Inkjet printer and use method of the same

Abstract

To provide an inkjet printer that reduces a load of exchange of a base material to which ink is discharged.SOLUTION: A printer 10 includes an ink head 22, a light irradiation device 23, a table 25, an ink-phobic base material 60, and a control device 90. The control device 90 moves the ink head 22 and the table 25, and discharges photocurable ink onto the ink-phobic base material 60. Light is emitted to the discharged photocurable ink from the light irradiation device 23, and the photocurable ink is cured. The photocurable ink is comparatively difficult to be fixed onto the ink-phobic base material 60. Therefore, for example, a worker applies an adhesive roller 500 to the photocurable ink on the ink-phobic base material 60, and thereby can peel the photocurable ink from the ink-phobic base material 60. Thereby, the photocurable ink can be discharged onto the ink-phobic base material 60 again without exchanging the ink-phobic base material 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet printer and a method of using the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an inkjet printer that ejects ink around the range where a printed material (recording medium) is placed on a table on which the printed material is placed is known. In such an inkjet printer, ink is ejected around the range where the printed material is placed for the purpose of positioning the printed material or the like. Patent Document 1 discloses a printing apparatus including a table on which a base (substrate) on which a printed material is placed is placed, and an ink head that ejects photocurable ink. In such a printing apparatus, photocurable ink is ejected based on data of the contour line of the printed material, and a frame into which the printed material is fitted is manufactured on the base. Printing on the printed material is executed in a state where the printed material is fitted into the frame. As a result, it becomes unnecessary to manufacture a positioning jig for positioning the printed material.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, there are cases where printing is performed on a printed material different from the printed material corresponding to the manufactured frame. In such a case, the printed material cannot be fitted into the frame. Therefore, it is necessary to newly manufacture a frame into which the printed material is fitted. At this time, the operator removes the base on which the frame is manufactured and installs a new base. Such work is a burden on the operator.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to provide an inkjet printer in which the burden of replacing a substrate onto which ink is ejected is reduced.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The inkjet printer according to the present invention includes a mounting table on which a recording medium is placed, an ink head disposed above the mounting table for ejecting photocurable ink, a light irradiation device disposed above the mounting table for irradiating light toward the photocurable ink ejected by the ink head, and a moving mechanism for relatively moving the mounting table and the ink head. The mounting table has a hydrophobic ink substrate on at least the surface facing the ink head.

[0007] According to the inkjet printer of the present invention, the ink head and the mounting table move relatively, and the photocurable ink is ejected toward the hydrophobic ink substrate. When the ejected photocurable ink is irradiated with light from the light irradiation device, the photocurable ink on the hydrophobic ink substrate cures. Here, the hydrophobic ink substrate has relatively poor adhesion of the photocurable ink. Therefore, for example, when an operator applies an adhesive roller or the like to the photocurable ink on the hydrophobic ink substrate, the photocurable ink can be easily peeled off from the hydrophobic ink substrate. Thus, the photocurable ink can be ejected again onto the hydrophobic ink substrate without replacing the hydrophobic ink substrate.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an inkjet printer in which the burden of replacing a substrate onto which ink is ejected is reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings as appropriate, preferred embodiments of an inkjet printer (hereinafter simply referred to as "printer") according to the present invention will be described. It should be noted that the embodiments described here are not intended to limit the present invention in particular. Also, members and parts having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping explanations are omitted or simplified as appropriate. In this specification, the "inkjet printer" refers to printers in general that use printing methods based on conventionally known inkjet technologies, for example, continuous methods such as binary deflection method or continuous deflection method, thermal method, or various on-demand methods such as piezoelectric element method.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the printer 10. FIG. 2 is a front view of the printer 10 with the front cover 13 open. In the following description, "left," "right," "up," and "down" respectively mean left, right, up, and down as viewed from an operator (a user of the printer 10) in front of the printer 10. The direction approaching the operator from the printer 10 is the front, and the direction moving away is the rear. Also, in the drawings, the reference signs F, Rr, L, R, U, and D respectively represent the front, rear, left, right, up, and down. The reference signs X, Y, and Z in the drawings respectively represent the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction. However, these are merely directions for convenience of explanation and do not limit the installation form of the printer 10 in any way.

[0012] The printer 10 is a device that receives print data from an external device such as a host computer and prints an image on a recording medium 25a based on the print data. The shape and material of the recording medium 25a are not particularly limited. The material of the recording medium 25a may be not only papers such as plain paper and inkjet printing paper, but also, for example, resins such as polyvinyl chloride, acrylic, polycarbonate, polyester, polystyrene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymer, fabrics such as woven and non-woven fabrics, leather, metals such as aluminum and stainless steel, carbon, pottery, ceramics, glass, rubber, etc. Also, in this specification, "image" refers to an image formed on the recording medium 25a, and its content is not particularly limited. The image includes characters, numbers, symbols, figures, patterns, etc.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes a printer main body 10a, a guide rail 18, a carriage moving mechanism 20, a carriage 19, an ink head 22, an ink cartridge 21, a light irradiation device 23, a table moving mechanism 26, a table 25, and a control device 90. Each component will be described below.

[0014] The printer main body 10a is formed in a box shape extending in the left - right direction Y. The printer main body 10a includes a casing 12 having an opening 11 and a front cover 13 that covers the opening 11 in an openable and closable manner. The front cover 13 is supported on the upper surface of the casing 12 so as to be rotatable about the rear end as an axis. When the front cover 13 is opened upward about the rear end as an axis, the internal space of the casing 12 and the external space communicate with each other.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the guide rail 18 is provided above the table 25. The guide rail 18 is fixed to the casing 12 and extends in the left - right direction Y. A carriage 19 is slidably provided on the guide rail 18. The guide rail 18 guides the movement of the carriage 19 in the left - right direction Y. The carriage 19 is configured to be movable in the left - right direction (main scanning direction) Y by a carriage movement mechanism 20. When printing is not being performed, the carriage 19 waits at the position of the home position HP. The home position HP is, for example, the position at the right end of the guide rail 18.

[0016] The carriage movement mechanism 20 is configured to relatively move the carriage 19 in the left - right direction Y with respect to the table 25. The carriage movement mechanism 20 is an example of the movement mechanism in the present invention. The carriage movement mechanism 20 includes a pair of pulleys 20a disposed at the right end and the left end of the guide rail 18, a belt 20b, and a carriage motor 20c (see FIG. 5) connected to the pulley 20a. The carriage 19 is fixed to the belt 20b. The belt 20b is wound around the pair of pulleys 20a. The carriage motor 20c is connected to one of the pair of pulleys 20a. The carriage motor 20c is electrically connected to the control device 90 and is controlled by the control device 90. When the carriage motor 20c is driven, the pulley 20a rotates and the belt 20b runs. Thereby, the carriage 19 moves in the left - right direction Y along the guide rail 18. However, the mechanism described here is only an example, and the configuration of the carriage movement mechanism 20 is not particularly limited.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage 19 is equipped with an ink head 22 and two light irradiation devices 23. The ink heads 22 are arranged in the left-right direction Y. However, the arrangement of the ink heads 22 is not particularly limited. By driving the carriage motor 20c (see FIG. 5), the belt 20b runs and the carriage 19 moves in the left-right direction Y. Along with this, the plurality of ink heads 22 and the plurality of light irradiation devices 23 mounted on the carriage 19 move in the left-right direction Y.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the bottom surface of the carriage 19. As shown in FIG. 3, the ink head 22 is formed in a shape where the length in the front-rear direction X is longer than the length in the left-right direction Y. The plurality of ink heads 22 are formed in the same shape and the same size. The ink head 22 includes a plurality of first nozzles 22a arranged in the front-rear direction X, a plurality of second nozzles 22b arranged in the front-rear direction X, and a nozzle surface 22c on which the first nozzles 22a and the second nozzles 22b are formed. Since the first nozzles 22a and the second nozzles 22b are minute, in FIG. 3, the plurality of first nozzles 22a and the plurality of second nozzles 22b are represented by straight lines. The first nozzles 22a and the second nozzles 22b of the ink head 22 discharge photocurable ink onto the recording medium 25a (see FIG. 2). In the present embodiment, the printer 10 includes three ink heads 22, but the number of ink heads 22 is not limited to three. Also, the ink head 22 includes two rows of nozzles, the first nozzles 22a and the second nozzles 22b, but may include one row of nozzles or three or more rows of nozzles. Also, in the following description, for the common description of the first nozzles 22a and the second nozzles 22b, they will be appropriately described as nozzles 22a, 22b. The ink head 22 is electrically connected to the control device 90 (see FIG. 1). The discharge of ink by the nozzles 22a, 22b is controlled by the control device 90. Each of the ink heads 22 communicates with an ink cartridge 21 (see FIG. 2) by a flexible ink tube (not shown).

[0019] The ink cartridge 21 shown in FIG. 2 is a container for storing ultraviolet-curable ink. The ink cartridge 21 stores a photocurable ink containing a polymerizable compound and a polymerization initiator. The ultraviolet-curable ink contains coloring materials such as pigments.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the light irradiation device 23 is provided on the carriage 19. The light irradiation device 23 is disposed above the table 25. The light irradiation device 23 irradiates light (typically ultraviolet light) toward the photocurable ink ejected onto the recording medium 25a. Thereby, an ink layer is formed on the recording medium 25a. In the present embodiment, the light irradiation devices 23 are respectively disposed one on each of the right and left sides of the carriage 19. However, the number of the light irradiation devices 23 is not particularly limited. The carriage 19 may be provided with one or three or more light irradiation devices 23. Further, the light irradiation device 23 may not be provided on the carriage 19. For example, the light irradiation device 23 may be mounted on a carriage different from the carriage 19, or may be directly or indirectly provided on the wall surface of the casing 12 or the like. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, each of the light irradiation devices 23 includes a plurality of ultraviolet lamps 23a. The ultraviolet lamp 23a is constituted by, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), a fluorescent lamp (low-pressure mercury lamp), a high-pressure mercury lamp, or the like. The plurality of ultraviolet lamps 23a are arranged side by side in the left-right direction Y and the front-rear direction X. However, the arrangement of the ultraviolet lamps 23a is not limited thereto. The ultraviolet lamps 23a may be arranged side by side only in one of the left-right direction Y and the front-rear direction X, or only one ultraviolet lamp 23a may be arranged. The light irradiation device 23 is electrically connected to the control device 90 and is controlled by the control device 90.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the table moving mechanism 26 is configured to relatively move the table 25 in the front-rear direction X with respect to the carriage 19. The table moving mechanism 26 is an example of the moving mechanism in the present invention. The table moving mechanism 26 includes two slide rails 26a and 26b, a conveying member 26c, and a conveying motor 26d (see FIG. 5). The slide rails 26a and 26b extend in parallel along the front-rear direction X. The conveying member 26c is slidably provided with respect to the slide rails 26a and 26b. The table 25 is supported above the conveying member 26c. The conveying motor 26d is electrically connected to the control device 90 and is controlled by the control device 90. When the conveying motor 26d is driven, the conveying member 26c moves along the slide rails 26a and 26b. Thereby, the table 25 moves in the front-rear direction X. However, the mechanism described here is only an example, and the configuration of the table moving mechanism 26 is not particularly limited.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the table 25 is a base on which the jig 70 and the water-repellent ink substrate 60 are placed. As shown in FIG. 2, the table 25 is disposed below the carriage 19. The table 25 is a flat plate-like member and has a flat surface in a front view. The printer 10 is a so-called flatbed type printer. The table 25 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction X by the table moving mechanism 26.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the periphery of the table 25. As shown in FIG. 4, the table 25 is provided with a jig 70. The jig 70 is an example of the mounting table in the present invention. The jig 70 is placed on the upper surface 25U of the table 25. The jig 70 is a jig used when positioning the recording medium 25a (see FIG. 2) or when performing seamless printing up to the end of the recording medium 25a. The jig 70 includes a mounting plate 71, mounting screws 72, a base member 73, and a hydrophobic ink base material 60. The mounting plate 71 is formed in a shape where the length in the left-right direction Y is longer than the length in the front-rear direction X. However, the shape of the mounting plate 71 is not limited to this. The mounting plate 71 is formed of, for example, acrylic. The mounting screw 72 is a screw for fixing the mounting plate 71 to the table 25. In the present embodiment, four mounting screws 72 are provided, but the number of mounting screws 72 is not particularly limited. Screw holes (not shown) for mounting the mounting screws 72 are formed in the upper surface 25U of the table 25. The base member 73 is a member fixed to the mounting plate 71 and into which the hydrophobic ink base material 60 is fitted. The base member 73 is an example of the mounting table body in the present invention. The lower surface of the base member 73 is fixed to the mounting plate 71. The base member 73 has a recess 73a recessed downward from the upper surface. The hydrophobic ink base material 60 is fitted into the recess 73a. The base member 73 is, for example, a resin member. However, the material forming the base member 73 is not particularly limited. Note that the mounting plate 71 and the base member 73 may be integrally formed.

[0024] The ink-repellent substrate 60 is attached to the base member 73. The ink-repellent substrate 60 is disposed to face the ink head 22 and the light irradiation device 23. The ink-repellent substrate 60 has a rectangular shape in plan view. However, the shape of the ink-repellent substrate 60 is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, the ink-repellent substrate 60 is formed of silicone rubber. However, the material forming the ink-repellent substrate 60 is not limited to silicone rubber. The ink-repellent substrate 60 may be formed of, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, fluororesin, or the like. The ink-repellent substrate 60 is formed of a material on which photocurable ink is relatively difficult to adhere. Preferably, the contact angle of the ink-repellent substrate 60 with respect to the photocurable ink is 90 degrees to 150 degrees. Although details will be described later, at this time, an ink layer having a desired shape is formed by the photocurable ink discharged onto the ink-repellent substrate 60. However, for example, by adhering an adhesive object to the ink layer, the photocurable ink can be peeled off from the ink-repellent substrate 60.

[0025] In the present embodiment, the ink-repellent substrate 60 has self-adsorbing properties. Therefore, the ink-repellent substrate 60 has the property of being able to adsorb to the base member 73. More specifically, by aligning the lower surface of the ink-repellent substrate 60 and the bottom surface of the concave portion 73a, the ink-repellent substrate 60 is brought into close contact with the concave portion 73a. Therefore, by adsorbing or detaching the ink-repellent substrate 60 and the base member 73, the ink-repellent substrate 60 is detachably provided on the base member 73. Further, in the present embodiment, it is also possible to remove the ink-repellent substrate 60 from the table 25 by removing the mounting screw 72 of the jig 70 and removing the jig 70 from the table 25. The method of attaching and detaching the ink-repellent substrate 60 is not limited to these.

[0026] Among the ink-repellent substrates 60, at least the surface facing the ink head 22 is colored with a color having a color difference from the color of the test pattern P1 (see FIG. 6) described later that is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The upper surface 60a of the ink-repellent substrate 60 faces the ink head 22. In the present embodiment, the entire upper surface 60a of the ink-repellent substrate 60 is colored with the same color. The color difference from the test pattern P1 will be described later. In the present embodiment, the ink-repellent substrate 60 is colored, for example, gray.

[0027] Among the ink-repellent substrates 60, at least the surface facing the light irradiation device 23 is subjected to a matte finish. In the present embodiment, the upper surface 60a of the ink-repellent substrate 60 is subjected to a matte finish. The upper surface 60a of the ink-repellent substrate 60 faces the light irradiation device 23. The matte finish can be realized, for example, by adjusting the surface roughness of the upper surface 60a. However, the method of the matte finish is not particularly limited and can be realized by a known method. Note that the entire upper surface 60a does not necessarily have to be subjected to the matte finish. The matte finish is performed at least on the surface facing the light irradiation device 23. That is, only the range of the upper surface 60a that can be irradiated with light by the light irradiation device 23 may be subjected to the matte finish.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes a control device 90. The control device 90 is a device that controls the ink head 22, the carriage movement mechanism 20, and the table movement mechanism 26. The configuration of the control device 90 is not particularly limited. The control device 90 is, for example, a microcomputer. Although the hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited, for example, an interface (I / F) that receives print data and the like from an external device such as a host computer, a central processing unit (CPU) that executes instructions of a control program, a ROM (read only memory) that stores the program executed by the CPU, a RAM (random access memory) used as a working area for expanding the program, and a storage device such as a memory that stores the above program and various data. In the present embodiment, the control device 90 is provided inside the printer main body 10a. However, the control device 90 does not necessarily have to be provided inside the printer main body 10a, and may be, for example, a computer installed outside the printer main body 10a. In this case, the control device 90 is communicably connected to the printer main body 10a via wire or wirelessly.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the control device 90 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 90 is electrically connected to the ink head 22, the light irradiation device 23, the carriage motor 20c, and the conveyance motor 26d. The control device 90 includes a test print control unit 91, a first storage unit 92, a positioning print control unit 93, a second storage unit 94, and a borderless print control unit 95. In the following description, the recording medium 25a is a three-dimensional object having transparency such as a smartphone case.

[0030] The test print control unit 91 prints a test pattern P1 (see FIG. 6) on the ink-repellent substrate 60. Here, the test pattern is, for example, a pattern printed to check for clogging of the nozzles 22a, 22b (see FIG. 3) of the ink head 22. The test pattern P1 is printed, for example, before printing an image on the recording medium 25a. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the test pattern P1 printed on the ink-repellent substrate 60. As shown in FIG. 6, the test pattern P1 has pattern columns PM, PY, PC, PK, and PW. Hereinafter, the pattern columns PM, PY, PC, PK, and PW will be appropriately referred to as pattern columns PM to PW. The pattern columns PM to PW are each formed by ink dots of magenta ink, yellow ink, cyan ink, black ink, and white ink. The pattern columns PM to PW each have print lines L1 to L10. The print lines L1 to L10 are formed by the ink head 22 and the light irradiation device 23 moving in the left-right direction Y, and the photocurable ink being discharged and cured on the ink-repellent substrate 60. Although the number of print lines in FIG. 6 is 10, actually, a much larger number of print lines are formed. The operator determines the presence or absence of clogging of the nozzles 22a, 22b by checking for any areas where the print lines L1 to L10 are not printed (so-called nozzle dropout) in the printed test pattern P1. The confirmation of the presence or absence of nozzle dropout may be performed, for example, by a sensor that reads the test pattern. In the present embodiment, as described above, the color difference between the pattern columns PM to PW of the test pattern P1 and the ink-repellent substrate 60 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Here, the predetermined value may be determined as appropriate. The predetermined value is determined, for example, so that the difference between the C component, M component, and Y component of the color of the test pattern P1 and the C component, M component, and Y component of the color of the ink-repellent substrate 60 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In the present embodiment, the colors of the pattern columns PM to PW of the test pattern P1 are the colors of the inks forming the respective ink dots. Therefore, for example, the color of the ink-repellent substrate 60 is determined so that the color difference between the pattern columns PM to PW of the test pattern P1 and the ink-repellent substrate 60 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.Note that the color difference between any one or two or more of the pattern columns PM to PW and the ink-repellent substrate 60 may be equal to or greater than a predetermined value. For example, the color difference between the pattern columns PY, PW and the ink-repellent substrate 60 may be equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In this embodiment, the test pattern P1 is a pattern for checking the presence or absence of clogging of the nozzles 22a, 22b (see FIG. 3), but it is not limited thereto. The test pattern P1 may be, for example, a pattern printed for setting a correction value of the ink ejection position in bidirectional printing, or a pattern printed for adjusting the position of the ink head 22 when the ink head 22 is replaced. The color of the pattern printed for setting the correction value of the ink ejection position in bidirectional printing is not particularly limited.

[0031] The first storage unit 92 shown in FIG. 5 stores first print data DT1 (see FIG. 7) including data of a positioning pattern for specifying a position where the recording medium 25a is placed. The first storage unit 92 is composed of, for example, a non-volatile storage area. The first print data DT1 is data obtained, for example, by subjecting print data of an image to be printed to RIP (Raster Image Processor) processing. The RIP processing can be executed, for example, by a processing device (not shown) connected to the printer 10 wirelessly or by wire. The processing device may have, for example, an application for executing the RIP processing. The method by which the first storage unit 92 acquires the first print data DT1 is not particularly limited. For example, the first print data DT1 may be stored in the first storage unit 92 by communication between the processing device that executes the RIP processing and the control device 90. Alternatively, the first print data DT1 may be stored in the first storage unit 92 via a network connecting the processing device and the control device 90.

[0032] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the first print data DT1. For convenience of explanation, the first print data DT1 is illustrated, but the first print data DT1 is actually electronic data formed by electronic information. The printing site 205 is the site where the recording medium 25a (see FIG. 2) is arranged. That is, in the first print data DT1 shown in FIG. 7, 16 recording media 25a are set to be arranged. Note that the plurality of recording media 25a printed at one time may be the same type of recording media 25a or different types of recording media 25a. The positioning pattern 210 is a pattern printed to specify the position where the recording medium 25a is placed. In the present embodiment, the positioning pattern 210 has the same shape as the image printed on the recording medium 25a. In the present embodiment, as described above, the recording medium 25a has transparency. Therefore, when the recording medium 25a is placed above the printed positioning pattern 210, the operator can visually recognize the positioning pattern 210 through the recording medium 25a. Therefore, the position of the recording medium 25a can be determined while visually recognizing at which position on the recording medium 25a the image is printed. Note that the positioning pattern 210 does not have to be exactly the same as the image printed on the recording medium 25a. For example, the positioning pattern 210 may have fewer types of colors used than the image printed on the recording medium 25a. Alternatively, the positioning pattern 210 may be printed with a lower resolution than the image printed on the recording medium 25a.

[0033] The positioning print control unit 93 prints the positioning pattern 210 based on the data of the positioning pattern 210 of the recording medium 25a. That is, the positioning print control unit 93 performs the printing for positioning the recording medium 25a. The positioning print control unit 93 executes printing on the ink-repellent base material 60 based on the data of the positioning pattern 210 stored in the first storage unit 92. That is, the positioning print control unit 93 controls the carriage movement mechanism 20, the table movement mechanism 26, and the ink head 22 to print the positioning pattern 210 on the ink-repellent base material 60. Thereafter, the positioning print control unit 93 irradiates the positioning pattern 210 with light by the light irradiation device 23 to cure the positioning pattern 210.

[0034] The second storage unit 94 shown in FIG. 5 stores second print data DT2 (see FIG. 8), which is data for executing borderless printing. The second storage unit 94 is constituted by, for example, a non-volatile storage area. Here, borderless printing is a method of printing in a range having a size larger than the size of the recording medium 25a. In borderless printing, ink is ejected without any margin up to the end of the recording medium 25a. In order to eject ink without any margin on the recording medium 25a, in borderless printing, ink is ejected in a range obtained by adding a margin (overhang amount) to the range of the outer shape of the recording medium 25a. The margin is, for example, a width of about several millimeters outward from the outer shape of the recording medium 25a. By ejecting ink up to a range of several millimeters outside the end of the recording medium 25a, ink can be surely ejected to the end of the recording medium 25a. The second print data DT2 is data obtained, for example, by subjecting print data of an image to be printed to RIP processing. The RIP processing can be executed by, for example, a processing device connected to the printer 10 wirelessly or by wire. The processing device may, for example, have an application for executing the RIP processing. The method by which the second storage unit 94 acquires the second print data DT2 is not particularly limited. For example, the second print data DT2 may be stored in the second storage unit 94 by the processing device that executes the RIP processing communicating with the control device 90. Alternatively, the second print data DT2 may be stored in the second storage unit 94 via a network connecting the processing device and the control device 90. Note that the second storage unit 94 may be the same storage area as the first storage unit 92.

[0035] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the second print data DT2. For convenience of explanation, the second print data DT2 is illustrated, but the second print data DT2 is actually electronic data formed by electronic information. The printing portion 305 is the portion where the recording medium 25a is disposed. That is, in the second print data DT2 shown in FIG. 8, 16 recording media 25a are set to be arranged. Note that the plurality of recording media 25a printed at one time may be the same type of recording medium 25a or different types of recording media 25a. The ejection range 310 is the range in which the photocurable ink is ejected by borderless printing. The ejection range 310 is larger than the printing portion 305. More specifically, the ejection range 310 is a range obtained by adding a margin outside the outer shape of the printing portion 305 in a plan view. Therefore, the second print data DT2 is data for printing a range larger than the size of the recording medium 25a.

[0036] The borderless printing control unit 95 executes borderless printing on the ink-repellent base material 60 based on the second print data DT2 stored in the second storage unit. That is, the borderless printing control unit 95 controls the carriage moving mechanism 20, the table moving mechanism 26, and the ink head 22 to eject the photocurable ink in a range corresponding to the ejection range 310 on the ink-repellent base material 60. Thereafter, the borderless printing control unit 95 irradiates the photocurable ink with light by the light irradiation device 23 to cure the photocurable ink.

[0037] The configuration of the printer 10 according to the present embodiment has been described above. Next, an operation of peeling off the photocurable ink after printing on the ink-repellent substrate 60 by the printer 10 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure for peeling off the photocurable ink after printing on the ink-repellent substrate 60. Here, a case of printing the test pattern P1 (see FIG. 6) on the ink-repellent substrate 60, a case of printing the positioning pattern 210 (see FIG. 7) on the ink-repellent substrate 60, and a case of performing borderless printing on the ink-repellent substrate 60 will be described. In the following description, a procedure for printing the test pattern P1 on the ink-repellent substrate 60 will be described. For the case of printing the positioning pattern 210 on the ink-repellent substrate 60 and the case of performing borderless printing on the ink-repellent substrate 60, since there are overlapping parts in the operations with the case of printing the test pattern P1 on the ink-repellent substrate 60, the description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0038] In step S101, the test print control unit 91 drives the conveyance motor 26d of the table moving mechanism 26 to move the table 25 in the front-rear direction X. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the test print control unit 91 moves the table 25 so that the position where the test pattern P1 on the ink-repellent substrate 60 is formed and the position of the ink head 22 overlap in the front-rear direction X.

[0039] In step S102, the test print control unit 91 discharges the photocurable ink from the ink head 22 onto the ink-repellent substrate 60. The test print control unit 91 drives the carriage motor 20c to move the ink head 22 in the left-right direction Y, and controls the ink head 22 to discharge the photocurable ink so as to form the pattern columns PM to PW.

[0040] In step S103, the test print control unit 91 controls the light irradiation device 23 to irradiate the photocurable ink on the ink-repellent substrate 60 with light. Thereby, the test pattern P1 is formed on the ink-repellent substrate 60. It should be noted that between step S103 and step S104, it is confirmed whether nozzle clogging has occurred in the test pattern P1.

[0041] In step S104, the operator peels off the photocurable ink ejected onto the ink-repellent substrate 60. The method of peeling off the photocurable ink is not particularly limited, and for example, it is performed using a commercially available adhesive roller 500 (see FIG. 10). FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of peeling off the photocurable ink by the adhesive roller 500. As shown in FIG. 10, the operator moves the adhesive roller 500 while pressing it against the upper surface 60a of the ink-repellent substrate 60. In FIG. 10, the photocurable ink K is ejected onto the upper surface 60a of the ink-repellent substrate 60. The adhesive roller 500 has an adhesive surface 500a having adhesiveness. The adhesive surface 500a rotates on the ink-repellent substrate 60. At this time, the photocurable ink K adheres to the adhesive surface 500a. Thereby, the photocurable ink K forming the test pattern P1 (see FIG. 6) is peeled off from the ink-repellent substrate 60. In step S104, the operator may peel off the photocurable ink from the ink-repellent substrate 60 using, for example, an adhesive tape or a sponge roller.

[0042] Next, the case of printing the positioning pattern 210 on the ink-repellent substrate 60 will be described. When printing the positioning pattern 210 on the ink-repellent substrate 60, in steps S101 to S103, the positioning print control unit 93 controls the carriage movement mechanism 20, the table movement mechanism 26, the ink head 22, and the light irradiation device 23. In step S102, the positioning print control unit 93 executes printing on the ink-repellent substrate 60 based on the first print data DT1 stored in the first storage unit 92. Therefore, the positioning pattern 210 is printed on the ink-repellent substrate 60. In step S103, the light irradiation device 23 irradiates light toward the positioning pattern 210, whereby the positioning pattern 210 is cured. The positioning pattern 210 is used for positioning the recording medium 25a. Between step S103 and step S104, the recording medium 25a is arranged in accordance with the positioning pattern 210, and printing on the recording medium 25a is executed. After the printing is executed, in step S104, the photocurable ink is peeled off from the ink-repellent substrate 60.

[0043] Next, the case of borderless printing on the ink-repellent substrate 60 will be described. When performing borderless printing on the ink-repellent substrate 60, in steps S101 to S103, the borderless printing control unit 95 controls the carriage movement mechanism 20, the table movement mechanism 26, the ink head 22, and the light irradiation device 23. Also, when borderless printing is executed, the recording medium 25a is placed on the ink-repellent substrate 60. The recording medium 25a is placed in a range corresponding to the printing portion 305. In step S102, the borderless printing control unit 95 executes printing on the ink-repellent substrate 60 based on the second print data DT2 stored in the second storage unit 94. Accordingly, the photocurable ink is discharged in a range corresponding to the discharge range 310. At this time, the photocurable ink adheres to the end of the recording medium 25a. Also, the photocurable ink adheres to the ink-repellent substrate 60 by the margin set in the second print data DT2. The adhered photocurable ink is peeled off from the ink-repellent substrate 60 in step S104.

[0044] Note that, in order to place the recording medium 25a in a range corresponding to the printing portion 305 in borderless printing, a positioning pattern 210 may be printed. That is, after performing the operation of printing the positioning pattern 210 on the ink-repellent substrate 60, the operation of performing borderless printing on the ink-repellent substrate 60 may be executed without peeling off the photocurable ink (without executing step S104).

[0045] As described above, according to the printer 10 of the present embodiment, the test print control unit 91, the positioning print control unit 93, or the borderless print control unit 95 moves the ink head 22 and the table 25, and discharges the photocurable ink from the ink head 22 onto the ink-repellent substrate 60. When the discharged photocurable ink is irradiated with light from the light irradiation device 23, the photocurable ink on the ink-repellent substrate 60 cures. Here, the ink-repellent substrate 60 has relatively poor ink-fixing properties for the photocurable ink. Therefore, by the operator pressing an adhesive roller 500 or the like onto the ink-repellent substrate 60, the photocurable ink can be peeled off from the ink-repellent substrate 60. As a result, the photocurable ink can be discharged again onto the ink-repellent substrate 60 without replacing the ink-repellent substrate 60. Also, when it is difficult to peel off the photocurable ink, the substrate on which the ink has been discharged by the test print control unit 91 or the like cannot be used for subsequent printing or the like. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a new substrate. However, in the present embodiment, since the ink-repellent substrate 60 can be reused, the consumption amount of the substrate onto which the photocurable ink is discharged can also be reduced.

[0046] According to the above-described embodiment, the ink-repellent substrate 60 is detachably provided on the base member 73. By adsorbing or releasing the adsorption between the ink-repellent substrate 60 and the base member 73, the ink-repellent substrate 60 can be detached. Therefore, for example, when the ink-repellent substrate 60 is not used, the ink-repellent substrate 60 can be removed and the printer 10 can be used.

[0047] According to the above-described embodiment, the ink-repellent substrate 60 has self-adsorbing properties. As a result, when the ink-repellent substrate 60 is placed in the concave portion 73a of the base member 73, displacement of the ink-repellent substrate 60 is suppressed. Here, during printing, if the position of the ink-repellent substrate 60 is displaced, the photocurable ink is not ejected to the desired position. Therefore, it is preferable that the position of the ink-repellent substrate 60 does not shift during printing. In the present embodiment, since the ink-repellent substrate 60 has self-adsorbing properties, displacement of the ink-repellent substrate 60 is suppressed simply by attaching the ink-repellent substrate 60. Therefore, an operator does not need to use an adhesive or the like when attaching the ink-repellent substrate 60. As a result, the burden on the operator when attaching the ink-repellent substrate 60 can be relatively reduced. Further, since the ink-repellent substrate 60 has self-adsorbing properties, displacement of the recording medium 25a placed on the ink-repellent substrate 60 is suppressed. Therefore, an operator does not need to use a jig or the like for fixing the recording medium 25a on the ink-repellent substrate 60. As a result, the burden on the operator when placing the recording medium 25a can also be relatively reduced.

[0048] According to the above-described embodiment, the upper surface 60a of the ink-repellent substrate 60 is subjected to matte processing. The upper surface 60a of the ink-repellent substrate 60 faces the light irradiation device 23. Therefore, even when the light irradiated from the light irradiation device 23 hits the upper surface 60a of the ink-repellent substrate 60, reflection of the light is suppressed. Here, if the light irradiated from the light irradiation device 23 is reflected near the nozzles 22a and 22b of the ink head 22, the photocurable ink near the nozzles 22a and 22b may be cured, and clogging may occur in the nozzles 22a and 22b. Therefore, by subjecting the upper surface 60a of the ink-repellent substrate 60 to matte processing, the occurrence of clogging of the nozzles 22a and 22b is suppressed.

[0049] According to the above-described embodiment, the control device 90 includes a test printing control unit 91. The test printing control unit 91 prints a test pattern P1 on the ink-repellent base material 60. An operator can check the presence or absence of nozzle clogging of the ink head 22 based on the test pattern P1 printed on the ink-repellent base material 60. After checking the test pattern P1, the operator can peel off the photocurable ink by applying an adhesive roller 500 or the like to the printed test pattern P1. Therefore, the test pattern P1 can be peeled off from the ink-repellent base material 60 relatively easily. The ink-repellent base material 60 from which the test pattern P1 has been peeled off can be reused. Therefore, even when printing the test pattern P1, the photocurable ink can be discharged again onto the ink-repellent base material 60 without replacing the ink-repellent base material 60.

[0050] According to the above-described embodiment, the upper surface 60a of the ink-repellent base material 60 is colored, for example, gray. The upper surface 60a of the ink-repellent base material 60 is colored with a color such that the color difference from the color of the test pattern P1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Thereby, an operator can relatively easily visually recognize the pattern columns PM to PW of the test pattern P1. That is, when the operator checks the test pattern P1, it is relatively easy to determine the presence or absence of nozzle clogging.

[0051] According to the above-described embodiment, the control device 90 includes a positioning printing control unit 93. The positioning printing control unit 93 prints a positioning pattern 210 on the ink-repellent base material 60 based on the first printing data DT1 stored in the first storage unit 92. An operator positions the recording medium 25a using the positioning pattern 210. Here, for example, after printing an image on the recording medium 25a, there may be a case of printing on a recording medium 25a having a different outer shape. At this time, the operator can reuse the ink-repellent base material 60 by peeling off the positioning pattern 210 printed on the ink-repellent base material 60. Therefore, even when positioning the recording medium 25a, the photocurable ink can be discharged again onto the ink-repellent base material 60 without replacing the ink-repellent base material 60.

[0052] According to the above-described embodiment, the control device 90 includes a borderless printing control unit 95. The borderless printing control unit 95 performs borderless printing on the ink-repellent base material 60 based on the second print data DT2 stored in the second storage unit 94. By performing borderless printing, the photocurable ink is ejected to the end of the recording medium 25a. Here, the ejection range 310 in the second print data DT2 is wider than the printing portion 305. Therefore, when printing is performed based on the second print data DT2, the photocurable ink is ejected outside the recording medium 25a and adheres to the ink-repellent base material 60. However, by peeling off the photocurable ink ejected outside the recording medium 25a with an adhesive roller 500 or the like, the ink-repellent base material 60 can be used again. Therefore, even when performing borderless printing, the photocurable ink can be ejected again on the ink-repellent base material 60 without replacing the ink-repellent base material 60.

[0053] The above is an explanation of one embodiment of the present invention. However, the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present invention can be implemented in various other forms.

[0054] In the above-described embodiment, the ink-repellent base material 60 was attached to the jig 70, but it is not limited thereto. For example, all or part of the upper surface 25U of the table 25 may be formed of the ink-repellent base material 60. At this time, the table 25 is an example of the mounting table in the present invention. Alternatively, the ink-repellent base material 60 may be directly placed on the table 25 without using the jig 70. At this time, the table 25 is an example of the mounting table body. When the ink-repellent base material 60 is directly placed on the table 25, it is preferable that the sizes of the ink-repellent base material 60 in the left-right direction Y and the front-rear direction X are relatively large. At this time, since the weight and the contact area of the ink-repellent base material 60 become relatively large, the positions of the ink-repellent base material 60 in the left-right direction Y and the front-rear direction X on the table 25 are less likely to shift.

[0055] In the above-described embodiment, the jig 70 was a jig used when positioning the recording medium 25a or when performing borderless printing, but it is not limited thereto. The jig may be, for example, one that supports and rotates a recording medium having a cylindrical shape. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a jig 70A according to another embodiment. The jig 70A includes a frame member 74, a rotating member 75, a drive unit case 76, a light-shielding member 77, and a fixing unit 78. The frame member 74 is configured in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape with a part of the upper surface open. The rotating member 75 is composed of a shaft 75a extending in the left-right direction Y and a plurality of rollers 75b inserted through the shaft 75a. In FIG. 11, two rotating members 75 are supported by the frame member 74. A recording medium 25aa having a cylindrical shape is supported by the two rotating members 75. The shaft 75a rotates when driven by a drive unit (not shown) having a motor or the like. When the shaft 75a rotates, the recording medium 25aa rotates without moving in the front-rear direction X. By rotating the recording medium 25aa and discharging ink from the ink head 22 (see FIG. 2), an image can be printed on the recording medium 25aa. The drive unit is disposed inside the drive unit case 76. The light-shielding member 77 is attached to the drive unit case 76 and is a member that shields light irradiated from the light irradiation device 23 (see FIG. 2). In FIG. 11, the ink-repellent base material 60A is placed on the upper surface 74U of the frame member 74. Note that the ink-repellent base material 60A may be placed on a part of the upper surface 74U or on the entire upper surface 74U. The ink-repellent base material 60 can be attached and detached by adsorbing or releasing the adsorption between the ink-repellent base material 60 and the upper surface 74U. For example, a test print control unit 91 (see FIG. 5) can discharge photocurable ink onto the ink-repellent base material 60A placed on the upper surface 74U, thereby printing a test pattern P1 on the ink-repellent base material 60A. The same applies when the positioning print control unit 93 (see FIG. 5) and the borderless print control unit 95 (see FIG. 5) discharge photocurable ink. The discharged photocurable ink can be peeled off by an adhesion roller 500 (see FIG. 10) or the like in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.The jig 70A is configured to be detachable from the table 25 (see FIG. 4), for example, by attaching a screw or the like to the fixing portion 78. Note that the configuration of the jig 70A that supports and rotates the recording medium 25aa having a cylindrical shape is not limited to this. For example, all or part of the upper surface 74U of the frame member 74 may be formed of the ink-repellent base material 60A. Further, the ink-repellent base material 60A may be placed on the upper surface of the light-shielding member 77, for example, or all or part of the upper surface of the light-shielding member 77 may be formed of the ink-repellent base material 60A.

[0056] In the above-described embodiment, the positioning pattern 210 had the same shape as the image printed on the recording medium 25a, but it is not limited to this. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the first print data DT1A according to another embodiment. The first print data DT1A includes a positioning pattern 211. The positioning pattern 211 has an X-axis line 211a and a Y-axis line 211b. The X-axis line 211a is a line extending in the front-rear direction X. The Y-axis line 211b is a line extending in the left-right direction. The operator places the recording medium 25a with the center position in the plan view of the recording medium 25a aligned with the position of the intersection point TP of the X-axis line 211a and the Y-axis line 211b. Note that the positioning pattern 211 may be a pattern in which, in addition to the X-axis line 211a and the Y-axis line 211b, for example, a plurality of concentric circles centered on the intersection point TP or a grid formed of a plurality of lines parallel to the X-axis line 211a or the Y-axis line 211b are printed. The concentric circles and the grid are used, for example, for positioning the ends in the front-rear direction X and the left-right direction Y of the recording medium 25a, and for determining the angle of the recording medium 25a in the front-rear direction X with respect to the front-rear direction X of the ink-repellent base material 60 and the angle of the recording medium 25a in the left-right direction Y with respect to the left-right direction Y of the ink-repellent base material 60. Note that the first print data DT1A does not depend on the shape or color of the recording medium 25a. Therefore, as the first print data DT1A, for example, data stored in advance in the control device 90 can be used.

[0057] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of first print data DT1B according to another embodiment. The first print data DT1B includes a positioning pattern 212. The positioning pattern 212 has a rectangular shape in plan view. The positioning pattern 212 has, for example, a rectangular shape in which the length in the left-right direction Y is the same as the maximum length among the lengths in the left-right direction Y of the printing portion 205, and the length in the front-rear direction X is the same as the maximum length among the lengths in the front-rear direction X of the printing portion 205. For convenience of explanation, the positioning pattern 212 is arranged outside the printing portion 205 in plan view, but the positioning pattern 212 and the printing portion 205 may overlap. An operator places the recording medium 25a so that the positioning pattern 212 and the outer shape of the recording medium 25a overlap. The first print data DT1B is obtained, for example, by subjecting the print data of the image to be printed to RIP processing. By executing the RIP processing, the maximum length in the left-right direction Y of the printing portion 205 and the maximum length in the front-rear direction X of the printing portion 205 can be obtained. The data of the positioning pattern 212 can be obtained by setting the maximum length in the left-right direction Y of the printing portion 205 and the maximum length in the front-rear direction X of the printing portion 205 to the left-right direction Y and the front-rear direction X of the positioning pattern 212, respectively. Note that the positioning pattern 212 is not limited to a rectangular shape in plan view. The positioning pattern 212 may indicate the positions of the ends of the recording medium 25a in the left-right direction Y and / or the front-rear direction X. For example, when the recording medium 25a has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, it may be a mark indicating the four corner portions of the recording medium 25a in plan view.

[0058] In addition to the positioning patterns 211 and 212 described above, for example, the positioning pattern may be the outline of the recording medium 25a. The outline may be obtained, for example, by subjecting print data to RIP processing. Note that the outline may be exactly the same as the shape of the outline of the recording medium 25a, or may be a partially simplified version of the outline of the recording medium 25a. Further, the outline may have a predetermined width. When the outline has a predetermined width, the recording medium 25a may be placed, for example, in contact with the inside of the outline in plan view. Alternatively, the recording medium 25a may overlap the outline in plan view and may be placed in contact with the outside of the outline.

Explanation of Signs

[0059] 10 Inkjet printer 20 Carriage moving mechanism (moving mechanism) 22 Ink head 23 Light irradiation device 25a Recording medium 26 Table moving mechanism 60 Hydrophobic ink base material 70 Fixture (mounting table)

Claims

1. A mounting table on which a recording medium is placed, an ink head disposed above the mounting table and discharging a photocurable ink, a light irradiation device disposed above the mounting table and irradiating light toward the photocurable ink discharged by the ink head, and a moving mechanism for relatively moving the mounting table and the ink head, comprising: The mounting table has a hydrophobic ink base material on at least the surface facing the ink head, an inkjet printer.

2. The mounting table, a mounting table body, and the hydrophobic ink base material, comprising: The hydrophobic ink base material is detachably provided on the mounting table body. The inkjet printer according to claim 1.

3. The hydrophobic ink base material has self-adsorbing properties. The inkjet printer according to claim 2.

4. The ink head includes a plurality of nozzles for discharging the photocurable ink, The hydrophobic ink base material is subjected to matte processing on at least the surface facing the light irradiation device. The inkjet printer according to claim 1.

5. A control device for controlling the ink head and the moving mechanism, The control device includes a test printing control unit for printing a test pattern on the hydrophobic ink base material. The inkjet printer according to claim 1.

6. At least the surface of the hydrophobic ink base material facing the ink head is colored with a color having a color difference from the color of the test pattern of a predetermined value or more. The inkjet printer according to claim 5.

7. A control device for controlling the ink head and the moving mechanism, The control device, a first storage unit for storing first print data including data of a positioning pattern for specifying a position where the recording medium is placed, and a positioning printing control unit for printing the positioning pattern on the hydrophobic ink base material based on the data of the positioning pattern stored in the first storage unit. The inkjet printer according to claim 1.

8. A control device for controlling the ink head and the moving mechanism, The control device, a second storage unit for storing second print data which is data for printing a range having a size larger than the size of the recording medium, A borderless printing control unit that executes borderless printing that performs printing up to the end of the recording medium on the ink-repellent base material based on the second printing data stored in the second storage unit, and an inkjet printer according to claim 1.

9. A moving step of relatively moving a mounting table having an ink-repellent base material and an ink head that discharges ink; A discharging step of discharging a photocurable ink toward the ink-repellent base material; An irradiation step of irradiating light from a light irradiation device onto the discharged photocurable ink to cure the photocurable ink; A method of using an inkjet printer, including a peeling step of peeling the photocurable ink discharged onto the ink-repellent base material.

Images