Dryer

Abstract

To enable the application of suitable tension to a medium in a drying furnace.SOLUTION: A dryer 10 comprises a heating unit 15 heating a medium M, a drying furnace 14 with a heating unit 15 disposed therein to dry the medium M, and conveying units 11, 12 and 13 conveying the medium M in the drying furnace 14, in which the conveying units 11, 12 and 13 comprise a first support unit 11 supporting the medium M at an inlet-side end 14b of the drying furnace 14 in a conveying direction A of the medium M, a second support unit supporting the medium M at an outlet-side end 14c of the drying furnace 14 in the conveying direction A of the medium M, and a third support unit 13 supporting the medium M at a position between the first support unit 11 and the second support unit 12 in the conveying path of the medium M in the drying furnace 14, and the third support unit 13 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dryer. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various dryers for drying media have been used. Among them, there is a dryer capable of drying a medium transported by a transport section. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a heating and drying device that includes movable rollers as a transport section at the inlet end and the outlet end in the transport direction of the medium, and the arrangement of these movable rollers can be changed in the vertical direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-242044 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By applying an appropriate tension to the medium transported by the transport section, for example, the distance from the medium to the heating section can be precisely set, and drying efficiency can be improved. Here, in the heat drying device of Patent Document 1, the movable roller at the inlet end and the movable roller at the outlet end can be moved up and down, but the configuration is not capable of applying an appropriate tension to the medium. Thus, in conventional dryers capable of drying the medium transported by the transport section, there are cases where an appropriate tension cannot be applied to the medium in the drying oven. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The dryer of the present invention for solving the above problems comprises a heating section for heating a medium, a drying oven in which the heating section is arranged and which dries the medium, and a transport section for transporting the medium in the drying oven, wherein the transport section has a first support section for supporting the medium at an entrance end of the drying oven in the transport direction of the medium, a second support section for supporting the medium at an exit end of the drying oven in the transport direction of the medium, and a third support section for supporting the medium at a position between the first support section and the second support section in the transport path of the medium in the drying oven, and the third support section is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view illustrating an example of a printing system including an inkjet printing apparatus and a dryer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view illustrating the dryer of the first embodiment, showing a state in which the third support roller is in a first position and a medium is being set in the drying furnace. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the dryer of the first embodiment, showing a state in which the third support roller is in the second position and the media has been set in the drying furnace. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view illustrating the dryer of the first embodiment, showing a state in which the third support roller is moved to a third position. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view illustrating the dryer of Example 1, showing a state in which the third support roller is in a third position and the heating section is displaced from the state shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a transition diagram when setting a medium in the dryer of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a transition diagram of a chuck part in the dryer of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a schematic side view illustrating the dryer of Example 2, showing a state in which the third support roller is in a first position and a medium is being set in the drying furnace. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a transition diagram when setting a medium in the dryer of the second embodiment. [Figure 10]FIG. 11 is a transition diagram of a chuck part in the dryer of the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a transition diagram when setting a medium in the dryer of the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a transition diagram when setting a medium in the dryer of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a chuck portion in the dryer of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a side view of a chuck portion in the dryer of Example 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] First, the present invention will be briefly described. In order to solve the above problem, a dryer of a first aspect of the present invention comprises a heating section that heats a medium, a drying oven in which the heating section is arranged and which dries the medium, and a transport section that transports the medium in the drying oven, wherein the transport section has a first support section that supports the medium at an entrance end of the drying oven in the transport direction of the medium, a second support section that supports the medium at an exit end of the drying oven in the transport direction, and a third support section that supports the medium at a position between the first support section and the second support section in the transport path of the medium in the drying oven, and the third support section is configured to be movable in the vertical direction.

[0008] According to this aspect, the conveying section has a first support section that supports the medium at the inlet end, a second support section that supports the medium at the outlet end, and a third support section that supports the medium at a position between the first support section and the second support section in the medium conveying path of the drying oven, and the third support section is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. Therefore, by changing the position of the third support section relative to the first support section and the second support section, it is possible to apply an appropriate tension to the medium in the drying oven. Furthermore, since the medium can be set in the drying oven with the third support section spaced apart from the heating section, the setting of the medium in the drying oven can be improved.

[0009] A second aspect of the dryer of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, and is characterized in that it includes a reflector disposed opposite the heating section and reflecting heat generated by the heating section, and the reflector is configured to be capable of supporting the medium.

[0010] According to this aspect, a reflector is provided that is disposed opposite the heating unit and reflects the heat generated by the heating unit, and the reflector is configured to be able to support the medium. In other words, the reflector also serves as a medium support unit. This improves the drying efficiency and makes it possible to particularly favorably support the medium in the drying oven.

[0011] A third aspect of the dryer of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the second aspect, and is characterized in that the dryer comprises, as the reflecting plates, a first reflecting plate arranged at a position between the first support part and the third support part, and a second reflecting plate arranged at a position between the third support part and the second support part, and at least one of the first reflecting plate and the second reflecting plate is configured to be displaceable depending on the position of the third support part.

[0012] According to this aspect, the reflector includes a first reflector disposed between the first support and the third support, and a second reflector disposed between the third support and the second support, and at least one of the first reflector and the second reflector is configured to be displaceable according to the position of the third support. With this configuration, the drying efficiency can be particularly favorably improved and the medium can be particularly favorably supported in the drying oven.

[0013] A fourth aspect of the dryer of the present invention is an aspect dependent on any one of the first to third aspects, and is characterized in that it includes a medium movement assistance unit that assists in moving the medium from the inlet side in the conveying direction to the outlet side in the conveying direction within the drying furnace.

[0014] According to this aspect, the drying oven includes a medium movement assisting unit that assists in moving the medium from the entrance side in the transport direction to the exit side in the transport direction within the drying oven. Therefore, when the medium is set in the drying oven, the medium can be easily moved from the entrance side in the transport direction to the exit side in the transport direction within the drying oven.

[0015] A fifth aspect of the dryer of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the third aspect, and comprises a first medium movement assistant unit that assists in moving the medium from the first support unit side toward the third support unit side along the first reflector within the drying oven, and a second medium movement assistant unit that assists in moving the medium from the third support unit side toward the second support unit side along the second reflector within the drying oven, and is characterized in that the first medium movement assistant unit and the second medium movement assistant unit are configured to be able to transfer the medium at a position between the first reflector and the second reflector.

[0016] According to this aspect, the drying oven includes a first medium movement assisting part that assists in moving the medium from the first support part side to the third support part side along the first reflecting plate in the drying oven, and a second medium movement assisting part that assists in moving the medium from the third support part side to the second support part side along the second reflecting plate in the drying oven, and the first medium movement assisting part and the second medium movement assisting part are configured to be able to deliver the medium at a position between the first reflecting plate and the second reflecting plate. Therefore, when the medium is set in the drying oven, the medium can be easily moved from the entrance side in the conveying direction to the exit side in the conveying direction in the drying oven.

[0017] A sixth aspect of the dryer of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the third aspect, and is characterized in that it comprises a medium movement assisting unit that assists in moving the medium within the drying oven from the entrance side in the conveying direction to the exit side in the conveying direction, the first reflecting plate can be positioned downward as it moves from the first support part side to the third support part side, the second reflecting plate can be positioned downward as it moves from the third support part side to the second support part side, and the medium movement assisting unit is capable of using gravity to move the medium from the entrance side in the conveying direction to the exit side in the conveying direction while holding the medium.

[0018] According to this aspect, the medium movement assisting unit can use gravity to move the medium while holding it from the entrance side in the transport direction to the exit side in the transport direction. Therefore, when the medium is set in the drying oven, gravity can be used to particularly easily move the medium from the entrance side in the transport direction to the exit side in the transport direction within the drying oven.

[0019] A seventh aspect of the dryer of the present invention, in an aspect dependent on any one of the first to third aspects, is characterized in that it comprises a heating unit displacement unit that displaces at least one of the position and posture of the heating unit, and the heating unit displacement unit displaces the heating unit based on the position of the third support unit.

[0020] According to this aspect, a heating unit displacement unit that displaces at least one of the position and posture of the heating unit is provided, and the heating unit displacement unit displaces the heating unit based on the position of the third support unit. Therefore, the heating unit can be prevented from getting in the way when setting the medium in the drying furnace, and the heating unit can be brought close to the medium when drying the medium.

[0021] The dryer of an eighth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on any one of the first to third aspects, characterized in that the drying furnace is provided with an exhaust port, and the heating section includes a first heating section located upstream of the exhaust port in the conveying direction, and a second heating section located downstream of the exhaust port in the conveying direction.

[0022] According to this aspect, since the drying oven is provided with an exhaust port, the steam in the drying oven can be discharged by ventilating the inside of the drying oven, and the drying efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, by providing the heating section both upstream and downstream of the exhaust port in the conveying direction, the drying efficiency can be particularly improved.

[0023] A ninth aspect of the dryer of the present invention, in an aspect dependent on any one of the first to third aspects, is characterized in that it comprises a third support part position adjustment unit that adjusts the position of the third support part in the vertical direction, and the third support part position adjustment unit adjusts the position of the third support part in the vertical direction depending on the type of medium.

[0024] According to this aspect, the third support position adjustment unit adjusts the position of the third support unit in the vertical direction depending on the type of medium. Since some media are weak to heat, the appropriate distance from the heating unit when drying the medium varies depending on the type of medium, but this distance can be optimized.

[0025] A dryer of a 10th aspect of the present invention, in an aspect dependent on any one of the first to third aspects, is characterized in that it comprises a third support part position adjustment unit that adjusts the position of the third support part in the vertical direction, and the third support part position adjustment unit adjusts the position of the third support part in the vertical direction depending on the transport state of the medium.

[0026] According to this aspect, the third support part position adjustment part adjusts the position of the third support part in the vertical direction according to the transport state of the medium. Even if heated at the same temperature, depending on the type of medium, the medium may expand and contract, resulting in a different transport state. Therefore, the appropriate distance from the heating part when drying the medium varies depending on the transport state of the medium, but this distance can be optimized.

[0027] An eleventh aspect of the dryer of the present invention is an aspect dependent on any one of the first to third aspects, and is characterized in that the drying furnace is provided with a window portion through which the third support portion can be visually observed from the outside.

[0028] According to this aspect, the drying furnace is provided with a window through which the third support part can be seen from the outside, so that an operator can visually check the position of the third support part through the window part.

[0029] A twelfth aspect of the dryer of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the tenth aspect, and is characterized in that the third support part position adjustment part adjusts so that when the medium is not being transported, at least a portion of the third support part is positioned farther from the heating part than when the medium is being transported.

[0030] According to this aspect, the third support position adjustment unit adjusts the third support so that at least a portion of the third support is located farther from the heating unit when the medium is not being transported than when the medium is being transported. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the medium caused by heating the medium when it is not being transported and therefore does not need to be heated.

[0031] [Example 1] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, an outline of a printing system including an inkjet printing apparatus 1 as an example and a dryer 10A of Example 1, which is an example of the dryer 10 of the present invention, will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Note that, in Fig. 1, the dryer 10A of this example is shown as being used in a printing system together with the inkjet printing apparatus 1, but it may be used as a printing system together with a printing apparatus other than the inkjet printing apparatus, or it may be used alone, separate from the printing apparatus.

[0032] 1, an inkjet printing device 1 used in the printing system of this embodiment includes a holding unit 2 capable of rotatably holding a roll R of medium M, such as fabric, wound in a roll. The holding unit 2 holds the roll R which is passed through a paper tube that constitutes the rotation axis of the roll R. The holding unit 2 is capable of rotating in a rotation direction C to unwind the medium M from the roll R onto a conveyor belt 5.

[0033] The inkjet printing device 1 of this embodiment includes a driven roller 3 located upstream in the transport direction A, a drive roller 4 located downstream in the transport direction A, and a transport belt 5 which is an endless belt stretched between the driven roller 3 and the drive roller 4. Here, the transport belt 5 is an adhesive belt having an outer peripheral surface 5a in which an adhesive is applied to the support surface for the medium M which is the outer surface.

[0034] 1, with the medium M affixed to the outer peripheral surface 5a, the medium M is supported by and transported on the transport belt 5. In the inkjet 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 drive roller 4. The drive roller 4 is a roller that rotates in a rotation direction C by the driving force of a motor (not shown), 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 drive roller 4.

[0035] The inkjet printing device 1 of this embodiment also includes a carriage 6 capable of reciprocating in the width direction B of the transport belt 5, and a head 7 attached to the carriage 6. The head 7 is a printing unit capable of forming an image by ejecting liquid ink onto a medium M transported in a transport direction A based on print data.

[0036] The inkjet printing device 1 of this embodiment is capable of forming an image by ejecting ink from the head 7 onto the transported medium M while moving the carriage 6 back and forth in a width direction B intersecting the transport direction A. By being equipped with a carriage 6 configured in this manner, the inkjet printing device 1 of this embodiment is capable of forming a desired image on the medium M by repeating the process of transporting the medium M in the transport direction A by a predetermined transport amount and ejecting ink while moving the carriage 6 in the width direction B with the medium M stopped.

[0037] When the medium M on which an image has been formed by ejecting ink from the head 7 is discharged from the inkjet printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, it is sent to the dryer 10A of this embodiment, which is provided after the inkjet printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment and volatilizes the components of the ink ejected onto the medium M. In this manner, the dryer 10A of this embodiment constitutes a printing system together with the inkjet printing apparatus 1. However, to reiterate, the dryer 10 of this embodiment may be used separately from the inkjet printing apparatus 1.

[0038] Here, a printable material can be preferably used as the medium M. The printable material refers to fabrics, 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, plain paper, fine paper, and paper dedicated to inkjet recording such as glossy paper can also be used.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 1, the dryer 10A of this embodiment includes a heating section 15 for heating the medium M, a drying furnace 14 in which the heating section 15 is arranged and in which the medium M is dried, and a first support roller 11, a second support roller 12, and a third support roller 13 as a transport section for transporting the medium M in the drying furnace 14. Note that the heating section 15 of this embodiment is configured with a plurality of infrared ray irradiating sections arranged in a plane, but the heating section 15 is not limited to such a configuration. The first support roller 11 supports the medium M at the entrance side end 14b of the drying furnace 14 in the transport direction A as the first support section. The second support roller 12 supports the medium M at the exit side end 14c of the drying furnace 14 in the transport direction A as the second support section. The third support roller 13 is configured to be able to support the medium M at a position between the first support roller 11 and the second support roller 12 in the transport path of the medium M in the drying furnace 14 as the third support section.

[0040] The dryer 10A of this embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to Fig. 1 as well as Fig. 2 to Fig. 5. The third support roller 13 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. Specifically, the third support roller 13 is configured to be movable between a first position P1, which is a position lower than the first support roller 11 and the second support roller 12 in the vertical direction as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and a second position P2, which is a position higher than the first support roller 11 and the second support roller 12 in the vertical direction as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The third support roller 13 can be disposed at the second position P2 by moving it from the first position P1 in the direction D.

[0041] As described above, the dryer 10A of the present embodiment has, as a transport section, a first support roller 11 that supports the medium M at the inlet end 14b, a second support roller 12 that supports the medium M at the outlet end 14c, and a third support roller 13 that supports the medium M at a position between the first support roller 11 and the second support roller 12 in the transport path of the medium M in the drying furnace 14 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. By displacing the third support roller 13 from the state shown in Fig. 3 to the state shown in Fig. 4, tension can be applied to the medium M. That is, the dryer 10A of the present embodiment can apply an appropriate tension to the medium M in the drying furnace 14 by changing the position of the third support roller 13 relative to the first support roller 11 and the second support roller 12.

[0042] The dryer 10A of this embodiment can also transport the medium M with the third support roller 13 at the third position P3, which is indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 3. By transporting the medium M with the third support roller 13 at the third position P3, the medium M can be transported without any problems even when a medium M that easily stretches when tension is applied is used.

[0043] Furthermore, in the dryer 10A of this embodiment, when setting the medium M, the third support roller 13 is disposed in the state shown in FIG. 2 and the medium M can be moved until the leading end Ma of the medium M is near the center of the drying furnace 14. That is, the medium M can be set in the drying furnace 14 with the third support roller 13 spaced apart from the heating unit 15. Therefore, the dryer 10A of this embodiment can improve the setting property of the medium M in the drying furnace 14.

[0044] 1 to 5, the dryer 10A of this embodiment is disposed at a position facing the heating unit 15 and includes a reflecting plate 21 that reflects heat generated by the heating unit 15. The reflecting plate 21 is configured to be able to support the medium M. That is, the dryer 10A of this embodiment includes the reflecting plate 21 that also serves as a medium support unit. Therefore, the dryer 10A of this embodiment has improved drying efficiency and can particularly suitably support the medium M in the drying furnace 14.

[0045] 2 to 5, the dryer 10A of this embodiment includes, as the reflector 21, a first reflector 21A disposed between the first support roller 11 and the third support roller 13, and a second reflector 21B disposed between the third support roller 13 and the second support roller 12. As shown in Figs. 2 to 5, the first reflector 21A is configured to be displaceable according to the position of the third support roller 13. On the other hand, the second reflector 21B is configured to be hooked onto the first reflector 21A, and is configured to be displaceable according to the position of the first reflector 21A.

[0046] In this way, by configuring at least one of the first reflecting plate 21A and the second reflecting plate 21B to be displaceable according to the position of the third support roller 13, it is possible to suitably set the heating unit 15 and the support position of the medium M, and it is possible to particularly suitably improve the drying efficiency and particularly suitably support the medium M in the drying furnace 14. In particular, by configuring the first reflecting plate 21A to be displaceable according to the position of the third support roller 13, it is possible to improve the setting property when setting the medium M in the drying furnace 14.

[0047] 1 to 5, the dryer 10 of this embodiment includes a control unit 17 having a CPU, a storage unit, etc., a third support roller position adjustment unit 18 that adjusts the position of the third support roller 13 in the vertical direction under the control of the control unit 17, and a heating unit displacement unit 19 that displaces at least one of the position and posture of the heating unit 15. When the third support roller 13 is at the first position P1 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the heating unit 15 is located at an upward position. However, when the third support roller 13 moves to the second position P2 as shown in Fig. 4, the position of the heating unit 15 can be moved downward along the direction F accordingly as shown in Fig. 5.

[0048] 2 to 5, the heating unit displacement unit 19 can displace the heating unit 15 based on the position of the third support roller 13. Therefore, the dryer 10 of this embodiment can prevent the heating unit 15 from getting in the way when the medium M is set in the drying furnace 14, and can move the heating unit 15 close to the medium M when drying the medium M.

[0049] Specifically, the dryer 10A of this embodiment moves the third support roller 13 in a direction D from a state in which the third support roller 13 is positioned at a first position P1 shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 to a state in which the third support roller 13 is positioned at a second position P2 shown in Fig. 4 under the control of the control unit 17. Thereafter, the heating unit 15 is moved generally linearly in a direction F from the state shown in Fig. 4 to the state shown in Fig. 5. However, the method of displacing the heating unit 15 is not limited to moving the heating unit 15 generally linearly, and at least one of the position and attitude may be displaced by a method other than moving the heating unit 15 generally linearly, such as rotating the heating unit 15 to position it horizontally.

[0050] Furthermore, in the dryer 10A of this embodiment, when the medium M is not being transported, such as when the power is off, the heating unit 15 can be positioned above, the third support roller 13 can be disposed at the first position P1, and the reflector 21 can be positioned below, thereby increasing the distance between the medium M and the heating unit 15. In this way, when the medium M is not being transported, it is possible to prevent the medium M from being damaged by applying unnecessary heat to the medium M.

[0051] From another perspective, in dryer 10A of this embodiment, third support roller position adjustment unit 18 serving as a third support unit position adjustment unit can adjust so that when medium M is not being transported, at least a portion of third support roller 13 is positioned farther away from heating unit 15 than when medium M is being transported. For this reason, dryer 10A of this embodiment can prevent damage to medium M caused by heating medium M when medium M is not being transported, which is a state in which heating is not required.

[0052] 1 to 5, the dryer 10 of this embodiment includes an exhaust port 14a in the drying furnace 14. In addition, as shown in Fig. 2 to 5, the heating section 15 includes a first heating section 15A located upstream of the exhaust port 14a in the conveying direction A, and a second heating section 15B located downstream of the exhaust port 14a in the conveying direction A.

[0053] In this way, the dryer 10 of this embodiment has the exhaust port 14a in the drying furnace 14, and therefore, by ventilating the inside of the drying furnace 14, the steam in the drying furnace 14 can be discharged, and the drying efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, the dryer 10 of this embodiment has the heating section 15 both upstream and downstream of the exhaust port 14a in the conveying direction, and therefore, the drying efficiency can be particularly improved. In particular, by configuring the first heating section 15A and the second heating section 15B to be located higher as they approach the exhaust port 14a, and by configuring the first reflecting plate 21A and the second reflecting plate 21B to be located higher as they approach the exhaust port 14a, the chimney effect allows the steam to be discharged particularly efficiently, and the drying efficiency can be particularly improved.

[0054] 1 to 5, the dryer 10 of this embodiment is connected to a duct equipped with an exhaust fan 16 at the exhaust port 14a. Therefore, the dryer 10 is configured to be able to particularly improve the drying efficiency, but is not limited to such a configuration.

[0055] As described above, the dryer 10 of this embodiment includes the third support roller position adjustment unit 18 that adjusts the vertical position of the third support roller 13. Under the control of the control unit 17, the third support roller position adjustment unit 18 can adjust the position of the third support roller 13 in the vertical direction depending on the type of medium M used.

[0056] Some media M are sensitive to heat, and so the appropriate distance from the heating unit 15 when drying the medium M varies depending on the type of medium M, but the distance can be optimized by configuring the dryer 10 of this embodiment. The medium M to be used may be configured so that it can be input to the dryer 10 from a PC (not shown) or may be configured so that an operation panel or the like is provided on the dryer 10 and input can be made from the operation panel.

[0057] In the dryer 10 of this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 2 to 5, the third support roller 13 is provided with a sensor S capable of measuring the stress of the medium M. The third support roller position adjustment unit 18 can adjust the position of the third support roller 13 in the vertical direction according to the stress of the medium M, which is an example of the transport state of the medium M, under the control of the control unit 17. In other words, the second position P2 of the third support roller 13 in the up-down direction in the vertical direction can be automatically fine-tuned according to the stress of the medium M under the control of the control unit 17. Depending on the type of medium M, etc., the medium M may have a different transport state due to expansion and contraction, etc., even when heated at the same temperature. Therefore, the appropriate distance from the heating unit 15 when drying the medium M varies depending on the transport state of the medium M, but this configuration can optimize the distance.

[0058] In this embodiment, the transport state of the medium M is detected by a sensor S capable of measuring the stress of the medium M, but there is no particular limitation to the transport state of the medium M. As a device for measuring the transport state of the medium M, it is possible to use a device that captures an image of the medium M, a device that measures the amount of steam to detect the dryness state of the medium M, a device that measures the transport sound of the medium M, or the like. Furthermore, a configuration may be used in which the amount of ink ejected onto the medium M is calculated from the print data, and the transport state of the medium M is determined based on that amount of ink.

[0059] 1 to 5, the drying oven 14 of the dryer 10A of this embodiment is provided with a window 14d through which the third support roller 13 can be visually observed from the outside. Therefore, an operator can visually check the position of the third support roller 13 through the window 14d.

[0060] Next, the transition when setting the medium M in the dryer 10A of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the dryer 10A of this embodiment includes a chuck unit 30 that can clamp the medium M and move along the reflector 21. The chuck unit 30 includes a base unit 312 that can move in the conveying direction A and the direction opposite to the conveying direction A along a rail unit 313 that is aligned with the reflector 21, and a movable unit 311 that can move in the vertical direction relative to the base unit 312.

[0061] In detail, the chuck section 30 includes a first chuck section 30A including a first base section 312A movable along a first rail section 313A along the first reflector 21A, and a first movable section 311A ​​movable relative to the first base section 312A. The chuck section 30 also includes a second chuck section 30B including a second base section 312B movable along the first rail section 313A along the second reflector 21B, and a second movable section 311B movable relative to the second base section 312B.

[0062] When the medium M is set in the dryer 10A of this embodiment, first, as shown in the state diagram in the upper part of FIG. 6, the medium M is sandwiched between the first base part 312A and the first movable part 311A ​​of the first chuck part 30A and moved along the conveying direction A from the first support roller 11 side to the third support roller 13 side. Next, as shown in the state diagram in the middle part of FIG. 6, the medium M is sandwiched between the first base part 312A and the first movable part 311A ​​of the first chuck part 30A in the vicinity of the third support roller 13, and is then sandwiched between the second base part 312B and the second movable part 311B of the second chuck part 30B. This operation is performed by an operator, and the medium M is sandwiched between the first chuck part 30A as shown in the state diagram in the upper part of FIG. 7, and is then sandwiched between the second chuck part 30B as shown in the state diagram in the middle of FIG. 7. The first base portion 312A of the first chuck portion 30A and the second base portion 312B of the second chuck portion 30B are provided with uneven portions in which projections and recesses are formed in the directions in which they face each other so as to mesh with each other.

[0063] As shown in the upper state diagram of Fig. 7, the medium M is sandwiched between the first base portion 312A and the first movable portion 311A ​​of the first chuck portion 30A, and then as shown in the interrupted state diagram of Fig. 7, the medium M is sandwiched between the second base portion 312B and the second movable portion 311B of the second chuck portion 30B. As shown in the lower state diagram of Fig. 6, the first chuck portion 30A is moved in the direction opposite to the transport direction A to the vicinity of the first support roller 11, and the second chuck portion 30B with the medium M sandwiched therebetween is moved in the transport direction A to the vicinity of the second support roller 12. Thereafter, as shown in the lower state diagram of Fig. 7, the second movable portion 311B is pulled upward relative to the second base portion 312B, and the medium M is removed from the second chuck portion 30B.

[0064] As described above, the dryer 10A of this embodiment includes the chuck unit 30 as a medium movement assisting unit that assists in moving the medium M from the entrance side in the conveying direction A to the exit side in the conveying direction A within the drying furnace 14. Therefore, when the medium M is set in the drying furnace 14, the dryer 10A of this embodiment can easily move the medium M from the entrance side in the conveying direction A to the exit side in the conveying direction A within the drying furnace 14.

[0065] In detail, the dryer 10A of this embodiment includes a first chuck portion 30A as a first medium movement assistant portion that assists in moving the medium M from the first support roller 11 side toward the third support roller 13 side along the first reflector 21A in the drying furnace 14, and a second chuck portion 30B as a second medium movement assistant portion that assists in moving the medium M from the third support roller 13 side toward the second support roller 12 side along the second reflector 21B in the drying furnace 14. The first chuck portion 30A and the second chuck portion 30B are configured to be able to transfer the medium M at a position between the first reflector 21A and the second reflector 21B. Therefore, when the medium M is set in the drying furnace 14, the dryer 10A of this embodiment can easily move the medium M from the entrance side in the conveying direction A to the exit side in the conveying direction A in the drying furnace 14.

[0066] [Example 2] Next, the dryer 10B of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 10. Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 of the dryer 10A of the first embodiment, and Fig. 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6 of the dryer 10A of the first embodiment. In Figs. 8 to 10, components common to the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description will be omitted. Here, the dryer 10B of this embodiment has the same configuration as the dryer 10A of the first embodiment, except for the parts described below. Therefore, the dryer 10B of this embodiment has the same characteristics as the dryer 10A of the first embodiment, except for the parts described below.

[0067] 8, the dryer 10B of this embodiment is configured such that the first reflecting plate 21A and the second reflecting plate 21B are displaceable in the up-down direction in synchronization with each other. The dryer 10B of this embodiment includes only one chuck unit 30, which is a chuck unit 30C and is movable from the first support roller 11 side to the third support roller 13 side along the transport direction A and from the third support roller 13 side to the second support roller 12 side along the transport direction A.

[0068] When the medium M is set in the dryer 10B of this embodiment, first, as shown in the state diagram in the upper part of FIG. 9, the medium M is sandwiched between the base part 312 and the movable part 311 of the chuck part 30C and moved from the first support roller 11 side to the third support roller 13 side along the transport direction A. At this time, the weight of the chuck part 30C can be used to automatically move the medium M along the transport direction A. Next, as shown in the state diagram in the middle part of FIG. 9, in the vicinity of the third support roller 13, the chuck part 30C changes from a state supported only by the first rail part 313A to a state supported by both the first rail part 313A and the second rail part 313B.

[0069] 10, a bridging portion 314 is provided on a base portion 312 of the chuck portion 30C. The bridging portion 314 is provided with an inclined surface portion 317 that can come into contact with the second rail portion 313B, and a pin 315 that is provided so that the bridging portion 314 engages with the first rail portion 313A even when the inclined surface portion 317 comes into contact with the second rail portion 313B. With this configuration, the chuck portion 30C automatically comes into engagement with both the first rail portion 313A and the second rail portion 313B in the vicinity of the third support roller 13.

[0070] After the chuck portion 30C is supported by both the first rail portion 313A and the second rail portion 313B, the third support roller 13 is moved upward, so that the chuck portion 30C is supported only by the second rail portion 313B, as shown in the state diagram in the lower part of FIG. 10. Note that the second rail portion 313B is formed with a reverse slip prevention pin 316, which can prevent the chuck portion 30C from slipping in the opposite direction to the transport direction A when the second rail portion 313B is displaced. Here, by displacing the second reflector 21B together with the second rail portion 313B so as to change from the state diagram in the middle part of FIG. 9 to the state diagram in the lower part of FIG. 9, the weight of the chuck portion 30C can be used to automatically move the medium M along the transport direction A.

[0071] That is, in the dryer 10B of this embodiment, the first reflector 21A can be disposed downward from the first support roller 11 side toward the third support roller 13 side, and the second reflector 21B can be disposed downward from the third support roller 13 side toward the second support roller 12 side. The chuck portion 30C can move the medium M from the entrance side in the conveying direction A to the exit side in the conveying direction A by utilizing gravity associated with the mass of the chuck portion 30C while holding the medium M. Therefore, when the medium M is set in the drying furnace 14, the dryer 10B of this embodiment can particularly easily move the medium M from the entrance side in the conveying direction A to the exit side in the conveying direction A in the drying furnace 14 by utilizing gravity.

[0072] [Example 3] Next, the dryer 10C of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 corresponds to FIG. 6 showing the dryer 10A of the first embodiment. In FIG. 11, components common to the first and second embodiments are indicated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The dryer 10C of the present embodiment has the same configuration as the dryer 10 of the first and second embodiments, except for the portions described below. Therefore, the dryer 10C of the present embodiment has the same characteristics as the dryer 10 of the first and second embodiments, except for the portions described below.

[0073] 11, like the dryer 10B of Example 2, the dryer 10C of this embodiment includes only one chuck portion 30 as a chuck portion 30D, which is movable from the first support roller 11 side to the third support roller 13 side and also movable from the third support roller 13 side to the second support roller 12 side along the transport direction A. The dryer 10C also includes a chuck portion support moving portion 318 that is movable along the rail portion 313 while holding the chuck portion 30D on both the first rail portion 313A and the second rail portion 313B.

[0074] As shown in the top state diagram of FIG. 11, the dryer 10C of this embodiment can move the first chuck support moving part 318A along with the chuck 30D sandwiching the medium M from the first support roller 11 side to the third support roller 13 side along the conveying direction A while supporting the chuck 30D sandwiching the medium M on the first chuck support moving part 318A provided on the first rail part 313A. Then, as shown in the second state diagram from the top of FIG. 11, the second reflector 21B is displaced to align the first rail part 313A and the second rail part 313B in the horizontal direction, and the chuck 30D can be transferred from the first chuck support moving part 318A to the second chuck support moving part 318B. Then, as shown in the third state diagram from the top of FIG. 11, the chuck 30D sandwiching the medium M can be moved along the conveying direction A together with the second chuck support moving part 318B. Then, thereafter, as shown in the state diagram at the bottom of FIG. 11, the first reflecting plate 21A and the second reflecting plate 21B can be displaced to apply an appropriate tension to the medium M.

[0075] [Example 4] Next, the dryer 10D of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 12 to 14. Fig. 12 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6 of the dryer 10A of the first embodiment. In Figs. 12 to 14, components common to the first to third embodiments are indicated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description will be omitted. Here, the dryer 10D of this embodiment has the same configuration as the dryer 10 of the first to third embodiments, except for the portions described below. Therefore, the dryer 10D of this embodiment has the same characteristics as the dryer 10 of the first to third embodiments, except for the portions described below.

[0076] As shown in Fig. 12, the dryer 10D of this embodiment differs in the arrangement of the displacement direction of the first reflecting plate 21A and the second reflecting plate 21B, but like the dryer 10C of the third embodiment, the chuck portion 30 (chuck portion 30E) can be transferred from the first chuck portion support moving portion 318A to the second chuck portion support moving portion 318B. Here, a connecting portion 32 is provided at the connecting portion of the first reflecting plate 21A and the second reflecting plate 21B. The connecting portion 32 is provided on the second rail portion 313B, and as shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the connecting portion 32 is provided with a magnet 321 that is attracted by a magnetic force to the base portion 312, which is a metal, and a hook 322 that can be fixed to the base portion 312.

[0077] Hook 322 rotates about rotation axis 323 and is displaceable between a fixed position where hook 322 can be fixed to base 312 and an open position where hook 322 is not fixed to base 312. Note that, in this embodiment, second rail portion 313B is configured to be attached to base 312 by magnet 321, but double-sided tape or the like can be used instead of magnet 321.

[0078] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims, and needless to say, these modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1...printing device, 2...holding section, 3...driven roller, 4...driving roller, 5...conveyor belt, 5a...outer periphery, 6...carriage, 7...head, 10...dryer, 11...first support roller (conveyor section, first support section), 12...second support roller (conveyor section, second support section), 13...third support roller (conveyor section, third support section), 14...drying furnace, 14a...exhaust port, 14b...entrance side end, 14c...exit side end, 14d...window section, 15...heating section, 15A...first heating section, 15B...second heating section, 16...exhaust fan, 17...control section, 18...third support roller position adjustment section (third support section position adjustment section), 19...heating section displacement section, 21...reflector, 21A...first reflector, 21B...second reflector, 30...chuck section (medium movement assist section) ), 30A...first chuck portion (first medium movement auxiliary portion), 30B...second chuck portion (second medium movement auxiliary portion), 32...connection portion, 311...movable portion, 311A...first movable portion, 311B...second movable portion, 312...base portion, 312A...first base portion, 312B...second base portion, 313...rail portion, 313A...first rail portion, 313B...second rail portion, 314...bridge portion, 315...pin, 316...anti-reverse slip pin, 317...slope portion, 318...chuck portion support moving portion, 318A...first chuck portion support moving portion, 318B...second chuck portion support moving portion, 321...magnet, 322...hook, 323...rotating shaft, M...medium, Ma...tip, P1...first position, P2...second position, P3...third position, R...roll body, S...sensor

Claims

1. A heating unit that heats the medium; a drying oven in which the heating unit is disposed and which dries the medium; a conveying unit that conveys the medium in the drying oven; Equipped with the transport unit has a first support portion that supports the medium at an inlet end portion of the drying oven in the transport direction of the medium, a second support portion that supports the medium at an outlet end portion of the drying oven in the transport direction, and a third support portion that supports the medium at a position between the first support portion and the second support portion in a transport path of the medium in the drying oven, The dryer, wherein the third support portion is configured to be movable in a vertical direction.

2. The dryer according to claim 1, A reflector is provided at a position opposite to the heating unit to reflect heat generated by the heating unit, The dryer, wherein the reflecting plate is configured to be capable of supporting the medium.

3. The dryer according to claim 2, The reflector includes a first reflector disposed between the first support portion and the third support portion, and a second reflector disposed between the third support portion and the second support portion, A dryer, characterized in that at least one of the first reflecting plate and the second reflecting plate is configured to be displaceable depending on the position of the third support portion.

4. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A dryer comprising: a medium movement assistant unit that assists in moving the medium from an entrance side in the transport direction to an exit side in the transport direction within the drying furnace.

5. The dryer according to claim 3, a first medium movement assistant unit that assists in moving the medium from the first support unit side toward the third support unit side along the first reflecting plate in the drying oven, and a second medium movement assistant unit that assists in moving the medium from the third support unit side toward the second support unit side along the second reflecting plate in the drying oven, A dryer, characterized in that the first medium movement assistant unit and the second medium movement assistant unit are configured to be able to transfer the medium at a position between the first reflecting plate and the second reflecting plate.

6. The dryer according to claim 3, a medium movement assistant unit that assists in moving the medium from an entrance side in the transport direction to an exit side in the transport direction within the drying furnace, The first reflector may be disposed downward from the first support portion toward the third support portion, The second reflector may be disposed downward from the third support portion toward the second support portion, A dryer characterized in that the medium movement assistance unit is capable of holding the medium and moving it by utilizing gravity from an entrance side in the transport direction to an exit side in the transport direction.

7. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A heating unit displacement unit that displaces at least one of a position and a posture of the heating unit, The drying machine according to claim 1, wherein the heating unit displacement unit displaces the heating unit based on a position of the third support unit.

8. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The drying oven is provided with an exhaust port, the heating section includes a first heating section located upstream of the exhaust port in the transport direction, and a second heating section located downstream of the exhaust port in the transport direction.

9. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a third support portion position adjustment portion that adjusts a position of the third support portion in a vertical direction; The dryer, wherein the third support portion position adjustment portion adjusts a position of the third support portion in a vertical direction depending on a type of the medium.

10. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a third support portion position adjustment portion that adjusts a position of the third support portion in a vertical direction; The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the third support position adjustment unit adjusts a position of the third support unit in a vertical direction in accordance with a transport state of the medium.

11. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The drying furnace is provided with a window through which the third support portion can be visually observed from the outside.

12. The dryer according to claim 10, A dryer characterized in that the third support part position adjustment part adjusts the third support part so that when the medium is not being transported, at least a portion of the third support part is positioned farther from the heating part than when the medium is being transported.

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