value.

[0063] Configuration of cooling unit 50

[0064] The configuration of the cooling section 50 will be described. The cooling section 50 in Embodiment 1 constitutes an air cooling section by providing a plurality of air flow ducts similarly to the drying section 40 . Figure 6 2 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the air cooling unit 50 . Figure 61 is a schematic cross-sectional view perpendicular to the conveying direction (X direction) of the cooling airflow duct 503 and viewed from the conveying direction of the sheet S. Fans 501 and 502 are provided in the air path formed in the cooling airflow duct 503. Air sucked from outside the recording apparatus 1 is sent to the nozzle 504 by the fans 501 and 502 as indicated by arrows 510, and is blown from the nozzle 504 toward the sheet S on the conveying path.

[0065] Control of cooling unit 50

[0066] A description will be given of a control process of the cooling section 50 performed by the control section 31. When recording data is transmitted from the host device 33 to the control section 31, the recording apparatus 1 starts a preparatory action for recording.

[0067] The control section 31 determines the driving condition of the cooling section 50 based on the recording condition. The driving condition is determined based on the type of recording medium, the recording density, and the user-specified value. In the memory of the control section 31, the predetermined relationship between the recording condition and the driving condition is recorded as a table, and the control section 31 determines the driving condition corresponding to the recording condition by referring to the table. The driving condition includes, for example, the driving control value of the fans 501 and 502 of the cooling airflow duct 503. The control of the fans 501 and 502 is performed by, for example, PWM control, and the driving control value is specified as a duty ratio taking a value between 0% of stopping and 100% of full speed rotation. Note that in Embodiment 1, an example of determining the driving condition by referring to a table is shown, but this is not restrictive. In addition to adjusting the air volume of the cooling airflow duct 503 by the driving duty ratio of the fans 501 and 502, the following control can be considered. For example, by setting a nozzle internal pressure detection component not shown in the cooling airflow duct 503, the fans 501 and 502 can be controlled by feedback control based on the target value of the pressure value within the nozzle and the detected pressure value.

[0068] Configuration of the first recording unit 16a

[0069] By using Figure 7 , the configuration of the first recording unit 16a will be described. The first recording unit 16a is composed of a first recording section 7a and a first fixing section 8a provided downstream in the conveying direction of the first recording section 7a. The first fixing section 8a constitutes a conveying path of the sheet S from the section where the ink application to the sheet S is completed by the first recording section 7a to the contact roller R2. The first fixing section 8a includes a first drying section 40a and a first cooling section 50a. Figure 7 , the conveying direction SD8a of the sheet S in the first fixing section 8a is indicated by an arrow.

[0070] In the first recording unit 16a, the reaction liquid and W ink are sequentially applied to the sheet S by the first recording section 7a. The sheet S to which the reaction liquid and ink are applied has the ink dried by the first drying section 40a of the first fixing section 8a. Downstream in the conveying direction SD8a of the first fixing section 8a, the contact roller R2 is provided for the conveying path formation of the sheet. The contact roller R2 is in contact with the ink application surface of the sheet S. In order to keep the ink surface applied to the sheet S in a good state, the ink is preferably solidified before reaching the contact roller R2. Therefore, the first cooling section 50a is provided downstream of the first drying section 40a in the first fixing section 8a, and the ink is solidified before reaching the contact roller R2. Here, the section from the completion of the ink application to the sheet S by the first recording section 7a via the first fixing section 8a to the contact roller R2 is defined as the first conveying section L1a.

[0071] When the W ink in Embodiment 1 is white, the discharge amount is larger than that of other color inks in order to record at a desired density. Therefore, the maximum application amount of ink in the first recording portion 7a is larger than that in the second recording portion 7b.

[0072] In the case where the amount of ink applied to the sheet S is large, when the sheet S is in a posture inclined relative to the horizontal before or during the fixing process of the drying section 40, there is a possibility that the ink before fixing moves along the inclination. In this case, there is a possibility that the ink moves and causes image failure. Therefore, the posture of the sheet S conveyed in the first conveying section L1a is set to be substantially horizontal (the plane (XY plane) defined by the conveying direction SD8a (X direction) and the sheet width direction (Y direction) is substantially perpendicular to the gravity direction (Z direction)). As a result, the movement of the ink before being fixed on the sheet S is suppressed, and preferred ink fixing and image recording can be achieved.

[0073] In addition, when the amount of ink to be applied to the sheet S is large, there is a possibility that color mixing occurs between the inks. In this regard, in the recording apparatus 1 of Embodiment 1, for the first recording unit 16a and the second recording unit 16b, application and fixing of multiple types of inks to the sheet S are performed separately. Therefore, while suppressing the amount of ink application and suppressing the color mixing of the ink in each recording unit 16, a large amount of ink can be fixed to the sheet S and a good image can be formed. In the first conveying section L1a where the sheet S is maintained in a substantially horizontal posture, a plurality of sheet support rollers 411 are arranged to be arranged along the conveying direction SD8a. The plurality of sheet support rollers 411 are arranged so that the support surfaces of the plurality of sheet support rollers 411 for the sheet S become substantially parallel (horizontal) to the XY plane.

[0074] Note that, in Embodiment 1, an example is shown in which the sheet S is conveyed in a horizontal posture in the first conveying section L1a, but the sheet S may be configured to be conveyed in a horizontal posture until the sheet S conveyed from the first recording section 7a passes at least a predetermined distance in the first drying section 40a. The predetermined distance is a distance such that when the sheet S is in a posture inclined relative to the horizontal after passing the distance in the first drying section 40a, the ink applied to the sheet S no longer moves along the inclination. In this case, it may be configured so that in the conveying path after passing the predetermined distance in the first drying section 40a, the sheet S is conveyed in an inclined posture.

[0075] In the conveying direction SD8a, the section from the most upstream position of the first conveying section L1a (the exit of the first recording section 7a) to the exit of the housing 401 located at the most downstream of the first drying section 40a is defined as the drying section L2a. In addition, in the conveying direction SD8a, the section in which the sheet S is conveyed in a substantially horizontal posture from the most upstream position of the drying section L2a (the exit of the first recording section 7a) is defined as the horizontal section L3a. The aforementioned predetermined distance is the conveying distance of the sheet S in the horizontal section L3a. The predetermined distance is the distance that a predetermined amount of ink applied to the sheet S evaporates when the sheet S passes through the distance from the entrance (most upstream position) of the first drying section 40a. The predetermined amount is such an evaporation amount that, when the sheet S to which the maximum amount of ink applied is applied in the first recording section 7a and the predetermined amount of ink has evaporated is in a posture inclined relative to the horizontal, the ink applied to the sheet S no longer moves along the inclination.

[0076] Here, the upper limit value of the ink application amount at which the ink does not move along the inclination even if the sheet S immediately after the ink is applied in the first recording portion 7a is in an inclined posture with respect to the horizontal is defined as W0 [g / m 2 The upper limit value W0 is a value determined according to various conditions such as the characteristics of the ink, the characteristics of the sheet S, and the inclination of the conveying path. In addition, the maximum application amount of the first recording portion 7a is defined as W1 [g / m 2 ]. The horizontal interval L3a is such a distance that when the sheet S to which the ink of the maximum application amount W1 is applied in the first recording section 7a has passed through the horizontal interval L3a, the amount of moisture remaining on the sheet S is equal to or less than the amount corresponding to the ink at the upper limit value W0. The horizontal interval L3a only needs to be a predetermined distance or more required for the ink on the sheet S to evaporate from the inlet of the first drying section 40a (the most upstream position in the conveying direction SD8a) to an amount equal to or less than the amount corresponding to the upper limit value W0. If the predetermined distance is shorter than the drying interval L2a, the horizontal interval L3a can be made shorter than the drying interval L2a within the range of the predetermined distance or more (L3a≤L2a).

[0077] Note that in Example 1, Figure 1 As shown, just downstream of the second recording section 7b of the second recording unit 16b, the sheet S is conveyed in an inclined posture by the winding guide roller R1. Therefore, the maximum application amount W2 [g / m 2 ] is equal to or less than the upper limit value W0. That is, the maximum application amount W2 of the ink of the second recording portion 7b is such an amount that when the sheet S to which the ink is applied is in a posture inclined relative to the horizontal in the second recording portion 7b, the ink applied to the sheet S does not move along the inclination.

[0078] Therefore, the horizontal section L3a in the first fixing section 8a may be a distance required for the ink on the sheet S to evaporate from the inlet of the first drying section 40a (the most upstream position in the conveying direction SD8a) to an amount corresponding to the maximum application amount W2 of the second recording section 7b or less. In this case, assuming that the water evaporation rate of the first drying section 40a is J [g / m 2 ·sec], and the conveying speed of the sheet S is V [m / sec], the horizontal section L3a is defined to satisfy the relationship indicated by the following formula 1:

[0079] [Mathematical formula 1]

[0080]

[0081] Furthermore, the drying section L2a is defined to satisfy the relationship indicated by the following formula 2 so that when the maximum application amount W1 of ink is applied in the first recording portion 7a, all moisture in the ink evaporates after passing through the drying section L2a:

[0082] [Mathematical formula 2]

[0083]

[0084] The moisture evaporation rate J is a value determined by the shape of the airflow duct 431 of the drying section 40, the airflow temperature, the airflow speed, etc. Also by taking into account the heating time required for the water of the ink applied to the sheet S to evaporate, the drying section L2a preferably has a sufficiently long distance. In Embodiment 1, based on Formulas 1 and 2, the airflow temperature of the airflow duct 431 of the drying section 40, the airflow speed, and the conveying speed of the sheet S are set so that the drying section L2a and the horizontal section L3a are included in the distance corresponding to the size of the recording apparatus 1.

[0085] Configuration of the second recording unit 16b

[0086] By using Figure 8 , the configuration of the second recording unit 16b will be described. Figure 8: is a schematic diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the first recording unit 16a and the second recording unit 16b. The second recording unit 16b is composed of a second recording section 7b and a second fixing section 8b disposed downstream in the conveying direction of the second recording section 7b. The second fixing section 8b constitutes a conveying path for the sheet S from the section where the ink application to the sheet S by the second recording section 7b is completed to the contact roller R3. The second fixing section 8b includes a winding guide roller R1, a second drying section 40b, and a second cooling section 50b. Figure 8 In FIG. 8 , the conveying direction SD8 b of the sheet S in the second drying section 40 b is indicated by an arrow.

[0087] In the second recording unit 16b, the reaction liquid and the color ink based on the recorded image are sequentially applied to the sheet S by the second recording section 7b. The sheet S applied with the ink is folded back downward (-Z direction) by the winding guide roller R1, and then the ink is dried by the second drying section 40b in the second fixing section 8b. Downstream of the conveying direction SD8b of the second fixing section 8b, the contact roller R3 is provided for sheet conveying path formation. The contact roller R3 is in contact with the ink application surface of the sheet S. In the second recording unit 16b, similarly, in order to keep the surface layer of the ink applied to the sheet S in a good state, the ink is preferably solidified before reaching the contact roller R3. Therefore, the second cooling section 50b is provided downstream of the second drying section 40b in the second fixing section 8b, and the ink is solidified before reaching the contact roller R3.

[0088] The second drying section 40b has two housings 401 arranged in a row along the conveying direction SD8b according to the productivity (conveying speed of the sheet S) required in the second recording unit 16b. Here, the section from the completion of the ink application to the sheet S by the second recording unit 7b to the outlet of the housing 401 located most downstream in the conveying direction SD8b of the second drying section 40b is defined as the drying section L2b. In addition, the length of the area occupied by the first recording unit 16a and the second recording unit 16b in the recording apparatus 1 in the X direction (horizontal direction) is defined as Lp.

[0089] In the recording apparatus 1, at least a portion of the first recording unit 16a and at least a portion of the second recording unit 16b are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction. And between the conveying direction of the sheet S in at least a portion of the first recording unit 16a and the conveying direction of the sheet S in the second recording unit 16b, the components in the horizontal direction are opposite to each other. In addition, an area D1 obtained by projecting the area where the first recording unit 16a is arranged in the vertical direction and an area D2 obtained by projecting the area where the second recording unit 16b is arranged in the vertical direction at least partially overlap each other in the horizontal direction. That is, the first recording unit 16a and the second recording unit 16b are arranged so that at least a portion of them is aligned in the vertical direction.

[0090] In Embodiment 1, the first recording unit 16a, the second recording section 7b, and the second drying section 40b are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction. And the conveying direction SD8a of the sheet S in the first recording unit 16a and the second recording section 7b and the conveying direction SD8b of the sheet S in the second drying section 40b are opposite to each other in the horizontal direction (X direction). In addition, the area Lp obtained by projecting the area where the first recording unit 16a and the second recording section 7b are arranged in the vertical direction and the area D2X obtained by projecting the second drying section 40b in the vertical direction partially overlap each other in the horizontal direction. That is, the first recording unit 16a and the second recording section 7b are located above a part of the second recording unit 16b (the second fixing section 8b). Downstream of the second recording section 7b, the conveying direction of the sheet S is turned back from SD8a (+X direction) to SD8b (-X direction), and the horizontal component in the conveying direction is reversed.

[0091] Note that Figure 8 As shown, an arrangement may be considered such that the positions of the drying interval L2a in the first drying section 40a and the drying interval L2b in the second drying section 40b in the X direction at least partially overlap. In addition, an arrangement may be considered such that the area D1X obtained by projecting the area where the first drying section 40a is arranged in the vertical direction and the area D2X obtained by projecting the area where the second drying section 40b is arranged in the vertical direction partially overlap each other. In this case, the first drying section 40a of the first recording unit 16a and the second drying section 40b of the second recording unit 16b are arranged by being at least partially aligned in the vertical direction.

[0092] With the above arrangement, the length Lp of the area occupied by the first recording unit 16a and the second recording unit 16b in the recording device 1 in the X direction can be made shorter than a configuration in which the two recording units are arranged side by side in the X direction (horizontal direction). Therefore, the size of the recording device 1 in the horizontal direction can be suppressed.

[0093] The conveying path of the second recording unit 16b is folded back in the middle, the second recording section 7b is arranged above, and the second fixing section 8b is arranged below. Therefore, when the size of the upper part and the longitudinal direction of the device is fixed, L2b can be configured to be longer than L2a, and in the second drying section 40b, the drying interval L2b can be made longer. Therefore, the recording device 1 can be configured so that only the second recording unit 16b is used for recording without using the first recording unit 16a. The productivity (conveying speed of the sheet S) in this case can be set to be higher than the case where the length Lp in the X direction is extended by using the first recording unit 16a and the second recording unit 16b for recording. Note that the arrangement of the individual units and the number of arranged units can be changed arbitrarily. For example, the number of shells 401 of the drying section 40 is not limited to the example in Embodiment 1, but can be any number.

[0094] In addition, in Embodiment 1, the configuration in which the drying interval L2b of the second drying section 40b is longer than the drying interval L2a of the first drying section 40a is exemplified, but the configuration in which the drying performance of the second drying section 40b is higher than that of the first drying section 40a is not limited thereto. For example, the amount of heat for drying to be applied to the sheet S in the second drying section 40b may be greater than that in the first drying section 40a. For example, the conditions of the second drying section 40b such as the drying temperature and the amount of air (driving duty ratio) may be set higher than those of the first drying section 40a. As a result, the second drying section 40b may apply a higher amount of heat to the sheet S than that of the first drying section 40a, and an effect similar to that by extending the drying interval L2b may be obtained. In addition, if the size Lp of the recording unit 16 in the X direction is the same, by also extending the drying interval L2b, a higher productivity (conveying speed of the sheet S) may be handled. At this time, the capacity of the heater 433 of the second drying part 40b is set higher than the capacity of the heater 433 of the first drying part 40a according to the required amount of heat.

[0095] According to the recording apparatus 1 of Embodiment 1, the horizontal section L3a in which the sheet S is conveyed by a predetermined distance in a horizontal posture is set just downstream of the first recording section 7a where the maximum application amount is large. Therefore, the movement of the ink applied to the sheet S along the inclination can be suppressed. In addition, the first recording unit 16a and the second recording unit 16b are arranged so that the positions in the vertical direction are different and the projections in the vertical direction at least partially overlap each other. Therefore, since the first recording unit 16a and the second recording unit 16b are arranged by being arranged in the vertical direction, the size in the horizontal direction can be suppressed even in a configuration with two recording units. In addition, the first recording unit 16a and the second recording section 7b of the second recording unit 16b are arranged at the first height, and the second drying section 40b and the second cooling section 50b of the second recording unit 16b are arranged at the second height. Therefore, while the size of the entire recording apparatus 1 in the horizontal direction is suppressed, there are fewer units arranged at the second height, and the size of the second drying section 40b can be larger. As a result, the drying performance of the second drying section 40b can be improved while suppressing the increase in the size in the horizontal direction, so that the conveying speed can be made higher.

[0096] Note that the conveying direction SD8a of the first recording unit 16a and the second recording section 7b and the conveying direction SD8b of the second drying section 40b and the second cooling section 50b of the second recording unit 16b are not limited to the horizontal direction (X direction) as in Embodiment 1. The conveying directions SD8a, SD8b may be inclined in the horizontal direction as long as the horizontal direction components of the two are opposite to each other. In this case, too, since the horizontal section L3a is ensured in the first recording unit 16a, even if the maximum application amount W1 of ink is applied in the first recording section 7a, the flow of ink along the inclined conveying direction SD8a can be suppressed. In addition, in Embodiment 1, an example in which the conveying path is folded back downward downstream of the second recording section 7b is shown, but the conveying path may be configured to be folded back upward.

[0097] Note that, in Embodiment 1, an example is shown in which the first recording unit is located upstream of the second recording unit in the conveying direction, but the first recording unit may be located downstream of the second recording unit in the conveying direction. In addition, in Embodiment 1, an example is shown in which at least a portion of the first recording unit is arranged above at least a portion of the second recording unit, but it may be configured so that at least a portion of the first recording unit is arranged below at least a portion of the second recording unit.

[0098] Control of recording equipment

[0099] Then, by using Fig. 9, the functional configuration of the recording device 1 in Embodiment 1 will be described. The control section 31 has a host I / F section 324. The print data input from the host device 33 is rendered by the RIP processing section 303 via the host I / F section 324 and becomes multi-value bitmap data. The print data input here is composed of, for example, PDL (page description language). The multi-value bitmap data undergoes ink color conversion, quantization processing in the recording data generation section 304, and becomes halftone data of the ink color. The halftone data is assigned to each nozzle according to each color by the nozzle data generation section 305, and the halftone data is converted into nozzle data (binary data) of the number of nozzles according to each line. For the nozzle data, non-discharge supplement processing (processing of reallocating the discharge data assigned to the non-discharge nozzle to the nozzles that are not the non-discharge nozzles) is performed in the non-discharge supplement processing section 307 based on the non-discharge nozzle information stored in the non-discharge nozzle information storage section 306. Based on the head tilt information stored in the head tilt information storage section 308, the nozzle data subjected to the non-discharge supplementary processing is subjected to head tilt correction (correction for moving the data in the conveying direction according to the tilt amount) at the head tilt correction section 309. The nozzle data subjected to the head tilt correction as described above is stored in the image memory 323. The CPU 320 transmits the nozzle data stored in the image memory 323 to the nozzle data thinning section 310. The nozzle data transmitted after the tilt correction is thinned out by the nozzle data thinning section 310, and is transmitted to the respective recording heads 22 of the first recording section 7a and the second recording section 7b by the discharge data transmission section 311. In addition, the CPU 320 performs a head tilt correction on the aforementioned units ( Fig. 9 320). The control is performed based on the control program stored in ROM 322. The control program stored in ROM 322 includes an OS for time-sharing control in units of load modules called tasks by a system clock. RAM 321 is used as a working area of ​​CPU 320. All parts including CPU 320 are connected to system bus 325.

[0100] In addition, the control unit 31 has a drying control unit 326, a cooling control unit 327, and a conveying control unit 328. The drying control unit 326 performs the temperature of the first drying unit 40a and the second drying unit 40b and the drive control of the blower, etc. The cooling control unit 327 controls the cooling operation of the first cooling unit 50a and the second cooling unit 50b. The conveying control unit 328 controls the conveying unit (unwinding unit 2, first tension adjustment unit 3, first main conveying unit 4, meander correction unit 5, conveying detection unit 6, conveying tension detection unit 9, second main conveying unit 12, second tension adjustment unit 13, winding unit 14) from the unwinding unit 2 to the winding unit 14. And the sheet S is conveyed at a predetermined conveying speed. When the print data is input from the host device 33, based on the print data, the driving table shown in Table 1 is applied to each unit with respect to the drying control unit 326, the cooling control unit 327, and the conveying control unit 328.

[0101] [Table 1]

[0102]

[0103] In the drive table, predetermined values ​​based on recording conditions (such as image data and the type of sheet S, etc.) or values ​​input by the user through the operation unit 32, etc. are registered. For example, under condition 1 in Table 1, only the recording process of the first recording unit 16a is performed. In the first recording section 7a, the moving operation of the recording head 22 of a predetermined number of colors is performed under the conditions specified in the driving condition CP11 of the first recording section 7a in Table 1. In the first drying section 40a, the driving control of the drying temperature and the air blower is performed under the conditions specified in the driving condition CD11 of the first drying section 40a in Table 1. In the first cooling section 50a, the cooling control is performed under the conditions specified in the driving condition CC11 of the first cooling section 50a in Table 1. In Table 1, the symbol "-" indicates that each unit is in a standby state and does not participate in the recording process. By performing control based on the recording conditions, a preferred recording process corresponding to the image data, the recording medium, and the required productivity, etc. can be achieved.

[0104] Example 2

[0105] Subsequently, Embodiment 2 will be described. Note that in the following description, configurations similar to Embodiment 1 are given common symbols to Embodiment 1, and descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. Embodiment 2 differs from Embodiment 1 in the arrangement of the first fixing section 8a and the second fixing section 8b.

[0106] Fig.10: is a schematic diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the first recording unit 16a and the second recording unit 16b. In the first fixing section 8a, in the first drying section 40a, the conveying path is folded back downward by the winding guide roller R4 in the conveying direction relative to the downstream of the horizontal section L3a, thereby forming a drying section L2a. In addition, in the second fixing section 8b, the drying section L2b of the second drying section 40b is also formed between the two winding guide rollers R1. According to Embodiment 2, it is possible to ensure drying sections L2a, L2b longer than those in Embodiment 1, while the length Lp in the horizontal direction of the area obtained by projecting the area occupied by the first recording unit 16a and the second recording unit 16b in the recording device 1 in the vertical direction is substantially the same as that in Embodiment 1. Since the drying section can be made longer, the time required for drying can be ensured even if the conveying speed of the sheet S is increased. Therefore, while suppressing the size Lp in the X direction of the recording unit 16, higher productivity can be handled. Note that in Embodiment 2, similarly, the drying interval L2a and the horizontal interval L3a are determined to satisfy Formula 1 and Formula 2 in Embodiment 1. In addition, the arrangement of each unit and the number of arranged units can be arbitrarily adjusted. For example, the number of housings 401 in the drying section 40 is not limited to Embodiment 2, but can be implemented in any installed number.

[0107] According to the present invention, in a recording apparatus including a plurality of recording units each having a recording section for applying liquid to a recording medium and a drying section for drying the recording medium to which the liquid is applied, the size of the recording apparatus in the horizontal direction can be suppressed.

[0108] While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest description so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. A recording device comprising: a first recording unit having a first recording section that performs recording by applying a liquid while conveying the recording medium in a conveying direction, and a first drying section that is disposed downstream of the first recording section in the conveying direction and dries the liquid applied to the recording medium; as well as a second recording unit having a second recording section that performs recording by applying liquid while conveying the recording medium in the conveying direction and a second drying section that is disposed downstream of the second recording section in the conveying direction and dries the liquid applied to the recording medium, The first recording unit and the second recording unit can respectively use multiple types of liquids to record on the recording medium. In the recording device, at least a part of the first recording unit and at least a part of the second recording unit are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction, and at least a part of an area obtained by projecting in the vertical direction an area where the first recording unit is arranged and at least a part of an area obtained by projecting in the vertical direction an area where the second recording unit is arranged overlap in the horizontal direction, and The recording medium conveyed from the first recording section is conveyed in a horizontal posture until the recording medium passes a predetermined distance in the first drying section.

2. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein A horizontal component of a conveyance direction of the recording medium in at least a portion of the first recording unit and a horizontal component of a conveyance direction of the recording medium in at least a portion of the second recording unit are opposite to each other.

3. The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: When the recording medium having passed the predetermined distance in the first drying section is in a posture inclined with respect to the horizontal, the liquid having been applied to the recording medium does not move along the inclination.

4. The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The maximum application amount of the liquid in the first recording portion is greater than the maximum application amount of the liquid in the second recording portion.

5. The recording device according to claim 4, wherein When the recording medium to which the liquid in an amount equal to or less than the maximum application amount of the second recording portion is applied in the second recording portion is inclined relative to the horizontal, the liquid that has been applied to the recording medium does not move along the inclination.

6. The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first recording unit and the second recording section and the second drying section are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction, and at least a portion of an area obtained by projecting the area where the first recording unit and the second recording section are arranged in the vertical direction and at least a portion of an area obtained by projecting the area where the second drying section is arranged in the vertical direction overlap with each other in the horizontal direction.

7. The recording device according to claim 6, wherein A horizontal component of a conveyance direction of the recording medium in the first recording unit and the second recording section and a horizontal component of a conveyance direction of the recording medium in the second drying section are opposite to each other.

8. The recording device according to claim 7, wherein A horizontal component of the conveyance direction of the recording medium is reversed downstream of the second recording section.

9. The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: A distance over which the recording medium is conveyed in the second drying section is longer than a distance over which the recording medium is conveyed in the first drying section.

10. The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The amount of heat applied to the recording medium in the second drying section is greater than the amount of heat applied to the recording medium in the first drying section.

11. The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The recording device is capable of recording on the recording medium without using the first recording unit; as well as A conveying speed when recording is performed on the recording medium without using the first recording unit is faster than a conveying speed when recording is performed on the recording medium by using the first recording unit and the second recording unit.

12. The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first recording unit has a first cooling portion for cooling the recording medium; and The first cooling section is provided downstream of the first drying section in the conveying direction.

13. The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The second recording unit has a second cooling portion for cooling the recording medium; and The second cooling section is provided downstream of the second drying section in the conveying direction.

14. The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: the first recording section applies white ink, a reaction liquid for increasing fixability of the ink, or white ink and the reaction liquid to the recording medium; and The second recording section applies black ink, color ink, or black ink and color ink to the recording medium.

15. The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first recording unit is located upstream of the second recording unit in the conveying direction.

16. The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first recording unit is located downstream of the second recording unit in the conveying direction.

17. The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: At least a portion of the first recording unit is arranged above at least a portion of the second recording unit.

18. The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: At least a portion of the first recording unit is disposed below at least a portion of the second recording unit.

Images