Printing device

Abstract

To suppress a hung-down portion of a printing medium from being stained.SOLUTION: A printing device includes a platen 12 for supporting a printing medium, a head that discharges ink to the printing medium, a discharge machine that discharges process liquid to the printing medium, a tray 37A and a pair of partition plates 37C. The tray 37A has a bottom plate 37A1 which is arranged below the platen 12, and whose both ends are positioned closer to the outside than both ends of the platen 12 in a lateral direction. The pair of partition plates 37C is arranged between both ends of the bottom plate 37A1 in the lateral direction and between the bottom plate 37A1 and the platen 12 in a vertical direction. Inside surfaces 37C1 of the pair of partition plates 37C are positioned between both ends of the platen 12 in the lateral direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus having a discharger that discharges a treatment liquid for forming an ink undercoat or an ink overcoat onto a printing medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a recording device (printing device) that includes a tray (supporting section) that supports a print medium such as a T-shirt, a recording head that ejects ink onto the print medium supported by the tray, a base section (bottom plate) that is positioned below the tray, and a transport section that moves the tray together with the base section. The tray is transported in a transport direction (first direction) by the transport section, so that the print medium moves relative to the recording head in the transport direction. Ink is ejected from the recording head onto the print medium, so that an image is formed on the print medium. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-2726 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The base section described in the above Patent Document 1 is smaller than the width of the tray in the width direction (second direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction. Therefore, when the print medium supported by the tray is a T-shirt or the like, if the sleeve portion hangs down below the tray, the base section cannot receive the hanging portion. Therefore, the inventors came up with a configuration in which both ends of the base section are arranged outside both ends of the support section in the width direction.

[0005] Furthermore, when forming an image on a print medium such as a T-shirt, a pretreatment liquid that serves as a base for the ink may be applied to the print medium before printing. Also, a posttreatment liquid that forms a top layer for the ink may be applied after printing in order to coat the image formed on the print medium. For these reasons, the present inventor also considered providing a printing device with an ejector that ejects a treatment liquid for applying the treatment liquid to the print medium.

[0006] When the dispenser is configured to apply treatment liquid to at least both ends of the print medium in the width direction, the treatment liquid dispensed from the dispenser may overflow outside the support part in the width direction. In other words, the treatment liquid may adhere to the outer part of the bottom plate that is outside the both ends of the support part in the width direction. Therefore, the next time the print medium is supported by the support part, the treatment liquid and the like that has adhered to the outer part of the bottom plate may adhere to the drooping part of the print medium, causing it to become dirty.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An object of the present invention is to provide a printing device capable of preventing the drooping portion of the print medium from becoming dirty. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The printing device of the present invention is configured to be movable in a first direction and comprises a support section that supports a printing medium, a head that ejects ink onto the printing medium supported by the support section, an ejector that ejects a treatment liquid for forming an ink base or ink top layer on the printing medium supported by the support section into an area of ​​the support section that includes at least both ends in a second direction that intersects with the first direction, a bottom plate that is below the support section and whose both ends in the second direction are positioned outside the both ends of the support section, and a pair of partitions that extend in the first direction and are disposed between the both ends of the bottom plate in the second direction and between the bottom plate and the support section in the vertical direction, and the inner surfaces of the pair of partitions are between the both ends of the support section in the second direction. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the printing device of the present invention, since the inner surfaces of the pair of partitions are between both ends of the support part, the space between the pair of partitions is directly below the support part, which is an area to which the treatment liquid ejected from the ejector is unlikely to adhere. By arranging the hanging portions of the print medium from both ends of the support part in this area, it is possible to prevent the treatment liquid that has adhered to the outer part of the bottom plate beyond both ends of the support part in the second direction from adhering to the said part. In other words, it is possible to prevent the hanging portions of the print medium from becoming dirty. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [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] FIG. 2 is a front view of a main part of the printing device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a tray and a pair of partition plates shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the tray shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bottom plate of the dispenser shown in FIG. 6. [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 a state when the platen has reached the treatment liquid discharge region from the set position, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state when the platen has passed the treatment liquid discharge region. [Figure 12] 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of a pair of partitions, a tray, and a platen of a printing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 13]13 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. 12. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] 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.

[0012] The printing device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an inkjet printer, which performs printing by ejecting 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 ejecting ink onto the 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 printing onto the printing medium (T-shirt) using the printing device 1, a treatment liquid that forms a base onto which the ink is ejected is applied to the printing medium. The treatment liquid reacts with the ink ejected onto the base to aggregate the ink components and prevent bleeding. The volatile components of the treatment liquid include organic acids such as formic acid.

[0013] 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.

[0014] 1 to 3, the external configuration of the printing device 1 will be described. 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 discharger 40 (see Fig. 2), and a control unit 80 (see Fig. 9).

[0015] The housing 8 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, as shown in Fig. 1. A platen opening 13 is formed in the front of the housing 8, approximately at the center in the left-right and up-down directions. Five cartridges (not shown) containing five colors of ink are housed inside the housing 8. The platen (the "support portion" of the present invention) 12 is made of a plate-like member having a substantially rectangular planar shape, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The upper surface of the platen 12 is a support surface 12A that supports a print medium. The support surface 12A has a rectangular shape.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the operation units 15 are provided at positions sandwiching a platen support unit 37 (described later) located forward of the platen opening 13 from the left and right. The operation units 15 output information according to operations by a user to a control unit 80 described later. By operating the operation unit 15, the user can input a print start command (including print data) for starting printing by the printing device 1 to the control unit 80. The print data includes image data of an image to be formed on a print medium. The display screen 16 is provided on the front of the housing 8, at an upper right position from the platen opening 13. The display screen 16 displays various information.

[0017] The transport mechanism 14 transports the platen 12, on which the printing 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 treatment liquid discharge area P4 (see FIG. 2), treatment liquid is discharged from the discharger 40 and applied to the printing medium. Then, 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 discharged from the head 30, which will be described later, to perform printing. As shown in FIG. 2, the transport mechanism 14 has a support base 36, a platen support section 37, a pair of left and right rails 38, a transmission member 39, and a sub-scanning motor 26 (see FIG. 9).

[0018] 2 and 3, the platen support portion 37 has a tray 37A, a support portion 37B, and a pair of partition plates 37C. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the tray 37A has a bottom plate 37A1, a pair of left and right side plates 37A2, 37A3, a front plate 37A4 at the front, and a rear plate 37A5 at the rear.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom plate 37A1 has a rectangular planar shape whose length in the front-rear direction is slightly longer than its length in the left-right direction. The length of the bottom plate 37A1 in the front-rear and left-right directions is longer than that of the platen 12. As shown in FIG. 5, the bottom plate 37A1 has two inclined surfaces 37A7 and 37A8 whose top surface (bottom surface of the tray 37A) 37A6 in the left-right direction is inclined downward from the center toward both ends. The inclined surface 37A7 is located to the right of the top surface 37A6, and the inclined surface 37A8 is located to the left of the top surface 37A6. Note that FIG. 5 omits a pair of partitions 37C and ribs 37D1 to 37D7 described later.

[0020] The side plate 37A2 extends upward from the right end of the bottom plate 37A1. The side plate 37A3 extends upward from the left end of the bottom plate 37A1. The pair of side plates 37A2, 37A3 are formed over the entire length of the bottom plate 37A1 in the front-rear direction.

[0021] The front plate 37A4 extends upward from the front end of the bottom plate 37A1. The rear plate 37A5 extends upward from the rear end of the bottom plate 37A1. The front plate 37A4 and the rear plate 37A5 are formed over the entire length of the bottom plate 37A1 in the left-right direction. The pair of side plates 37A2, 37A3, the front plate 37A4, and the rear plate 37A5 can prevent the processing liquid attached to the bottom plate 37A1 from dripping down from the outer edge of the bottom plate 37A1. The tray 37A is formed with a discharge port (not shown) for discharging the processing liquid in the tray 37A. A pipe (not shown) is connected to the discharge port, and the processing liquid in the tray 37A is discharged through the pipe to waste liquid grooves 46, 47 (described later).

[0022] 3, the support portion 37B extends vertically and supports the platen 12 from below. The lower end of the support portion 37b is fixed to the tray 37A and connects the tray 37A and the platen 12. The lower end of the support portion 37B is disposed in an area 37E defined by four ribs 37D3, 37D5 to 37D7 (described later) of the bottom plate 37A1 shown in FIG.

[0023] The pair of partitions 37C are formed to extend upward from the upper surface 37A6 of the bottom plate 37A1 and extend in the front-rear direction as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Of the pair of partitions 37C, the left partition 37C is disposed approximately in the center in the left-right direction of the inclined surface 37A8. The right partition 37C is disposed approximately in the center in the left-right direction of the inclined surface 37A7.

[0024] 3, the pair of partitions 37C are disposed on the bottom plate 37A1 such that their inner surfaces 37C1 are positioned more inward than the left and right ends of the platen 12 in the left-right direction. The pair of partitions 37C also have a thickness such that their outer surfaces 37C2 are positioned more outward than the left and right ends of the platen 12 in the left-right direction. The pair of partitions 37C are longer in the front-rear direction than the platen 12. The front ends of the pair of partitions 37C are disposed forward of the front end of the platen 12, and the rear ends of the pair of partitions 37C are disposed rearward of the rear end of the platen 12.

[0025] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, each partition 37C has a protruding portion 37C3 in which a lower portion of an inner side surface 37C1 protrudes inward in the left-right direction. As a result, the lower portion of the inner side surface 37C1 is disposed more inward than the upper portion. More specifically, the lower portion of the right-side partition 37C is disposed more left than the upper portion, and the lower portion of the left-side partition 37C is disposed more right than the upper portion. The protruding portion 37C3 is formed over the entire length of the partition 37C in the front-rear direction.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 4, the left partition 37C of the pair of partitions 37C has a through-hole 37C4 that penetrates in the left-right direction. The through-hole 37C4 is located forward of the center of the partition 37C in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the through-hole 37C4 is formed only in the left partition 37C, but a through-hole may also be formed in the right partition 37C. Furthermore, the through-hole 37C4 may be formed only in at least one of the center and rear of the partition 37C or only in one of the center and rear of the partition 37C in the front-rear direction.

[0027] As another modified example, the through-hole 37C4 may be formed over the entire length of the partition plate 37C in the up-down direction. In other words, the upper part of the through-hole 37C4 may be open.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, four ribs 37D1 to 37D4 and three ribs 37D5 to 37D7 are formed on the upper surface 37A6 of the bottom plate 37A1. The four ribs 37D1 to 37D4 extend in the left-right direction and connect the pair of partition plates 37C. The four ribs 37D1 to 37D4 are arranged in order from the front and are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The rib 37D5 extends in the left-right direction. The two ribs 37D6 and 37D7 extend in the front-rear direction. The left end of the rib 37D5 is connected to the front end of the rib 37D6, and the right end of the rib 37D5 is connected to the front end of the rib 37D7. The rear ends of the two ribs 37D6 and 37D7 are connected to the rib 37D3. These four ribs 37D3, 37D5 to 37D7 define a rectangular area 37E in which the lower end of the support portion 37B is disposed.

[0029] Returning to FIG. 2, the 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. The pair of rails 38 are disposed on a support base 36 that is disposed below the platen support portion 37. The support base 36 also extends in the front-rear direction. The support base 36 and the pair of rails 38 extend from the rear to the front of the housing 8 and are formed to protrude outside the housing 8. The transmission member 39 is connected to the platen support portion 37 and 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.

[0030] The user places a print medium on the support surface 12A of the platen 12 when the platen 12 is disposed in front of the front surface 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 treatment liquid discharge area P4 is located midway along the transport path of the platen 12, and is an area where the treatment liquid is discharged from a spray nozzle 41 (described later) of the discharger 40, and is located below the spray nozzle 41 (i.e., in the discharge direction of the treatment liquid). In addition, the platen 12 moves from the set position P1 to a pre-printing standby position P2 (a position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2) before printing on the print medium. The pre-printing standby position P2 is located behind the treatment liquid discharge area P4 and 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 a movement path in the main scanning direction (left-right direction) of the head 30 described later. The movement path of the heads 30 in the main scanning direction is the path between the rear end of the rearmost head 30 (white head 31) and the front end of the frontmost head 30 (color head 34).

[0031] The internal structure of the printing device 1 will be described. As shown in Fig. 2, the printing device 1 includes a frame 2, heads 31-34, and a movement mechanism 7 inside a housing 8. The frame 2 is configured in a lattice shape by a plurality of shafts extending in the front-rear, left-right, or up-down directions. The movement mechanism 7 includes a guide shaft 20 and a carriage 6 fixed to the frame 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the guide shaft 20 is configured by a front shaft 21, a rear shaft 22, a left shaft 23, and a right shaft 24.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the front shaft 21 is disposed at the front end of the frame body 2 and extends in the left-right direction from the left end to the right end of the frame body 2. The rear shaft 22 is disposed at approximately the center of the frame body 2 in the front-rear direction and extends in the left-right direction from the left end to the right end of the frame body 2. The left shaft 23 is disposed at the left end of the frame body 2 and extends in the front-rear direction from the left end of the front shaft 21 to the left end of the rear shaft 22. The right shaft 24 is disposed at the right end of the frame body 2 and extends in the front-rear direction from the right end of the front shaft 21 to the right end of the rear shaft 22. The front shaft 21 and the rear shaft 22 support the carriage 6. The transport mechanism 14 is fixed to the frame body 2.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 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. As shown in Fig. 2, the carriage 6 is provided with white heads 31 and 32 and color heads 33 and 34.

[0034] 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. 2, 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. The rear of the white head 32 overlaps with the front of the white head 31 in the left-right direction.

[0035] 2, the color heads 33 and 34 are positioned in front of the white heads 31 and 32. The color heads 33 and 34 are positioned in the same position as the white heads 31 and 32 in the left-right direction. In other words, the white heads 31 and 32 and the color heads 33 and 34 are arranged side by side in the sub-scanning direction. The color head 34 is positioned to the left of the color head 33 and is shifted forward relative to the color head 33. The rear part of the color head 34 overlaps with the front part of the color head 33 in the left-right direction.

[0036] A plurality of nozzles (not shown) are formed on the underside of each of the heads 30. The plurality of nozzles of the white heads 31, 32 eject white ink downward. The plurality of nozzles of each of the color heads 33, 34 are arranged so that four nozzle rows extending in the front-rear direction are lined up in the left-right direction. The four nozzle rows of each of the color heads 33, 34 correspond to different color inks. In other words, the plurality of nozzles of each of the color heads 33, 34 eject color ink of the color corresponding to each nozzle row downward.

[0037] The moving mechanism 7 has a drive belt 7A and a main scanning motor 7M. The drive belt 7A is connected to the rear end of the carriage 6. The drive belt 7A is provided on the rear shaft 22 and extends in the left-right direction. The left end of the drive belt 7A is connected to the main scanning motor 7M. When the main scanning motor 7M is driven, the drive belt 7A moves the carriage 6 in the left-right direction along the front shaft 21 and the rear shaft 22. In other words, the moving mechanism 7 moves the carriage 6 on which the head 30 is mounted in the main scanning direction. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the carriage 6 is located at the right end of the moving range R.

[0038] In FIG. 2, 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. 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 7. 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.

[0039] 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 7M 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.

[0040] 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 for color inks 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.

[0041] The dispenser 40 is covered by a cover 8A provided on the front surface of the housing 8. The cover 8A protrudes forward from the front surface of the housing 8 and is disposed above the platen 12. The cover 8A is formed in a box shape that is open downward.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 6, the dispenser 40 has seven spray nozzles 41 arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The dispenser 40 also has a tank (not shown) for storing the treatment liquid, a pump 43 (see Fig. 9) for supplying the treatment liquid in the tank to each spray nozzle 41, and piping (not shown) for connecting the tank and each spray nozzle 41. As shown in Fig. 7, the spray nozzle 41 has a discharge port 41A on the lower surface. The spray nozzle 41 is configured to be able to discharge the treatment liquid in a mist form downward from the discharge port 41A.

[0043] In this configuration, the control unit 80 drives the pump 43, so that the treatment liquid in the tank is supplied via piping to each spray nozzle 41. The treatment liquid supplied to the spray nozzle 41 spreads out in a fan shape from the spray nozzle 41 and is discharged in the form of a mist. This makes it possible to apply the treatment liquid to the print medium.

[0044] 6 and 7, the dispenser 40 further includes a cylindrical member 50. The cylindrical member 50 has a front plate 51A, a rear plate 51B, a left plate 51C, a right plate 51D, and a bottom plate 51E. The cylindrical member 50 is disposed between the spray nozzle 41 and the platen 12 in the up-down direction.

[0045] The front plate 51A extends in the up-down and left-right directions and is formed to be elongated in the left-right directions, as shown in Fig. 6. The rear plate 51B is disposed opposite to and spaced apart from the front plate 51A in the front-rear direction, as shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. The rear plate 51B extends in the up-down and left-right directions and is formed to be elongated in the left-right directions.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, the left plate 51C extends in the up-down and front-rear directions and is long in the up-down direction. The right plate 51D is disposed opposite to and spaced apart from the left plate 51C in the left-right direction. The right plate 51D extends in the up-down and front-rear directions and is long in the up-down direction. The bottom plate 51E extends in the up-down and front-rear directions and is long in the left-right direction. The four plates 51A to 51D are connected in the front-rear and left-right directions to form a cylinder, and the bottom plate 51E, which has a through hole 51F (described later) formed therein, is connected to the lower end of the cylinder to form a cylindrical member 50 that is open at the top and bottom.

[0047] 8, a through hole 51F is formed in the center of the bottom plate 51E, penetrating in the vertical direction. The through hole 51F extends elongatedly in the horizontal direction, and is formed so that a front edge 51E1, a rear edge 51E2, a right end portion 51E3, and a left end portion 51E4 remain in the bottom plate 51E. Discharge ports 51E5 and 51E6 are formed in the rear ends of the right end portion 51E3 and the left end portion 51E4, penetrating in the vertical direction. The discharge ports 51E5 and 51E6 discharge the treatment liquid received by the bottom plate 51E downward. Receiving portions 55 and 56, which will be described later, are disposed below the discharge ports 51E5 and 51E6, and the discharged treatment liquid is received by the receiving portions 55 and 56.

[0048] Here, the seven spray nozzles 41 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The seven spray nozzles 41 in this embodiment are supported by a support plate 51H fixed to the upper part of the rear plate 51B of the cylindrical member 50. The seven spray nozzles 41 are arranged side by side at equal intervals in the left-right direction. The seven spray nozzles 41 are also arranged at positions where the centers of the discharge ports 41A overlap in the up-down direction with a center line that passes through the center of the through-hole 51F in the front-rear direction and extends in the left-right direction.

[0049] All seven spray nozzles 41 have the same configuration. As shown in FIG. 7, the spray nozzles 41 are configured so that the treatment liquid discharged from the discharge port 41A spreads mainly in a fan shape in the left-right direction as it moves downward from the discharge port 41A. Specifically, each spray nozzle 41 is configured so that the treatment liquid is discharged at least over the entire discharge range Q in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the discharge range Q of each spray nozzle 41 is a range between center lines passing through the centers of two spray nozzles 41 adjacent to one spray nozzle 41 on both the left and right. Note that the discharge range Q is an approximate range in which the treatment liquid discharged from each spray nozzle 41 spreads, and the treatment liquid discharged from each spray nozzle 41 may exceed the discharge range Q. In addition, the discharge range Q may be a range inside the center line passing through the centers of two spray nozzles 41 adjacent to one spray nozzle 41 on both the left and right.

[0050] 7, the seven spray nozzles 41 are arranged such that the discharge ranges Q of adjacent spray nozzles 41 overlap each other in the left-right direction. The treatment liquid discharged from the discharge port 41A of each spray nozzle 41 also spreads in the front-rear direction as it heads downward from the discharge port 41A.

[0051] 7, the two spray nozzles 41 located on the outermost sides in the left-right direction among the seven spray nozzles 41 are disposed in positions facing the right end portion 51E3 and the left end portion 51E4 in the up-down direction. The remaining five spray nozzles 41 are disposed in positions facing the through-hole 51F in the up-down direction.

[0052] In this embodiment, the treatment liquid is discharged from the seven spray nozzles 41, so that the treatment liquid is discharged toward the platen 12 in a range that is approximately the same as the opening range of the through-hole 51F. That is, the treatment liquid discharge area P4 is approximately equal to the opening range of the through-hole 51F. As shown in FIG. 7, the width K of the through-hole 51F in the left-right direction is slightly larger than the width of the platen 12 in the left-right direction. In this manner, the discharger 40 can discharge the treatment liquid over the entire left-right direction of the platen 12. Of the treatment liquid discharged from the seven spray nozzles 41, the treatment liquid that does not pass through the through-hole 51F is received by the bottom plate 51E. The treatment liquid received by the bottom plate 51E is discharged downward via the discharge ports 51E5 and 51E6.

[0053] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, two receiving parts 55, 56 are fixed to the cover 8A that covers the dispenser 40. Each receiving part 55, 56 has a recess that opens upward. The receiving part 55 is fixed to the cover 8A by a fixing plate 57, and the receiving part 56 is fixed to the cover 8A by a fixing plate 58.

[0054] The two receiving portions 55, 56 are disposed outside the pair of partition plates 37C in the left-right direction. The two receiving portions 55, 56 are disposed between the platen 12 and the tray 37A in the up-down direction. The receiving portion 55 is disposed facing the right end portion 51E3 of the bottom plate 51E in the up-down direction, and the receiving portion 56 is disposed facing the left end portion 51E4 of the bottom plate 51E in the up-down direction. A through hole (not shown) penetrating in the up-down direction is formed in the bottom of each receiving portion 55, 56. The through hole of the receiving portion 55 is disposed at a position facing the waste liquid groove 46 (described later) in the up-down direction. The through hole of the receiving portion 56 is disposed at a position facing the waste liquid groove 47 (described later) in the up-down direction.

[0055] 3, the printing device 1 has two guide gutters 44, 45, two waste liquid grooves 46, 47, a pipe 48, and a waste liquid tank 49. The two guide gutters 44, 45, the two waste liquid grooves 46, 47, and the pipe 48 constitute the waste liquid flow path of the present invention. The waste liquid flow path may constitute a flow path connecting one of the receivers 55, 56 to the waste liquid tank 49. In other words, when a tube is provided connecting the through hole of the receivers 55, 56 and the waste liquid tank 49, the tube constitutes the waste liquid flow path.

[0056] The guide gutter 44 has a recess that opens obliquely upward toward the front, and is disposed below the through hole of the receiving portion 55. The recess of the guide gutter 44 communicates with the recess of the receiving portion 55 via the through hole, and guides the processing liquid discharged from the receiving portion 55 to the waste liquid groove 46. The guide gutter 45 also has a recess that opens obliquely upward toward the front, and is disposed below the through hole of the receiving portion 56. The recess of the guide gutter 45 communicates with the recess of the receiving portion 56 via the through hole, and guides the processing liquid discharged from the receiving portion 56 to the waste liquid groove 47.

[0057] The waste liquid groove 46 is open upward, is disposed adjacent to the right end of the support base 36, and extends in the front-rear direction. The waste liquid groove 46 is disposed at a position overlapping in the vertical direction with the through hole of the receiving part 55 and the guide gutter 44, and receives the processing liquid from the receiving part 55.

[0058] The waste liquid groove 47 also opens upward, is disposed adjacent to the left end of the support base 36, and extends in the front-rear direction. The waste liquid groove 47 is disposed at a position overlapping in the vertical direction with the through hole of the receiving part 56 and the guide gutter 45, and receives the processing liquid from the receiving part 56. These waste liquid grooves 46, 47 also receive waste liquid (e.g., water droplets due to condensation) generated within the housing 8.

[0059] 3, the pipe 48 connects the two waste liquid channels 46, 47 to the waste liquid tank 49. This allows the waste liquid (including the processing liquid) in the waste liquid channels 46, 47 to flow into the waste liquid tank 49 via the pipe 48.

[0060] The electrical configuration of the printing device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. The control unit 80 is provided with a CPU 81, a ROM 82, a RAM 83, and a flash memory 84. The CPU 81 controls the printing device 1 and is electrically connected to the ROM 82, the RAM 83, and the flash memory 84. The ROM 82 stores a control program for the CPU 81 to control the operation of the printing device 1, information required by the CPU 81 when executing various programs, and the like. The ROM 82 stores, for example, each position of the carriage 6 (head 30) based on the rotation angle of the main scanning motor 7M, and stores each position of the platen 12 based on the rotation angle of the sub-scanning motor 26. The RAM 83 temporarily stores various data used in the control program, and the like. The flash memory 84 is non-volatile and stores print data for printing, and the like.

[0061] 9, the control unit 80 is electrically connected to the main scanning motor 7M, the sub-scanning motor 26, the four head driving units 301-304, the operation unit 15, and the pump 43. The main scanning motor 7M, the sub-scanning motor 26, the head driving units 301-304, and the pump 43 are driven under the control of the control unit 80.

[0062] The main scanning motor 7M and the sub-scanning motor 26 are provided with encoders 7M1 and 261, respectively. The encoder 7M1 detects the rotation angle of the main scanning motor 7M 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] <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 82 and operates to execute the flow of Fig. 10. The flow of Fig. 10 will be described below.

[0065] The control unit 80 first determines whether a print start command has been input (S1). Before operating the operation unit 15 to input a print start command, the user places a print medium (T-shirt) on which no treatment liquid has been applied, on the support surface 12A of the platen 12. At this time, the hanging portions of the print medium from both ends of the platen 12 in the left-right direction are placed between the inner surfaces 37C1 of the pair of partitions 37C, as shown by the two-dot chain lines in FIG. 3. The platen 12 is placed in the set position P1 when not printing. When not printing, the printing device 1 normally has the head 30 placed in the maintenance position B1, and the multiple nozzles of the head 30 are capped with a cap of a maintenance unit (not shown).

[0066] 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 sub-scanning motor 26 as shown in FIG. 11A to start conveying the platen 12 from the set position P1 toward the processing liquid discharge area P4 (S2). The platen 12 moves with the movement of the platen support unit 37. The platen support unit 37 has a tray 37A, and the hanging portion of the printing medium set on the platen 12 is disposed between the platen 12 and the tray 37A and between a pair of partitions 37C. For this reason, if only the platen 12 is configured to move, there is a risk that the hanging portion of the printing medium will rub against members other than the platen 12. However, in this embodiment, the tray 37A and the partition 37C also move together with the platen 12, so that the hanging portion of the printing medium can be prevented from being rubbed.

[0067] Next, the control unit 80 starts driving the pump 43 (S3). This causes the treatment liquid to be supplied from a tank that stores the treatment liquid through piping to each spray nozzle 41, and the treatment liquid is ejected in a mist from each spray nozzle 41. The treatment liquid ejected in a mist is therefore applied to the printing medium supported by the platen 12 as it passes through the treatment liquid ejection area P4. As a result, a base is formed on the printing medium on which the treatment liquid is applied in a substantially uniform manner.

[0068] 3, most of the processing liquid discharged from the through-hole 51F of the dispenser 40 outside the platen 12 in the left-right direction is received by the two receivers 55, 56. At this time, the processing liquid discharged from the spray nozzle 41 and received by the bottom plate 51E is discharged from the discharge ports 51E5, 51E6 to the receivers 55, 56. The processing liquid received by the receivers 55, 56 flows into the waste liquid grooves 46, 47 via the guide gutters 44, 45. The waste liquid in the waste liquid grooves 46, 47 flows into the waste liquid tank 49 via the pipe 48.

[0069] Further, the processing liquid discharged outside the platen 12 in the left-right direction and not received by the two receivers 55, 56 is received by the tray 37A. More specifically, the processing liquid is received by the portion of the bottom plate 37A1 outside the pair of partitions 37C in the left-right direction. Since the upper surface 37A6 of the bottom plate 37A1 has two inclined surfaces 37A7, 37A8, the processing liquid received by the bottom plate 37A1 flows to both ends of the bottom plate 37A1 in the left-right direction. Even if the processing liquid adheres to the inclined surface 37A8 between the pair of partitions 37C of the bottom plate 37A1 as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4 for some reason, the processing liquid flows along the inclination of the inclined surface 37A8 and flows out through the through portion 37C4 to the left end of the bottom plate 37A1. The processing liquid received by the bottom plate 37A1 of the tray 37A is discharged into the waste liquid grooves 46, 47 through a discharge port (not shown) and piping formed in the tray 37A. In this manner, the processing liquid received by the tray 37A also finally flows into the waste liquid tank 49.

[0070] Next, the control unit 80 stops driving the pump 43 when the platen 12 passes through the treatment liquid discharge area P4 as shown in FIG. 11(b) (S4). This stops the supply of treatment liquid to each spray nozzle 41, and the discharge of treatment liquid from each spray nozzle 41 stops. In this embodiment, the treatment liquid is controlled so that it is discharged onto the entire support surface 12A of the platen 12, thereby controlling the treatment liquid to be applied to the entire surface of the print medium. However, by appropriately changing the drive timing of the pump 43, the treatment liquid may be applied to only a portion of the print medium in the front-to-rear direction. Furthermore, when applying treatment liquid to only a portion of the print medium, the treatment liquid may be applied only to an area corresponding to the image area formed by discharging ink onto the print medium.

[0071] Next, when the platen 12 reaches the pre-printing standby position P2 based on the detection result from the encoder 261, the control unit 80 controls the sub-scanning motor 26 to stop the platen transport (S5).

[0072] Next, the control unit 80 executes a print process to print an image on the print medium (S6). 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-printing standby position P2 to the print transport area P3.

[0073] Then, the control unit 80 controls the main scanning motor 7M based on the detection result from the encoder 7M1 to move the carriage 6 from the maintenance position B1 to the discharge area B2, and bring the head 30 opposite the print medium placed on the platen 12.

[0074] The control unit 80 controls the head driving units 301-304, the main scanning motor 7M, and the sub-scanning motor 26 with at least a part of the platen 12 positioned in the print transport area P3 and the carriage 6 positioned 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, and first, white ink is discharged from the nozzles of the white heads 31 and 32 onto the base of the print medium formed by applying the treatment liquid, and a base (mainly for color ink) is formed. 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, and an image is formed. Note that the part expressing the white color of the image is the base part formed with the white ink. Therefore, color ink is not discharged onto the base part.

[0075] Next, when printing on the print medium based on the print data is completed (end of the print process), the control unit 80 controls the sub-scanning motor 26 based on the detection result from the encoder 261 to stop 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 7M based on the detection result from the encoder 7M1 to move the carriage 6 leftward from the discharge area B2 and stop it at the maintenance position B1. In this way, the flow of FIG. 10 ends.

[0076] As described above, according to the printing device 1 of the present embodiment, since the inner surface 37C1 of the pair of partitions 37C is between both ends of the platen 12, the space between the pair of partitions 37C is directly below the platen 12, and is an area to which the treatment liquid discharged from the discharger 40 is unlikely to adhere. By arranging the hanging parts of the printing medium from both ends of the platen 12 in this area, it is possible to prevent the treatment liquid that has adhered to the outer parts of the bottom plate 37A1 from adhering to the parts in the left-right direction beyond both ends of the platen 12. That is, it is possible to prevent the hanging parts of the printing medium from becoming dirty. The treatment liquid that has adhered to the bottom plate 37A1 is highly likely to contain impurities such as dust and ink mist. In addition, the moisture of the treatment liquid that has adhered to the bottom plate 37A1 evaporates over time, and the component ratio of the treatment liquid changes from the desired one. It is possible to prevent the treatment liquid that is highly likely to contain impurities and has a different component ratio from the desired one from adhering to the hanging parts of the printing medium.

[0077] The upper surface 37A6 of the bottom plate 37A1 has inclined surfaces 37A7 and 37A8. This allows the treatment liquid adhering to the upper surface 37A6 of the bottom plate 37A1 to flow toward both ends (outer edges) in the left-right direction of the bottom plate 37A1. Even if the treatment liquid adheres between the pair of partitions 37C of the bottom plate 37A1, it can be made to flow toward both ends (outer edges) in the left-right direction of the bottom plate 37A1. In other words, the treatment liquid adhering to the pair of partitions 37C of the bottom plate 37A1 flows toward the pair of partitions 37C along the inclined surfaces 37A7 and 37A8. The treatment liquid then flows from at least one end of the partitions 37C in the front-rear direction toward both ends (outer edges) in the left-right direction of the bottom plate 37A1. This makes it possible to further prevent the treatment liquid adhering to the bottom plate 37A1 from adhering to the drooping portion of the print medium.

[0078] As a modified example, the upper surface 37A6 of the bottom plate 37A1 may have at least one of a front inclined surface that slopes downward from the center to the front end and a rear inclined surface that slopes downward from the center to the rear end, in the front-rear direction. In this case, as with the above-mentioned inclined surfaces 37A7 and 37A8, the treatment liquid adhering to the upper surface 37A6 of the bottom plate 37A1 can be made to flow toward the end (outer edge) in the front-rear direction of the bottom plate 37A1, and the same effect can be obtained.

[0079] As another modification, the inclined surfaces 37A7 and 37A8 in the above-described embodiment and the inclined surfaces in the modification may be inclined in the opposite direction, inclining from the outer edge toward the center of the bottom plate 37A1. In this case, the treatment liquid adhering to the bottom plate 37A1 gathers at the center of the bottom plate 37A1. This also makes it possible to further prevent the treatment liquid adhering to the bottom plate 37A1 from adhering to the drooping portion of the printing medium. In addition, by providing a discharge port at the center of the bottom plate 37A1, it becomes possible to discharge the treatment liquid adhering to the bottom plate 37A1.

[0080] Also, a portion of the upper surface 37A6 may be inclined downward toward the center or outer edge of the bottom plate 37A1. This also prevents the treatment liquid adhering to the bottom plate 37A1 from adhering to the drooping portion of the print medium. For example, the inclined surfaces 37A7 and 37A8 may be formed only outside the pair of partitions 37C of the bottom plate 37A1. This allows the treatment liquid adhering outside the pair of partitions 37C of the bottom plate 37A1 to flow to both the left and right ends of the bottom plate 37A1, and the same effect as described above can be obtained.

[0081] A pair of side plates 37A2, 37A3 are formed on both ends of the bottom plate 37A1 in the left-right direction. This makes it possible to prevent the treatment liquid adhering to the upper surface 37A6 of the bottom plate 37A1 from dripping from both the left and right ends of the bottom plate 37A1. In addition, a front plate 37A4 and a rear plate 37A5 are formed on both ends of the bottom plate 37A1 in the front-rear direction. This makes it possible to prevent the treatment liquid adhering to the upper surface 37A6 of the bottom plate 37A1 from dripping from both the front and rear ends of the bottom plate 37A1.

[0082] The partition plate 37C is formed to extend upward from the upper surface 37A6 of the bottom plate 37A1, whereby the partition plate 37C can be realized with a simple structure.

[0083] By forming the through portion 37C4 in the partition 37C, even if the treatment liquid adheres to the part of the bottom plate 37A1 that is inside the pair of partitions 37C, the treatment liquid can be made to flow to the outside of the pair of partitions 37C through the through portion 37C4.

[0084] The printing device 1 has receiving portions 55, 56. This makes it difficult for the treatment liquid to adhere to the portion of the bottom plate 37A1 outside the pair of partition plates 37C.

[0085] The receivers 55 and 56 are in communication with the guide gutters 44 and 45, the waste liquid grooves 46 and 47, and the pipe 48, which constitute the waste liquid flow path. This makes it possible to prevent the processing liquid from overflowing from the receivers 55 and 56.

[0086] <Second embodiment> A printing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 12. The printing device in this embodiment has a movement mechanism 70 (shown by two-dot chain lines in Fig. 9) capable of moving a pair of partitions 37C. That is, the pair of partitions 37C in the first embodiment are fixed to the bottom plate 37A1, but as shown in Fig. 12, they may be configured to be movable. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0087] The movement mechanism 70 moves the pair of partitions 37C between a first position and a second position as shown in Fig. 12. The movement mechanism 70 has a movement motor 70M as shown in Fig. 9. The movement mechanism 70 also has a power transmission mechanism (not shown) that transmits the power of the movement motor 70M to move the pair of partitions 37C in the left-right direction. As the power transmission mechanism, for example, a known transmission mechanism such as a rack and pinion is used.

[0088] In FIG. 12, the platen 12S is a platen whose width in the left-right direction is smaller than that of the platen 12 (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 12). The first position is the arrangement position of the pair of partitions 37C shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 12, and is the arrangement position when the platen support part 37 supports the platen 12. In other words, the first position is the same position as the pair of partitions 37C in the first embodiment. The second position is the arrangement position of the pair of partitions 37C shown by the solid line in FIG. 12. The second position is the arrangement position of the pair of partitions 37C when the platen support part 37 supports the platen 12S, and is the position where the pair of partitions 37C are arranged more inward in the left-right direction than when they are arranged at the first position. The second position is the position where the inner surfaces 37C1 of the pair of partitions 37C are arranged more inward in the left-right direction than both ends of the platen 12S in the left-right direction.

[0089] <Printing control> With reference to FIG. 13, the control by the control unit 80 when printing an image on a print medium will be described. When the user inputs the type of platen to be used during printing and a print start command to the printing device 1 through the operation unit 15 and the input unit (for example, input keys below the display unit 16), the control unit 80 reads out a control program from the ROM 82 and operates to execute the flow of FIG. 13. Note that the type of platen in this embodiment is either the platen 12 or the platen 12S, and the type of platen to be used in this printing is input from the input unit, so that the control unit 80 acquires platen data (the "support unit data" of the present invention). The platen data in this embodiment is data indicating the width size in the left-right direction of the platen 12 or the platen 12S, and is input from the input unit, but a sensor that detects the width size of the platen may be provided in the printing device. The control unit 80 may acquire the platen data by acquiring a detection signal from the sensor. Also, if the size of the platen is included as metadata in the printing data, the control unit 80 may acquire the platen data by acquiring the printing data. Below, the flow of FIG. 13 will be described.

[0090] The control unit 80 executes the same process as S1 described above. If a print start instruction has not been input (S1: NO), S1 is repeated until a print start instruction is input. On the other hand, if a print start instruction has been input (S1: YES), the control unit 80 determines whether the platen supported by the platen support unit 37 is the platen 12S based on the platen data (S21).

[0091] If the platen supported by the platen support section 37 is the platen 12S (S21: YES), the control section 80 controls the movement motor 70M so that the pair of partitions 37C is located at the second position (S22). As a result, even when the platen 12S is used as the platen, the pair of partitions 37C is located at the second position. At this time, when the user places a print medium (T-shirt) on which no treatment liquid has been applied, on the platen 12S, the user positions the hanging portion between the inner surfaces 37C1 of the pair of partitions 37C.

[0092] On the other hand, if the platen supported by the platen support section 37 is not the platen 12S (S21: NO), the control section 80 determines that the platen 12 is supported, and controls the movement motor 70M so that the pair of partitions 37C is located in the first position (S23). At this time, when the user places a print medium (T-shirt) on which no treatment liquid has been applied, on the platen 12, the user positions the hanging portion between the inner surfaces 37C1 of the pair of partitions 37C.

[0093] In this way, by moving the pair of partitions 37C in accordance with the width size of the platen in the left-right direction, the hanging portion of the print medium can be positioned directly below the platen.

[0094] Next, the control unit 80 executes the above-mentioned S2 to S6 in order. The process of S2 in this embodiment is executed when the user inputs a signal indicating the start of conveyance of the platen through the operation unit 15. Then, when printing on the print medium based on the print data is completed (end of the print process), the control unit 80 controls the sub-scanning motor 26 based on the detection result from the encoder 261 to stop 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 or platen 12S arranged at the set position P1. At this time, the control unit 80 controls the main scanning motor 7M based on the detection result from the encoder 7M1 to move the carriage 6 leftward from the discharge area B2 and stop it at the maintenance position B1. In this way, the flow of FIG. 13 is completed.

[0095] As described above, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the space between the pair of partitions 37C is directly below the platen 12 or platen 12S, and is an area to which the treatment liquid ejected from the ejector 40 is unlikely to adhere. By arranging the hanging portions of the printing medium from both ends of the platen 12 or platen 12S in this area, it is possible to prevent the treatment liquid that has adhered to the outer parts of the bottom plate 37A1 beyond both ends of the platen 12 or platen 12S in the left-right direction from adhering to the said parts. In other words, it is possible to prevent the hanging portions of the printing medium from becoming dirty.

[0096] The control unit 80 controls the moving mechanism 70 so that the pair of partitions 37C is located at either the first position or the second position based on the platen data. This makes it possible to realize a configuration in which the inner surfaces 37C1 of the pair of partitions 37C are located between both ends of the platen 12 or the platen 12S in the left-right direction without manual operation by the user.

[0097] As a modified example, the pair of partitions 37C may be configured to be movable in the left-right direction so that the pair of partitions 37C can be manually placed at either the first position or the second position. Even in this case, even if the width size in the left-right direction of the platen 12S is smaller than a predetermined size (the width size of the platen 12), the pair of partitions 37C can be moved in the left-right direction to realize a configuration in which the inner surfaces 37C1 of the pair of partitions 37C are located between both ends in the left-right direction of the platen 12 or the platen 12S. Note that the pair of partitions 37C may be configured to be slidable in the left-right direction relative to the bottom plate 37A1, or may be configured to be detachable from the bottom plate 37A1. In the case where the pair of partitions 37C are configured to be detachable from the bottom plate 37A1, it is sufficient to reattach the pair of partitions 37C from the first position to the second position, or from the second position to the first position. In these cases, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

[0098] As another modification, only one of the pair of partitions 37C may be configured to be movable in the left-right direction. For example, even if a platen is used in which one left-right end of the platen is closer to or farther from the center line passing through the left-right center of the platen's transport path than the other end, it is possible to move the partition 37C in accordance with the platen so that the inner surface 37C1 of the partition 37C is located between both left-right ends of the platen. In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the left-right center of the platen 12 and the left-right center of the platen's transport path are on the same line in a plan view.

[0099] As another modified example, the control unit 80 may estimate the width of the platen in the left-right direction from the image data and control the movement mechanism 70 to move at least one of the pair of partitions 37C in the left-right direction. In this case, as in the above, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the inner surfaces 37C1 of the pair of partitions 37C are located between both ends of the platen in the left-right direction.

[0100] 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.

[0101] In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, the pair of partitions 37C is installed on the bottom plate 37A1, but they may be disposed apart from the bottom plate 37A1. In this case, the pair of partitions 37C may be supported by the housing 8 and configured to extend in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the partitions 37C may not have the protruding portion 37C3. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the partitions 37C may be any shape, such as a triangular shape, a rectangular shape, a polygonal shape, a circular shape, or an elliptical shape.

[0102] The pair of partitions 37C may be the same or shorter than the platen 12 in the front-rear direction. In addition, the inner surface 37C1 of the pair of partitions 37C between the bottom plate 37A1 and the platen 12 and in front of the center in the front-rear direction may be located between both ends of the platen 12 in the left-right direction. In other words, the inner surface 37C1 of the center or rear part of the pair of partitions 37C in the front-rear direction may be located outside both ends of the platen 12 in the left-right direction. If the inner surface 37C1 of the front part of the pair of partitions 37C is located between both ends of the platen 12 in the left-right direction in this way, when a T-shirt is set on the platen 12 as a printing medium, the neck part of the T-shirt can be placed in the front part of the platen 12, so that the arm part of the T-shirt can be placed between the front parts of the pair of partitions 37C. In other words, it is possible to place the hanging part (arm part) of the T-shirt from the platen 12 in the area directly below the platen 12 where the treatment liquid ejected from the ejector 40 is unlikely to adhere. Therefore, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

[0103] At least any one of the pair of side plates 37A2, 37A3, the front plate 37A4, and the rear plate 37A5 may not be formed on the bottom plate 37A1.

[0104] The receiving portions 55 and 56 may not be provided. Furthermore, the guide gutters 44 and 45, the waste liquid grooves 46 and 47, and the pipe 48 which configure the waste liquid flow path may not be provided. The partition plate 37C may not have a through portion 37C4 formed therein.

[0105] Furthermore, the dispenser 40 may have any configuration as long as it is capable of discharging the treatment liquid to an area including both ends in the left-right direction of the platen to be used. In other words, the dispenser may be one that is not capable of discharging the treatment liquid to the central area in the left-right direction of the platen and / or the area between the central area and both ends in the left-right direction of the platen. Furthermore, the dispenser 40 may have a configuration similar to that of the head 30. Furthermore, the dispenser 40 is not limited to a configuration that discharges the treatment liquid from the spray nozzle 41.

[0106] Further, the dispenser 40 in the above embodiment has seven spray nozzles 41, but may have 1 to 6, or eight or more spray nozzles 41.

[0107] Furthermore, although the discharger 40 discharges the treatment liquid that forms the base from the spray nozzle 41, it may also discharge the treatment liquid that overcoats the image on the print medium from the spray nozzle 41. That is, the treatment liquid may be discharged onto the print medium after the image is formed by discharging ink onto the print medium. In this case, after the printing process of S6, that is, before the platen 12 reaches the treatment liquid discharge area P4, a process similar to S3 is executed, and then, after the platen 12 passes the treatment liquid discharge area P4, a process similar to S4 is executed. In this way, it is possible to overcoat the image on the print medium (form an ink top layer).

[0108] Furthermore, the transport mechanism 14 does not necessarily have to include the sub-scanning motor 26. In this case, the platen 12 may be moved manually. In other words, the transport mechanism may have a configuration capable of moving the platen 12 between the set position P1 and a passing position where the platen 12 passes through the treatment liquid discharge region P4.

[0109] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment and each modified example, the head 30 ejects ink from a plurality of nozzles while being moved in the main scanning direction (left-right direction) by the moving mechanism 7, which is a so-called serial head, and the present invention is applied to a printing device having such a head, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a printing device having 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 be movable in the ejection area B2.

[0110] Furthermore, the platen support portion 37 in the second embodiment may simultaneously support both the platen 12 and the platen 12S lined up in the front-rear direction. In this case, the pair of partitions 37C may be disposed at either the first position or the second position in accordance with the platen used during printing. Alternatively, the pair of partitions 37C may be fixed at the second position. In this case as well, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

[0111] In addition, the control unit 80 in the above-mentioned embodiment and each modified example may use a microcomputer, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like as a processor instead of the CPU 81. In this case, the main processing may be distributed among a plurality of processors. The non-transitory storage medium such as the ROM 82 and the flash memory 84 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 in the figure, and stored in the ROM 82 or the flash memory 84. In this case, the control program may be stored in a non-transitory storage medium such as an HDD provided in the server.

[0112] In the above-described embodiment and each modified example, the volatile components of the treatment liquid include organic acids, but are not limited to this. In other words, the volatile components of the treatment liquid may include components other than organic acids that react with the ink in the nozzles to cause aggregation or discoloration. In addition, the treatment liquid does not have to include volatile components such as organic acids. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1 Printing device 12,12S Platen (support part) 30 Head 37A1 Bottom plate 37A2,37A3 side plate 37A6 Top 37C Partition plate 37C1 Inside surface 37C4 Penetration 40 Dispenser 55,56 Receiving part 70 Moving mechanism 80 Control section

Claims

1. A support portion configured to be movable in a first direction and supporting the print medium; a head that ejects ink onto a printing medium supported by the support portion; a discharger that discharges a treatment liquid for forming an ink undercoat or an ink overcoat on a printing medium supported by the support section, into an area of ​​the support section that includes at least both ends in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; a bottom plate located below the support portion and having both ends positioned outside the both ends of the support portion in the second direction; a pair of partitions disposed between the two ends of the bottom plate in the second direction and between the bottom plate and the support portion in the up-down direction, the partitions extending in the first direction; A printing device characterized in that inner surfaces of the pair of partitions are located between the two ends of the support portion in the second direction.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the pair of partitions is movable in the second direction.

3. a moving mechanism that moves at least one of the pair of partitions in the second direction; A control unit, The printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit controls the movement mechanism so that the inner surfaces of the pair of partitions are positioned between both ends of the support part in the second direction based on support part data including at least a width size of the support part in the second direction.

4. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of an upper surface of the bottom plate is inclined downward toward a center or an outer edge of the bottom plate.

5. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of side panels extending upward from each of said opposite ends of said bottom panel.

6. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the partition plate extends upward from an upper surface of the bottom plate.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the partition has a through-portion that penetrates in the second direction.

8. The printing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a receiving portion disposed below the ejector and above the bottom plate, outside the pair of partitions in the second direction, for receiving the treatment liquid from the ejector.

9. 9. The printing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a waste liquid flow path communicating with the receiving portion.

Images