Recording device and control method of recording device

Abstract

To suppress influence of a temperature difference of ink adhering to a medium on a recording quality.SOLUTION: A recording device comprises: a head that can discharge ultraviolet curable ink towards a medium; an irradiating part that irradiates the medium with ultraviolet ray; a carriage loaded with the head and the irradiating part; a moving mechanism that moves the carriage relatively with respect to the medium; and a control part that controls the moving mechanism and the irradiating part. The moving mechanism executes forward movement for moving the carriage in a first direction with respect to the medium and backward movement for moving the carriage in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction with respect to the medium. The control part makes the head discharge ink while moving the carriage in the forward movement, makes at least the irradiating part execute irradiation while moving the carriage in the backward movement. and makes the movement speed of the carriage in the backward movement higher than the movement speed of the carriage in the forward movement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and a control method thereof.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a recording apparatus that performs recording by attaching an ultraviolet curable ink that cures by irradiation with ultraviolet rays to a medium is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printing apparatus that mounts an inkjet head that discharges an ultraviolet curable ink and a UV-LED unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays on a head unit, and performs printing while moving the head unit in a main scanning direction with respect to a medium.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The viscosity of an ultraviolet curable ink may change depending on the temperature. Therefore, the behavior of the ink from when the ultraviolet curable ink adheres to the medium until the ink cures by irradiation with ultraviolet rays is affected by the temperature. For example, the size and speed at which the ink droplets spread due to gravity change depending on the temperature. For this reason, if there is a partial temperature difference in the ink adhering to one medium, there is a concern that it may affect the recording quality, such as a difference in the coloring state occurring in one medium.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure includes a head capable of discharging an ultraviolet-curable ink toward a medium, an irradiation unit that irradiates the medium with ultraviolet light, a carriage on which the head and the irradiation unit are mounted, a moving mechanism that relatively moves the carriage with respect to the medium, and a control unit that controls the moving mechanism and the irradiation unit. The moving mechanism executes an outward movement in which the carriage is moved in a first direction with respect to the medium and a return movement in which the carriage is moved in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the medium. The control unit causes the head to discharge the ink while moving the carriage in the outward movement, causes at least the irradiation unit to perform irradiation while moving the carriage in the return movement, and sets the moving speed of the carriage in the return movement to be higher than the moving speed of the carriage in the outward movement. The present disclosure relates to a recording apparatus.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] [1. Configuration of the Recording Apparatus] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recording apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the recording apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is a front view of the main part of the recording apparatus 1, schematically showing the internal structure of the recording apparatus 1. The configuration of the recording apparatus 1 will be described based on these respective figures.

[0008] In FIGS. 1, 2, and FIG. 3 described below, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are shown. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to each other. The Z-axis is an axis extending in the vertical direction and can also be said to be an axis extending in the plumb direction. The X-axis and Y-axis are parallel to the horizontal plane. In the following description, the direction along the X-axis is the left-right direction, and the direction along the Y-axis is the front-back direction. Specifically, the positive direction along the Z-axis is the upward direction, the positive direction along the X-axis is the rightward direction, and the positive direction along the Y-axis is the forward direction.

[0009] The recording device 1 records characters and images on the medium M by discharging a liquid from the recording head 89a. The recording device 1 can perform recording on a medium M in the form of a sheet and a three-dimensional object with height. The medium M is, for example, a sheet, cloth, or a three-dimensional object. Here, the sheet refers to a paper or synthetic resin sheet, and the cloth can be any of non-woven fabric, knit, or fabric. Examples of three-dimensional objects include ornaments such as clothes and shoes, daily necessities, machine parts, and various other objects.

[0010] There is no limitation on the type of liquid that the recording device 1 discharges onto the medium M, as long as it has fluidity. For example, the recording device 1 is a printing device that injects one or more colors of ink onto the surface of the medium M by the recording head 89a to perform color printing of characters and images on the medium M. In this case, the medium M can be referred to as a printing medium.

[0011] In this embodiment, the recording device 1 discharges an ultraviolet-curable ink from the recording head 89a. The ultraviolet-curable ink is fixed on the surface of the medium M by curing upon irradiation with ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet-curable ink contains, for example, a photoinitiator and a synthetic resin monomer. When this type of ink is irradiated with ultraviolet light, the photoinitiator decomposes, initiating the polymerization reaction of the synthetic resin monomer and solidifying the ink. The recording device 1 includes an irradiation unit 89b, and the irradiation unit 89b irradiates the ink that has landed on the surface of the medium M with ultraviolet light. The recording head 89a corresponds to an example of a head.

[0012] The recording device 1 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 10. A closed space is formed inside the housing 10. Various components of the recording device 1 related to recording are housed in the housing 10.

[0013] The housing 10 includes a front cover (not shown) that straddles the front and upper surfaces of the housing 10. This front cover is attached to the housing 10 so as to be openable and closable. By opening the front cover, the medium support portion 30 is exposed, and as will be described later, it becomes possible to install the medium M on the medium support portion 30 and to remove the medium M. FIG. 1 shows the appearance of the recording device 1 with the front cover removed.

[0014] A touch panel 12 is installed on the upper surface of the housing 10. The touch panel 12 is a device in which a display screen composed of a liquid crystal display panel, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel, etc. and a touch sensor that detects touch operations by the user are arranged in an overlapping manner.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the recording device 1 includes a bottom plate 13 and a pair of base members 15. The bottom plate 13 is a plate-like member that supports the bottom of the recording device 1, and is installed on the installation surface of the recording device 1 via legs (not shown) and the like. The base member 15 is a member that extends in the left-right direction. The two base members 15 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction on the bottom plate 13 and are fixed to the bottom plate 13.

[0016] The recording device 1 has a medium support portion 30 that supports the medium M, a moving portion 70 that moves with respect to the medium support portion 30, and a carriage 89. The moving portion 70 mounts the carriage 89, and the moving direction of the moving portion 70 with respect to the medium support portion 30 and the moving direction of the carriage 89 are different directions. For this reason, the carriage 89 can move in a plurality of directions with respect to the medium support portion 30, and recording can be performed over a wide range on the medium M placed on the medium support portion 30. In the configuration of this embodiment, the moving portion 70 moves in the front-rear direction of the recording device 1, and the carriage 89 moves in the left-right direction.

[0017] In this embodiment, the medium support portion 30 is fixed to the bottom plate 13 and does not move. The medium support portion 30 includes a table 31, a fall prevention plate 34, and a height movement mechanism 32. The table 31 is disposed at a position surrounded by a pair of base members 15 and a pair of guide shafts 91 in a plan view. The upper surface of the table 31 is a rectangular plane, and this surface is used as a support surface 31m for supporting the medium M. The table 31 corresponds to an example of a support base.

[0018] The support surface 31m is a surface on which the medium M is placed in the medium support portion 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the support surface 31m is exposed at the front portion of the recording apparatus 1 with the front cover open. In this state, it is possible to set the medium M from the outside of the housing 10 onto the support surface 31m and to take out the medium M placed on the support surface 31m from the outside of the housing 10.

[0019] Protrusion portions 31n that protrude outward are provided at the four corners of the table 31 below the support surface 31m. The protrusion portions 31n support the table 31 in the height direction. The protrusion portions 31n are connected to an elevating mechanism 39 described later, and the table 31 moves up and down by the operation of the elevating mechanism 39.

[0020] The fall prevention plate 34 is a plate-like member erected vertically so as to be in contact with the end of the support surface 31m. The recording apparatus 1 has three fall prevention plates 34 that are in contact with the left end, the right end, and the rear end of the support surface 31m, respectively. The fall prevention plate 34 is erected substantially perpendicular to the support surface 31m and surrounds the support surface 31m from three sides. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the medium M placed on the support surface 31m from moving outside the support surface 31m. For this reason, for example, when the medium M has a shape that is likely to fall or roll, it is possible to prevent the medium M from falling outside the support surface 31m. For the convenience of installing and removing the medium M, a fall prevention plate 34 is not provided at the front end of the support surface 31m, but it is of course possible to install the fall prevention plate 34 at the front end of the support surface 31m.

[0021] The fall prevention plate 34 is fixed to the bottom plate 13 or the base member 15 and abuts or is close to the end of the support surface 31m. The fall prevention plate 34 covers the range from the lowest position to the highest position in the height direction in which the support surface 31m moves up and down. For this reason, the fall prevention plate 34 can maintain a state of surrounding the support surface 31m corresponding to the up and down movement of the support surface 31m.

[0022] The recording device 1 includes a height movement mechanism 32. The height movement mechanism 32 includes a lifting motor 33, a lifting belt 37, and a lifting mechanism 39, and moves the table 31 up and down. The lifting mechanism 39 has a ball screw arranged along the vertical direction, a nut screwed onto the ball screw, and a pulley. The ball screw of the lifting mechanism 39 is rotatably supported by the base member 15. The nut of the lifting mechanism 39 is fixed to the protrusion 31n of the table 31. The pulley of the lifting mechanism 39 is fixed to the upper part of the ball screw. When the pulley of the lifting mechanism 39 rotates, the ball screw rotates, and the protrusion 31n moves along the vertical direction together with the nut as the ball screw rotates.

[0023] In the recording device 1, a set of lifting mechanisms 39 including the above ball screw, nut, and pulley are provided corresponding to each of the four protrusions 31n. That is, the four protrusions 31n are respectively configured to move up and down by the four sets of lifting mechanisms 39.

[0024] The four elevating mechanisms 39 are connected to the elevating motor 33 via a single elevating belt 37. The elevating motor 33 rotates according to the control of the control unit 101 and drives the annular elevating belt 37. The elevating belt 37 is wound around the output shaft of the elevating motor 33 and the pulleys of the four elevating mechanisms 39, and is circulated and driven by the rotation of the elevating motor 33. The elevating belt 37 rotates the ball screw via the pulley of the elevating mechanism 39 to raise or lower the protrusion 31n. Then, since the four elevating mechanisms 39 operate in conjunction with each other by the elevating belt 37 to raise and lower the protrusion 31n, the support surface 31m can be raised and lowered while maintaining its horizontal position. The rotation direction of the elevating motor 33 is switched by the control of the control unit 101 between the forward direction for moving the table 31 upward and the reverse direction for moving the table 31 downward.

[0025] The recording device 1 includes a drive mechanism 90 for moving the moving part 70. The drive mechanism 90 has a pair of guide shafts 91 and a frame drive part 60. The guide shafts 91 are shaft-like members arranged in the front-rear direction, and each of the two guide shafts 91 is arranged side by side in the left-right direction so as to straddle the two base members 15. The guide shafts 91 function as rails that support the moving part 70 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction.

[0026] The frame drive unit 60 includes a frame movement motor 61, a transmission belt 63, a speed change mechanism 65, and a transmission belt 67. The frame movement motor 61 rotates according to the control of the control unit 101 and drives the annular transmission belt 63. The transmission belt 63 is stretched between the output shaft of the frame movement motor 61 and the speed change mechanism 65 to transmit the driving force of the frame movement motor 61 to the speed change mechanism 65. The speed change mechanism 65 has a first pulley and a second pulley. The transmission belt 63 is wound around the first pulley, and the annular transmission belt 67 is wound around the second pulley. The diameter of the first pulley is different from that of the second pulley. For example, the diameter of the first pulley is larger than that of the second pulley. The first pulley and the second pulley are connected to a common shaft and are rotatably supported by a frame (not shown). In the speed change mechanism 65, the driving force transmitted from the transmission belt 63 to the first pulley is transmitted to the second pulley at a reduction ratio corresponding to the ratio of the diameters of the first pulley and the second pulley, and drives the transmission belt 67.

[0027] The transmission belt 67 is stretched between the speed change mechanism 65 and a frame movement pulley 17 disposed at the rearward end of the base member 15. The frame movement pulley 17 is rotatably supported with respect to the base member 15, and the transmission belt 67 is disposed along the guide shaft 91.

[0028] The moving unit 70 includes a main frame 71, a pair of legs 73, and a carriage 89. The main frame 71 is a plate-like member that is long in the left-right direction. Each of the two legs 73 is fitted to the guide shaft 91 and is supported so as to be movable back and forth along the guide shaft 91. The main frame 71 is fixed across the two legs 73 and is supported from below by the legs 73. The main frame 71 is located above the table 31 and is located further above the highest position within the lifting range of the table 31.

[0029] The leg portion 73 that supports the left end of the main frame 71 is connected to the transmission belt 67 via the belt connection portion 79. When the transmission belt 67 is driven to circulate by the power of the frame movement motor 61, a force is applied to move the leg portion 73 in the front - rear direction, and due to this force, the moving portion 70 moves in the front - rear direction.

[0030] The rotation direction of the frame movement motor 61 can be switched, under the control of the control unit 101, between the forward direction that moves the main frame 71 forward and the reverse direction that moves the main frame 71 backward.

[0031] The carriage 89 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box and is supported by the main frame 71 via the carriage guide shaft 83. The carriage guide shaft 83 is fixed to the main frame 71 and is a shaft - shaped member extending in the left - right direction along the main frame 71, and supports the carriage 89 so as to be movable in the left - right direction. The carriage 89 is located above the table 31.

[0032] The recording device 1 includes a carriage drive belt 85, a carriage drive pulley 86, and a carriage drive motor 87 for moving the carriage 89. The carriage drive belt 85 is stretched between the carriage drive pulley 86 and the output shaft of the carriage drive motor 87 and is an annular belt arranged along the carriage guide shaft 83.

[0033] The carriage drive pulley 86 is rotatably fixed to the right end of the main frame 71. The carriage drive motor 87 is fixed to the left end of the main frame 71, rotates according to the control of the control unit 101, and drives the carriage drive belt 85.

[0034] The carriage 89 is connected to the carriage drive belt 85, and along with the movement of the carriage drive belt 85, it moves in the left - right direction of the recording device 1 along the carriage guide shaft 83.

[0035] The drive mechanism 90, the carriage guide shaft 83, the carriage drive belt 85, the carriage drive pulley 86, and the carriage drive motor 87 correspond to an example of a moving mechanism that moves the carriage 89 relative to the medium M.

[0036] The carriage 89 includes a recording head 89a and an irradiation unit 89b. The recording head 89a is disposed below the carriage 89 so as to face the support surface 31m.

[0037] The recording head 89a has a plurality of nozzles (not shown) that open toward the support surface 31m, and discharges ultraviolet-curable ink from the nozzles by driving a piezo actuator built in the recording head 89a. The irradiation unit 89b is disposed below the carriage 89 so as to face the support surface 31m. The irradiation unit 89b includes an LED (Light Emitting Diode) light source 89c (FIG. 4), and irradiates the light emitted from the LED light source 89c toward the support surface 31m. The LED light source 89c includes a UV-LED (Ultraviolet LED) and irradiates irradiation light in the ultraviolet region.

[0038] When the recording device 1 performs recording on the medium M placed on the support surface 31m, the carriage 89 moves in the left-right direction along the carriage guide shaft 83, and the recording head 89a discharges ink toward the medium M while the carriage 89 is moving. Further, the recording device 1 irradiates ultraviolet rays onto the ink discharged onto the medium M by the irradiation unit 89b.

[0039] The recording device 1 includes a temperature adjustment mechanism for setting the ink to a temperature suitable for discharge. Specifically, the recording device 1 includes a heater 88 (FIG. 4). The heater 88 is mounted on the carriage 89 or the recording head 89a, or is disposed in an ink flow path outside the carriage 89. Also, the recording device 1 may include a plurality of heaters 88. In the recording device 1, the ink is discharged from the recording head 89a in a state heated by the heater 88.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows the ranges R1 and R2 within which the carriage 89 moves. Range R2 includes the home position and the like provided above the support surface 31m and outside the support surface 31m, and is the maximum range within which the carriage 89 can move. Range R1 is the range within range R2 where recording of the medium M is possible and is the range within which the recording head 89a can eject ink. For example, range R1 coincides with the size of the support surface 31m in the left-right direction. The recording apparatus 1 performs ejection of ink onto the medium M and irradiation with ultraviolet rays while moving the carriage 89 within range R2 under the control of the control unit 101.

[0041] Here, the configuration of the table 31 and the moving direction of the carriage 89 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 4, the table 31 includes an upper plate portion 31c that constitutes the support surface 31m and a plurality of legs 31a that support the upper plate portion 31c. The upper plate portion 31c is, for example, a rectangular plate, and the legs 31a are erected vertically at the four corners of the upper plate portion 31c. The lower ends of the legs 31a are fixed to the bottom plate 13 to support the upper plate portion 31c from below.

[0042] The upper plate portion 31c is composed of a plurality of members. In the present embodiment, an example in which the upper plate portion 31c is composed of three upper plate members 31d is shown. The upper plate member 31d is a rectangular plate that is long in the front-rear direction of the recording apparatus 1 and is connected side by side in the left-right direction. For this reason, in the left-right direction of the recording apparatus 1, a boundary between the upper plate members 31d appears as a seam 31f on the support surface 31m. The seam 31f is a recess on the support surface 31m. The upper plate member 31d is an example of a plurality of members that constitute the table 31. The upper plate portion 31c may include a fitting or the like for connecting the three upper plate members 31d.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the joint 31f is exposed on the support surface 31m and extends in the front-rear direction of the recording apparatus 1. The carriage 89 moves in the left-right direction by the power of the carriage drive motor 87 together with the recording head 89a and the irradiation unit 89b. Here, as the moving direction of the carriage 89, the direction toward the +X side is defined as the first direction D1, and the direction toward the -X side is defined as the second direction D2. In the standby state where the recording apparatus 1 does not perform recording, the carriage 89 is positioned at the home position. The home position is, for example, at the -X side end in the range R2, and when starting recording, the carriage 89 moves from the home position in the first direction D1. Then, when the carriage 89 finishes moving in the first direction D1, the recording apparatus 1 reverses the moving direction of the carriage 89 and moves it in the second direction D2.

[0044] Among the operations related to the recording of the recording apparatus 1, one movement in either the first direction D1 or the second direction D2 is called one pass. The printing operation of the recording apparatus 1 is based on one round trip, that is, two passes, which is a combination of one pass and a pass in the reverse direction of that pass.

[0045] More specifically, after adjusting the position of the main frame 71, the recording apparatus 1 performs two passes without moving the main frame 71 in the front-rear direction to perform recording. The first pass can be called the forward pass, and the next pass can be called the return pass. The recording apparatus 1 discharges ink from the recording head 89a to the medium M in the forward pass, and irradiates ultraviolet rays by the irradiation unit 89b in the return pass. After performing two passes, the recording apparatus 1 moves the main frame 71 and performs the next two passes, and repeats this operation sequentially to perform recording in a range extending in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

[0046] Also, the recording apparatus 1 may irradiate ultraviolet rays by the irradiation unit 89b together with the discharge of ink in the forward pass. In the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the irradiation unit 89b is located on the -X side of the recording head 89a. Therefore, if the forward pass is a movement in the first direction D1, the ink discharged by the recording head 89a can be irradiated with ultraviolet rays by the irradiation unit 89b.

[0047] Hereinafter, as an example, the case will be described where the recording apparatus 1 sets the forward path as the first direction D1, the return path as the second direction D2, performs ultraviolet irradiation while discharging ink in the forward path, and performs ultraviolet irradiation in the return path. Also, a series of operations in the forward path are referred to as forward path operations, and a series of operations in the return path are referred to as return path operations.

[0048] The recording head 89a and the irradiation unit 89b move across the joint 31f both while the carriage 89 moves in the first direction D1 and while it moves in the second direction D2.

[0049] [2. Configuration of the control system of the recording apparatus] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control system of the recording apparatus 1. The recording apparatus 1 has a control unit 101. The control unit 101 is a computer including a processor 111 and a storage unit 120. The processor 111 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and may be composed of a plurality of processors.

[0050] The storage unit 120 has a volatile memory and a non-volatile storage unit. The volatile memory is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory). The non-volatile storage unit is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory), a hard disk, a flash memory, etc.

[0051] The storage unit 120 stores programs executed by the processor 111 and data processed by the processor 111. For example, the storage unit 120 stores a control program 121 and setting data 122. The processor 111 controls each part of the recording apparatus 1 by executing the control program 121. Also, when controlling the recording apparatus 1, the processor 111 uses various setting values included in the setting data 122.

[0052] The control unit 101 is connected to an interface (I / F) 102. The interface 102 is a communication device that performs wired communication using a cable or wireless communication using a wireless communication line. The interface 102 communicates with the host computer 2 to receive recording data. The recording data includes image and character data recorded by the recording device 1 on the medium M, commands for instructing the recording execution of the recording device 1, and other data.

[0053] Connected to the control unit 101 as a driving unit related to recording are a frame movement motor 61, a lifting motor 33, a carriage drive motor 87, a recording head 89a, and an irradiation unit 89b. The control unit 101 executes recording on the medium M by controlling these driving units.

[0054] Connected to the control unit 101 are a frame position sensor 141, a table position sensor 142, and a carriage position sensor 143. The frame position sensor 141 is a sensor that detects the position of the main frame 71 in the front - rear direction. The frame position sensor 141 may be, for example, a linear encoder provided on the guide shaft 91 or the leg portion 73, or a sensor that detects the rotation amount of the frame movement motor 61. The table position sensor 142 is a sensor that detects the position of the table 31 in the up - down direction. The table position sensor 142 may be, for example, a linear encoder provided on the guide shaft 91 or the leg portion 73, or a sensor that detects the rotation amount of the ball screw of the lifting mechanism 39 or the rotation amount of the lifting motor 33. The carriage position sensor 143 is a sensor that detects the position of the carriage 89 in the left - right direction. The carriage position sensor 143 may be a linear encoder arranged along the carriage guide shaft 83, or a sensor that detects the rotation amount of the carriage drive motor 87.

[0055] Specifically, the control unit 101 moves the moving unit 70 in the front-rear direction by controlling the switching of the rotation direction of the frame movement motor 61 and the start and stop of the rotation of the frame movement motor 61. The control unit 101 moves the table 31 in the vertical direction by controlling the switching of the rotation direction of the lifting motor 33 and the start and stop of the rotation of the lifting motor 33. The control unit 101 moves the carriage 89 in the left-right direction by controlling the switching of the carriage drive motor 87 and the start and stop of the rotation of the carriage drive motor 87. The control unit 101 discharges the liquid by operating the recording head 89a based on the recording data received by the interface 102. By executing these controls based on the recording data acquired by the interface 102 from the host computer 2, the control unit 101 performs recording on the medium M.

[0056] The control unit 101 operates, for example, the lifting motor 33 to adjust the gap between the support surface 31m and the recording head 89a to an appropriate size. The sensor used for gap adjustment can be mounted on the carriage 89, for example. In this case, the control unit 101 operates the frame movement motor 61 and the carriage drive motor 87 to move the carriage 89 while acquiring the detection value of the sensor, and performs gap adjustment.

[0057] After the gap adjustment, the control unit 101 performs recording based on the recording data. For example, while moving the carriage 89, the control unit 101 discharges ink from the recording head 89a onto the medium M based on the recording data, and irradiates ultraviolet light from the irradiation unit 89b toward the medium M to which the ink has adhered. After the recording is completed, the control unit 101 may operate the lifting motor 33 to move the support surface 31m to the lowest position to facilitate the removal of the medium M.

[0058] The control unit 101 can use the detection value of the frame position sensor 141 to control the frame movement motor 61. Similarly, the control unit 101 can use the detection value of the table position sensor 142 to control the lifting motor 33, and use the detection value of the carriage position sensor 143 to control the carriage drive motor 87.

[0059] The irradiation intensity of the LED light source 89c included in the irradiation unit 89b can be adjusted under the control of the control unit 101. For example, the control unit 101 controls a power supply circuit (not shown) that supplies current to the LED light source 89c to adjust the irradiation intensity of the LED light source 89c. The specific method of adjusting the irradiation intensity is arbitrary. For example, there are a method of adjusting the number of light-emitting LED elements among a plurality of LED elements included in the LED light source 89c, and a method of performing PWM (Pulse Wave Modulation) on the current supplied to the LED elements. The irradiation intensity of the LED light source 89c can be paraphrased as the light-emitting intensity or the light-emitting amount.

[0060] A heater 88 is connected to the control unit 101. The control unit 101 heats the ink to a predetermined temperature by the heater 88. Further, the recording apparatus 1 may include a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the ink together with the heater 88. In this case, the recording apparatus 1 operates the heater 88 based on the detection value of the temperature sensor to maintain the temperature of the ink at a predetermined temperature.

[0061] A touch panel 12 is connected to the control unit 101. The touch panel 12 functions as an input device that detects touch operations and a display device that displays information. For example, when performing recording on the medium M, the control unit 101 causes the touch panel 12 to display information related to the recording.

[0062] [3. Operation of the Recording Apparatus] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the recording apparatus 1. The operation shown in FIG. 5 is executed by the control unit 101.

[0063] When the recording device 1 acquires recording data from the host computer 2 (step S11), it starts the recording operation (step S12).

[0064] The recording device 1 moves the main frame 71 to a position suitable for recording on the medium M (step S13). The recording device 1 refers to the setting data 122 and sets the moving speed of the carriage 89 for the forward path operation and the irradiation intensity of the irradiation unit 89b (step S14). The recording device 1 executes the forward path operation (step S15). In step S15, the recording device 1 moves the carriage 89 at the moving speed set in step S14 while turning on the LED light source 89c at the set irradiation intensity to irradiate ultraviolet rays.

[0065] The recording device 1 determines whether the carriage 89 has reached the end position of the forward path operation (step S16). If it has reached the end position (step S16; YES), it proceeds to step S17.

[0066] In step S17, the recording device 1 sets the moving speed of the carriage 89 for the return path operation and the irradiation intensity of the irradiation unit 89b (step S17). The recording device 1 executes the return path operation (step S18). In step S18, the recording device 1 moves the carriage 89 at the moving speed set in step S14 while turning on the LED light source 89c at the set irradiation intensity to irradiate ultraviolet rays.

[0067] The recording device 1 determines whether the recording on the medium M has been completed (step S19). If the recording has been completed (step S19; YES), it ends this process. If the recording has not been completed (step S19; NO), it returns to step S13.

[0068] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the recording apparatus 1 and is a chart showing the moving speed of the carriage 89. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis represents the passage of time, and the vertical axis represents the speed of the carriage 89. FIG. 6(a) shows the change in the moving speed of the carriage 89 from the start to the stop of the forward movement, and FIG. 6(b) shows the change in the moving speed of the carriage 89 from the start to the stop of the return movement.

[0069] The speed V1 is the set value of the speed of the carriage 89 in the forward movement. The speed V2 is the set value of the speed of the carriage 89 in the return movement.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 6(a), in the forward movement, the carriage 89 is accelerated to the speed V1, and after the moving speed reaches the speed V1, it is moved while maintaining the speed V1. Then, the moving speed of the carriage 89 is decelerated toward the end of the range R1. The speed V1 can be said to be the maximum speed of the carriage 89 in the forward movement.

[0071] On the other hand, the target speed V2 set in the return movement is higher than the speed V1. Preferably, the speed V2 is twice or more the speed V1. As shown in FIG. 6(b), in the return movement, the carriage 89 is moved at a higher speed than in the forward movement, so the time required to execute the return movement is shorter than that of the forward movement. The speed V2 can be said to be the maximum speed of the carriage 89 in the return movement.

[0072] The return path operation can be divided into an acceleration period T1, a constant speed period T2, and a deceleration period T3. The acceleration period T1 is the time required to accelerate the carriage 89 to the speed V2. The deceleration period T3 is the time required to decelerate the carriage 89 from the speed V2 to a stopped state. The constant speed period T2 is the time during which the carriage 89 moves at a constant speed V2. The ratio of the constant speed period T2 to the total of the entire return path operation, that is, the sum of the acceleration period T1, the constant speed period T2, and the deceleration period T3, is, for example, 1 / 100 or less. As the speed V2 becomes higher, the time required for acceleration and deceleration becomes longer, so the ratio of the constant speed period T2 to the entire return path operation becomes smaller. That is, in the return path operation, the speed V2 is set high so that the constant speed period T2 becomes 1 / 100 or less of the entire return path operation.

[0073] When the speed V2 is high, the return path operation is performed in a shorter time. That is, the irradiation of ultraviolet rays on the ink attached to the medium M is completed in a shorter time. Thereby, the influence on the recording quality due to the temperature difference of the ink attached to the medium M is suppressed.

[0074] As described above, the table 31 is composed of a plurality of upper plate members 31d, and seams 31f, which are recesses, appear on the support surface 31m. For this reason, when a sheet-like medium M such as cut paper is placed on the support surface 31m, a part of the medium M is located on the seam 31f, and the other part is in contact with the plane of the upper plate member 31d. The ink ejected by the recording head 89a is heated by the heater 88 and is often at a higher temperature than the medium M on the support surface 31m. For this reason, the temperature of the ink ejected from the recording head 89a decreases after adhering to the medium M. At this time, since the heat of the ink is easily radiated at the portion of the medium M that overlaps the seam 31f, the temperature decreases faster than other portions. Therefore, a temperature difference of the ink occurs between the portion of the medium M that overlaps the seam 31f and the other portions. The temperature difference of the ink affects the spread of the ink droplets as a difference in the viscosity of the ink. As a result, a difference in recording quality such as color development and sharpness occurs between the portion of the medium M that overlaps the seam 31f and the other portions, which may lead to a deterioration in the recording quality of the entire medium M.

[0075] The recording device 1 of this embodiment increases the moving speed of the carriage 89 in the return operation. As a result, the time from when the ink adheres to the medium M until it is irradiated with ultraviolet light can be shortened, and the ink can be cured in a state where the influence of the difference in ink viscosity is not prominent. Therefore, even if a difference occurs between the portion overlapping the joint 31f and the other portion, the ink can be cured while the difference is small, and the influence of the joint 31f on the recording quality can be suppressed.

[0076] The recording device 1 increases the speed of the return operation rather than the forward operation in which the ink is ejected. The moving speed of the carriage 89 in the return operation is preferably higher than that in the forward operation, and more preferably at least twice the moving speed in the forward operation. Therefore, the recording device 1 can increase the curing of the ink after setting the moving speed of the forward operation to a speed suitable for ink ejection. Accordingly, the influence on the recording quality can be suppressed more minimally.

[0077] Furthermore, when ultraviolet light is irradiated by the irradiation unit 89b in both the forward and return operations, the irradiation intensity of the ultraviolet light in the return operation is made equal to or higher than that in the forward operation. When the carriage 89 is moved at high speed, the return operation is completed in a short time, so the time during which the medium M is irradiated with ultraviolet light is short. When increasing the irradiation intensity of the irradiation unit 89b in the return operation, a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light can be irradiated onto the ink adhering to the medium M, and the ink can be surely cured in a short time. Therefore, preferably, the irradiation intensity of the ultraviolet light in the return operation is made higher than that in the forward operation.

[0078] Also, in consideration of the influence on the ink ejected from the recording head 89a and the adhesion of the ink to the components around the recording head 89a during the forward operation, it is not easy to increase the irradiation intensity of the ultraviolet light in the forward operation. Therefore, as in the recording device 1 of this embodiment, increasing the irradiation intensity of the irradiation unit 89b in the return operation is effective for quickly curing the ink.

[0079] Furthermore, it is preferable that the support surface 31m is made of a material with low thermal conductivity. For example, the upper plate member 31d is made of any one of synthetic resin, glass, or wood. In this case, since the temperature drop of the ink adhering to the medium M is suppressed, the influence on the recording quality can be suppressed more slightly.

[0080] The events related to the temperature change of the ink described above are not limited to the case where there is a joint 31f on the support surface 31m, but are the same when there are slits or through-holes on the support surface 31m. Also in these cases, by applying the present disclosure, the influence on the recording quality can be suppressed. The above events are more minor as the recess including the joint 31f is smaller. For this reason, for example, it is preferable that the distance between the upper plate members 31d is less than 1.0 mm, and more preferably, the distance between the upper plate members 31d is 0.7 mm or less.

[0081] [5. Other Embodiments] The above embodiments merely show one specific example to which the present invention is applied. The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various aspects without departing from the gist of the invention.

[0082] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which ink is ejected from the recording head 89a and ultraviolet rays are irradiated by the irradiation unit 89b in the forward path operation is exemplified, but this is just an example. For example, it is of course possible to apply the present invention to a recording apparatus that does not perform ultraviolet ray irradiation from the irradiation unit 89b in the forward path operation and performs ultraviolet ray irradiation only in the return path operation. In addition to the above-described forward path operation and return path operation, the recording apparatus 1 may perform an operation of irradiating ultraviolet rays by the irradiation unit 89b while moving the carriage 89.

[0083] In the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which the table 31 on which the medium M is placed does not move, and the carriage 89 is moved along the X-axis and the Y-axis. However, this is just an example. For example, when recording on the medium M, a recording apparatus that moves the medium M along either the X-axis or the Y-axis and moves the carriage 89 along the other axis, and a recording apparatus that moves the medium M along the X-axis and the Y-axis can of course be applied to the present invention.

[0084] In the above-described embodiment, as an example of the concave portion of the support surface 31m, the joint 31f of the upper plate member 31d was exemplified. However, the concave portion may be a suction hole for sucking the medium M to the support surface 31m. That is, the recording apparatus 1 may be provided with a suction mechanism that sucks air from the support surface 31m, and a through hole connected to the suction mechanism may be opened in the support surface 31m. In this configuration, the hole opened in the support surface 31m is an example of the concave portion. Further, on the support surface 31m, when screw holes for fixing the upper plate member 31d and the like and holes for fixing a holding member for holding the medium M to the support surface 31m are formed, these holes are examples of the concave portion. In addition, in a configuration in which there is a portion on the support surface 31m that is lower than the plane of the support surface 31m, the portion can be regarded as a concave portion.

[0085] The configurations shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and the functional configuration shown in FIG. 4 are examples of the recording apparatus 1, and the application target of the present invention is not limited to the configurations shown in each figure. For example, the recording apparatus 1 may include a component not shown in FIG. 4. Further, when the operation of the recording apparatus 1 described above is realized using the processor 111, it is also possible to configure it in the form of a recording medium for recording a program to be executed by the processor or a transmission medium for transmitting the program. As the recording medium, a magnetic, optical recording medium or a semiconductor memory device can be used. The above recording medium may be an internal storage device provided in the server device.

[0086] The step units of the operation shown in FIG. 5 are divided according to the main processing contents in order to facilitate the understanding of the operation of the recording apparatus 1, and are not limited by the method or name of the division of the processing units. Depending on the processing contents, it may be further divided into more step units. It may also be divided such that one step unit includes more processes. The order of the steps may be appropriately changed.

[0087] [6. Configuration described by the embodiment] According to the above embodiment, the following configuration is described.

[0088] (Configuration 1) A head capable of discharging ultraviolet-curable ink toward a medium, an irradiation unit that irradiates the medium with ultraviolet light, a carriage on which the head and the irradiation unit are mounted, a moving mechanism that relatively moves the carriage with respect to the medium, and a control unit that controls the moving mechanism and the irradiation unit, wherein the moving mechanism executes an outward movement that moves the carriage in a first direction with respect to the medium and a return movement that moves the carriage in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the medium, and the control unit causes the head to discharge the ink while moving the carriage in the outward movement, and causes at least the irradiation unit to perform irradiation while moving the carriage in the return movement, and the moving speed of the carriage in the return movement is higher than the moving speed of the carriage in the outward movement. Recording apparatus. According to the recording apparatus of Configuration 1, irradiation of ultraviolet light on the ink discharged toward the medium can be completed promptly. Therefore, since the ink is cured before the unevenness in the state of the ink adhering to the medium expands, the influence of the temperature difference of the ink adhering to the medium on the recording quality can be suppressed.

[0089] (Configuration 2) The recording apparatus according to Configuration 1, further comprising a support base having a support surface for supporting the medium, the support surface having a recess, and the carriage holding the head and the irradiation unit facing the support surface, and the carriage moving across the recess of the support surface when moving in the first direction and the second direction. According to the recording device of Configuration 2, in a configuration where there is a recess in the direction in which the carriage moves and the temperature of the ink ejected toward the medium is affected by the recess, the influence of the temperature difference of the ink on the recording quality can be suppressed.

[0090] (Configuration 3) The recording device according to Configuration 2, wherein the support base is composed of a plurality of members, and the recess on the support surface is the joint of the members. According to the recording device of Configuration 3, the influence of the joint of the members constituting the support base on the recording quality can be suppressed. Therefore, in a recording device including a support base composed of a plurality of members, the recording quality can be improved.

[0091] (Configuration 4) The recording device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein the control unit operates the moving mechanism so that the maximum speed of the carriage in the return operation is higher than the maximum speed of the carriage in the forward operation. According to the recording device of Configuration 4, by setting the maximum speed of the carriage in the return operation to be higher than that in the forward operation, the irradiation of ultraviolet rays on the ink attached to the medium can be completed in a shorter time.

[0092] (Configuration 5) The recording device according to Configuration 4, wherein the control unit operates the moving mechanism so that the maximum speed of the carriage in the return operation is twice or more the maximum speed of the carriage in the forward operation. According to the recording device of Configuration 5, by setting the moving speed of the carriage in the return operation to be twice or more that in the forward operation, the irradiation of ultraviolet rays on the ink attached to the medium can be completed in a shorter time.

[0093] (Configuration 6) The return operation includes an acceleration period in which the moving mechanism accelerates the carriage, a constant speed period in which the carriage moves at a constant speed, and a deceleration period in which the carriage decelerates, and the constant speed period is 1 / 100 or less of the whole return operation. The recording device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5. According to the recording apparatus of Configuration 6, by setting the moving speed of the carriage in the return operation to be high enough so that most of the movement is used for acceleration and deceleration, the irradiation of ultraviolet rays on the ink adhering to the medium can be completed in a shorter time.

[0094] (Configuration 7) The control unit causes the head to discharge the ink and the irradiation unit to perform irradiation in the forward path operation, and causes the irradiation unit to perform irradiation while moving the carriage at a return speed in the return path operation. The recording apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 6. According to the recording apparatus of Configuration 7, when performing ink discharge and ultraviolet ray irradiation in the forward path operation and ultraviolet ray irradiation in the return path operation, by completing the return path operation in a short time, the influence of the temperature difference of the ink on the recording quality can be more effectively suppressed.

[0095] (Configuration 8) The control unit makes the irradiation intensity of the irradiation unit in the return path operation higher than the irradiation intensity of the irradiation unit in the forward path operation. The recording apparatus according to Configuration 7. According to the recording apparatus of Configuration 8, ultraviolet ray irradiation is performed so as not to affect the ink discharge in the forward path operation, and by increasing the ultraviolet ray irradiation intensity in the return path operation, the ink can be more surely cured in a short time. Therefore, the influence of the temperature difference of the ink discharged onto the medium on the recording quality can be suppressed.

[0096] (Configuration 9) A control method for a recording apparatus including a head capable of discharging an ultraviolet-curable ink toward a medium, an irradiation unit that irradiates the medium with ultraviolet rays, a carriage on which the head and the irradiation unit are mounted, and a moving mechanism that relatively moves the carriage with respect to the medium, the control method including: causing the moving mechanism to perform a forward movement of moving the carriage in a first direction with respect to the medium and a return movement of moving the carriage in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the medium; causing the head to discharge the ink while moving the carriage during the forward movement; causing at least the irradiation unit to perform irradiation while moving the carriage during the return movement; and setting a moving speed of the carriage during the return movement to be higher than a moving speed of the carriage during the forward movement. According to the control method of the recording apparatus of Configuration 9, irradiation of ultraviolet rays on the ink discharged by the recording apparatus toward the medium can be completed promptly. Therefore, since the ink is cured before unevenness in the state of the ink adhering to the medium expands, it is possible to suppress the influence of the temperature difference of the ink adhering to the medium on the recording quality.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0097] 1... Recording device, R1... Range, R2... Recording range. 1... Recording device, 2... Host computer, 10... Housing, 12... Touch panel, 13... Bottom plate, 15... Base member, 17... Frame moving pulley, 30... Media support part, 31... Table (support base), 31a... Legs, 31c... Upper plate part, 31d... Upper plate member (member), 31f... Joint (recess), 31m... Support surface, 31n... Protrusion, 32... Height moving mechanism, 33... Lifting motor, 34... Fall prevention plate, 37... Lifting belt, 39... Lifting mechanism, 60... Frame drive part, 61... Frame moving motor, 63... Transmission belt, 65... Speed change mechanism, 67... Transmission belt, 70... Moving part, 71... Main frame, 73... Legs, 79... Belt connection part, 83... Carriage guide shaft (moving mechanism), 85... Carriage drive belt (moving mechanism), 86... Carriage drive pulley (moving mechanism), 87... Carriage drive motor (moving mechanism), 88... Heater, 89... Carriage, 89a... Recording head (head), 89b... Irradiation part, 89c... LED light source, 90... Drive mechanism (moving mechanism), 91... Guide shaft, 101... Control part, 102... Interface, 111... Processor, 120... Memory part, 121... Control program, 122... Setting data, D1... First direction, D2... Second direction, M... Media, R1, R2... Range.

Claims

1. A head capable of discharging an ultraviolet curable ink toward a medium, An irradiation unit that irradiates the medium with ultraviolet rays, A carriage on which the head and the irradiation unit are mounted, A moving mechanism that relatively moves the carriage with respect to the medium, A control unit that controls the moving mechanism and the irradiation unit, and comprising: The moving mechanism executes an outward path operation of moving the carriage in a first direction with respect to the medium, and a return path operation of moving the carriage in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the medium, The control unit: Causes the head to discharge the ink while moving the carriage in the outward path operation, and causes at least the irradiation unit to perform irradiation while moving the carriage in the return path operation, Sets the moving speed of the carriage in the return path operation to be higher than the moving speed of the carriage in the outward path operation, A recording apparatus.

2. Comprising a support base having a support surface for supporting the medium, There is a recess in the support surface, The carriage holds the head and the irradiation unit facing the support surface, The carriage moves across the recess of the support surface when moving in the first direction and the second direction. The recording apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The support base is composed of a plurality of members, and the recess of the support surface is a joint of the members. The recording apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The control unit operates the moving mechanism so that the maximum speed of the carriage in the return path operation is higher than the maximum speed of the carriage in the outward path operation. The recording apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit operates the moving mechanism such that the maximum speed of the carriage in the return path operation is at least twice the maximum speed of the carriage in the forward path operation.

6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes an acceleration period in which the carriage is accelerated by the moving mechanism, a constant speed period in which the carriage is moved at a constant speed, and a deceleration period in which the carriage is decelerated in the return path operation, and the constant speed period is 1 / 100 or less of the entire return path operation.

7. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit causes the head to discharge the ink and the irradiation unit to perform irradiation in the forward path operation, and causes the irradiation unit to perform irradiation while moving the carriage at a return path speed in the return path operation.

8. The recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit makes the irradiation intensity of the irradiation unit in the return path operation higher than the irradiation intensity of the irradiation unit in the forward path operation.

9. A control method for a recording apparatus including a head capable of discharging ultraviolet curable ink toward a medium, an irradiation unit that irradiates the medium with ultraviolet light, a carriage on which the head and the irradiation unit are mounted, and a moving mechanism that relatively moves the carriage with respect to the medium, The moving mechanism performs a forward path operation of moving the carriage in a first direction with respect to the medium and a return path operation of moving the carriage in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the medium, In the forward path operation, the ink is discharged by the head while the carriage is moved, and in the return path operation, at least the irradiation by the irradiation unit is performed while the carriage is moved, The moving speed of the carriage in the return path operation is made higher than the moving speed of the carriage in the forward path operation, A control method for a recording apparatus.

Images