Printing device

Abstract

To decrease humidity in an enclosure regardless of a usage environment.SOLUTION: A printing device 1 comprises four heads 30 having nozzles for discharging ink, an enclosure 8 in which the heads 30 are arranged, a platen 12 that can support a printing medium, and a chamber, provided behind the enclosure 8, which stores dehumidified air. The enclosure 8 has four first openings 81-84 and two second openings 85 and 86 which are communicated with the chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing device capable of supplying dehumidified air into a housing thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a printing device having a drying unit that heats a printed sheet (printing medium) to dry the ink. In this printing device, the drying unit introduces air from outside the housing into the housing and circulates hot air heated by a heater inside the housing to reduce the humidity inside the housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-224932 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if the printing apparatus is used in a humid environment, there is a problem in that the humidity inside the housing cannot be reduced even by introducing air from outside the housing.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a printing device capable of reducing the humidity inside the housing regardless of the usage environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The printing device of the present invention comprises a head that ejects ink, a housing in which the head is disposed, and a chamber provided outside the housing for containing dehumidified air, the housing having an opening that communicates with the chamber. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the printing device of the present invention, the dehumidified air in the chamber is supplied into the housing through the opening, so that the humidity inside the housing can be reduced regardless of the usage environment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the printing device shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a front view showing the internal structure of the printing device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a rear view of the housing shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the rear. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the carriage as viewed from below. [Figure 7] FIG. 4A is a front view of the suction mechanism, and FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view of a main part taken along line VIII-VIII shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 9] 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the printing device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure executed when a print start command is input to the printing device shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the state when the platen is transported from the set position to the pre-printing standby position, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the state when the platen is transported from the pre-printing standby position to the set position. [Figure 12] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for dehumidification control of the printing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a printing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] First Embodiment A printing device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the up-down direction and front-rear direction (the "first direction" of the present invention) are defined based on the state in which the printing device 1 is installed and ready for use (the state in FIG. 1), and the left-right direction (the direction intersecting the front-rear direction: the "second direction" of the present invention) is defined when viewing the printing device 1 from the front. In the following description, the left-right direction is sometimes referred to as the main scanning direction, and the front-rear direction is sometimes referred to as the sub-scanning direction.

[0010] The printing device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an inkjet printer, which performs printing by discharging ink onto a printing medium. The printing device 1 can print a color image onto the printing medium using five colors of ink: white, black, yellow, cyan, and magenta. The printing medium is not particularly limited as long as it is possible to form an image by discharging ink onto the printing medium, and may be, for example, fabric, paper, or the like. In this embodiment, the printing medium is, for example, a T-shirt containing polyester fibers. When the printing device 1 executes printing on the printing medium (T-shirt), the printing medium to which a pretreatment liquid has been applied in advance is placed on the platen 12. The pretreatment liquid reacts with the ink discharged onto the pretreatment liquid to aggregate the ink components, thereby preventing bleeding. The volatile components of the pretreatment liquid include organic acids such as formic acid.

[0011] In the following, the white ink of the five color inks will be referred to as "white ink". When referring to the four of the five color inks, black, cyan, yellow, and magenta, collectively or when none of them is specified, they will be referred to as "color ink". When referring to white ink and color inks collectively or when none of them is specified, they will simply be referred to as "ink". White ink is used in printing to represent the white part of an image, or as a base for color inks. Color inks are ejected on top of a base of white ink and are used to print color images.

[0012] The exterior configuration of the printing device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 1 includes a housing 8, a platen 12, a transport mechanism 14, an operation unit 15, a display screen 16, a chamber 40, a dehumidifier 47 (see FIG. 2), and a dehumidification tank 48 (see FIG. 2). The housing 8 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A rectangular platen opening (a "passage opening" of the present invention) 13 is formed at the approximate center in the left-right and up-down directions of a front surface 8A ("one surface" of the present invention) of the housing 8. Five cartridges (not shown) containing five colors of ink are stored inside the housing 8. The platen (a "support unit" of the present invention) 12 is made of a plate-like member having a substantially rectangular planar shape as shown in FIG. 2. The upper surface of the platen 12 is a support surface 12A that supports a print medium. The support surface 12A has a quadrangular shape.

[0013] The operation units 15 are provided at positions on either side of a platen support unit 37 (described later) located forward of the platen opening 13. The operation unit 15 outputs information corresponding to operations by a user to a control unit 80 (described later). By operating the operation unit 15, the user can input to the control unit 80 a print start command (including print data) for starting printing by the printing device 1, a command to start supplying dehumidified air, a command to stop supplying dehumidified air, and the like. The display screen 16 is provided on the front surface 8A of the housing 8, above and to the right of the platen opening 13. The display screen 16 displays various information.

[0014] The transport mechanism 14 transports the platen 12, on which the print medium is placed, between the inside and outside of the housing 8 through the platen opening 13. When the platen 12 is placed in a print transport area P3 (position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2) inside the housing 8 shown in FIG. 2, ink is ejected from a head 30, which will be described later, to perform printing. As shown in FIG. 2, the transport mechanism 14 has a platen support portion 37, a pair of left and right rails 38, a transmission member 39, and a sub-scanning motor 26 (see FIG. 8).

[0015] 2 and 3, the platen support portion 37 supports the platen 12 from below. A pair of left and right rails 38 extend in the front-rear direction and support the platen support portion 37 so that it can move in the front-rear direction. A transmission member 39 connects the platen support portion 37 to the sub-scanning motor 26 and moves the platen support portion 37 in the front-rear direction, i.e., the sub-scanning direction, in response to the drive of the sub-scanning motor 26.

[0016] The operator places the print medium on the support surface 12A of the platen 12 in a state where the platen 12 is disposed forward of the front surface 8A of the housing 8, i.e., outside the housing 8. The position of the platen 12 shown in FIG. 2 is a set position P1 where the platen 12 supports the print medium. The platen 12 moves from the set position P1 to a pre-printing standby position P2 (a position shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2) before printing on the print medium. The pre-printing standby position P2 is behind the print transport area P3 and is at the rear end of the transport path of the platen 12. The print transport area P3 is an area in the transport path of the platen 12 that vertically overlaps with the movement path of the head 30 in the main scanning direction (left-right direction) described below. The front-rear width of the movement path of the head 30 in the main scanning direction is between the rear end of the rearmost head 30 (white head 31) and the front end of the frontmost head 30 (color head 34).

[0017] 2 to 8, the structure inside the housing 8 of the printing device 1 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the housing 8 has a frame 2 and an outer peripheral panel 9 that covers the outer periphery of the frame 2 and constitutes a front surface 8A, a rear surface 8B, a left side surface 8C, a right side surface 8D, a top surface 8E, and a bottom surface 8F.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, frame 2 is configured in a lattice shape with a number of shafts extending in the front-rear direction, including shafts 57 and 58, a number of shafts extending in the left-right direction, and a number of shafts extending in the up-down direction, including shafts 55 and .

[0019] The front surface 8A is formed with the above-mentioned platen opening 13. The rear surface 8B (the "other surface" of the present invention) is formed with four first openings 81-84 and two second openings 85, 86, as shown in Fig. 5. These first openings 81-84 and second openings 85, 86 penetrate the outer peripheral panel 9 in the thickness direction, and communicate between the inside and outside of the housing 8.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 5, the four first openings 81-84 are disposed above a maintenance position B1, an ejection region B2, and a head standby position B3, which are described below, where the head 30 is mainly disposed. That is, these first openings 81-84 are disposed above nozzle faces 311, 321, 331, and 341 (described below) of the head 30. Furthermore, these first openings 81-84 are disposed apart from one another in the left-right direction. The first opening 81 is disposed to the right of the center of the rear surface 8B in the left-right direction. The first opening 84 is disposed to the left of the center of the rear surface 8B in the left-right direction. The first openings 82 and 83 are disposed in the center of the rear surface 8B in the left-right direction.

[0021] 5, the two second openings 85, 86 are located below nozzle surfaces 311, 321, 331, 341 (described later) of the head 30. The second opening 85 is disposed between the first openings 81, 82 in the left-right direction. The second opening 86 is disposed between the first openings 83, 84 in the left-right direction.

[0022] At least any one of the four first openings 81-84 may be vertically shifted as long as they are disposed above the nozzle faces 311, 321, 331, and 341. In addition, the two second openings 85 and 86 may also be vertically shifted as long as they are disposed below the nozzle faces 311, 321, 331, and 341.

[0023] 2, a pair of inner walls 71, 72, partition plates 28, 29 (see FIG. 3), heads 31 to 34, a moving mechanism 77, suction mechanisms 73, 74 (see FIG. 3), a humidifying mechanism 60 (see FIG. 3), a humidity sensor 90, and air blowing mechanisms 95, 96 (see FIG. 3) are provided inside the housing 8. The moving mechanism 77 includes a guide shaft 20 and a carriage 6 fixed to the frame 2. The guide shaft 20 is composed of a front shaft 21, a rear shaft 22, a left shaft 23, and a right shaft 24. The transport mechanism 14 is fixed to the frame 2.

[0024] The pair of inner walls 71, 72 are disposed apart from each other while facing each other in the left-right direction, as shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 4. For example, the pair of inner walls 71, 72 are disposed on either side of the transport path of the platen 12 in the left-right direction in a plan view, as shown in Fig. 2. The inner walls 71, 72 extend in the up-down and front-rear directions below the guide shaft 20, as shown in Fig. 3, and are fixed to the frame 2. The inner wall 71 is provided to the left of the print transport area P3, as shown in Fig. 4, and is fixed to the shaft 57. The inner wall 72 is provided to the right of the print transport area P3, and is fixed to the shaft 58.

[0025] 3 and 4, the partition plate 28 is fixed to the frame 2 below the guide shaft 20 and to the left of the inner wall 71. The partition plate 28 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. A right end of the partition plate 28 is connected to a lower end of the inner wall 71.

[0026] 3 and 4, the partition plate 29 is fixed to the frame 2 below the guide shaft 20 and to the right of the inner wall 72. The partition plate 29 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. The left end of the partition plate 29 is connected to the lower end of the inner wall 72.

[0027] 4, a supply port 75 having a circular shape in plan view is formed at the front right part of partition plate 28, penetrating partition plate 28 in the up-down direction. A supply port 76 having a circular shape in plan view is formed at the front left part of partition plate 29, penetrating partition plate 29 in the up-down direction. The positional relationship between supply port 75 and supply port 76 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, supply port 75 is formed forward of supply port 76 in the front-rear direction. Pipes (not shown) are connected to these supply ports 75, 76, and are connected to humidified air supply pipes 61, 62 described below.

[0028] 2, the carriage 6 is supported by a front shaft 21 and a rear shaft 22 so as to be movable in the main scanning direction. The carriage 6 is plate-shaped and extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. The carriage 6 extends from the front shaft 21 to the rear shaft 22.

[0029] 2 and 6, the carriage 6 is provided with white heads 31, 32 and color heads 33, 34. The white heads 31, 32 and color heads 33, 34 constitute the "head" of the present invention.

[0030] The white heads 31, 32 and the color heads 33, 34 each have the same structure, and in this embodiment, each has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. In the following, when the white heads 31, 32 and the color heads 33, 34 are collectively referred to, or when one of them is not specified, they will be referred to as "head 30." As shown in FIG. 6, the white heads 31, 32 are located at the rear of the carriage 6. The white head 31 is located at the right rear of the carriage 6. The white head 32 is located to the left of the white head 31, and is shifted forward relative to the white head 31.

[0031] 2 and 6, the color heads 33 and 34 are located in front of the white heads 31 and 32 in the sub-scanning direction. The color heads 33 and 34 are located at the same positions in the left-right direction as the white heads 31 and 32. In other words, the color head 34 is located to the left of the color head 33 and is shifted forward relative to the color head 33.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 6, a nozzle surface 311 is provided on the bottom surface of the white head 31. The nozzle surface 311 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. Multiple nozzle rows 312 are formed on the nozzle surface 311. The multiple nozzle rows 312 are aligned in the left-right direction. Each nozzle row 312 is composed of multiple nozzles 313 aligned at equal intervals in a line in the front-rear direction. The multiple nozzles 313 are openings that eject white ink downward.

[0033] Similar to the configuration of the white head 31, nozzle surfaces 321, 331, 341 are provided on the bottom surfaces of the white head 32 and the color heads 33, 34, respectively. The nozzle surfaces 321, 331, 341 extend in the front-rear and left-right directions. A plurality of nozzle rows 322, 332, 342 are formed in the nozzle surfaces 321, 331, 341, respectively. The plurality of nozzle rows 322, 332, 342 are each aligned in the left-right direction. The plurality of nozzle rows 322, 332, 342 are each configured with a plurality of nozzles 323, 333, 343 aligned at equal intervals in a line in the front-rear direction.

[0034] The multiple nozzles 323 eject white ink downward. Different color inks correspond to the multiple nozzle rows 332, respectively. That is, the multiple nozzles 333 eject color ink of the color corresponding to each of the multiple nozzle rows 332, downward. Different color inks correspond to the multiple nozzle rows 342, respectively. The multiple nozzles 343 eject color ink of the color corresponding to each of the multiple nozzle rows 342, downward.

[0035] The movement mechanism 77 has a drive belt 98 and a main scanning motor 99. The drive belt 98 is connected to the rear end of the carriage 6. The drive belt 98 is provided on the rear shaft 22 and extends in the left-right direction. The left end of the drive belt 98 is connected to the main scanning motor 99. When the main scanning motor 99 is driven, the drive belt 98 moves the carriage 6 in the left-right direction along the front shaft 21 and the rear shaft 22. In other words, the movement mechanism 77 moves the carriage 6 on which the head 30 is mounted in the main scanning direction. FIGS. 2 and 3 show a state in which the carriage 6 is located at the right end of the movement range R.

[0036] 2 and 3, the moving range R of the head 30 is shown as the maximum range in which the carriage 6 can move in the main scanning direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the head 30 is mainly disposed in one of the maintenance position B1, the discharge area B2, and the head waiting position B3 by the moving mechanism 77. The maintenance position B1 is at the left end of the moving range R of the head 30, and is a position where the head 30 is maintained by a maintenance unit such as a wiper or a cap (not shown). The printing device 1 moves the head 30 to the maintenance position B1 when not printing, and performs maintenance by the maintenance unit. The discharge area B2 is an area between the maintenance position B1 and the head waiting position B3 in the main scanning direction, and is an area that overlaps with the transport path (print transport area P3) of the platen 12 in the vertical direction in the moving path of the head 30. In addition, when the head 30 passes through the discharge area B2 by the carriage 6, the head 30 discharges ink according to print data, and printing is performed on the printing medium on the platen 12. The head standby position B3 is located at the right end of the movement range R of the head 30, and is a position where an operator is positioned when performing operations such as cleaning on the head 30. The printing device 1 moves the head 30 to the head standby position B3 and places the head 30 on standby, based on instructions input from the operation unit 15 by, for example, a user's operation.

[0037] The printing device 1 moves the platen 12 in the sub-scanning direction by driving the sub-scanning motor 26 in the printing transport area P3, and moves the carriage 6 in the main scanning direction by driving the main scanning motor 99 in the ejection area B2, thereby moving the printing medium relative to the head 30 in the sub-scanning direction and the main scanning direction.

[0038] The operation of moving the head 30 in the main scanning direction and discharging ink onto the printing medium when the head 30 faces the printing medium is called an "ejection scan." The printing device 1 prints on the printing medium by repeating the ejection scan and the movement of the platen 12 in the sub-scanning direction. For example, the printing device 1 ejects white ink from the white heads 31 and 32 during the ejection scan to form a base on the printing medium. The printing device 1 ejects color inks from the color heads 33 and 34 onto the base formed on the printing medium during the ejection scan to print a color image.

[0039] 3, the suction mechanisms 73 and 74 mainly suck air from the print transport region P3, the discharge region B2, and the spaces adjacent to these regions. In the main scanning direction, the suction mechanism 73 is provided on the left side of the transport mechanism 14 inside the housing 8 (see FIG. 1), and the suction mechanism 74 is provided on the right side of the transport mechanism 14 inside the housing 8. The suction mechanisms 73 and 74 have a symmetrical configuration.

[0040] 7, the suction mechanism 73 has an inner wall 71, three fans 94, and a filter unit 18. The upper surface of the inner wall 71 is formed with a slit-like suction port 713 that is long in the front-rear direction.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 7(a), the inner wall 71 has a fixing plate 70 and a storage section 19. The fixing plate 70 is a plate-shaped portion extending in the left-right direction at the upper end of the inner wall 71. As shown in FIG. 4, the fixing plate 70 is fixed to a shaft 57 extending in the front-rear direction. The storage section 19 is box-shaped and removably stores the filter unit 18. The filter unit 18 is stored inside the inner wall 71 by being stored in the storage section 19. The filter unit 18 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the front-rear direction. The filter unit 18 also has a filter and a support that supports the filter. The filter is, for example, a resin filter with multiple tiny holes formed therein, and adsorbs and collects foreign matter such as mist and dust in the air.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 7(a), the three fans 94 are provided at the lower part of the left surface of the inner wall 71. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the three fans 94 are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 4, when each fan 94 of the suction mechanism 73 is driven, air is sucked into the inner wall 71 from the suction port 713 of the inner wall 71. The air sucked into the inner wall 71 passes through the filter of the filter unit 18, and foreign matter in the air is collected. The air from which the foreign matter has been collected is discharged from the space inside the inner wall 71 through the suction port 945 and the exhaust port 946 of the fan 94. That is, when the fan 94 is driven, air flows in the space inside the inner wall 71 as shown by the arrow K, as shown in FIG. 7(a).

[0043] As shown in FIG. 4, the suction mechanism 74 has an inner wall 72, three fans (not shown), and a filter unit (not shown) that respectively correspond to the inner wall 71, three fans 94, and filter unit 18 of the suction mechanism 73. A slit-like suction port 723 that is long in the front-rear direction and corresponds to the suction port 713 is formed on the upper surface of the suction mechanism 74. When each fan of the suction mechanism 74 is driven, air flows from the suction port 723 into the space inside the inner wall 72. Thereafter, the air passes through the filter of the filter unit as it flows from the top to the bottom of the space. Then, the air flows from the bottom of the space to the right where the fan is located, and is discharged from the space.

[0044] It should be noted that the suction mechanisms 73 and 74 only need to have the inner walls 71 and 72 and the fan 94, respectively, and the filter unit 18 may not be provided.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 3, the humidification mechanism 60 has two humidified air supply pipes 61 and 62, and a humidifier 66. The humidifier 66 supplies humidified air to a supply port 75 arranged on the left side of the suction mechanism 73 and a supply port 76 arranged on the right side of the suction mechanism 74. The humidifier 66 is provided inside the housing 8 and below the partition plate 29. The humidifier 66 also has a humidification tank 66A (see FIG. 4), a humidification drive unit 661 (see FIG. 9), an intake port 69 for taking air into the humidifier 66, two tubes 67 and 68, and fans 662 and 663 (see FIG. 9). The humidification tank 66A stores water used for humidification. Note that humidification may be performed using a liquid other than water. As shown in FIG. 4, one end of a pipe (the "communicating flow path" of the present invention) 49 is connected to the humidification tank 66A. The other end of the pipe 49 is connected to the dehumidification tank 48. That is, the humidifying tank 66A and the dehumidifying tank 48 are in communication with each other through the pipe 49. A water supply pipe may be connected to the humidifying tank 66A, and water may be supplied to the humidifying tank 66A from, for example, a water main or an external device such as a water supply tank (not shown).

[0046] The humidification drive unit 661 humidifies the air taken into the humidifier 66 via the intake port 69 using water stored in the humidification tank 66A. The humidification drive unit 661 may humidify the air by any method, such as steam, evaporation, ultrasonic, or electrolysis. One end of a tube 67 is connected to the humidifier 66, and the other end is connected to the supply port 75. One end of a tube 68 is connected to the humidifier 66, and the other end is connected to the supply port 76.

[0047] The fan 662 supplies the air humidified by the humidification drive unit 661 to the supply port 75 via a tube 67 shown in FIG. 3. The fan 663 supplies the air humidified by the humidification drive unit 661 to the supply port 76 via a tube 68 shown in FIG. 3. The humidified air supplied to the supply port 75 is sent to the support surface 12A side of the platen 12 via a humidified air supply pipe 61 described below. The humidified air supplied to the supply port 76 is also sent to the support surface 12A side of the platen 12 via a humidified air supply pipe 62 described below. In other words, the humidified air supplied from the humidifier 66 is sent towards the print medium supported by the platen 12.

[0048] The two humidified air supply pipes 61, 62 are fixed to the frame 2 (shafts 57, 58) as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 8. These humidified air supply pipes 61, 62 are straight pipes. The two humidified air supply pipes 61, 62 are disposed around and behind the platen 12 disposed in the print transport area P3.

[0049] The two humidified air supply pipes 61, 62 have humidified air supply ports 61A, 62A at one end, and are connected to the other end with pipes (not shown) that are connected to supply ports 75, 76. More specifically, the pipe connected to supply port 75 is connected to the humidified air supply pipe 61. The pipe connected to supply port 76 is connected to the humidified air supply pipe 62.

[0050] The two humidified air supply pipes 61, 62 are arranged at an angle relative to the front-rear and left-right directions so that the humidified air supply ports 61A, 62A face the support surface 12A of the platen 12 arranged in the print transport area P3. The two humidified air supply ports 61A, 62A face forward.

[0051] 8, the two humidified air supply ports 61A, 62A are disposed at the same position in the vertical direction. More specifically, the two humidified air supply ports 61A, 62A are disposed above the platen 12 such that the distance from their central axes (the central axis passing through the center of the openings) to the support surface 12A of the platen 12 in the vertical direction is a predetermined distance T. The two humidified air supply ports 61A, 62A are open toward a spatial region on the support surface 12A of the platen 12 disposed in the print transport region P3 (the region between the head 30 and the support surface 12A in the vertical direction).

[0052] The humidified air supplied from these two humidified air supply ports 61A, 62A is supplied from the vicinity of the two rear corners of the platen 12 arranged in the print transport area P3 toward the front of the platen 12. As a result, a large amount of humidified air is supplied to the spatial area between the platen 12 and the top and bottom of the head 30.

[0053] 2, the humidity sensor 90 is disposed inside the housing 8. More specifically, the humidity sensor 90 is disposed to the left of the platen opening 13 and is fixed to the back side of the front surface 8A of the housing 8. The humidity sensor 90 is also disposed above the head 30. The humidity sensor 90 detects the humidity inside the housing 8 and outputs a signal indicating the humidity to the control unit 80.

[0054] 3, the blower mechanism 95 (the "second blower" of the present invention) has two fans 95A, 95B. The two fans 95A, 95B are disposed outboard of the pair of rails 38 in the left-right direction and disposed inside the pair of inner walls 71, 72. The two fans 95A, 95B are also disposed such that their centers are positioned slightly below the pair of rails 38 in the up-down direction. The blower mechanism 95 is also positioned on the opposite side of the platen opening 13 with respect to the head 30 in the front-rear direction.

[0055] In addition, the two fans 95A and 95B are fixed to the outer peripheral panel 9 constituting the rear surface 8B of the housing 8. More specifically, the fan 95A is provided in the second opening 85, and the fan 95B is provided in the second opening 86. The fan 95A covers the second opening 85, and the fan 95B covers the second opening 86. When these two fans 95A and 95B are driven, air flows from the rear to the front. That is, the blower mechanism 95 supplies air from outside the housing 8 (inside the chamber 40) to the housing 8 through the second openings 85 and 86, blows air from inside the housing 8 from the rear to the front, and exhausts it to the outside through the platen opening 13.

[0056] The two fans 95A, 95B are disposed at positions facing the platen opening 13 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the air sent by the blower mechanism 95 is effectively discharged from the inside of the housing 8 to the outside through the platen opening 13.

[0057] The blower mechanism 96 (the "first blower" and "blower" of the present invention) also has two fans 96A and 96B as shown in FIG. 3. The blower mechanism 96 is located on the opposite side of the platen opening 13 with respect to the head 30 in the front-rear direction. The two fans 96A and 96B are fixed to the outer peripheral panel 9 constituting the rear surface 8B of the housing 8. More specifically, the fan 96A is provided in the first opening 82, and the fan 96B is provided in the first opening 83. The fan 96A covers the first opening 82, and the fan 96B covers the first opening 83. When these two fans 96A and 96B are driven, air flows from the rear to the front, similar to the above-mentioned two fans 95A and 95B. In other words, the blower mechanism 96 also supplies air from outside the housing 8 (inside the chamber 40) into the housing 8 through the first openings 82, 83, blows the air inside the housing 8 from the rear to the front, and exhausts it to the outside through the platen opening 13.

[0058] Driving at least one of the blower mechanisms 95, 96 generates an airflow that expels air from the housing 8 through the platen opening 13. The airflow generated in the housing 8 causes air in the chamber 40 to be supplied into the housing 8 through the first openings 81, 84. Since the openings 81-86 are formed in the housing 8, the air in the chamber 40 automatically flows into the housing 8.

[0059] The chamber 40 is disposed behind the housing 8 and adjacent to the rear surface 8B. The chamber 40 has a frame body 41 and a sheet 42, and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The frame body 41 has four support columns 41A extending in the vertical direction, an upper frame 41B, and a lower frame 41C. The upper frame 41B has two horizontal frames extending in the left-right direction and two horizontal frames extending in the front-rear direction, and is formed into a rectangular frame shape. The lower frame 41C also has two horizontal frames extending in the left-right direction and two horizontal frames extending in the front-rear direction, and is formed into a rectangular frame shape. The frame body 41 is configured by connecting the upper frame 41B and the lower frame 41C with the four support columns 41A.

[0060] The sheet 42 is disposed so as to cover the entire upper, left and right sides, and rear of the frame 41. The sheet 42 in this embodiment is semi-transparent, but may be transparent or opaque. Also, a plate-shaped panel may be provided in place of the sheet 42 of the chamber 40. In short, it is sufficient that the chamber 40 has a space therein for accommodating air.

[0061] The dehumidifier 47 and the dehumidification tank 48 are disposed in the chamber 40 as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4. The dehumidifier 47 is a known device and has an intake port 47A for sucking in air in the chamber 40 and a supply port 47B. When the dehumidifier 47 is driven, it generates dehumidified air by removing moisture from the air in the chamber 40 sucked in through the intake port 47A, and supplies the dehumidified air into the chamber 40 through the supply port 47B. The dehumidifier 47 dehumidifies the air in the chamber 40. The dehumidification tank 48 stores water generated when the dehumidifier 47 generates the dehumidified air. In addition, the dehumidification tank 48 in this embodiment is disposed above the dehumidifier 47, but it may be disposed above the humidification tank 66A. As a result, the water stored in the dehumidification tank 48 is automatically supplied to the humidification tank 66A through the piping 49. As a result, it is possible to use the water generated by dehumidification for humidification. Furthermore, it is possible to eliminate the trouble of disposing of the water stored in the dehumidification tank 48. The dehumidification tank 48 may be built into the dehumidifier 47.

[0062] The electrical configuration of the printing device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. The printing device 1 has a control unit 80. The control unit 80 is provided with a CPU 80A, a ROM 80B, a RAM 80C, and a flash memory 80D. The CPU 80A controls the printing device 1 and is electrically connected to the ROM 80B, the RAM 80C, and the flash memory 80D. The ROM 80B stores a control program for the CPU 80A to control the operation of the printing device 1, information required by the CPU 80A when executing various programs, and the like. The ROM 80B stores, for example, each position of the carriage 6 (head 30) based on the rotation angle of the main scanning motor 99, and stores each position of the platen 12 based on the rotation angle of the sub-scanning motor 26. The RAM 80C temporarily stores various data used in the control program, and the like. The flash memory 80D is non-volatile and stores print data for printing, and the like.

[0063] 9, the control unit 80 is electrically connected to the main scanning motor 99, the sub-scanning motor 26, the four head driving units 301-304, the humidifier 66, the dehumidifier 47, the humidity sensor 90, the fans 94, 95A, 95B, 96A, 96B, and the operation unit 15. The main scanning motor 99, the sub-scanning motor 26, the head driving units 301-304, the humidifier 66, the dehumidifier 47, and the fans 94, 95A, 95B, 96A, 96B are driven under the control of the control unit 80.

[0064] The main scanning motor 99 and the sub-scanning motor 26 are provided with encoders 991 and 261, respectively. The encoder 991 detects the rotation angle of the main scanning motor 99 and outputs the detection result to the control unit 80. The encoder 261 detects the rotation angle of the sub-scanning motor 26 and outputs the detection result to the control unit 80.

[0065] The four head driving units 301-304 correspond to the white heads 31, 32 and the color heads 33, 34, respectively, and are included in these heads 31-34. Each head driving unit 301-304 is composed of a plurality of driving elements (piezoelectric elements or heat generating elements) capable of selectively applying energy to ink in a plurality of individual flow paths that respectively communicate with a plurality of nozzles of the head 30. When driven, each of these head driving units 301-304 applies energy to the ink in the white heads 31, 32 and the color heads 33, 34, causing the ink to be selectively ejected from the corresponding nozzles 313, 323, 333, 343.

[0066] <Printing control> The control by the control unit 80 when printing an image on a print medium will be described with reference to Fig. 10. When a user operates the operation unit 15 and inputs a print start command to the printer 1, the control unit 80 reads a control program from the ROM 80B and operates to execute the flow of Fig. 10. The flow of Fig. 10 will be described below.

[0067] The control unit 80 first determines whether a print start command has been input (S1). Before inputting a print command by operating the operation unit 15, the user applies the pretreatment liquid to the print medium. The pretreatment liquid may be applied when the print start command is input from an application mechanism such as a spray or a head that is provided separately from the printing device 1. Then, the print medium (T-shirt) is placed on the support surface 12A of the platen 12 before the volatile components of the pretreatment liquid applied to the print medium finish volatilizing. In other words, the print medium to which the pretreatment liquid has been applied can be placed on the platen 12 immediately without performing a special process such as drying. In this embodiment, when S1 is processed, the print medium immediately after the pretreatment liquid has been applied is supported by the platen 12. Therefore, during the print process described later, organic acid volatilizes from the pretreatment liquid applied to the print medium. The platen 12 is placed at the set position P1 when not printing. When the printing device 1 is not printing, the head 30 is normally placed at the maintenance position B1, and the multiple nozzles of the head 30 are capped with a cap of a maintenance unit (not shown).

[0068] If a print start command has not been input (S1: NO), S1 is repeated until a print start command is input. On the other hand, if a print start command has been input (S1: YES), the control unit 80 controls the humidifier 66 so that the supply of humidified air is started from the two humidified air supply ports 61A and 62A (S2). That is, the control unit 80 drives the humidification drive unit 661 to generate humidified air. Then, the control unit 80 drives the fans 662 and 663 to supply humidified air from the two humidified air supply ports 61A and 62A. The supply of humidified air from the two humidified air supply ports 61A and 62A causes the print transport area P3 to be supplied with humidified air.

[0069] Next, the control unit 80 executes a print process to print an image on the print medium (S3). As shown in Fig. 11(a), the control unit 80 controls the sub-scanning motor 26 based on the detection result from the encoder 261 to move the platen 12 from the set position P1 through the print transport area P3 to the pre-print standby position P2. Thereafter, the control unit 80 controls the sub-scanning motor 26 based on the detection result from the encoder 261 to move the platen 12 from the pre-print standby position P2 to the print transport area P3.

[0070] Then, the control unit 80 controls the main scanning motor 99 based on the detection result from the encoder 991 to move the carriage 6 from the maintenance position B1 to the discharge area B2, and bring the head 30 into opposition to the printing medium placed on the platen 12.

[0071] The control unit 80 controls the head driving units 301-304, the main scanning motor 99, and the sub-scanning motor 26 in a state where at least a part of the platen 12 is located in the print transport area P3 and the carriage 6 is located in the discharge area B2, and performs printing on the print medium by alternately repeating discharge scanning and forward movement of the platen 12. That is, when printing on the print medium, the platen 12 is transported forward from the pre-print waiting position P2 to the print transport area P3, so that first, ink is discharged from the nozzles of the white heads 31 and 32 onto the print medium on which the pretreatment liquid has been applied, forming a base. Then, ink is discharged from the nozzles of the color heads 33 and 34 onto the base formed on the print medium after passing through the white heads 31 and 32, forming an image. Note that the part expressing the white color of the image is the base part formed with white ink. Therefore, color ink is not discharged onto the base part.

[0072] Since humid air is supplied from the two humid air supply ports 61A, 62A after the process of S1 (YES) and before the printing process is performed, humid air is supplied onto the printing medium when the platen 12 passes under the head 30 or when printing is performed on the printing medium. In other words, a humid air layer exists on the printing medium. This makes it difficult for the volatile components of the pretreatment liquid applied to the printing medium to volatilize. Even if the volatile components of the pretreatment liquid volatilize, the volatile components are unlikely to reach the nozzles of the head 30 that face the printing medium.

[0073] Next, when printing on the print medium based on the print data is completed (end of the printing process), the control unit 80 controls the humidifier 66 to stop the supply of humidified air from the two humidified air supply ports 61A, 62A (S4). That is, the control unit 80 stops driving the humidification drive unit 661 to stop the generation of humidified air. Then, the control unit 80 also stops driving the fans 662, 663 to stop the supply of humidified air from the two humidified air supply ports 61A, 62A.

[0074] 11(b), the control unit 80 controls the sub-scanning motor 26 based on the detection result from the encoder 261, and stops the platen 12 at the set position P1. The user removes the print medium on which the image has been formed from the platen 12 that has been placed at the set position P1. At this time, the control unit 80 also controls the main scanning motor 99 based on the detection result from the encoder 991, and moves the carriage 6 leftward from the discharge region B2, and stops it at the maintenance position B1.

[0075] The control unit 80 starts driving the fans 94 of the suction mechanisms 73 and 74 when printing on the print medium based on the print data is completed, that is, when the color ink discharge period for discharging color inks onto the print medium is completed (S5). This creates an air flow that flows from the print transport area P3, the discharge area B2, and the spaces adjacent to these areas to the suction ports 713 and 723. This allows foreign matter such as ink mist and dust in the air to be adsorbed and collected by the filter unit 18. In addition, since the suction mechanisms 73 and 74 are driven after the color ink discharge period is completed, it is possible to prevent the impact accuracy of the ink on the print medium from being disturbed by the air flow generated by the drive of the suction mechanisms 73 and 74. The control unit 80 stops driving the fans 94 of the suction mechanisms 73 and 74 after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0076] Next, the control unit 80 judges whether the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 90 exceeds the first threshold value (S6). In this embodiment, S6 is executed after S5, but S6 may be executed before S5. That is, the control unit 80 may execute S6 at the time when the ejection period during which ink is ejected from the head 30, that is, the printing period, ends in the printing process. The first threshold value (the "first predetermined value" of the present invention) is stored in the flash memory 80D. The first threshold value is a boundary value of humidity at which condensation is likely to occur inside the housing 8 when the driving of the humidification mechanism 60 is stopped. In this embodiment, the first threshold value is, for example, 70%, but may be appropriately changed according to the surrounding environment. If the humidity is equal to or lower than the first threshold value (S6: NO), the control unit 80 judges that the humidity inside the housing 8 is low, and the fans 96 and 97 of the blower mechanism 95 are not driven, and the flow during printing ends.

[0077] On the other hand, when the control unit 80 receives a signal (the "first signal" of the present invention) indicating that the humidity inside the housing 8 exceeds the first threshold value from the humidity sensor 90, that is, when the humidity exceeds the first threshold value (S6: YES), the control unit 80 starts driving the fans 95A and 95B of the blowing mechanism 95 (S7). As a result, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the two fans 95A and 95B generate an air flow 95C (indicated by a white arrow in the figure) from the rear to the front inside the housing 8. That is, the blowing mechanism 95 supplies dehumidified air from the chamber 40 into the housing 8 through the second openings 85 and 86, blows high-humidity air from the housing 8 from the rear to the front, and exhausts it to the outside through the platen opening 13. This effectively reduces the humidity inside the housing 8.

[0078] The control unit 80 judges whether a first predetermined time has elapsed since the driving of the fans 95A, 95B was started (S8). If the first predetermined time has not elapsed (S8: NO), S8 is repeated. The first predetermined time is set as the time required for the humidity inside the housing 8 to fall below the first threshold value even if it exceeds the first threshold value by driving the blower mechanism 95. On the other hand, if the first predetermined time has elapsed (S8: YES), the control unit 80 stops driving the fans 95A, 95B of the blower mechanism 95 (S9). In this way, the flow during printing ends.

[0079] As a modified example, the control unit 80 determines whether the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 90 is equal to or lower than a second threshold value that is equal to or lower than the first threshold value, instead of S8. Then, when the control unit 80 receives a signal (the "second signal" of the present invention) indicating that the humidity inside the housing 8 is equal to or lower than the second threshold value from the humidity sensor 90, that is, when the humidity is equal to or lower than the second threshold value, the control unit 80 may stop driving the fans 95A, 95B of the blower mechanism 95. On the other hand, when the humidity exceeds the second threshold value, the process may be repeated. Note that the second threshold value (the "second predetermined value" of the present invention) in this modified example is, for example, 60%, but may be changed as appropriate as long as it is equal to or lower than the first threshold value. The second threshold value may be the same as the first threshold value.

[0080] As another modified example, the control unit 80 may execute the process of S5 after the process of S9 has been executed. In other words, S5 may be executed after the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 90 becomes equal to or lower than the first threshold value.

[0081] <Dehumidification control> With reference to FIG. 12, the control by the control unit 80 when dehumidifying the inside of the housing 8 will be described. When the power of the printing device 1 is turned on, the control unit 80 reads a control program from the ROM 80B and operates to execute the flow of FIG. 12. The flow of FIG. 12 will be described below. In this embodiment, the control unit 80 directly controls the drive of the dehumidifier 47, but the control unit 80 and a control unit (not shown) of the dehumidifier 47 may be connected via an interface (not shown). Then, the control unit of the dehumidifier 47 may control the drive of the dehumidifier 47 based on a control command from the control unit 80.

[0082] First, the control unit 80 determines whether the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 90 exceeds the first threshold value (S21) in the same manner as in S6 described above. If the humidity is equal to or lower than the first threshold value (S21: NO), the control unit 80 repeats S21.

[0083] On the other hand, when the control unit 80 receives a signal from the humidity sensor 90 indicating that the humidity inside the housing 8 exceeds the first threshold, that is, when the humidity exceeds the first threshold (S21: YES), the control unit 80 starts driving the dehumidifier 47 (S22). In this way, the air inside the chamber 40 is turned into dehumidified air.

[0084] Next, the control unit 80 starts driving the fans 96A and 96B of the blower mechanism 96 (S23). As a result, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the two fans 96A and 96B generate an air flow 96C (indicated by a two-dot chain line white arrow in the figure) from the rear to the front inside the housing 8. That is, the blower mechanism 96 supplies dehumidified air from the chamber 40 into the housing 8 through the first openings 82 and 83, blows high humidity air from the housing 8 from the rear to the front, and exhausts it to the outside through the platen opening 13. Therefore, the humidity inside the housing 8 is effectively reduced. In addition, by driving the blower mechanism 96, the dehumidified air from the chamber 40 is also supplied into the housing 8 through the first openings 81 and 84.

[0085] In addition, the first openings 82, 83 are positioned above the nozzle faces 311, 321, 331, 341. Therefore, even if the air flow 96C occurs, it is possible to prevent the dehumidified air from directly hitting the nozzle faces 311, 321, 331, 341. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink near the nozzles 313, 323, 333, 343 from drying and thickening. In addition, because the air flow 96C occurs above the nozzle faces 311, 321, 331, 341, it is possible to prevent the impact accuracy of the ink on the printing medium from being disturbed by the air flow caused by the air flow 96C, even if the blower mechanism 96 is driven during the printing period.

[0086] Next, the control unit 80 determines whether the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 90 is equal to or lower than the second threshold (S24). If the humidity inside the housing 8 exceeds the second threshold (S24: NO), S24 is repeated. On the other hand, when the control unit 80 receives a signal from the humidity sensor 90 indicating that the humidity inside the housing 8 is equal to or lower than the second threshold, that is, when the humidity is equal to or lower than the second threshold (S24: YES), the control unit 80 stops driving the fans 96A, 96B of the blower mechanism 96 and the dehumidifier 47 (S25). In this way, the flow during dehumidification control ends.

[0087] As a modified example, the dehumidifier 47 may be driven from when the printer 1 is turned on until it is turned off. The dehumidifier 47 may also be driven periodically at predetermined intervals while the printer 1 is turned on. The dehumidifier 47 may also be started and stopped by manual operation by the user. In these cases, the control unit 80 omits the process of stopping the drive of the dehumidifier 47 in S22 and S25 from the flow in FIG. 12.

[0088] As another modification, the dehumidifier 47 may automatically dehumidify the air in the chamber 40 while the power is on. In this case, the control unit of the dehumidifier 47 drives the dehumidifier 47 when the humidity detected by the humidity sensor built into the dehumidifier 47 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and stops the dehumidifier 47 when the humidity is lower than the predetermined value. In this way, the humidity of the air in the chamber 40 is kept below the predetermined value. In this modification, the flow of the dehumidification control by the control unit 80 is the same as that of the above-mentioned embodiment, except that the process of stopping the drive of the dehumidifier 47 in S22 and S25 is omitted. In this way, the drive control of the dehumidifier 47 and the drive control of the fans 96A and 96B of the blower mechanism 96 may be performed separately.

[0089] As described above, according to the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the housing 8 is formed with the first openings 81-84 and the second openings 85, 86 that communicate with the chamber 40. Therefore, dehumidified air contained in the chamber 40 is supplied into the housing 8 via the first openings 81-84 and the second openings 85, 86. Therefore, the humidity inside the housing 8 can be reduced regardless of the usage environment.

[0090] In addition, according to the printing device 1 of the present embodiment, since humidified air can be supplied inside the housing 8, the volatile components of the pretreatment liquid applied to the printing medium are less likely to volatilize, and the volatile components of the pretreatment liquid themselves are less likely to reach the nozzles of the head 30. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of malfunctions caused by a reaction between the ink in the nozzles and the volatile components of the pretreatment liquid. In addition, by driving the air blowing mechanisms 95 and 96, it is possible to discharge the humidified air inside the housing 8 supplied by the humidification mechanism 60 to the outside of the housing 8, and to supply the dehumidified air in the chamber 40 into the housing 8. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation inside the housing 8. For example, if condensation occurs on the encoders 261 and 991 inside the housing 8, the detection accuracy decreases and the printing device malfunctions. However, in the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation inside the housing 8, and therefore it is possible to suppress the occurrence of malfunctions in the printing device 1.

[0091] The blower mechanisms 95, 96 generate air currents so that the dehumidified air in the chamber 40 is supplied into the housing 8 through the first openings 81-84 and the second openings 85, 86. This makes it possible to effectively supply the dehumidified air into the housing 8.

[0092] Fans 95A and 95B are provided in the second openings 85 and 86, and fans 96A and 96B are provided in the first openings 82 and 83. This allows the dehumidified air in the chamber 40 to be forcibly supplied into the housing 8 when the fans 95A, 95B, 96A and 96B are driven. This allows the dehumidified air in the housing 8 to be supplied to the droplets more effectively.

[0093] As a modified example, the fans 96A and 96B of the blower mechanism 96 may be provided at a position (for example, a position near the platen opening 13) where the air in the housing 8 can be forcibly discharged from the platen opening 13 to the outside. In this case, the fans 96A and 96B are driven to discharge the air in the housing 8 to the outside, and the inside of the housing 8 becomes negative pressure. As a result, the dehumidified air in the chamber 40 is supplied into the housing 8 through the first openings 81 to 84 and the second openings 85 and 86. In other words, the fans 96A and 96B only need to be capable of generating an airflow such that the dehumidified air in the chamber 40 is supplied into the housing 8 through the first openings 81 to 84 and the second openings 85 and 86. As a result, it is possible to effectively supply the dehumidified air into the housing 8.

[0094] If the answer is YES in S6, the control unit 80 starts driving the blower mechanism 95 to supply the dehumidified air in the chamber 40 into the housing 8 through the second openings 85, 86. Also, if the answer is YES in S21, the control unit 80 starts driving the blower mechanism 96 to supply the dehumidified air in the chamber 40 into the housing 8 through the first openings 81-84. This makes it possible to efficiently reduce the humidity inside the housing 8 when the humidity exceeds the first threshold value.

[0095] If the answer is YES in S24, the control unit 80 stops driving the air blowing mechanism 96 to stop forcibly supplying the dehumidified air in the chamber 40 from the first openings 81-84 into the housing 8. This makes it possible to effectively prevent the humidity in the housing 8 from decreasing more than necessary. This makes it possible to prevent the ink in the nozzles 313, 323, 333, and 343 from becoming thicker due to drying.

[0096] As a modified example, when the humidity inside the housing 8 exceeds the first threshold, the user may operate the operation unit 15 to output a command to start supplying dehumidified air to the control unit 80. In this case, the control unit 80 executes the processes of S22 and S23 when it receives the supply start command (the "first signal" of the present invention). This also provides the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment. It is not necessary to provide the humidity sensor 90. Thereafter, when the humidity inside the housing 8 is equal to or lower than the second threshold, the user may operate the operation unit 15 to output a command to stop supplying dehumidified air to the control unit 80. In this case, the control unit 80 executes the process of S25 when it receives the supply stop command (the "second signal" of the present invention). This also provides the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0097] As another modified example, the housing 8 may be provided with a door capable of opening and closing at least one of the first openings 81 to 84. Also, the housing 8 may have a door state output unit that outputs an open signal to the control unit 80 when the first opening changes from a closed state to an open state by the user manually operating the door, and outputs a close signal to the control unit 80 when the first opening changes from an open state to a closed state. When the humidity inside the housing 8 exceeds the first threshold, the user may manually operate the door and output an open signal from the door state output unit to the control unit 80. In this case, the control unit 80 executes the processes of S22 and S23 when it receives an open signal (the "first signal" of the present invention). This also has the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment. Also, the humidity sensor 90 may not be provided. After that, when the humidity inside the housing 8 is equal to or lower than the second threshold, the user may manually operate the door and output a close signal from the door state output unit to the control unit 80. In this case, the control unit 80 executes the process of S25 when it receives a close signal (the "second signal" of the present invention). This also has the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0098] As another modified example, the housing 8 may be provided with a door capable of opening and closing at least one of the first openings 81 to 84. The housing 8 may also have a door drive unit that drives the opening and closing of the door under the control of the control unit 80. In this case, the control unit 80 may control the door drive unit so that the first opening is changed from a closed state to an open state instead of the fans 96A and 96B when S23 is executed. As a result, the dehumidified air in the chamber 40 is supplied into the housing 8 through the first opening in the open state. This also provides the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment. The blower mechanism 96 may not be provided. The control unit 80 may control the door drive unit so that the first opening is changed from an open state to a closed state instead of the fans 96A and 96B when S25 is executed. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the humidity in the housing 8 from decreasing more than necessary, as in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0099] As another modified example, the control unit 80 may execute only S22 and not execute S23. Even in this case, the housing 8 is formed with the first openings 81-84 and the second openings 85, 86 communicating with the chamber 40. Therefore, the dehumidified air stored in the chamber 40 is supplied into the housing 8 through the first openings 81-84 and the second openings 85, 86. Therefore, regardless of the usage environment, the humidity inside the housing 8 can be reduced. In addition, the blower mechanism 96 does not need to be provided. Furthermore, the control unit 80 may stop driving the dehumidifier 47 when executing S25. This makes it possible to effectively prevent the humidity inside the housing 8 from being reduced more than necessary, as in the above-described embodiment.

[0100] The housing 8 has second openings 85 and 86 in addition to the first openings 81 to 84. This makes it possible to effectively reduce the humidity inside the housing 8.

[0101] In this embodiment, the operation of the blower mechanism 95 is stopped during the printing period of the print process. As a result, the dehumidified air supplied into the housing 8 through the second openings 85 and 86 does not hit the nozzle faces 311, 321, 331, and 341 during the printing period. This stabilizes the ink ejection direction.

[0102] The first openings 81-84 are formed in the rear surface 8B of the housing 8, and the platen opening 13 is formed in the front surface 8A of the housing. As a result, humid air inside the housing 8 is discharged to the outside through the platen opening 13, and dehumidified air is supplied into the housing 8 through the first openings 81-84 located opposite the platen opening 13. This makes it possible to effectively reduce the humidity inside the housing 8.

[0103] The chamber 40 is disposed adjacent to the rear surface 8B of the housing 8. This allows the printing device 1 to be made smaller in size in the left-right direction.

[0104] The blower mechanism 96 is located on the opposite side of the head 30 from the platen opening 13 in the front-rear direction. This makes it easier for the blower mechanism 96 to expel humid air inside the housing 8 to the outside via the platen opening 13. In addition, dehumidified air is supplied into the housing 8 via the first openings 81-84 located on the opposite side of the platen opening 13. This makes it possible to effectively reduce the humidity inside the housing 8.

[0105] <Second embodiment> A printing device 201 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 13. The printing device 201 in this embodiment differs from the printing device 1 of the first embodiment described above only in the installation position of the chamber 40, the formation positions of the two openings 282, 283 provided in place of the first openings 81-84, and the installation positions of the fans 96A, 96B of the blower mechanism 96, and is otherwise similar to the printing device 1 of the first embodiment. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

[0106] In this embodiment, the chamber 40 is disposed to the left of the housing 8, adjacent to the left face (the "face in the second direction" of the present invention) 8C. The chamber 40 has a frame body 41 and a sheet 42, and has a space therein for storing dehumidified air. The sheet 42 is disposed so as to cover the upper part, the front and rear sides, and the entire left side of the frame body 41. A dehumidifier 47 and a dehumidification tank 48 are disposed within the chamber 40.

[0107] The two openings 282, 283 are formed in the left surface 8C of the housing 8. These openings 282, 283 penetrate the outer peripheral panel 9 in the thickness direction, and communicate between the inside and outside of the housing 8 (inside the chamber 40).

[0108] These openings 282, 283 are disposed rearward of the head 30 in the front-rear direction and above the nozzle surfaces 311, 321, 331, and 341. Furthermore, these openings 282, 283 are disposed spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction.

[0109] The fans 96A and 96B of the blower mechanism 96 are fixed to the outer peripheral panel 9 constituting the left surface 8C of the housing 8. More specifically, the fan 96A is provided in the opening 282, and the fan 96B is provided in the opening 283. The fan 96A covers the opening 282, and the fan 96B covers the opening 283. When these two fans 96A and 96B are driven, the outside air flows from the left to the rear part of the housing 8. That is, the blower mechanism 96 in this embodiment supplies the air outside the housing 8 (inside the chamber 40) to the rear part of the housing 8 through the two openings 282 and 283. As a result, the air inside the housing 8 flows from the rear to the front, and is discharged to the outside through the platen opening 13. In addition, the two fans 96A, 96B are disposed at positions that do not overlap with the head 30 in the left-right direction, and are disposed above the nozzle faces 311, 321, 331, and 341, so that the air supplied into the housing 8 by driving the fans 96A, 96B does not directly hit the nozzle faces 311, 321, 331, and 341. Therefore, the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above can be obtained.

[0110] In the printing device 201, the control unit 80 also executes dehumidification control (S21 to S23: see FIG. 12) similar to that of the first embodiment described above, thereby supplying dehumidified air from within the chamber 40 into the housing 8 via the openings 282, 283, and allowing the highly humid air within the housing 8 to flow from rear to front and be discharged to the outside via the platen opening 13. This effectively reduces the humidity inside the housing 8. Next, the control unit 80 executes S24 and S25, thereby completing the flow during dehumidification control.

[0111] As described above, according to the printing device 201 of this embodiment, the housing 8 is formed with the openings 282, 283 that communicate with the chamber 40. Therefore, the dehumidified air contained in the chamber 40 is supplied into the housing 8 through the openings 282, 283. Therefore, regardless of the usage environment, it is possible to reduce the humidity inside the housing 8. Note that the same effect can be obtained in a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment described above.

[0112] The chamber 40 is disposed adjacent to the left surface 8C of the housing 8. This allows the printing device 201 to be made smaller in size in the front-rear direction.

[0113] In the second embodiment described above, the openings 282, 283 were formed on the left surface 8C, but they may be arranged on the right surface (the "second direction surface" of the present invention) 8D in a position that does not overlap with the head 30 (nozzle surfaces 311, 321, 331, 341) in the left-right direction.

[0114] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0115] In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, the air blowing mechanisms 95, 96 (fans 95A, 95B, 96A, 96B) are provided, but at least one of the air blowing mechanisms 95, 96 does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0116] In addition, the housing 8 may have at least one of the first openings 81 to 84 and the second openings 85 and 86. In addition, the housing 8 may have seven or more openings excluding the platen opening 13. In addition, at least one of the upper surface 8E, the lower surface 8F, and the front surface 8A of the housing 8 may have an opening excluding the platen opening 13 (an opening for supplying the dehumidified air in the chamber 40 into the housing 8). In this case, a pipe communicating with the inside of the chamber 40 may be connected to the opening, or the chamber 40 may be provided adjacent to the surface on which the opening is formed, and the chamber 40 and the housing 8 may communicate with each other through the opening. In short, an opening for supplying the dehumidified air in the chamber 40 into the housing 8 may be formed somewhere in the housing 8. This can provide the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0117] The fan of the blower mechanism 96 may be provided in an opening (an opening that supplies dehumidified air from within the chamber 40 into the housing 8) formed in the housing 8. The blower mechanism 96 may be composed of one or more fans. The air sent by the blower mechanism 96 may be exhausted from inside the housing 8 to the outside through an opening other than the platen opening 13. Although the blower mechanism 96 is provided at the rear of the housing 8, the blower mechanism may be provided anywhere in the housing 8 as long as it is possible to blow air from inside the housing 8 to the outside.

[0118] In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, the dehumidified air generated by the dehumidifier 47 is stored in the chamber 40, but the dehumidifier 47 may be provided outside the chamber 40, and the dehumidified air generated by the dehumidifier 47 outside may be supplied to the chamber 40 and stored in the chamber 40. The dehumidifier 47 may be any of small household machines and large commercial or factory machines, and is not particularly limited. The dehumidified air may be supplied into the chamber 40 from an airline that supplies dehumidified air, which is installed in a factory or the like.

[0119] In the above-described embodiment and each modified example, S23 is executed after S22, but S22 may be executed after S23. In S25, the driving of the dehumidifier 47 does not have to be stopped.

[0120] An overcoat head that ejects a post-treatment liquid for overcoating an image formed on a print medium may be provided between the white heads 31 and 32 of the carriage 6 and the color heads 33 and 34. In this case, after the ejection of the color inks onto the print medium is completed and an image is formed (after the print process is completed), the platen 12 is returned to the pre-print standby position P2 again. Then, the platen 12 is transported to the print transport area P3, and the overcoat head ejects the post-treatment liquid onto the print medium. In this way, the image on the print medium can be overcoated. In this printing device, as in the above-described embodiment and each modified example, the blower mechanism 95 is driven in S7 after the print process when the ejection of the color inks is completed, so that condensation is less likely to occur inside the housing 8.

[0121] In the above embodiment, the humidified air sent from the humidifier 66 to the supply ports 75, 76 is sent to the two humidified air supply pipes 61, 62, but the humidified air sent to these supply ports 75, 76 may be directly supplied from the supply ports 75, 76 into the housing 8. That is, the two humidified air supply pipes 61, 62 may not be provided. Even in this case, the inside of the housing 8 is humidified, so that the volatile components of the pretreatment liquid applied to the print medium are less likely to volatilize. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects due to the reaction between the ink in the nozzle and the volatile components of the pretreatment liquid. Even in this case, the above-mentioned S7 is executed, so that the humidified air inside the housing 8 can be discharged to the outside of the housing 8. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation inside the housing 8. Note that the humidified air may be supplied from the two humidified air supply pipes 61, 62 as described above by connecting the humidifier 66 and the two humidified air supply pipes 61, 62 through a separate route. Also, a humidifier other than the humidifier 66 may be provided, and the other humidifier may be connected to the two humidified air supply pipes 61, 62 via piping members such as tubes, so that humidified air may be supplied from the supply ports 75, 76 and the two humidified air supply pipes 61, 62. This makes it easier to effectively form a humidified air layer on the printing medium. Therefore, the volatile components of the pretreatment liquid applied to the printing medium are more unlikely to volatilize. Even if the volatile components of the pretreatment liquid volatilize, the volatile components are more unlikely to reach the nozzle of the head 30 facing the printing medium. In any of these modified examples, the humidifier 66 may be controlled in the same manner as in the above and each modified example. The humidification mechanism 60 may have any configuration as long as it is capable of supplying humidified air to the inside of the housing 8.

[0122] In the above embodiment, the humidity sensor 90 is disposed on the left side of the platen opening 13, but multiple humidity sensors may be provided within the housing 8. In this case, if any humidity sensor 90 detects humidity exceeding the first threshold, the processes from S22 onward may be executed. Also, the humidity sensor 90 may not be provided and the processes of S6, S21, and S24 described above may not be executed. In this case, after S2 is executed, S7, S22, S23, and S25 may be executed as appropriate. Even in this case, it is possible to reduce the humidity inside the housing 8, and condensation is less likely to occur inside the housing 8.

[0123] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment and each modified example, the head 30 ejects ink from a plurality of nozzles while moving in the main scanning direction (left-right direction) by the moving mechanism 77, which is a so-called serial head, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a printing device equipped with a line head that extends over the entire length of the printing medium (platen 12) in the main scanning direction and is arranged so as not to move in the ejection area B2.

[0124] Furthermore, the printing device in the above-described embodiment and each modified example may have a pretreatment liquid application mechanism for applying pretreatment liquid to the printing medium. The pretreatment liquid application mechanism may be provided, for example, at a position (front surface 8A of the housing 8) where the pretreatment liquid can be applied to the printing medium while the printing medium is transported from the set position P1 to the print transport area P3. Then, the pretreatment liquid application mechanism may apply the pretreatment liquid to the printing medium before the printing process is executed. Furthermore, in the above-described S1, after a print start command is input, the pretreatment liquid application mechanism may apply the pretreatment liquid to the printing medium.

[0125] Further, in the control unit 80 in the above-mentioned embodiment and each modified example, a microcomputer, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like may be used as a processor instead of the CPU 80A. In this case, the main processing may be distributed among a plurality of processors. The non-transitory storage medium such as the ROM 80B and the flash memory 80D may be a storage medium capable of retaining information regardless of the period for which the information is stored. The non-transitory storage medium may not include a temporary storage medium (e.g., a transmitted signal). For example, the control program may be downloaded (i.e., transmitted as a transmission signal) from a server connected to a network not shown, and stored in the ROM 80B or the flash memory 80D. In this case, the control program may be stored in a non-transitory storage medium such as an HDD provided in the server. In the above-mentioned embodiment and each modified example, the volatile component of the pretreatment liquid includes an organic acid, but is not limited to this. That is, the volatile component of the pretreatment liquid may include a component other than the organic acid that reacts with the ink in the nozzle to cause aggregation or discoloration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 1,201 Printing equipment 8. Cabinet 8A Front (one side in the first direction) 8B Rear surface (the other surface in the first direction) 8C Left side (2nd direction side) 8D Right face (2nd direction face) 12 Platen (support part) 13 Platen opening (passage opening) 30(31~34) Head 40 Chambers 48 Dehumidification Tank 49 Piping (connecting flow path) 61A, 62A Humidified air supply port 66A Humidification tank 80 Control section 81~84 1st opening (opening) 85,86 Second opening (opening) 90 Humidity Sensor 95 Blower mechanism (second blower) 96 Blower mechanism (1st blower) 282,283 aperture 311, 321, 331, 341 Nozzle surface 313,323,333,343 Nozzle

Claims

1. A head that ejects ink; a housing in which the head is disposed; A chamber is provided outside the housing and stores the dehumidified air generated by the dehumidifier. A printing device, wherein the housing has an opening communicating with the chamber.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a blower that generates an air current so that the dehumidified air in the chamber is supplied into the housing through the opening.

3. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the air blower is provided in the opening.

4. The device further includes a control unit, The printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit supplies dehumidified air in the chamber into the housing through the opening when it receives a first signal indicating that the humidity inside the housing exceeds a first predetermined value.

5. The printing device according to claim 4, characterized in that the control unit stops the supply of dehumidified air into the housing when it receives a second signal indicating that the humidity inside the housing is below a second predetermined value that is below the first predetermined value.

6. The apparatus further includes a blower that generates an airflow so that the dehumidified air in the chamber is supplied into the housing through the opening, 6. The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit drives the blower when the control unit receives the first signal.

7. The apparatus further includes a blower that generates an airflow so that the dehumidified air in the chamber is supplied into the housing through the opening, The printing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit stops driving the blower when the control unit receives the second signal.

8. The head has a nozzle surface on which nozzles for ejecting ink are formed, The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the opening includes a first opening located above the nozzle surface.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the opening includes a second opening located below the nozzle surface.

10. A first fan provided in the first opening; a second fan provided in the second opening; A control unit, The printing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the control unit stops driving the second blower during a printing period in which ink is ejected from the head onto a printing medium.

11. The printer further includes a support portion configured to be movable in a first direction between an inside and an outside of the housing and to support a print medium, a passage opening for allowing the support portion to pass through is formed on one surface of the housing in the first direction, The printing device according to claim 8 , wherein the first opening is formed on the other surface of the housing in the first direction.

12. The printer further includes a support portion configured to be movable in a first direction between an inside and an outside of the housing and to support a print medium, The head has a nozzle surface on which nozzles for ejecting ink are formed, The printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the opening is formed in a surface of the housing in a second direction intersecting the first direction, at a position that does not overlap with the nozzle surface in the second direction.

13. The printer further includes a support portion configured to be movable in a first direction between an inside and an outside of the housing and to support a print medium, a passage opening for allowing the support portion to pass through is formed on one surface of the housing in the first direction, The printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber is disposed adjacent to the other surface of the housing in the first direction.

14. The printer further includes a support portion configured to be movable in a first direction between an inside and an outside of the housing and to support a print medium, The printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber is disposed adjacent to a surface of the housing in a second direction intersecting with the first direction.

15. a support portion configured to be movable in a first direction between an inside and an outside of the housing and to support a print medium; and a blower, a passage opening for allowing the support portion to pass through is formed on one surface of the housing in the first direction, The blower generates an airflow from the inside of the housing to the outside through the passage opening, The opening is formed on the other surface of the housing in the first direction, The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the blower is located on an opposite side of the head from the passage opening in the first direction.

16. The housing further has a humidified air supply port through which humidified air is supplied, a dehumidification tank for storing water generated when generating the dehumidified air contained in the chamber; a humidification tank that stores water for generating humidified air to be supplied to the humidified air supply port; 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a communication passage that communicates the dehumidification tank and the humidification tank.

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