Printing apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides a printing apparatus that improves workability of maintenance of a liquid supply unit accompanying operation of an operation panel. The printing apparatus (1) includes: a medium support unit (51) that supports a medium (M); a head (61) that ejects a first liquid and a second liquid onto the medium (M) supported by the medium support section (51); a first liquid supply unit (110) that supplies a first liquid to the head (61); a second liquid supply unit (120) that supplies a second liquid to the head (61); and an operation panel (80) for performing an operation associated with at least the first liquid supply unit (110), the first liquid supply unit (110) and the second liquid supply unit (120) being disposed laterally below the medium support unit (51), the first liquid supply unit (110) being provided at a position closer to the operation panel (80) than the second liquid supply unit (120).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a printing apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, printing apparatuses for printing on large-format media were known. For example, Patent Document 1 disclosed a recording device as a large-format printing apparatus that has a holding unit with liquid collection parts on the left and right sides of the front side.

[0003] However, the device described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it is difficult to improve the operability of maintenance related to the liquid collection section. Specifically, although not explicitly stated in this device, there are many devices in large-format printing apparatus that have an operation panel. In such large-format printing apparatuses, the operation panel is usually located on one of the left or right sides near the front of the device housing.

[0004] Furthermore, in large-format printing equipment, in addition to common color inks such as cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, there are also cases where special color inks such as white are used. Therefore, in structures where an operation panel is located on either the left or right side of the front of the device, and a liquid reservoir for the special color ink is installed on the other side, the operation panel and the liquid reservoir for the special color ink are separated. Some special color inks require periodic maintenance such as stirring, and in the above configuration, it is difficult to operate the operation panel while simultaneously inserting or removing the liquid reservoir for the special color ink. In other words, there is a need for a device that improves the operability of maintaining the liquid reservoir while operating the operation panel.

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-7789 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The printing apparatus is characterized by comprising: a media support for supporting a media; a head for spraying a first liquid and a second liquid onto the media supported by the media support; a first liquid supply for supplying the first liquid to the head; a second liquid supply for supplying the second liquid to the head; and an operation panel for performing operations at least associated with the first liquid supply, wherein the first liquid supply and the second liquid supply are arranged laterally below the media support, and the first liquid supply is positioned closer to the operation panel than the second liquid supply. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment.

[0008] Figure 2A front view schematic diagram showing the configuration of the first liquid supply unit and the second liquid supply unit, etc. Detailed Implementation

[0009] In the embodiments described below, a large-format inkjet printer is exemplified as a printing apparatus and will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The printing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the following structure.

[0010] In the following figures, mutually orthogonal coordinate axes, namely the XYZ axes, are labeled, and the direction indicated by each arrow is designated as the "+" direction, and the direction opposite to the "+" direction is designated as the "-" direction. In this embodiment, as a case where the printing apparatus is set on a horizontal surface such as a floor, the +Z direction is referred to as "upper" and the -Z direction as "lower". In the above state, the -Z direction is consistent with the vertical direction. Furthermore, in the following figures, for ease of illustration, the sizes of the components are different from their actual sizes.

[0011] Unless otherwise specified, the following instructions shall be followed. Figure 1 The description is based on the state as seen from the -X direction, and... Figure 2 The description is from the +Y direction, i.e., the frontal side.

[0012] like Figure 1 As shown, the printing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a structural component 10, a housing 15, a conveying unit 20, a media support unit 51, a printing unit 60, an operation panel 80, a first liquid supply unit 110, and a second liquid supply unit 120. The housing 15 is an external component of the printing apparatus 1 and houses the above-mentioned structures internally. The printing apparatus 1 also includes a control unit (not shown).

[0013] Printing apparatus 1 produces printed matter by adhering liquids such as ink to a medium M, which is a continuous sheet in the shape of an invoice. In printing apparatus 1, the medium M is unwound from a roll body R, which is a material roll, and printing is performed, and then discharged from printing apparatus 1.

[0014] In printing apparatus 1, the +Y direction is considered the front side. The user of printing apparatus 1 performs the main operations and tasks on the front side of printing apparatus 1, i.e., in the +Y direction. In the following description, the user of printing apparatus 1 will also be referred to simply as the user.

[0015] The path along which the medium M moves from being unwound from the roll body R until it is discharged is defined as the transport path. In the transport path, the side of the roll body R containing the medium M is referred to as the upstream, and the side where the medium M moves forward is referred to as the downstream. Along the transport path, the roll body R, the medium support section 51, the printing section 60, and the medium support section 52 are arranged sequentially from upstream to downstream. The direction in the transport path from upstream to downstream is referred to as the transport direction.

[0016] The control unit is electrically connected to each structure of the printing apparatus 1 and controls the operation of these structures uniformly. The control unit includes hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). The control unit controls the printing apparatus 1 by executing a predetermined control program through the CPU. The ROM is a non-volatile storage device that stores the control program executed by the CPU and the data processed by the control program. The RAM constitutes the CPU's working area. The CPU controls the printing apparatus 1 by expanding the control program read from the ROM, etc., into the RAM and executing the expanded control program.

[0017] The operation panel 80 is also electrically connected to the control unit. The user performs operations at least related to the first liquid supply unit 110 via the operation panel 80. In addition to the operations described above, the operation panel 80 displays various information related to the printing apparatus 1 and also accepts operation instructions other than those related to start and stop of operation, printing execution, and maintenance. Details of these operations will be described later.

[0018] The operation panel 80 is supported by the structural member 10 via a component not shown, and is positioned above the housing 15 at its +Y end. The user stands in the +Y direction of the printing apparatus 1 and performs various operations while looking at the operation panel 80. The operation panel 80 is, for example, a touch panel type liquid crystal display, which, in addition to displaying various information, is also subject to various operations and settings input by the user. Besides the liquid crystal display, the operation panel 80 may also have physical buttons.

[0019] Structural component 10 is a frame that supports the aforementioned structures of the printing apparatus 1. Structural component 10 is assembled from multiple metal plate components and tubular components. Casters, mounting components, etc., may also be attached to the portion of structural component 10 that contacts the floor below.

[0020] The transport unit 20 includes a roll holding section 21, a media support section 52, and multiple transport rollers (not shown). The roll holding section 21 supports the roll R in a manner that allows it to rotate about an axis along the X-axis. The roll holding section 21 is positioned upward in the -Y direction of the printing apparatus 1. The media M is pulled by the transport rollers, thereby being unwound and supplied downstream from the roll R. The roll R can be attached to and detached from the printing apparatus 1. The media M is transported substantially downward from the roll holding section 21 and advances toward the media support section 51.

[0021] Conveyor rollers can also be positioned at various points along the conveying path to convey the medium M. Each conveyor roller includes, for example, a drive roller driven by an electric motor and a driven roller following the drive roller. The drive roller and the driven roller each rotate about an axis along the X-axis. The medium M is conveyed by being sandwiched between the drive roller and the driven roller.

[0022] The medium M is appropriately selected based on the type of liquid, such as ink, adhered to it, and the intended use of the printed material. Examples of inks include water-based inks, non-water-based inks, and electron beam curable inks. Resin films, resin sheets, and coated paper are used as the medium M. The upward-facing surface of the medium M is the printing surface, and it is the surface on which ink is adhered and printed.

[0023] The media support portion 51 abuts against the lower surface opposite to the printing surface of the media M, thereby supporting the media M. The media support portion 51 is an example of a media support portion according to the present invention. The upper surface of the media support portion 51 is along the XY plane. In the media support portion 51, the transport direction of the media M is the +Y direction. A first liquid supply portion 110 and a second liquid supply portion 120 are disposed below the media support portion 51.

[0024] The media support portion 51 may also be equipped with an electric heater for heating the media M. This electric heater heats the media M, thereby improving the fixing properties of ink and the like relative to the media M, and promoting the evaporation of volatile components such as water contained in the ink.

[0025] The printing unit 60 performs printing on the medium M. The printing unit 60 has a head 61 and a carriage 62. The printing unit 60 is positioned above the medium support 51. The carriage 62 is supported by the aforementioned structural member 10 in a manner capable of reciprocating along the X-axis. The carriage 62 reciprocates along the X-axis via a carriage motor (not shown). The carriage 62 is supported such that the head 61 is positioned opposite the medium support 51.

[0026] The head 61 sprays out liquids such as ink, which then adhere to the printing surface of the medium M supported by the medium support portion 51. The liquid sprayed out by the head 61 includes a first liquid and a second liquid, which will be described later. The head 61, together with the carriage 62, reciprocates along the X-axis within a region that is vertically opposed to the medium support portion 51.

[0027] Although not shown in the diagram, a nozzle surface is arranged on the downward-facing surface of the head 61. Multiple nozzle rows are provided on the nozzle surface. Each nozzle row consists of multiple nozzles that eject liquids such as ink. Liquid is supplied individually to each nozzle row from the first liquid supply unit 110 and the second liquid supply unit 120 according to the type of liquid.

[0028] Specifically, a first liquid and a third liquid are supplied from the first liquid supply unit 110 to the head 61. The first liquid is a so-called special color ink, which is white ink in this embodiment. The third liquid is a liquid that does not contain coloring materials and is a cleaning solution or treatment solution. The first liquid, the third liquid, and the second liquid (described later) are separately stored in a box that serves as a storage container.

[0029] In the white ink of this embodiment, titanium dioxide is used as the color material. Titanium dioxide has a higher specific gravity than pigments used in conventional colors such as black, blue-green, magenta, and yellow. Furthermore, in white ink, there is a tendency to increase pigment concentration or particle size to improve whiteness and ensure the opacity of the substrate. Therefore, the titanium dioxide contained in white ink settles more easily than pigments used in conventional colors. If significant settling occurs, hardening may occur. Additionally, particle size in this specification refers to the 50% particle size.

[0030] In this embodiment, titanium dioxide pigment with a larger particle size and specific gravity is dispersed in the white ink, which is the first liquid, compared to the second liquid. Therefore, the whiteness and substrate opacity of the white ink are improved. Conversely, in the first liquid, the pigment tends to settle relative to the second liquid, thus requiring maintenance at shorter intervals.

[0031] In contrast, in the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, it is recommended to perform the operation of removing the white ink cartridge from the first liquid supply unit 110 and vibrating it. Furthermore, a liquid circulation unit is provided to allow the white ink in the piping to flow and circulate while the white ink cartridge is installed in the first liquid supply unit 110. This suppresses the settling of the white ink in the printing apparatus 1, thereby preventing defects such as hardening. Moreover, since the maintenance of the first liquid supply unit 110 is improved in the printing apparatus 1, the labor required of the user is reduced. Details regarding the liquid circulation unit and the aforementioned workability will be described later.

[0032] As the first liquid, in addition to white ink, inks containing color materials with a specific gravity greater than organic pigments, such as metallic inks containing silver particles or aluminum flakes as pigments, can also be used. Furthermore, the first liquid is not limited to special color inks, cleaning solutions, or processing solutions. Liquids that are frequently used in printing apparatus 1, such as those used for cartridge insertion and removal, can also be used in the first liquid.

[0033] The cleaning fluid is used in the printing apparatus 1 to clean components such as the head 61 where ink flows or comes into contact. The cleaning fluid may also not be sprayed from the head 61 onto the medium M. The treatment fluid is suitable for pretreatment of the medium M before it is coated with ink, and for post-treatment of the ink coated on the medium M.

[0034] A second liquid is supplied from the second liquid supply unit 120 to the head 61. The second liquid is an ink containing coloring materials and is various colors such as blue-green, yellow, magenta, and black. Alternatively, the second liquid may include special color inks such as white ink or red ink, which do not require frequent stirring.

[0035] The first liquid, the second liquid, etc., are supplied from each box to the head 61 via piping (not shown) and are ejected from the corresponding nozzle array toward the printing surface of the medium M.

[0036] In section 61, a piezoelectric element is used as the driving unit, i.e., the actuator. The driving unit is not limited to this. For example, the driving unit may also use an electromechanical conversion element that displaces the vibrating plate as an actuator by electrostatic adsorption, or an electrothermal conversion element that ejects ink as droplets by bubbles generated by heating.

[0037] Furthermore, the head 61 is not limited to a serial type in which it is supported by the carriage 62 and reciprocates. The head 61 can also be arranged linearly along the X-axis and does not reciprocate along the X-axis.

[0038] In the media support section 51, while the media M is being conveyed in the +Y direction, the head 61 and the carriage 62 reciprocate along the X-axis. At this time, by applying a first liquid or a second liquid to the printing surface of the media M at arbitrary timing points, images such as pictures, photographs, text, and patterns are printed on the media M. The printed media M is then conveyed from the media support section 51 to the media support section 52.

[0039] The medium support portion 52 has a curved surface and abuts against the lower surface of the medium M being transported, thereby providing support. The medium M is conveyed while sliding in contact with the curved surface of the medium support portion 52. The conveying direction of the medium M changes slightly downward from the +Y direction through the curved surface of the medium support portion 52.

[0040] The medium support portion 52 may also be equipped with an electric heater for heating the medium M. This electric heater heats droplets such as ink coated on the medium M, thereby promoting the evaporation of volatile components such as water contained in the droplets.

[0041] The printing medium M, which becomes the printed material, is discharged from the printing apparatus 1 in the +Y direction via the medium support 52. This allows the printing material to be manufactured. The printing apparatus 1 may also have a medium cutting section near the medium support 52 to cut the printed material along the X-axis. Furthermore, the printed material can be cut along the X-axis after being discharged from the printing apparatus 1, or it can be conveyed to a post-processing device or the like located in the +Y direction of the printing apparatus 1. Moreover, the printed material can also be provided for secondary processing such as transfer printing.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, the operation panel 80 is positioned above the printing apparatus 1 in the -X direction. The user views or operates the operation panel 80 from the front of the printing apparatus 1 in the -X direction. Here, in Figure 2 The diagrams of the roll body R, medium M, and housing 15 are omitted.

[0043] The media support portion 51 is disposed in the printing apparatus 1 spanning from near its end in the +X direction to a position slightly deeper in the +X direction than its end in the -X direction. Although not shown in the figures, a suction mechanism for the head 61 is disposed in the -X direction of the media support portion 51. Therefore, the carriage 62 and the head 61 can be compared to... Figure 2 The position shown is further moved in the -X direction. The media support 51 is located in the +X direction relative to the operation panel 80 in the direction along the X-axis. The -X end of the media support 51 and the +X end of the operation panel 80 may also be located in a position that overlaps in the direction along the X-axis. The operation panel 80 may also be located in the +Y direction relative to the media support 52 in the direction along the Y-axis.

[0044] The first liquid supply unit 110 and the second liquid supply unit 120 are arranged laterally below the medium support unit 51 in the X direction. Specifically, the first liquid supply unit 110 is arranged to protrude in the -X direction compared to the -X end of the medium support unit 51 along the X-axis. In other words, when viewed from above, a portion of the first liquid supply unit 110 is positioned offset from the medium support unit 51 in the -X direction. The -X end of the first liquid supply unit 110 and the +X end of the operation panel 80 overlap in the X-axis direction. The +Y end of the first liquid supply unit 110 and the +Y end of the second liquid supply unit 120 are located closer to the -Y direction than the +Y end of the medium support unit 52.

[0045] The second liquid supply section 120 is positioned in the X-axis direction at a location that extends further into the -X direction than the +X end of the medium support section 51. That is, the first liquid supply section 110 is positioned closer to the operation panel 80 than the second liquid supply section 120.

[0046] Boxes 111 and 113 are mounted on the first liquid supply unit 110. Boxes 111 and 113 are pluggable relative to the first liquid supply unit 110. Box 111 is filled with white ink as a first liquid. Box 113 is filled with a cleaning fluid or treatment fluid as a third liquid. The number of boxes 111 and 113 is not limited to one.

[0047] Four cartridges 122 are mounted on the second liquid supply unit 120. The cartridges 122 are insertable and removable relative to the second liquid supply unit 120. Each cartridge 122 is filled with ink, which serves as the second liquid. The number of cartridges 122 is not limited to four. The cartridges 122 are inserted and removed less frequently than cartridges 111 and 113.

[0048] Boxes 111, 113, and 122 have an outer casing made of rigid resin, a storage section inside the casing for storing liquid, and a supply section for supplying the stored liquid. The storage section, for example, has a resin sheet with a metal film disposed thereon. In the storage section, the resin sheet is formed in a bag shape. The supply section seals the storage section and, when installed in the printing apparatus 1, supplies the stored liquid to a pipe connected to the head 61.

[0049] In cartridge 111, to suppress the sedimentation of titanium dioxide pigment inside, it is recommended to pull it out from the first liquid supply section 110 and vibrate it periodically. The cleaning fluid tends to be used in larger quantities compared to inks containing colored materials. Furthermore, the cleaning fluid sometimes adheres to the entire surface of the medium M, making it easier to consume excessive amounts. Therefore, cartridge 113 sometimes needs to be replaced more frequently.

[0050] The user, for example, visually confirms the vibration indicator of box 111 displayed on the operation panel 80, and then removes box 111 from the first liquid supply section 110, vibrates it, and reinstalls it. At this time, the operation panel 80 is operated. For example, the user inputs the removal of box 111 to the operation panel 80, and also inputs the completion of the vibration operation. If box 111 is installed on the second liquid supply section 120, the workflow of the above-mentioned series of operations becomes longer, which easily deteriorates workability. For box 113, if it is assumed to be installed on the second liquid supply section 120, the same tendency for workability deterioration exists as with box 111.

[0051] Along the X-axis, the width of the medium M is shorter than the width of the medium support 51. Even for the widest medium M, it is recommended to be, for example, about 85 mm shorter than the width of the medium support 51. However, in printing, since the medium M is conveyed above the second liquid supply section 120, it is difficult to perform operations related to the second liquid supply section 120 while visually observing or operating the operation panel 80.

[0052] In contrast, in the printing apparatus 1, a portion of the upper part of the first liquid supply section 110 is offset from the end of the medium M in the -X direction. Therefore, the user can lift the end of the medium M in the -X direction to perform operations. That is, even during or immediately after printing, when the printed material is in front of the medium support section 51, operations such as inserting and removing the cartridges 111 and 113 can be performed, thereby improving user convenience.

[0053] The printing apparatus 1 includes a liquid delivery unit 130. The liquid delivery unit 130 is a liquid delivery pump that supplies a first liquid, a second liquid, and a third liquid from the first liquid supply unit 110 and the second liquid supply unit 120 to the head 61. The liquid delivery unit 130 is located below the media support unit 51 and is disposed between the first liquid supply unit 110 and the second liquid supply unit 120.

[0054] The liquid delivery unit 130 is connected to the housings 111 and 113 of the first liquid supply unit 110 and the housing 122 of the second liquid supply unit 120 via piping (not shown). Furthermore, the liquid delivery unit 130 and the head 61 are connected via separate piping (not shown) for each type of liquid, such as ink. A known liquid delivery pump can be used in the liquid delivery unit 130.

[0055] The liquid circulation unit 140 is disposed near the first liquid supply unit 110 in the -X direction. The liquid circulation unit 140 is a circulation pump that circulates the white ink in the path of the piping or the like, thereby suppressing the sedimentation or clogging of titanium dioxide pigment.

[0056] The liquid circulation unit 140 is located in the piping from the box 111 installed in the first liquid supply unit 110 through the liquid delivery unit 130 to the head 61. When the liquid circulation unit 140 is in operation, the white ink in the aforementioned piping is circulated. A known circulation pump can be used in the liquid circulation unit 140.

[0057] The liquid circulation section 140 is positioned closer to the first liquid supply section 110 than the second liquid supply section 120. Therefore, the piping connecting the liquid circulation section 140 and the first liquid supply section 110 is shortened, thereby suppressing liquid loss during white ink circulation and reducing the operating load of the liquid circulation section 140.

[0058] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0059] This improves the workability of maintaining the first liquid supply unit 110, which is operated in conjunction with the operation panel 80. Specifically, because the first liquid supply unit 110 is located close to the operation panel 80, the user of the printing apparatus 1 can easily perform tasks related to the first liquid supply unit 110 while operating or visually viewing the operation panel 80. Therefore, a printing apparatus 1 can be provided that improves the workability of maintaining the first liquid supply unit 110, which is operated in conjunction with the operation panel 80.

[0060] Symbol Explanation

[0061] 1…printing apparatus; 51…medium support as a medium support; 61…head; 80…operation panel; 110…first liquid supply unit; 120…second liquid supply unit; 140…liquid circulation unit; M…medium.

Claims

1. A printing device characterized by comprising: Possessing: a medium support section that supports a medium; a head that ejects a first liquid and a second liquid toward the medium supported by the medium support section; a first liquid supply section that supplies the head with the first liquid; a second liquid supply section that supplies the head with the second liquid; an operation panel for performing at least an operation associated with the first liquid supply section, the first liquid supply section and the second liquid supply section are arranged laterally below the medium support section, the first liquid supply section is disposed closer to the operation panel than the second liquid supply section.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a liquid circulation section that circulates the first liquid is provided, the liquid circulation section is disposed closer to the first liquid supply section than to the second liquid supply section.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a pigment having a larger particle diameter and specific gravity is dispersed in the first liquid than in the second liquid.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first liquid supply section supplies a third liquid that does not contain a color material, the second liquid contains the color material.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a part of the first liquid supply section is disposed away from the medium support section when viewed in plan.

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