Printing device and printing method

Abstract

To print an image at a desired position with respect to an image on the back surface of a cloth, in a case such as when the cloth is subjected to double-sided printing.SOLUTION: A printing device 1 includes: a transport belt 5 that transports a cloth M in a transport direction A in a state where a first surface M1 of the cloth M faces an adhesive layer 5a; a printing section 101, 102 that prints an image on a second surface M2 of the cloth M, the second surface M2 being an opposite side to a first surface M1, the cloth M being transported by the transport belt 5, and including a first head 101 and a second head 102; and an infrared image capturing section 30 that uses infrared light to capture an image of a capture target I formed on the first surface M1 of the cloth M being transported by the transport belt 5, wherein the printing section 101 includes a first head 101 that is configured to eject an image forming ink for forming the image and a second head 102 that is configured to eject a capture target forming ink for forming the capture target I.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing method. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various printing devices have been used. Among them, there are printing devices that print on fabric. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a double-sided printing system that can print on both sides of a fabric. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2022-502291 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a printing device that prints on both sides of a fabric, such as the double-sided printing system of Patent Document 1, it is often necessary to align the positions of an image printed on the front side and an image printed on the back side. For this reason, a configuration is provided with a detection unit that detects the position of an image that has been printed on one side of the fabric first. In the double-sided printing system of Patent Document 1, a scanning device is provided to enable reading of the first printed image on the first side. However, the scanning device of the double-sided printing system of Patent Document 1 is configured to detect the position of an image using visible light, and has low detection capability for images on the back side, etc., and it is sometimes difficult to print an image at a desired position relative to the image on the back side, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the printing device of the present invention comprises a conveyor belt having an adhesive layer that supports a fabric as a medium and conveying the fabric in a conveying direction with a first side of the fabric facing the adhesive layer, a printing unit that prints an image on a second side of the fabric conveyed by the conveyor belt opposite the first side, and an infrared imaging unit that uses infrared rays to image an imaging target provided on the first side of the fabric conveyed by the conveyor belt, wherein the printing unit has a first head capable of ejecting image forming ink that forms the image, and a second head capable of ejecting imaging target forming ink that forms the imaging target.

[0006] Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a printing method of the present invention is a printing method for a printing device including a conveyor belt having an adhesive layer that supports a fabric as a medium, and conveying the fabric in a conveying direction with a first side of the fabric facing the adhesive layer, and a printing unit that prints an image on a second side of the fabric conveyed by the conveyor belt, the second side being opposite to the first side, the printing unit having a first head capable of ejecting image forming ink that forms the image, and a second head capable of ejecting imaging subject forming ink that forms an imaging subject, the printing unit including a first head capable of ejecting image forming ink that forms the imaging subject, the imaging method includes an imaging object printing step of printing the imaging object on the first surface of the fabric conveyed by the conveyor belt using infrared light; an infrared imaging step of imaging the imaging object located on the first surface of the fabric conveyed by the conveyor belt using infrared light; a correction step of correcting at least one of the image and the printing position of the image based on imaging data captured in the infrared imaging step; and a second surface printing step of ejecting the image forming ink from the first head onto the fabric conveyed by the conveyor belt to print the image on the second surface of the fabric based on a correction result in the correction step. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2]2A and 2B are schematic diagrams illustrating an imaging target consisting of grid lines that can be formed by the printing device of FIG. 1, showing a case where the medium is not deformed and a case where the medium is deformed. [Diagram 3] 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams showing an imaging target made up of dots that can be formed by the printing device of FIG. 1, showing a case where the medium is not deformed and a case where the medium is deformed. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic diagram showing an imaging target formed of dots different from those in FIG. 3 that can be formed by the printing device in FIG. 1, showing a case where the medium is not deformed and a case where the medium is deformed. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart of an example of a printing method using the printing device of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart illustrating another example of a printing method using the printing apparatus in FIG. 1, different from that in FIG. 4; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] First, the present invention will be briefly described. In order to solve the above problem, a printing device of a first aspect of the present invention comprises a conveyor belt having an adhesive layer that supports a fabric as a medium and conveying the fabric in a conveying direction with a first side of the fabric facing the adhesive layer, a printing unit that prints an image on a second side of the fabric conveyed by the conveyor belt opposite the first side, and an infrared imaging unit that uses infrared rays to image an imaging target provided on the first side of the fabric conveyed by the conveyor belt, wherein the printing unit has a first head capable of ejecting image forming ink that forms the image, and a second head capable of ejecting imaging target forming ink that forms the imaging target.

[0009] According to this aspect, the device includes an infrared imaging unit that uses infrared rays to image an imaging target provided on a first surface of the fabric transported by the transport belt. Since infrared rays are more easily transmitted through fabric than visible light, the imaging target can be imaged suitably. The printing unit also has a first head capable of ejecting ink for forming an image and a second head capable of ejecting ink for forming an imaging target. Therefore, the imaging target can be formed with high imaging accuracy using ink for forming an imaging target. Therefore, when performing double-sided printing on the fabric, an image can be printed at a desired position on the front surface relative to the image on the back surface.

[0010] A printing device of a second aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the imaging target is at least one of a plurality of dots arranged in the transport direction and an intersecting direction intersecting the transport direction, and a grid line composed of a plurality of lines extending in the transport direction and the intersecting direction.

[0011] According to this aspect, the imaging target is at least one of a plurality of dots arranged in the transport direction and the intersecting direction, and a grid line consisting of a plurality of lines extending in the transport direction and the intersecting direction. By configuring the imaging target in this way, it is possible to determine a suitable position for printing an image in the transport direction and the intersecting direction.

[0012] A printing device of a third aspect of the present invention, in an aspect dependent on the first or second aspect, is characterized in that it is capable of forming both the dots and the grid lines as the imaging target by ejecting the ink for forming the imaging target from the second head, and is configured to be able to select whether to form the dots or the grid lines as the imaging target.

[0013] According to this aspect, it is possible to select whether to form dots or grid lines as the imaging target, so that a suitable imaging target can be selected depending on the type of fabric used, printing conditions, etc.

[0014] A fourth aspect of the printing device of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the second aspect, and is characterized in that the dots can be formed as the imaging target by ejecting the ink for forming the imaging target from the second head, and the dots have different shapes or sizes in at least one of the transport direction and the intersecting direction.

[0015] According to this aspect, the dots to be imaged differ in shape or size in at least one of the conveying direction and the cross direction. If the deformation of the fabric becomes large, there is a risk that the dots to be imaged may be mistaken for adjacent dots when they are imaged. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to suppress the mistaken recognition of the dots as adjacent dots.

[0016] A printing device of a fifth aspect of the present invention, in an aspect dependent on the first aspect, is characterized in that it includes a correction unit that corrects at least one of the image and the printing position of the image based on imaging data captured by the infrared imaging unit.

[0017] According to this aspect, a correction unit is provided that corrects at least one of the image and the print position of the image based on the imaging data captured by the infrared imaging unit. With this configuration, it is possible to automatically and easily print an image at a desired position relative to the image on the back side when performing double-sided printing on a fabric, based on the correction result by the correction unit.

[0018] A sixth aspect of the printing device of the present invention is an aspect dependent on any one of the first to fifth aspects, characterized in that the ink for forming the imaging subject has a lower infrared transmittance than the ink for forming the image.

[0019] According to this aspect, the ink for forming the imaging subject has a lower infrared transmittance than the ink for forming the image, which increases the imaging accuracy of the ink for forming the imaging subject, and is particularly suitable for printing an image at a desired position on the front side relative to an image on the back side when performing double-sided printing on a fabric.

[0020] A printing method according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is a printing method for a printing device including a conveyor belt having an adhesive layer that supports a fabric as a medium, the conveyor belt conveying a first side of the fabric in a conveyance direction with a first side facing the adhesive layer, and a printing unit that prints an image on a second side of the fabric conveyed by the conveyor belt, the second side being opposite to the first side, the printing unit having a first head capable of ejecting image forming ink to form the image, and a second head capable of ejecting imaging subject forming ink to form an imaging subject, the printing unit ejecting the imaging subject forming ink from the second head to print the image. The method includes an imaging target printing step of printing an imaging target, an infrared imaging step of imaging the imaging target located on the first surface of the fabric transported by the transport belt using infrared rays, a correction step of correcting at least one of the image and the printing position of the image based on imaging data captured in the infrared imaging step, and a second surface printing step of ejecting the image forming ink from the first head onto the fabric transported by the transport belt to print the image on the second surface based on a correction result in the correction step.

[0021] According to this aspect, at least one of the image and the print position of the image is corrected based on the imaging data captured by the infrared imaging unit and then printed. By executing such a printing method, in cases such as double-sided printing on a fabric, the image can be automatically and easily printed at a desired position based on the correction result in the correction process.

[0022] The printing method of an eighth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the seventh aspect, and is characterized in that, prior to the infrared imaging step, a separate image printing step is performed in which the image forming ink is ejected from the first head to print a separate image different from the image.

[0023] According to this aspect, prior to the infrared imaging step, a separate image printing step is performed in which an image forming ink is ejected from the first head to print a separate image. By performing such a printing method, it is possible to perform suitable double-sided printing on the fabric, which is composed of a separate image printed in the separate image printing step and an image printed in the second side printing step.

[0024] A printing method according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is dependent on the eighth aspect, and is characterized in that the separate image printing step is executed together with the imaging target printing step.

[0025] According to this aspect, the separate image printing step is performed together with the imaging target printing step. By performing such a printing method, it is possible to reduce the printing time.

[0026] A printing method according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the eighth aspect, characterized in that the separate image printing step is executed separately from the imaging target printing step.

[0027] According to this aspect, the separate image printing step is performed separately from the imaging target printing step. By performing such a printing method, it is possible to form the imaging target at an accurate position relative to the separate image, and it is possible to improve the registration accuracy of double-sided printing.

[0028] An eleventh aspect of the printing method of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the eighth aspect, and is characterized in that it includes a flipping step of flipping the fabric and setting it inside out after the other image printing step and before the second side printing step, and the image and the other image are printed on different sides of the fabric.

[0029] According to this aspect, the method includes a step of turning the fabric over and setting it upside down after the separate image printing step and before the second side printing step, and the image in the second side printing step and the separate image in the separate image printing step are printed on different sides of the fabric. By performing such a printing method, it is possible to perform suitable double-sided printing.

[0030] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, an overview of a printing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0031] 1, the printing device 1 of this embodiment includes a holding unit 80 capable of rotatably holding a roll R of medium M wound in a roll shape, and a transport unit 20 having a drive unit 40 which is a motor, and transporting the medium M unwound from the holding unit 80 in a transport direction A by the driving force of the drive unit 40. The drive unit 40 is driven under the control of a control unit 41. The control unit 41 includes a CPU and a memory unit, and controls the driving of each component of the printing device 1 of this embodiment.

[0032] The holding unit 80 includes a holding shaft 2 that holds the roll R and is passed through a paper tube that constitutes the rotation shaft of the roll R. The holding unit 80 is capable of rotating the holding shaft 2 in a rotation direction C to unwind the medium M from the roll R to the transport unit 20. The printing device 1 of this embodiment includes a pressure roller 6 that presses the medium M against the transport belt 5 in an area facing the transport belt 5 that constitutes the transport unit 20. However, the pressure roller 6 may not be provided.

[0033] The conveying section 20 includes a driven roller 3 located upstream in the conveying direction A, a driving roller 4 located downstream in the conveying direction A, and a conveying belt 5 which is an endless belt stretched over the driven roller 3 and the driving roller 4. The conveying belt 5 is an adhesive belt having an adhesive layer 5a on its outer surface, which is a support surface for the medium M, where an adhesive is applied. From another perspective, the conveying belt 5 is an adhesive belt which has an adhesive layer 5a that supports the medium M and conveys the medium M in the conveying direction A with the first surface M1 of the fabric facing the adhesive layer 5a.

[0034] 1, with a first surface M1 of the medium M attached to the adhesive layer 5a, the medium M is supported and transported by the transport belt 5. In the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the medium support region of the transport belt 5 that supports the medium M is the upper region bridged by the driven roller 3 and the driving roller 4. The driving roller 4 is a roller that rotates in a rotation direction C by the driving force of a driving unit 40 that is a motor, and the driven roller 3 is a roller that rotates by being driven by the rotation of the transport belt 5 that accompanies the rotation of the driving roller 4.

[0035] The printing device 1 of this embodiment includes a carriage 100 capable of reciprocating in the width direction B of the conveyor belt 5, and a first head 101 and a second head 102 attached to the carriage 100. The first head 101 is a printing unit capable of printing an image by ejecting image forming ink that forms an image on a second surface M2 of a medium M conveyed in the conveying direction A based on print data. The second head 102 is a printing unit capable of ejecting imaging target forming ink that forms an imaging target I shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0036] The printing device 1 of this embodiment is capable of forming an image by ejecting image forming ink from the first head 101 onto the transported medium M while moving the carriage 100 back and forth in the width direction B intersecting the transport direction A, and is also capable of ejecting imaging target forming ink from the second head 102 onto the transported medium M to form an imaging target I. By being equipped with the carriage 100 configured in this manner, the printing device 1 of this embodiment is capable of forming at least one of a desired image and an imaging target I on the medium M by repeatedly transporting the medium M in the transport direction A by a predetermined transport amount and ejecting at least one of the image forming ink and the imaging target forming ink while moving the carriage 100 in the width direction B with the medium M stopped.

[0037] As described above, the printing device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a so-called serial head type ejection head in which the first head 101 and the second head 102 mounted on the carriage 100 move back and forth in the width direction B. However, the present invention is not limited to such an ejection head. For example, the printing unit may be a line head type printing unit in which the first head 101 and the second head 102 extend in the width direction B and are fixed, and a plurality of nozzles that eject ink along the width direction B are arranged. In the case of a configuration including a line head type printing unit, the medium M can be transported by so-called continuous transport in which the medium M is transported continuously, rather than by so-called intermittent transport in which the medium M is transported by a predetermined transport amount and the medium M is stopped, as in the printing device 1 of this embodiment.

[0038] When the medium M, on which at least one of an image and an imaging target I is formed by ejecting ink from at least one of the first head 101 and the second head 102, is ejected from the printing device 1 of this embodiment, it is sent to a drying device that volatilizes the ink components ejected onto the medium M, or a winding device that winds up the medium M on which the image has been formed, which is provided downstream of the printing device 1 of this embodiment.

[0039] As the medium M, a printable material such as a fabric can be preferably used. The printable material refers to the fabric, clothing, and other clothing products that are the subject of printing. Fabrics include woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, and nonwoven fabrics made of natural fibers such as cotton, silk, and wool, chemical fibers such as nylon, and composite fibers that are a mixture of these. Clothes and other clothing products include sewn T-shirts, handkerchiefs, scarves, towels, carrier bags, cloth bags, curtains, sheets, bed covers, and other furniture, as well as fabrics that exist as parts before and after cutting, etc. In addition to the above-mentioned printable materials, ordinary paper, wood-free paper, and paper specially designed for inkjet printing such as glossy paper can also be used.

[0040] When a printable material is used as the medium M, the printable material is prone to ink strike-through, a phenomenon in which ink ejected onto the medium M seeps through to the back surface, and the transport belt 5 may become dirty with ink. Therefore, the printing device 1 of this embodiment is provided with a cleaning unit 9 for cleaning ink that has struck through and adhered to the transport belt 5. The cleaning unit 9 of this embodiment is provided with a storage tank 14 for storing cleaning liquid, a cleaning roller 10 that is immersed in the cleaning liquid and comes into contact with the transport belt 5, a blade 11 that extends in the width direction B and wipes off the cleaning liquid that has adhered to the transport belt 5, and an absorbing roller 16 that absorbs any cleaning liquid that has not been wiped off by the blade 11.

[0041] As described above, the printing device 1 of this embodiment includes the conveyor belt 5 that conveys the medium M, such as a fabric, in the conveying direction A with the first surface M1 of the medium M facing the adhesive layer 5a, and the first head 101 that prints an image on the second surface M2 opposite the first surface M1 of the medium M conveyed by the conveyor belt 5, and the second head 102 that prints an image target I. The printing device 1 of this embodiment further includes an infrared imaging unit 30 that uses infrared rays to image the image target I provided on the first surface M1 of the medium M conveyed by the conveyor belt 5, as shown in FIG.

[0042] In a configuration in which visible light is used as a detection unit for detecting the imaging target I, when fabric is used as the medium M, the detection accuracy of the imaging target I decreases. In particular, when thick felt or the like is used as the medium M, the detection accuracy of the imaging target I decreases. On the other hand, since infrared light is more likely to penetrate fabrics and the like than visible light, the imaging target I can be suitably imaged by using infrared light to image the imaging target I provided on the first surface M1. By imaging the imaging target I, an image can be formed at a suitable position on the second surface M2 relative to the first surface M1 based on the imaging results. Therefore, the printing device 1 of this embodiment can print an image at a desired front surface position relative to the image on the back surface, for example, when performing double-sided printing on fabric.

[0043] In particular, the printing device 1 of this embodiment has, as a printing unit, a first head 101 capable of ejecting image forming ink for forming an image, and a second head 102 capable of ejecting image forming ink for forming an image target I. Therefore, the printing device 1 of this embodiment can form an image target I with high imaging accuracy by using an image forming ink. Furthermore, the printing device 1 of this embodiment can form an image target I and an image on one side of the medium M, turn the medium M over and reset it in the printing device 1, image the image target I, and eject image forming ink from the first head 101 onto the other side of the medium M based on the image result to form an image. Therefore, the printing device 1 of this embodiment can print an image at a desired front position relative to the image on the back side when performing double-sided printing on a fabric as the medium M.

[0044] As described above, the printing device 1 of this embodiment includes the control unit 41, which can function as a correction unit that corrects at least one of the image printed by the first head 101 and the printing position of the image, based on the imaging data of the imaging target I imaged by the infrared imaging unit 30. By being configured in this manner, the printing device 1 of this embodiment can automatically and easily print a new image (second image) at a desired position on the second surface M2 relative to an image (first image) on the back surface (first surface M1) of the medium M, for example, based on the correction results by the control unit 41 as a correction unit.

[0045] Correction of the printing position of an image corresponds to, for example, correcting the formation position of an image printed on the second surface M2 corresponding to the printed image on the first surface M1 in a case where the same image is formed on the first surface M1 and the second surface M2 by aligning the positions of both. Correction of an image corresponds to, for example, correcting image data etc. in a case where the same image is formed on the first surface M1 and the second surface M2 by aligning the positions of both, in a case where the medium M is attached to the adhesive layer 5a in a stretched or shrunk state, so that the images on the first surface M1 and the second surface M2 are the same and aligned when the medium M is removed from the adhesive layer 5a and the stretching or shrunk is eliminated.

[0046] The printing device 1 of this embodiment can form, as the imaging target I, grid lines I1 composed of multiple lines extending in the transport direction A and the width direction B that intersects the transport direction A, as shown in Fig. 2. The printing device 1 of this embodiment can form, as the imaging target I, multiple circular dots I2 arranged in the transport direction A and the width direction B, as shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore, the printing device 1 of this embodiment can form, as the imaging target I, multiple star-shaped, circular, and triangular dots I3 arranged in the transport direction A and the width direction B, as shown in Fig. 4.

[0047] In this way, it is preferable that the imaging target I is at least one of a plurality of dots I2 or I3 arranged in the transport direction A and the width direction B, and a grid line I1 composed of a plurality of lines extending in the transport direction A and the width direction B. By configuring the imaging target I in this way, it is possible to determine a suitable position for printing an image in the transport direction A and the width direction B.

[0048] As described above, the printing device 1 of this embodiment can form both dots I2 or I3 and grid lines I1 as the imaging target I by ejecting imaging target formation ink from the second head 102, but is configured to be able to select whether to form dots I2 or I3 or grid lines I1 as the imaging target I via a PC (not shown) or the like. For this reason, the printing device 1 of this embodiment can form a suitable imaging target I depending on the type of medium M, such as fabric, used, the printing conditions, and the like.

[0049] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, when the medium M is attached to the conveyor belt 5, the medium M may be in an undeformed state as shown in the state diagrams on the left side of Figures 2 to 4, or in a deformed state as shown in the state diagrams on the right side of Figures 2 to 4. When the medium M is not deformed, the grid lines I1 are straight lines as shown in the state diagram on the left side of Figure 2, and the dots I2 or I3 are arranged in straight lines as shown in the state diagrams on the left side of Figures 3 and 4. On the other hand, when the medium M is deformed, some of the grid lines I1 are curved lines as shown in the state diagram on the left side of Figure 2, and some of the dots I2 or I3 are arranged in a distorted manner as shown in the state diagrams on the left side of Figures 3 and 4.

[0050] As described above, the printing device 1 of this embodiment includes the control unit 41 as a correction unit, and therefore can determine the degree of deformation of the medium M according to the curvature of the grid lines I1 and the distortion of the arrangement of the dots I2 or I3, and can correct at least one of the image printed by the first head 101 and the printing position of the image. Therefore, for example, when an image (first image) is formed on the surface (first surface M1) of the medium M on which the imaging target I is formed, and images are formed on both sides of the medium M together with the first image, it is possible to form a second image corresponding to the first image on the first surface M1 on the surface (second surface M2) opposite the surface of the medium M on which the imaging target I is formed, that is, double-sided printing.

[0051] When grid lines I1 are used as the imaging target I, the imaging target I is more noticeable and the amount of ink used to form the imaging target is more likely to be increased than when dots I2 or I3 are used as the imaging target I. However, even if the deformation of the medium M is large, it is possible to accurately recognize the amount of deformation of the medium M. On the other hand, when dots I2 are used as the imaging target I, if the deformation of the medium M is large and the distortion of the arrangement of the dots I2 is large, there is a risk that dot Ia of the dots I2 represented in the state diagram on the right side of Figure 2 will be mistaken for dot Ib represented in the state diagram on the left side of Figure 2.

[0052] 4, the printing device 1 of this embodiment can form, as the imaging target I, a plurality of star-shaped, circular, and triangular dots I3 arranged in the transport direction A and the width direction B. By using dots that differ in shape or size in at least one of the transport direction A and the width direction B, like the dots I3, it is possible to suppress misrecognition of dots as adjacent dots when imaging the dots as the imaging target I, even if the deformation of the medium M becomes large.

[0053] From the above, it is preferable to determine whether to use the grid lines I1 or the dots I2 or I3 as the imaging target I depending on the Young's modulus of the medium M to be used. If there is a risk that the medium M will be significantly deformed due to the Young's modulus, it is preferable to use the grid lines I1 or the dots I3 as the imaging target I, and if there is no risk that the medium M will be significantly deformed due to the Young's modulus, it is preferable to use the dots I2 as the imaging target I.

[0054] It is preferable that the ink for forming the imaging object has a lower infrared transmittance than the ink for forming the image, because the ink for forming the imaging object has a higher imaging accuracy, and is particularly suitable for printing an image at a desired position on the front side relative to an image on the back side when performing double-sided printing on the medium M.

[0055] As the ink for forming an image, for example, a color ink for a general inkjet printer can be used, etc. As the ink for forming an image subject, for example, an ink having a near-infrared absorbing material manufactured by Ohkuchi Electronics Co., Ltd., an ink having a near-infrared absorbing material manufactured by Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd., an ink having an infrared cut agent manufactured by Fujifilm Corporation, etc. can be used.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 1, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the infrared imaging unit 30 has a light emitting unit 31 that emits infrared rays and a light receiving unit 32 that receives infrared rays, and both the light emitting unit 31 and the light receiving unit 32 are located on the side facing the second surface M2. In the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the conveyor belt 5 is formed of a material that reflects infrared rays. However, this is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the light emitting unit 31 and the light receiving unit 32 may both be located on the side facing the first surface M1, or one of the light emitting unit 31 and the light receiving unit 32 may both be located on the first surface M1 and the other on the second surface M2. However, in the case of such a configuration, the conveyor belt 5 needs to be formed of a material that transmits infrared rays.

[0057] In order to suitably capture an image of the imaging target I, the light-emitting unit 31 is preferably configured such that light-emitting elements are arranged in a line along the width direction B or the transport direction A, or the light-emitting elements are arranged in a plane along the width direction B and the transport direction A. Accordingly, the light-receiving unit 32 is preferably configured such that light-receiving elements are arranged in a line along the width direction B or the transport direction A, or the light-receiving elements are arranged in a plane along the width direction B and the transport direction A.

[0058] As described above, the printing device 1 of this embodiment can preferably perform double-sided printing. The medium M used in this case is basically one on which no printed image or the like is formed on both sides. A first image and an imaging target I are formed on one side of such a medium M, the medium M is turned over and set again in the printing device 1, and a second image is formed on the other side of the medium M in alignment with the first image. From another perspective, the medium M that can be used in this embodiment before the second image is formed can be a medium M on which a printed image is formed on the first side M1 and on which no image is printed on the second side M2. However, it is also possible to use a medium M on which an image or the like is formed in advance on a part of the medium M.

[0059] When forming a double-sided print, it is possible to form the same image on the first side M1 and the second side M2 ​​by aligning the positions of both sides. However, in addition to such double-sided print, different images may be formed on the first side M1 and the second side M2 ​​by aligning the positions of both sides, or the same or different images may be formed on the first side M1 and the second side M2 ​​by shifting the positions of both sides by a predetermined amount.

[0060] 1, the printing device 1 of this embodiment includes a pressing unit 6 that presses the medium M against the adhesive layer 5a. Therefore, the medium M can be firmly supported by the adhesive layer 5a. On the other hand, in a configuration that includes the pressing unit 6 that presses the medium M against the adhesive layer 5a, the medium M is prone to deformation when pressed against the adhesive layer 5a, making it difficult to align the positions of images on both sides when performing double-sided printing on soft fabrics, etc. However, by including an infrared imaging unit 30 that captures an image of the imaging target I provided on the first surface M1, the positions of images on both sides can be suitably aligned.

[0061] In the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the infrared imaging unit 30 is detachable. By making the infrared imaging unit 30 detachable, if the infrared imaging unit 30 is broken, it can be easily replaced, and if the infrared imaging unit 30 becomes dirty, it can be easily cleaned.

[0062] A printing method using the printing device 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6. In the printing method shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6, the printing device 1 of this embodiment is used to execute the following steps. In the printing method shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5, first, in the first image and imaging target printing step of step S110, the first head 101 ejects image forming ink to print the first image, and the second head 102 ejects imaging target forming ink to print the imaging target I. On the other hand, in the printing method shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6, first, in the first image printing step of step S120, the first head 101 ejects image forming ink to print the first image, and then the medium M is temporarily rewound in the direction opposite to the transport direction A, and in step S130, the second head 102 ejects imaging target forming ink to print the imaging target I. Step S110 in the flowchart of Fig. 5 and step S130 in the flowchart of Fig. 6 correspond to an imaging target printing process in which imaging target formation ink is ejected from the second head 102 to print the imaging target I. The imaging target I may be printed so as to be superimposed on the first image, or may be printed in a position different from that of the first image. There are no particular limitations on the size of the imaging target I, but it can be made less noticeable by making the length 100 µm or less.

[0063] The subsequent steps are common to the printing method represented by the flowchart in Fig. 5 and the printing method represented by the flowchart in Fig. 6. After step S110 or step S130 is completed, in a resetting step of step S140, the medium M is reset in the printing device 1 so that the surface of the medium M on which the first image and the imaging target I are formed is opposite to the side facing the first head 101 and the second head 102. Next, in an infrared imaging step of step S150, an image of the imaging target located on the first surface M1 is captured using infrared rays for the medium M transported by the transport belt 5. Next, in a correction step of step S160, at least one of the second image formed on the second surface M2 and the printing position of the second image is corrected based on the imaging data captured in the infrared imaging step of step S150. Next, in a second image printing step in step S170, a printing method is executed that includes a second image printing step, which is a second side printing step in which image forming ink is ejected from the first head 101 to print a second image on a second side M2 ​​of the medium M transported by the transport belt 5 based on the correction result in the correction step in step S160. By executing such a printing method, in cases such as double-sided printing on fabric, an image can be automatically and easily printed at a desired position based on the correction result in the correction step.

[0064] In the printing method shown in the flowchart of Fig. 5, in step S110, prior to the infrared imaging step of step S150, a first image and imaging target printing step is executed as a separate image printing step in which image forming ink is ejected from the first head 101 to print a first image, which is a separate image from the second image. On the other hand, in the printing method shown in the flowchart of Fig. 6, in step S120, prior to the infrared imaging step of step S150, a first image printing step is executed as a separate image printing step in which image forming ink is ejected from the first head 101 to print a first image, which is a separate image from the second image. By executing such a printing method, suitable double-sided printing consisting of a separate image in the separate image printing step and an image printed in the second surface printing step can be performed on a medium M such as a fabric.

[0065] As described above, in the printing method shown in the flowchart of Fig. 5, the separate image printing step is executed together with the imaging target printing step in step S110. By executing such a printing method, it is possible to reduce the printing time.

[0066] 6, the separate image printing step (step S120) is performed separately from the imaging target printing step (step S130). By performing such a printing method, the imaging target I can be formed at an accurate position relative to the separate image (first image), and the registration accuracy of double-sided printing can be improved.

[0067] 5 and 6, the printing method includes a resetting step (step S140) that corresponds to a flipping step of flipping and setting the medium M upside down after the separate image printing step (steps S110 and S120) and before the second side printing step (step S170). Therefore, the second image and the first image are printed on different sides of the medium M. By executing such a printing method, suitable double-sided printing can be performed.

[0068] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these modifications are also included in the scope of the present invention. As described above, the printing device 1 of this embodiment prints a first image on one side of the medium M using an image forming ink that easily absorbs visible light, such as a general color ink, and an imaging target I using an imaging target forming ink that easily absorbs infrared light but does not easily absorb visible light. Then, a second image, which is the same as the first image, for example, is printed on the other side of the medium M using an image forming ink that easily absorbs visible light, such as a general color ink, in accordance with the position of the first image. The present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the second image may be printed shifted from the position of the first image, or the second image may be printed differently from the first image. The imaging target I may be printed overlapping the first image, or the imaging target I may be printed at a position different from the first image.

[0069] Furthermore, using the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the imaging target I may be printed on one side of the medium M, the medium M may be turned over and set, and then a first image may be printed on the other side of the medium M, and then a second image may be printed on the side of the medium M on which the first image has been formed. For example, a three-dimensional printed matter may be obtained by printing the second image once or multiple times in a manner superimposed on the first image based on the position of the imaging target I. In addition, for example, a special printed matter may be obtained by the control unit 41 determining the position of the first image based on the position of the imaging target I, and using a special ink such as a metallic ink or an ink that reacts to black light at a desired position relative to the position of the first image. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1...printing device (conveying device), 2...feeding section, 3...driven roller, 4...driving roller, 5...conveying belt, 5a...adhesive layer, 6...pressurizing roller, 9...cleaning section, 10...cleaning roller, 11...blade, 14...storage tank, 16...absorption roller, 20...conveying section, 30...infrared imaging section, 31...light emitting section, 32...light receiving section, 40...driving section, 41...control section, 80...holding section, 100...carriage, 101...first head (printing section), 102...second head (printing section), I...imaging target, I1...grid line, I2...dot, I3...dot, Ia...dot, Ib...dot, M...medium (fabric), M1...first surface, M2...second surface, R...roll body

Claims

1. a conveyor belt having an adhesive layer for supporting a fabric as a medium, the conveyor belt conveying the fabric in a conveyance direction with a first surface of the fabric facing the adhesive layer; a printing unit that prints an image on a second surface of the fabric conveyed by the conveyor belt, the second surface being opposite to the first surface; an infrared imaging unit that images an imaging target provided on the first surface by using infrared rays on the fabric transported by the transport belt; Equipped with A printing device characterized in that the printing unit has a first head capable of ejecting image forming ink that forms the image, and a second head capable of ejecting imaging subject forming ink that forms the imaging subject.

2. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, A printing device characterized in that the object to be imaged is at least one of a plurality of dots arranged in the transport direction and an intersecting direction intersecting the transport direction, and a grid line composed of a plurality of lines extending in the transport direction and the intersecting direction.

3. 3. The printing device according to claim 2, the dots and the grid lines can be formed as the imaging target by ejecting the imaging target forming ink from the second head, A printing device that is configured to be able to select whether to form the dots or the grid lines as the imaging target.

4. 3. The printing device according to claim 2, The dots can be formed as the imaging target by ejecting the imaging target forming ink from the second head, The printing apparatus is characterized in that the dots have different shapes or sizes in at least one of the transport direction and the intersecting direction.

5. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, a correction unit that corrects at least one of the image and a printing position of the image based on imaging data captured by the infrared imaging unit.

6. 6. The printing device according to claim 1, A printing device, characterized in that the ink for forming the imaging subject has a lower infrared transmittance than the ink for forming the image.

7. a conveyor belt having an adhesive layer for supporting a fabric as a medium, the conveyor belt conveying the fabric in a conveyance direction with a first surface of the fabric facing the adhesive layer; a printing unit that prints an image on a second surface of the fabric conveyed by the conveyor belt, the second surface being opposite to the first surface; Equipped with The printing unit has a first head capable of ejecting an image forming ink for forming the image, and a second head capable of ejecting an imaging target forming ink for forming an imaging target. A printing method for a printing device, comprising: an imaging object printing step of ejecting the imaging object forming ink from the second head to print the imaging object; an infrared imaging step of imaging the imaging target located on the first surface by using infrared rays on the fabric transported by the transport belt; a correction step of correcting at least one of the image and a print position of the image based on imaging data captured in the infrared imaging step; a second surface printing step of ejecting the image forming ink from the first head onto the fabric transported by the transport belt based on a correction result in the correction step, to print the image on the second surface of the fabric; A printing method comprising the steps of:

8. 8. The printing method according to claim 7, a printing method comprising: prior to the infrared imaging step, executing a separate image printing step of ejecting the image forming ink from the first head to print an image separate from the image;

9. 9. The printing method according to claim 8, A printing method comprising: a separate image printing step being executed together with the imaging target printing step.

10. 9. The printing method according to claim 8, A printing method comprising: a separate image printing step being performed separately from the imaging target printing step.

11. 9. The printing method according to claim 8, A printing method characterized in that after the separate image printing step is performed and before the second side printing step is performed, a flipping step of flipping the fabric and setting it inside out is performed, and the image and the separate image are printed on different sides of the fabric.

Images