Control system for equipment and control method for equipment

Abstract

To reduce energy consumption by controlling exhaust means and an air conditioning means.SOLUTION: A control system for equipment according to the present invention comprises: a liquid applying apparatus 200 including liquid applying means 3 for applying a liquid to a sheet S and a heating device 4 for heating the sheet S to which the liquid is applied; exhaust means 5 for exhausting air in a space 10 in which the liquid applying apparatus 200 is installed; air conditioning means 9 for adjusting an air environment in the space 10; and a control unit for controlling the exhaust means 5 and the air conditioning means 9 according to a state of the liquid applying apparatus 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system for facility equipment and a control method for facility equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A known liquid application device that applies a liquid to a sheet such as paper includes a drying device that dries the sheet after the liquid has been applied.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 (Patent Publication No. 5326091) proposes a method for reducing the energy demand of a drying system that dries print media immediately after printing by recovering the heat from the air discharged from the drying device and returning that heat to the drying device. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, although Patent Document 1 proposes the use of exhaust heat from a drying device, it does not consider the control of facility equipment such as an exhaust means and an air conditioning means.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to propose a control system and a control method for the exhaust means and air conditioning means of facility equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the control system for facility equipment of the present invention is characterized by comprising a liquid application device including a liquid application means for applying liquid to a sheet and a heating device for heating the sheet to which the liquid has been applied, an exhaust means for exhausting air from a space in which the liquid application device is installed, an air conditioning means for adjusting the air environment in the space, and a control unit for controlling the exhaust means and the air conditioning means according to the state of the liquid application device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the exhaust means and the air conditioning means can be controlled in accordance with the state of the liquid deposition device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an image forming facility according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration relating to image formation in a control system for controlling an image forming facility according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a heating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system for facility equipment according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an intake / exhaust amount setting table. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the intake and exhaust volume setting table. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the intake and exhaust volume setting table. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing yet another example of the intake and exhaust volume setting table. [Figure 11] 10 is a graph showing intake and exhaust volume settings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing for explaining the present invention, components such as members and components having the same function or shape are designated by the same reference numerals as far as they can be distinguished, and once they have been described, their description will be omitted.

[0010] <Overall configuration of image forming equipment> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an image forming facility 1000 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming facility 1000 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes an image forming apparatus 200, a sheet supplying unit 1, a sheet collecting unit 7, an exhaust unit 5, an air conditioning unit 9, and the like.

[0012] A plurality of image forming apparatuses 200 are installed in a space 10 partitioned by walls of a building or the like. The image forming apparatus 200 is an example of a liquid applying apparatus that applies liquid to a sheet. In this case, two image forming apparatuses 200 are installed, but the number of image forming apparatuses 200 may be one, or three or more.

[0013] In addition, in a space 10 in which the image forming apparatus 200 is installed (hereinafter referred to as the "facility space"), a plurality of sheet supplying means 1 and sheet collecting means 7 are installed in the same manner as the image forming apparatus 200.

[0014] The sheet supplying means 1 is a means for supplying a sheet S to the image forming apparatus 200. Here, the sheet supplying means 1 is provided with a supply roller 11 that supplies a roll-shaped sheet S. When the supply roller 11 rotates, the sheet S is unwound from the supply roller 11 and supplied. Note that the sheet S may be a pre-cut sheet of a predetermined size. In that case, the sheet supplying means 1 is a feed roller or the like that feeds out sheets of the predetermined size one by one.

[0015] The sheet collection means 7 is a means for collecting the sheet S discharged from the image forming apparatus 200. Here, a collection roller 15 that winds up and collects the sheet S is used as the sheet collection means 7. When the collection roller 15 rotates, the sheet S is wound up into a roll by the collection roller 15 and collected. Furthermore, if the sheet S is a sheet that has been cut in advance to a predetermined size, a discharge tray or the like is used as the sheet collection means 7, on which the sheets discharged outside the apparatus are stacked.

[0016] The exhaust means 5 includes an exhaust fan 31 that exhausts the air in the equipment space 10 to the outside. When the exhaust fan 31 is driven, the air in the equipment space 10 is exhausted to the outside (outside the equipment space 10). Note that instead of the exhaust fan 31, an exhaust means such as a blower may be used.

[0017] The air conditioning means 9 is a means for adjusting the air environment within the equipment space 10. Here, the air conditioning means 9 has an air supply fan 41 as the air supply means 6 that supplies air into the equipment space 10, a heater 43 as the heating means 16 that heats the supplied air, a humidifier 44 as the humidifying means 17 that humidifies the supplied air, and a dehumidifier 45 as the dehumidifying means 18 that dehumidifies the supplied air. When air from the outside (outside the equipment space 10) is taken in by the air supply fan 41, the temperature and humidity of the taken-in air are adjusted by the heater 43, the humidifier 44, or the dehumidifier 45, and the taken-in air is then supplied into the equipment space 10. Alternatively, a blower or the like may be used as the air supply means 6.

[0018] <Configuration of image forming device> FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus 200 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 200 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a liquid applying unit 3 and a heating device 4.

[0020] The liquid application unit 3 has multiple liquid ejection units 13 that eject liquid onto the sheet S. The multiple liquid ejection units 13 are composed of multiple liquid ejection heads that eject liquids (inks) of different colors, such as black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. Alternatively, the liquid ejection unit 13 may be a single, integrated liquid ejection head that ejects liquids of different colors. The ejection method of the liquid ejection units 13 is not particularly limited, and examples of the ejection method include an on-demand method that ejects minute droplets and a continuous method that continuously sprays liquid. In addition, the on-demand method includes a pressure application method using a piezoelectric element as a driving source for ejecting liquid, a thermal method that ejects liquid using pressure generated by bubbles when the liquid is heated, and an electrostatic method that uses electrostatic force. The color of the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection units 13 is not limited to black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, and can be selected as desired. Also, in FIG. 2, a transport guide member 14 that supports the sheet S being transported is disposed below each liquid ejection unit 13.

[0021] The heating device 4 functions as a drying device that heats and dries the sheet S. Specifically, the heating device 4 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has heating means such as a heating roller 21 and a heating drum 22 that heat the sheet S. When the sheet S is conveyed into the heating device 4, the sheet S comes into contact with the heating roller 21 and the heating drum 22, whereby the sheet S is heated and dried. The heating means is not limited to contact-type heating means such as the heating roller 21 and the heating drum 22, but may also be a non-contact type that heats the sheet S by emitting infrared or ultraviolet rays.

[0022] <Image formation operation> Next, the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 200 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0023] When the operation of the image forming apparatus 200 is started, the supply roller 11 starts to rotate, and the sheet S is supplied from the supply roller 11.

[0024] The supplied sheet S is transported below each liquid discharge unit 13 by a pair of transport rollers 12, which is the transport means 2, and liquid (ink) is discharged from each liquid discharge unit 13 onto the sheet S. In this way, an image is formed on the sheet S.

[0025] Thereafter, the sheet S is conveyed to the heating device 4. In the heating device 4, the sheet S is heated by coming into contact with the heating roller 21 and the heating drum 22 while being conveyed. This causes the liquid on the sheet S to evaporate, accelerating the drying of the sheet S.

[0026] Thereafter, the sheet S is carried out from the heating device 4 and conveyed to the collection roller 15 by the conveyance roller pair 12. Then, the sheet S is taken up and collected by the rotating collection roller 15. This completes a series of image forming operations.

[0027] <Controller configuration> FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration related to image formation in a control system 100 that controls an image forming facility 1000 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Image forming equipment 1000 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is controlled by a control system 100. The facility equipment control system 100 includes a control unit 8 shown in Fig. 3. Specifically, the control unit 8 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 503, an NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory) 504, an external device connection I / F 505, a network I / F 506, and a bus line 507.

[0029] The CPU 501 controls the overall operation of the image forming equipment 1000. The ROM 502 stores programs used to drive the CPU 501, such as the IPL. The RAM 503 is used as a work area for the CPU 501. The NVRAM 504 stores various data such as programs, and retains the various data even when the image forming apparatus 200 is powered off.

[0030] The external device connection I / F 505 is connected to a PC (Personal Computer) via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or the like, and communicates control signals and image data to be printed with the PC. The network I / F 506 is an interface for communicating data using a communication network such as the Internet. The bus line 507 is an address bus and a data bus or the like for electrically connecting the components such as the CPU 501.

[0031] The control unit 8 also has a main scanning driver 508 and a liquid ejection driver 509. The main scanning driver 508 controls the movement of a carriage 600 carrying the liquid ejection unit 13 in the main scanning direction (width direction of the sheet). The liquid ejection driver 509 is a driver for controlling the driving of the liquid ejection unit 13. When the carriage 600 moves in the main scanning direction, the liquid ejection unit 13 moves in the main scanning direction (width direction of the sheet) in conjunction with the movement of the carriage 600, and liquid is ejected from the liquid ejection unit 13 onto the sheet that is being transported intermittently. In this way, an image is formed on the sheet.

[0032] The control unit 8 also has a sub-scanning driver 510. The sub-scanning driver 510 controls the conveyance of the sheet by the conveyance roller pair 12.

[0033] The liquid discharge unit 13 may be a serial type liquid discharge head that discharges liquid onto a sheet while moving in the width direction of the sheet, or a line type liquid discharge head that discharges liquid onto a sheet without moving. The liquid discharge driver 509 may not be mounted on the carriage 600, but may be connected to a bus line outside the carriage 600. The main scanning driver 508, the liquid discharge driver 509, and the sub scanning driver 510 may each be a function realized by an instruction from the CPU 501 according to a program.

[0034] <Heating device configuration> FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a heating device 4 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, the heating device 4 includes a heating roller 21, a heating drum 22, a guide roller 23, and an air blowing device 24.

[0036] The heating roller 21 and the heating drum 22 are cylindrical heating rotors having a heat source such as a halogen heater inside. In the first embodiment of the present invention, one heating drum 22 having a larger diameter than the heating roller 21 is disposed in the center of the heating device 4, and multiple heating rollers 21 are disposed around the heating drum 22. However, the arrangement and number of the heating rollers 21 and the heating drums 22 are not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate.

[0037] The guide roller 23 is a cylindrical rotating body that does not have a heat source inside, and is a member that functions as a guide means for guiding the sheet S. A plurality of guide rollers 23 are arranged inside the heating device 4. The sheet S is passed over the guide rollers 23, the heating roller 21, and the heating drum 22, thereby forming a conveying path for conveying the sheet S.

[0038] The air blowing device 24 is a blowing means that blows air onto the sheet S to promote drying of the sheet S. A plurality of air blowing devices 24 are arranged so as to face the sheet S.

[0039] When the sheet S is carried into the heating device 4 configured as described above, the sheet S is guided by the guide roller 23 and passed over the outside of the heating roller 21. Note that the "outside" of the heating roller 21 here means the side of the outer circumferential surface of the heating roller 21 opposite the side facing the heating drum 22. As a result, the surface of the sheet S opposite the image forming surface comes into contact with the outside of the heating roller 21, and the sheet S is heated. Next, the sheet S is wrapped around the heating drum 22. Thereafter, the sheet S is guided from the heating drum 22 back to the heating roller 21 and is transported while contacting the inside of the heating roller 21 (the side facing the heating drum 22).

[0040] In this way, the sheet S comes into contact with the outside of the heating roller 21, is wrapped around the heating drum 22, and is then transported while contacting the inside of the heating roller 21, thereby effectively heating the surface of the sheet S opposite to the image forming surface. In addition, air is blown onto the image forming surface of the sheet S from multiple air blowing devices 24, which promotes drying of the sheet S. As a result, the sheet S is dried, and the sheet S is carried out of the heating device 4 by the guide roller 23.

[0041] <Air intake and exhaust system> As described above, when the sheet S is heated by the heating device 4, the moisture or solvent contained in the liquid applied to the sheet S turns into vapor and is released. Furthermore, when the sheet S is heated, the moisture contained in the sheet S itself turns into vapor and is released. This vapor remains in a gaseous state for a while, but if it is subsequently cooled and condenses inside the heating device 4 or the image forming apparatus 200, water droplets may adhere to the sheet S and cause image defects.

[0042] For this reason, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the air inside the equipment space 10 is exhausted by the exhaust means 5 shown in Fig. 1. This allows the steam generated inside the heating device 4 to be exhausted outside the equipment space 10, thereby suppressing condensation inside the heating device 4 and the image forming apparatus 200. Furthermore, by exhausting the air inside the equipment space 10, the solvent generated from the sheet S is also exhausted, thereby suppressing deterioration of the air environment inside the equipment space 10.

[0043] Here, when exhausting air to prevent condensation, there is a risk that the air pressure in the equipment space 10 will fluctuate as the air is exhausted. Therefore, it is necessary to supply air into the equipment space 10 at the same time as exhausting air. Furthermore, if outside air is drawn into the equipment space 10 by supplying air, there is a risk that the temperature and humidity in the equipment space 10 will fluctuate. Since fluctuations in temperature and humidity in the equipment space 10 affect the physical properties of the liquid (ink) applied to the sheet, it is necessary to adjust the temperature and humidity in the equipment space 10 when supplying air. For this reason, in the first embodiment of the present invention, when exhausting air, air is supplied into the equipment space 10 by the air conditioning unit 9, and the temperature and humidity of the supplied air are adjusted. This allows the air pressure in the equipment space 10 to be maintained at a desired pressure, and an air environment (temperature and humidity) suitable for maintaining the physical properties of the liquid can be provided.

[0044] <Issues related to the air intake and exhaust system> The amount of steam generated from the sheet S varies depending on the state of the image forming apparatus 200. For example, when the image forming apparatus 200 is in an operating state in which it applies liquid to the sheet S, the amount of steam generated from the sheet S is large, whereas when the image forming apparatus 200 is in a non-operating state, such as a stopped state or standby state in which it does not apply liquid to the sheet S, the amount of steam generated from the sheet S is small. Note that the "stopped state" refers to a state in which the power of the image forming apparatus 200 is turned off, and the "standby state" refers to a power-saving state or sleep state in which the power of the image forming apparatus 200 remains on but some functions are stopped in order to reduce power consumption.

[0045] For this reason, if the exhaust volume of the exhaust means 5 and the air supply volume of the air conditioning means 9 are set to match when the steam volume is high, the exhaust means 5 and air conditioning means 9 will operate more than necessary when the steam volume is low, resulting in excessive consumption of operating energy. Note that "operation" here includes not only the driving of fan rotation, etc., but also heater output, etc. However, until now, the exhaust volume and air supply volume have been set to a constant value regardless of the steam volume, resulting in a large amount of energy consumption required for exhaust and air conditioning.

[0046] Therefore, in the present invention, in order to reduce energy consumption caused by the exhaust means 5 and the air conditioning means 9 operating more than necessary, it is proposed to control the exhaust means 5 and the air conditioning means 9 based on the amount of steam generated from the sheet S. Below, the characteristics of the present invention will be described using the first embodiment of the present invention as an example.

[0047] <Characteristics of the present invention> FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a facility device control system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] The facility equipment control system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit 8 that controls the image forming device 200, the exhaust means 5, and the air conditioning means 9, as well as an information management unit 19 that collects and manages information from various information acquisition devices installed within the facility space 10.

[0049] In this case, the various information acquisition devices include power monitors 50 and 60 that acquire information on the power consumption of the image forming apparatus 200, the exhaust unit 5, and the air conditioning unit 9, a pressure gauge 51 that acquires pressure information within the image forming apparatus 200, a hygrometer 52 that acquires humidity information within the image forming apparatus 200, a thermo-hygrometer 61 that acquires temperature and humidity information within the equipment space 10, a CO2 concentration meter 62 that acquires carbon dioxide concentration information within the equipment space 10, and a human body detector 63 that acquires information on the presence or absence of people within the equipment space 10. Note that, although the information management unit 19 is provided separately from the image forming apparatus 200 in FIG. 5 , the information management unit 19 may be included in the image forming apparatus 200. Furthermore, the various information acquisition devices are not limited to those that acquire power consumption information, pressure information, humidity information, temperature information, carbon dioxide concentration information, and information on the presence or absence of people, and may also acquire other information within the equipment space 10.

[0050] Next, the operation of the control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 6, first, the control unit 8 acquires information obtained by various information acquisition devices (power monitors 50, 60, pressure gauge 51, hygrometer 52, thermo-hygrometer 61, CO2 concentration meter 62, and human body detection meter 63) from the information management unit 19 (step S1).

[0052] Next, the control unit 8 determines whether the pressure display on the pressure gauge 51 is normal or not based on the acquired pressure information (step S2). If it is determined that the pressure display is not normal, the displacement amount cannot be properly determined, and therefore error processing such as stopping the image forming operation is performed (step S3). On the other hand, if it is determined that the pressure display is normal, the process proceeds to the next step.

[0053] Next, the control unit 8 determines whether the exhaust unit 5 and the air conditioning unit 9 are operating normally (step S4). If it is determined that the exhaust unit 5 and the air conditioning unit 9 are not operating normally, the control unit 8 performs error processing such as stopping the image forming operation (step S5). On the other hand, if it is determined that the exhaust unit 5 and the air conditioning unit 9 are operating normally, the control unit 8 proceeds to the next step.

[0054] Next, the control unit 8 acquires information about the status of the image forming device 200 (operating status, printing conditions, etc.) (step S6). Then, the control unit 8 determines whether the image forming device 200 is operating normally based on the information about the status of the image forming device 200 (step S7). As a result, if it is determined that the image forming device 200 is not operating normally, the control unit 8 performs error processing such as stopping the image forming operation (step S8). On the other hand, if it is determined that the image forming device 200 is operating normally, the process proceeds to the next step. Note that, if there are multiple image forming devices 200 as shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 8 checks the operation of each image forming device 200 (performing steps S6 and S7 for each image forming device 200), and if it is determined that each image forming device 200 is operating normally, the process proceeds to the next step.

[0055] Next, the control unit 8 calculates the required amount of exhaust air and amount of supply air based on information about the state of the image forming apparatus 200 (step S9). Then, the control unit 8 controls the exhaust unit 5 and the air conditioning unit 9 (air supply unit 6) based on the calculated amount of exhaust air and amount of supply air (step S10). This adjusts the amount of exhaust air and amount of supply air to appropriate amounts. Furthermore, if there are multiple image forming apparatuses 200, the control unit 8 calculates the required amount of exhaust air and amount of supply air for each image forming apparatus 200 according to its state, and controls the exhaust unit 5 and the air conditioning unit 9 (air supply unit 6) based on the total value of the calculated amount of exhaust air and the total value of the calculated amount of supply air.

[0056] The required exhaust and supply air volumes may be determined by calculation using information on the state of image forming apparatus 200, or may be determined using a previously prepared intake and exhaust volume setting table shown in FIG.

[0057] 7, the exhaust and supply air volumes are set based on the operating status of the image forming apparatus as well as the sheet transport speed information. The operating status and the sheet transport speed are both types of information that indicate the status of the image forming apparatus.

[0058] Generally, as the sheet conveyance speed increases, the amount of sheets conveyed to the heating device per unit time increases, which tends to increase the amount of steam generated within the heating device. For this reason, the air intake and exhaust volume setting table in FIG. 7 is set so that the amount of exhaust air and the amount of intake air increase according to the sheet conveyance speed. On the other hand, when the image forming apparatus is in a non-operating state (standby state), the sheet drying process is not performed, and almost no steam is generated. Therefore, when the image forming apparatus is in a non-operating state, the amount of exhaust air and the amount of intake air are set to be smaller than when the image forming apparatus is in an operating state. The amounts of exhaust air and intake air in FIG. 7 are expressed as percentages (%), assuming that the maximum exhaust air volume of the exhaust unit 5 and the maximum intake air volume of the air conditioning unit 9 (air intake unit 6) are 100%.

[0059] As described above, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust volume and the supply volume of air can be adjusted according to the amount of steam generated by controlling the exhaust unit 5 and the air conditioning unit 9 (air supply unit 6) according to the state (operating state, non-operating state) of the image forming apparatus. This reduces energy consumption caused by the exhaust unit 5 and the air conditioning unit 9 (air supply unit 6) operating more than necessary, thereby achieving energy conservation.

[0060] The amount of steam generated from the sheet can be determined from the operating state and sheet conveyance speed of the image forming apparatus, and can also be determined based on humidity information, which is one type of information indicating the state of the image forming apparatus. The humidity inside the image forming apparatus can be detected using a hygrometer 52 shown in Fig. 5. Then, the control unit 8 controls the exhaust means 5 and the air conditioning means 9 (air supply means 6) based on the detected humidity, thereby adjusting the exhaust volume and supply volume according to the amount of steam.

[0061] Furthermore, the energy consumption required for air conditioning can be reduced by reducing the amount of air supplied by the air conditioning unit 9 (air supply unit 6), as well as by reducing the output of at least one of the heater 43, humidifier 44, and dehumidifier 45 of the air conditioning unit 9. Therefore, at least one of the heater 43, humidifier 44, and dehumidifier 45 may be controlled depending on the state of the image forming apparatus. By having the control unit 8 control the exhaust unit 5, the air supply unit 6, and at least one of the heater 43, humidifier 44, and dehumidifier 45, it becomes possible to further reduce energy consumption.

[0062] 7, the exhaust volume and supply volume are set in four stages: 40[%], 60[%], 100[%], and 10[%], but the exhaust volume and supply volume may also be set in two stages, such as an operating state and a non-operating state (stopped state or standby state). In other words, the operation levels of the exhaust means 5 and the air conditioning means 9 can be changed as appropriate as long as there are at least two stages.

[0063] The exhaust volume and the supply volume can be controlled by controlling the air volumes of the exhaust fan 31 and the supply fan 41 using PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). 3 / h]) means the amount of air that the exhaust fan 31 and the intake fan 41 move per unit time, and is expressed as the airflow velocity V [m / s] and the airflow area A [m 2 The air volume can be measured using, for example, a hot wire anemometer or a vane anemometer. The exhaust volume and intake volume can be adjusted by adjusting the air volumes of exhaust fan 31 and intake fan 41, or by changing the opening amount of the exhaust duct and intake duct using a damper or the like.

[0064] Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment of the present invention will be mainly described, and descriptions of the same parts will be omitted as appropriate.

[0065] <Second embodiment of the present invention> When the image forming apparatus is stopped, the sheets do not generally generate steam, so the exhaust and supply air volumes can be maintained at low values. However, even when the image forming apparatus is stopped, if there are workers or others in the equipment space 10, it is necessary to ensure the necessary ventilation volume to prevent the carbon dioxide concentration from becoming high. Furthermore, even when the image forming apparatus is stopped, if the air in the equipment space 10 becomes dry, there is a risk that the nozzles of the liquid ejection head (liquid ejection unit 13) will become clogged, and the sheets used for image formation will also dry out. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the temperature and humidity environments in the equipment space 10 to prevent drying.

[0066] Therefore, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust air volume and the supply air volume are controlled based on the state of the image forming apparatus (operating state, non-operating state), as well as environmental information including the presence or absence of people in the equipment space 10, carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, humidity, etc.

[0067] FIG. 8 shows an example of an intake and exhaust volume setting table in which the exhaust volume and intake volume are set based on the state (operating state, non-operating state) of the image forming apparatus, the presence or absence of people in the equipment space 10, and the carbon dioxide concentration.

[0068] 8, the air intake and exhaust volume setting table is set so that, even when the image forming apparatus is stopped, if there is a person in the equipment space 10, the exhaust volume and intake volume are set to be greater than when there is no person. Furthermore, if there is a person in the equipment space 10 and the carbon dioxide concentration in the equipment space 10 is high (greater than 1000 ppm), the exhaust volume and intake volume are set to be greater than when the carbon dioxide concentration is low (1000 ppm or less). The presence or absence of a person in the equipment space 10 and the carbon dioxide concentration can be detected by the human body detection meter 63 and CO2 concentration meter 62 in FIG.

[0069] As described above, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust air volume and the supply air volume are set based on the presence or absence of people and the carbon dioxide concentration in the equipment space 10, thereby ensuring the required ventilation volume for the equipment space 10. That is, the control unit 8 controls the exhaust means 5 and the air supply means 6 of the air conditioning means 9 based on the human body detection information acquired by the human body detection meter 63 and the carbon dioxide concentration information acquired by the CO2 concentration meter 62, thereby making it possible to adjust the exhaust air volume and the supply air volume according to the presence or absence of people and the carbon dioxide concentration, thereby providing a good equipment environment.

[0070] The control unit 8 may also control the exhaust means 5 and the air conditioning means 9 based on the temperature and humidity, in addition to the presence or absence of a person in the equipment space 10 and the carbon dioxide concentration. The temperature and humidity in the equipment space 10 can be detected by a thermo-hygrometer 61 shown in FIG. 5. The control unit 8 controls the exhaust means 5 as well as the heater 43, humidifier 44, or dehumidifier 45 of the air conditioning means 9 based on the temperature and humidity information detected by the thermo-hygrometer 61, thereby adjusting the temperature and humidity environment to an appropriate level and preventing clogging of the nozzles of the liquid ejection head and drying of the sheet. Note that the control unit 8 is not limited to controlling the exhaust means 5 and the air conditioning means 9 based on all of the environmental information, i.e., the human body detection information, the carbon dioxide concentration, the temperature, and the humidity, but may also control the exhaust means 5 and the air conditioning means 9 based on at least one of the human body detection information, the carbon dioxide concentration, the temperature, and the humidity.

[0071] Third Embodiment of the Present Invention The amount of steam generated from a sheet during the drying process varies depending on the operating or non-operating state of the image forming apparatus, as well as the liquid application conditions when liquid is applied to the sheet. Liquid application conditions include the amount of liquid applied to the sheet, the sheet conveyance speed, the type of sheet, and the thickness of the sheet. For example, when the image area ratio or image density of the image formed on the sheet is high, the amount of liquid applied to the sheet (liquid application amount) increases, and therefore the amount of steam generated from the sheet during the drying process also tends to increase. Furthermore, when the sheet conveyance speed is high, the amount of sheet transported per unit time to the heating device increases compared to when the sheet conveyance speed is slow, and therefore the amount of steam generated within the heating device also increases. Furthermore, the amount of steam generated from the sheet includes not only steam generated from the liquid but also steam generated by the evaporation of moisture contained in the sheet. Therefore, the amount of steam varies depending on the type or thickness of the sheet, which has different moisture contents.

[0072] Therefore, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust means 5 and the air conditioning means 9 are controlled by taking into account information regarding the state of the image forming apparatus, such as the operating state or non-operating state of the image forming apparatus, as well as liquid application conditions such as the amount of liquid applied, the sheet conveying speed, the type and thickness of the sheet.

[0073] FIG. 9 is an example of an air supply / exhaust amount setting table in which the exhaust amount and the supply amount are set based on the liquid deposition amount, which is one of the liquid deposition conditions.

[0074] In the air supply / exhaust volume setting table of FIG. 9, the exhaust volume and the air supply volume are set based on the amount of liquid applied to the sheet per unit time or per unit length. The control unit 8 uses the air supply / exhaust volume setting table of FIG. 9 to set the required exhaust volume and air supply volume. Specifically, the control unit 8 acquires information on the liquid application volume of the image forming apparatus and calculates the cumulative average value [μl / s] of the liquid application volume per unit time or per unit length from the acquired information on the liquid application volume. The control unit 8 then compares the calculated cumulative average value (latest value) with the cumulative average value calculated immediately before (previous value). When the latest value is greater than the previous value or when the latest value is equal to or less than the previous value, the control unit 8 controls the exhaust unit 5 and the air supply unit 6 based on the exhaust volume and the air supply volume set for each range of the cumulative average value in FIG. 9.

[0075] In this way, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust volume and supply volume are controlled based on the amount of liquid applied, so that the exhaust volume and supply volume can be adjusted according to the amount of steam generated from the sheet, thereby enabling more reliable exhaust of steam from within the image forming device while saving energy.

[0076] Furthermore, if it is difficult for the control unit 8 to directly acquire information on the liquid deposition amount, the liquid deposition amount may be indirectly calculated from the image area ratio and image density. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10 , an air intake / exhaust volume setting table may be prepared in which the amount of steam is pre-scored for each liquid deposition condition, and the exhaust volume and supply volume may be set using this air intake / exhaust volume setting table. In the example of FIG. 10 , the liquid deposition conditions include the image area ratio, the image density per unit area, the sheet type, the sheet thickness, and the sheet transport speed. A score is set for the amount of steam generated for each level of the liquid deposition condition (see the scores in parentheses in FIG. 10 ). For example, when the liquid deposition condition is liquid deposition condition (a) in FIG. 10 , the image area ratio is set to a medium value (5 points), the image density per unit area is set to a medium value (5 points), the sheet type is set to a coated paper value (5 points), the sheet thickness is set to a medium value (3 points), and the sheet transport speed is set to a medium value (5 points). The control unit 8 calculates the total score based on these scores using the following formula (1):

[0077] (Number 1) Total score = "Score for image area ratio" x "Score for image density per unit area" x "Score for sheet transport speed" + "Score for sheet type" x "Score for sheet thickness" x "Score for sheet transport speed" Formula (1)

[0078] For example, in the case of liquid deposition condition (a), the total score is 200 according to the above formula (1). Then, the control unit 8 refers to the air intake / exhaust amount setting graph shown in FIG. 11 and controls the exhaust means 5 and the air intake means 6 based on the exhaust amount and air intake amount corresponding to the total score. In the example of FIG. 11, the exhaust amount and air intake amount are set in stages, such as "weak" when the total score is greater than 0 and less than 100, "medium" when the total score is 100 or more and less than 1000, and "strong" when the total score is 1000 or more. In the case of liquid deposition condition (a), the total score is 200, so the exhaust amount and air intake amount are set to "medium."

[0079] In this way, the exhaust volume and the supply volume of air are controlled based on the liquid application conditions when the liquid is applied to the sheet, so that the exhaust volume and the supply volume of air can be adjusted according to the amount of steam generated from the sheet, thereby enabling energy savings and more reliably exhausting steam from inside the image forming apparatus.

[0080] Furthermore, the control unit 8 is not limited to controlling the exhaust means 5 and the air conditioning means 9 based on all of the liquid application conditions, i.e., image area ratio, image density, sheet type, sheet thickness, and sheet conveying speed, but may also control the exhaust means 5 and the air conditioning means 9 based on at least one of the image area ratio, image density, sheet type, sheet thickness, and sheet conveying speed.

[0081] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and any two or more of the above embodiments may be combined. The present invention can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist thereof.

[0082] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to applications to control systems and control methods for equipment including an image forming apparatus, but can also be applied to control systems and control methods for other equipment. For example, the present invention may be applied to a control system and control method for equipment including a liquid application device that applies a treatment liquid or the like to a sheet before image formation to modify its surface. The present invention may also be applied to a control system and control method for equipment including a liquid application device that applies liquid to a sheet by a method other than ejection, such as applying liquid to the sheet using a roller. Furthermore, the heating device included in the equipment may be a device that heats the sheet for a purpose other than drying, such as fixing an image on the sheet.

[0083] Furthermore, the sheet used in the present invention may be any material that can at least temporarily hold a liquid, and that can adhere and solidify with the liquid, or that can penetrate and penetrate with the liquid. Specifically, the sheet may be paper, resin film, wallpaper, electronic circuit boards, or the like. Furthermore, the sheet may be made of paper, leather, metal, plastic, glass, wood, ceramics, or the like. Furthermore, the sheet is not limited to a long sheet that is transported continuously and without interruption from the sheet supply means to the sheet collection means, but may also be a short sheet that is transported individually and without interruption from the sheet supply means to the sheet collection means.

[0084] The liquid applied to the sheet is not particularly limited, but includes solutions, suspensions, emulsions, etc. containing solvents such as water and organic solvents, colorants such as dyes and pigments, functional materials such as polymerizable compounds, resins, and surfactants, biocompatible materials such as DNA, amino acids, proteins, and calcium, edible materials such as natural pigments, etc. These are used, for example, in inkjet inks, surface treatment solutions, components of electronic elements and light-emitting elements, liquids for forming electronic circuit resist patterns, and material liquids for 3D modeling.

[0085] To summarize the above-described aspects of the present invention, the present invention includes at least the following aspects.

[0086] [First aspect] The first aspect is a control system for facility equipment comprising a liquid application device including a liquid application means for applying liquid to a sheet and a heating device for heating the sheet to which the liquid has been applied, an exhaust means for exhausting air from a space in which the liquid application device is installed, an air conditioning means for adjusting the air environment in the space, and a control unit for controlling the exhaust means and the air conditioning means according to the state of the liquid application device.

[0087] [Second aspect] In a second aspect, in the first aspect, the air conditioning means has an air supply means that supplies air into the space, and the control unit controls the exhaust means and the air supply means according to a state of the liquid deposition device.

[0088] [Third aspect] In a third aspect, in the second aspect, when there are a plurality of liquid deposition devices, the control unit calculates the exhaust volume and the air supply volume for each of the plurality of liquid deposition devices according to the state of the liquid deposition device, and controls the exhaust means and the air supply means based on the sum of the calculated exhaust volumes and the sum of the calculated air supply volumes.

[0089] [Fourth aspect] In a fourth aspect, in the second or third aspect, the air conditioning means has, in addition to the air supply means, a heating means for heating the air to be supplied, a humidifying means for humidifying the air to be supplied, and a dehumidifying means for dehumidifying the air to be supplied, and the control unit controls at least one of the heating means, the humidifying means, and the dehumidifying means in addition to the exhaust means and the air supply means, depending on the state of the liquid deposition device.

[0090] [Fifth aspect] A fifth aspect is any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the state of the liquid deposition device includes information on an operating state and a non-operating state of the liquid deposition device.

[0091] [Sixth aspect] A sixth aspect is any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the state of the liquid deposition device includes a liquid deposition condition when the liquid is deposited onto the sheet.

[0092] [Seventh aspect] In a seventh aspect, in the sixth aspect, the liquid application conditions include at least one of the amount of liquid applied to the sheet, the sheet transport speed when the liquid application device transports the sheet, the type of the sheet, and the thickness of the sheet.

[0093] [Eighth aspect] An eighth aspect is any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the state of the liquid deposition device includes humidity inside the liquid deposition device.

[0094] [Ninth aspect] A ninth aspect is any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the control unit controls the exhaust means and the air conditioning means based on environmental information of the space in addition to a state of the liquid deposition device.

[0095] [Tenth aspect] A tenth aspect is the ninth aspect, wherein the environmental information includes at least one of human body sensing information, carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, and humidity.

[0096] [Eleventh aspect] An eleventh aspect is any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the control unit controls the operation levels of the exhaust means and the air conditioning means by switching between at least two stages.

[0097] [Twelfth aspect] A twelfth aspect is any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the liquid applying device is an image forming device that applies a liquid to the sheet to form an image.

[0098] [13th aspect] A thirteenth aspect is a method for controlling equipment, which controls, depending on the state of a liquid application device that applies liquid to a sheet, an exhaust means that exhausts air within a space in which the liquid application device is installed and an air conditioning means that adjusts the air environment of the space. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 3 Liquid application means 4 Heating device 5. Exhaust means 6 Air supply means 8 Control Unit 9 Air conditioning means 10 Space (equipment space) 16 Heating means 17 Humidification means 18 Dehumidification means 100 Facility equipment control system 200 Image forming apparatus (liquid application device) S seat [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0100] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5326091

Claims

1. a liquid applying device including a liquid applying means for applying a liquid to a sheet and a heating device for heating the sheet to which the liquid has been applied; an exhaust means for exhausting air from a space in which the liquid deposition device is installed; an air conditioning unit for adjusting the air environment in the space; a control unit that controls the exhaust means and the air conditioning means in accordance with a state of the liquid deposition device; A facility equipment control system comprising:

2. the air conditioning means has an air supply means for supplying air into the space, The facility equipment control system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the exhaust means and the air supply means in accordance with a state of the liquid deposition device.

3. 3. The facility equipment control system according to claim 2, wherein when there are a plurality of the liquid deposition devices, the control unit calculates an exhaust volume and an air supply volume for each of the plurality of liquid deposition devices according to the state of the liquid deposition device, and controls the exhaust means and the air supply means based on a total value of the calculated exhaust volumes and a total value of the calculated air supply volumes.

4. The air conditioning means includes, in addition to the air supply means, a heating means for heating the air to be supplied, a humidifying means for humidifying the air to be supplied, and a dehumidifying means for dehumidifying the air to be supplied, 3. The facility equipment control system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls at least one of the heating unit, the humidifying unit, and the dehumidifying unit in addition to the exhaust unit and the air supply unit, depending on a state of the liquid deposition device.

5. The facility equipment control system according to claim 1 , wherein the state of the liquid deposition device includes information on an operating state and a non-operating state of the liquid deposition device.

6. The facility equipment control system according to claim 1 , wherein the state of the liquid deposition device includes a liquid deposition condition when the liquid is deposited on the sheet.

7. The control system for facility equipment according to claim 6, wherein the liquid application conditions include at least one of the amount of liquid applied to the sheet, the sheet transport speed when the liquid application device transports the sheet, the type of the sheet, and the thickness of the sheet.

8. The facility equipment control system according to claim 1 , wherein the state of the liquid deposition device includes humidity inside the liquid deposition device.

9. The facility equipment control system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the exhaust means and the air conditioning means based on environmental information of the space in addition to a state of the liquid deposition device.

10. The facility equipment control system according to claim 9 , wherein the environmental information includes at least one of human body detection information, carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, and humidity.

11. The facility equipment control system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the operation levels of the exhaust means and the air conditioning means by switching between at least two levels.

12. The facility equipment control system according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid applying device is an image forming device that applies a liquid to the sheet to form an image.

13. A method for controlling facility equipment, characterized by controlling, in accordance with the state of a liquid application device that applies liquid to a sheet, an exhaust means that exhausts air within a space in which the liquid application device is installed, and an air conditioning means that adjusts the air environment of the space.

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