Liquid dispensing device and liquid dispensing method

Abstract

To provide a liquid application device that can suppress variations in image quality caused by film. [Solution] A liquid dispensing device 1 comprising: a coating layer forming unit 200 that applies a coating agent onto a film P to form a coating layer 10; an image forming unit 210 that applies ink onto the coating layer to form an image 13; a control unit 100 that controls the amount and area to which the coating agent and the ink are applied; and an image inspection unit 131 that inspects the image and detects image parameters, wherein the control unit determines the amount of coating agent to be applied according to the detected image parameters.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid application device and a liquid application method.

Background Art

[0002] As an example of a liquid ejection device, a DTF (Direct To Film) printer is known. A DTF printer forms a transfer image by applying coloring ink to a transfer substrate such as a film and performing heating. For example, a heat-soluble adhesive powder is applied to the transfer image, and the coloring ink on the film is transferred to a recording medium such as clothing.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, for the purpose of reducing manufacturing costs, a method of manufacturing a transfer medium is disclosed in which ink and an adhesive liquid are ejected from an inkjet head and adhered to a substrate, thereby sequentially forming a coloring layer with ink and an adhesive layer with an adhesive liquid on the substrate.

[0004] In the printing quality of the DTF method, it is required to ensure stable quality without variation. Generally, a DTF film is manufactured by coating a release layer (peel layer) and an ink receiving layer on a film as a substrate, and these coating portions are related to the final quality.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the case of DTF films, even films of the same manufacturer may have different qualities for each film roll due to variations during manufacturing, and the quality of the film may also change due to moisture absorption or the like depending on the conditions during transportation and storage. In the conventional technology, there is a problem that the image quality varies greatly depending on the quality of the film.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid application device capable of suppressing variations in image quality due to a film. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The liquid dispensing device of the present invention, as a means for solving the problem, A coating layer forming section that applies a coating agent onto a film to form a coating layer, An image forming unit that applies ink onto the coating layer to form an image, A control unit that controls the amount and area to which the coating agent and the ink are applied, The system includes an image inspection unit that inspects the aforementioned image and detects image parameters, The control unit is characterized by determining the amount of coating agent to be applied according to the detected image parameters. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a liquid application device that can suppress variations in image quality caused by film. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of a region to which a coating agent is applied using the liquid application device of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a liquid dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a liquid dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a liquid dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a liquid dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an example of a flowchart of image formation using a liquid application device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The liquid application device of the present invention comprises a coating layer forming unit that applies a coating agent onto a film to form a coating layer, an image forming unit that applies ink onto the coating layer to form an image, a control unit that controls the amount and area to which the coating agent and the ink are applied, and an image inspection unit that inspects the image and detects image parameters, and may further comprise other units as needed. Other sections include, for example, a film inspection section, a washing section, a drying section, and a transport section.

[0011] The liquid application method of the present invention includes a coating layer formation step of applying a coating agent onto a film to form a coating layer, an image formation step of applying ink onto the coating layer to form an image, a control step of controlling the amount and area of ​​application of the coating agent and the ink, and an image inspection step of inspecting the image and detecting image parameters, and may include other steps as needed. Other processes include, for example, film inspection, washing, drying, and transport processes. The liquid dispensing method of the present invention can be suitably carried out using the liquid dispensing apparatus of the present invention.

[0012] The liquid application device of the present invention can apply both coating agents and ink within the same device. By applying the coating agent to the film immediately before printing to form a coating layer, the impact on image quality due to variations in film quality during manufacturing and storage can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the user can apply the coating agent, it is possible to apply the coating agent only to the desired area on the film by controlling the coating layer formation unit, thereby reducing the amount of coating agent used. In addition, by feeding back the image parameters obtained by the image inspection unit to the control unit and determining the amount of coating agent to apply according to the image parameters, image quality can be improved.

[0013] Hereinafter, the liquid application device and the liquid application method of the present invention will be described while referring to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below, and can be changed within the scope that those skilled in the art can conceive, such as other embodiments, additions, modifications, deletions, etc. As long as the functions and effects of the present invention are achieved in any aspect, it is included in the scope of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an area to which a coating agent is applied using the liquid application device of the present invention.

[0015] (A) of FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of applying a coating agent to the entire surface of the film P. Since the coating layer 10 is formed on the entire surface of the film P, ink can be reliably applied onto the coating layer 10, but there is a problem that the amount of the coating agent used increases.

[0016] (B) of FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a case where a coating agent is applied in accordance with the area where the image 13 is formed. The area where the coating layer 10 is formed may completely coincide with the area where the image 13 is formed, or a part thereof may protrude from the image 13. Also, the length of the width of the protruding part of the coating layer 10 can be arbitrarily set. By controlling the area to which the coating agent is applied, the amount of the coating agent used can be suppressed.

[0017] (C) of FIG. 1 is a diagram showing another example of a case where a coating agent is applied in accordance with the area where the image 13 is formed. In the example shown in FIG. 1C, the coating layer 10 is also formed in the area corresponding to the handle part so that the user can easily peel the image 13 from the film P.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1(A) to 1(C), by using the liquid application device of the present invention, the area to which the coating agent is applied can be controlled according to the purpose and use.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the liquid application device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The liquid application device 1 includes a coating layer forming unit 200, an image forming unit 210, a control unit 100, an image inspection unit 131, a drying unit 220, and a conveying unit 230.

[0020] The coating layer forming unit 200 performs a coating layer forming process of applying a coating agent onto the film P to form a coating layer 10.

[0021] The method of applying the coating agent is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose, but an inkjet method is preferably used. Further, since the coating agent has a higher viscosity and a higher solid content than the generally used inkjet ink, it is preferable to use a head for high viscosity and large particle size such as a valve jet as the coating layer forming unit 200.

[0022] As a configuration of the coating layer 10 formed by applying the coating agent, for example, a configuration having a release layer 11 formed on the film P and an ink receiving layer 12 formed on the release layer 11 can be mentioned. The release layer 11 is a layer having a function of improving the releasability between the film P and the ink receiving layer 12 by heating, and the ink receiving layer 12 is a layer having a function of receiving ink and serving as a base for the image 13. Further, the coating layer 10 may have other layers such as an antistatic layer and a matte coating layer as required.

[0023] The coating agent in the present invention is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, wax, silicone oil, and the like.

[0024] The image forming unit 210 performs an image forming process of applying ink onto the coating layer 10 to form an image 13.

[0025] The method of applying the ink is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose, but an inkjet method is preferably used.

[0026] Commonly used white ink and colored ink can be used as the ink.

[0027] The control unit 100 performs a control process to control the amount and area to which the coating agent and ink are applied. In particular, by the control unit 100 controlling the operation of the coating layer forming unit 200 and controlling the amount and area to which the coating agent is applied, variations in image quality can be suppressed and the amount of coating agent used can be reduced.

[0028] Here, the method for controlling the amount of coating agent applied may be a method for controlling the total volume or mass of coating agent applied, or a method for controlling the volume or mass of coating agent applied per unit area. When the coating agent is applied by an inkjet method, it is preferable to control the total volume or mass. When the coating agent is applied by a roller method, it is preferable to control the volume or mass applied per unit area.

[0029] The control unit 100 may be configured to control the operation of other parts such as the drying unit 220 and the transport unit 230, in addition to the coating layer forming unit 200 and the image forming unit 210.

[0030] The image inspection unit 131 performs an image inspection process that inspects the image and detects image parameters. In this invention, image parameters include, for example, density, saturation, dot diameter, and image coverage rate.

[0031] The image inspection unit 131 transmits the obtained image parameters to the control unit 100. Depending on the image parameters, the control unit 100 can determine the amount of coating agent to be applied by the coating layer forming unit 200. By determining the amount of coating agent to be applied according to the image parameters, the wettability and receptivity of the ink can be changed, thereby improving the quality of the next image to be formed.

[0032] There are no particular restrictions on the method of inspecting an image, and it can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. Examples include using a colorimeter to detect the density, saturation, etc., of an image, and detecting the dot diameter, image coverage rate, etc., by analyzing an enlarged image.

[0033] The drying unit 220 performs a drying process to dry the coating agent and ink applied to the film P. The drying of the coating agent and ink may be performed separately, or they may be dried together.

[0034] There are no particular restrictions on the drying method, and it can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. Examples include drying by heating with a heater, drying by blowing air with a fan, etc. These drying methods may also be combined. Alternatively, natural drying may be performed without a drying unit.

[0035] The conveying unit 230 conveys the film P. One example of a conveying method is conveying using a conveyor belt.

[0036] Next, other examples of liquid dispensing devices according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0037] Figures 3 and 4 are schematic diagrams showing other examples of a liquid dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] The liquid application device 1 shown in Figure 3 includes a coating layer forming unit 200, an image forming unit 210, a control unit 100, an image inspection unit 131, a drying unit 220, a transport unit 230, and further comprises a film inspection unit 132.

[0039] The film inspection unit 132 performs a film inspection process to inspect the film P and detect the surface condition of the film P.

[0040] The film inspection unit 132 detects the surface condition of the film P before applying the coating agent and transmits it to the control unit 100. Depending on the surface condition of the film P, the control unit 100 can determine the amount of coating agent to be applied by the coating layer forming unit 200. By determining the amount of coating agent to be applied according to the surface condition of the film P, it is possible to suppress the impact on image quality due to variations in quality during film manufacturing and storage conditions. Furthermore, by applying the coating agent again to used film and reusing it, it is possible to reduce the amount of film waste while suppressing variations in quality.

[0041] There are no particular restrictions on the method for inspecting the surface condition of a film, and it can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. Examples include detecting surface roughness by image analysis and analyzing the ink-receiving layer using IR.

[0042] The liquid application device 1 shown in Figure 4 comprises a coating layer forming unit 200, an image forming unit 210, a control unit 100, an image inspection unit 131, a drying unit 220, and a transport unit 230, as well as a film inspection unit 132 and a washing unit 240.

[0043] The cleaning unit 240 performs a cleaning process to clean the surface of the film P. By cleaning the surface of the film P, the image quality can be further stabilized. In addition, by removing any remaining powder when reusing the film, the deterioration of image quality can be suppressed even when the film is used repeatedly.

[0044] There are no particular restrictions on the method for cleaning the surface of film P, and a suitable method can be selected depending on the purpose. For example, a method using a heater (for dissolving powder), a wiper blade, a cleaning solution spraying mechanism, etc., can be used.

[0045] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a liquid dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The liquid application device 1 comprises a control unit 100, an operation panel 120, an image inspection unit 131, a film inspection unit 132, a head driver 140, a main scanning motor 17, a sub-scanning motor 150, a transport belt 160, a printer driver 170, a fan 180, a heater 190, a coating layer forming unit 200, and an image forming unit 210.

[0046] The control unit 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103.

[0047] The CPU 101 controls the entire liquid dispensing device 1. The ROM 102 stores fixed data such as programs executed by the CPU 101. The RAM 103 temporarily stores image data and the like.

[0048] The control unit 100 includes an NVRAM (Non-Volatile RAM) 104 and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 105.

[0049] NVRAM104 is a non-volatile memory that retains data even when the power supply to the liquid dispensing device 1 is cut off. ASIC105 processes image data, including various signal processing and sorting, as well as input / output signals to control the entire liquid dispensing device 1.

[0050] The control unit 100 includes a printing control unit 106. The printing control unit 106 transfers data for driving the liquid ejection head 23 to the head driver 140. The head driver 140 drives the liquid ejection head 23 and ejects the coating agent and ink from the liquid ejection head 23.

[0051] The control unit 100 includes a motor drive unit 107. The motor drive unit 107 drives a main scanning motor 17 and a sub-scanning motor 150. The main scanning motor 17 moves and scans the carriages provided in the coating layer forming unit 200 and the image forming unit 210. The sub-scanning motor 150 moves the conveyor belt 160 in a circular motion.

[0052] The control unit 100 has an I / O 108. The I / O 108 acquires information from the image inspection unit 131 and the film inspection unit 132 and extracts information used to control each part of the liquid application device 1 main body. The operation panel 120 inputs and outputs various types of information.

[0053] The control unit 100 has a host interface 109. The host interface 109 transmits and receives data and signals with the host. Specifically, it transmits and receives data and signals from the printer driver 170 of the host, such as an information processing device (e.g., client PC), image reading device, or imaging device, via cable or network. The CPU 101 reads and analyzes the print data in the receive buffer included in the host interface 109. Then, the ASIC 105 performs image processing and data rearrangement, and the image data is transferred from the print control unit 106 to the head driver 140.

[0054] The print control unit 106 transfers image data, including data on the amount and area to be coated, via serial data, and outputs the transfer clock, latch signal, control signal, etc. required for transferring the image data to the head driver 140. Based on the image data corresponding to one line of the liquid ejection head 23 input serially, the head driver 140 selectively supplies drive pulses that constitute the drive waveform provided by the print control unit 106 to the pressure generating means of the liquid ejection head 23. As a result, the liquid ejection head 23 is driven and liquid is ejected.

[0055] Furthermore, by selecting some or all of the pulses that make up the drive waveform, or some or all of the waveform elements that form the pulses, it is possible to create dots of different sizes, such as large, medium, and small droplets.

[0056] The control unit 100 includes a fan control unit 110 and a heater control unit 111. The fan control unit 110 controls the output of the fan 180 so that air is blown at a predetermined temperature and volume. The heater control unit 111 controls the heater 190 so that it reaches a set temperature.

[0057] The fan 180 promotes convection of air inside the liquid dispensing device 1 when driven, preventing the upper part of the liquid dispensing device 1 from overheating due to the accumulation of warmed air. The fan 180 is connected to the fan control unit 110 of the control unit 100.

[0058] Next, an example of the operation of the liquid dispensing device 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0059] The CPU 101 reads and analyzes the print data in the receive buffer of the host I / F 109, performs necessary image processing and data rearrangement processing using the ASIC 105, and then transfers the data to the print control unit 106.

[0060] The print control unit 106 outputs image data and drive waveforms, including data on the amount and area to apply the coating agent to the head driver 140 at the required timing. Specifically, the print control unit 106 generates a drive waveform consisting of one or more drive pulses by D / A conversion and amplification of the drive pulse pattern data stored in the ROM 102 and read by the CPU 101.

[0061] Furthermore, the generation of image data for image output may be performed, for example, by storing font data in ROM 102, or by having the host-side printer driver 170 expand the image data into a bitmap and transfer it to the liquid application device 1.

[0062] The head driver 140 drives the liquid ejection head 23 by selectively applying drive pulses, which constitute a drive waveform provided by the print control unit 106 based on the input image data, to the pressure generating means of the liquid ejection head 23.

[0063] The amount and area to which the coating agent is applied are determined based on image parameters inspected by the image inspection unit 131 and the surface condition of the film P inspected by the film inspection unit 132.

[0064] First, the film P is transported in the sub-scanning direction by the conveyor belt 160, and the liquid discharge head 23 provided in the coating layer forming unit 200 is driven to apply the coating agent to the film P, thereby forming a coating layer.

[0065] The film P, on which the coating layer has been formed by the coating layer forming unit 200, is sent further downstream, and the coating layer is dried by the drying unit 220.

[0066] Next, the liquid ejection head 23 provided in the image forming unit 210 is driven, applying ink to the coating layer and forming an image.

[0067] The film P, on which an image has been formed on the coating layer by the image forming unit 210, is sent further downstream, where the ink is dried by the drying unit 220 and the image is fixed. The dried and fixed film P is then wound into a roll further downstream.

[0068] The image after fixation is inspected by the image inspection unit 131 to detect image parameters. The image parameters are fed back to the control unit 100, and the amount of coating agent to be applied is determined according to the image parameters, thereby improving the image quality in the next image formation.

[0069] Figure 6 is an example of a flowchart of image formation using a liquid application device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In S1, the cleaning unit performs a cleaning process in which it cleans the surface of the film. In S2, the film inspection unit performs a film inspection process in which it inspects the film and detects the surface condition of the film. The obtained data on the film's surface condition is transmitted to the control unit. In S3, the control unit performs a control process to control the amount and area to which the coating agent and ink are applied. Based on the surface condition of the film and image parameters, the control unit determines the operation of the coating layer forming unit. In S4, the coating layer forming unit applies a coating agent onto the film and performs a coating layer forming process. In S5, the drying section performs a drying process to dry the coating agent. In S6, the image forming unit performs an image forming process in which ink is applied to the coating layer to form an image. In S7, the drying unit performs a drying process to dry the ink, and image formation is completed. In S8, the image inspection unit performs an image inspection process in which it inspects the image and detects image parameters. The obtained image parameter data is transmitted to the control unit.

[0070] By repeating the above series of operations and feeding back the image parameters of the resulting image to the control unit, the amount of coating agent applied can be optimized, thereby improving image quality.

[0071] The embodiments of the present invention are, for example, as follows. <1> A coating layer forming section that applies a coating agent onto a film to form a coating layer, An image forming unit that applies ink onto the coating layer to form an image, A control unit that controls the amount and area to which the coating agent and the ink are applied, The system includes an image inspection unit that inspects the aforementioned image and detects image parameters, The control unit is characterized by determining the amount of coating agent to be applied according to the detected image parameters, thus providing a liquid application device. <2> The unit further comprises a film inspection unit that inspects the film and detects the surface condition of the film, The control unit is characterized by determining the amount of coating agent to be applied according to the detected surface state of the film. <1> This is the liquid dispensing device described in [reference]. <3> The film is further characterized by comprising a cleaning unit for cleaning the surface of the film. <1> from <2> It is a liquid dispensing device as described in any one of the items. <4> The coating layer is characterized by having a release layer formed on the film and an ink receiving layer formed on the release layer. <1> from <3> It is a liquid dispensing device as described in any one of the items. <5> The coating agent and the ink are applied using an inkjet method. <1> from <4> It is a liquid dispensing device as described in any one of the items. <6> A coating layer formation step involves applying a coating agent to a film to form a coating layer, An image forming step of applying ink onto the coating layer to form an image, A control step for controlling the amount and area to which the coating agent and the ink are applied, The process includes an image inspection step of inspecting the aforementioned image and detecting image parameters, The control step is a liquid application method characterized by determining the amount of coating agent to be applied according to the detected image parameters.

[0072] The aforementioned <1> from <5> The liquid dispensing device described above, <6> The liquid application method described above can solve the aforementioned problems of the conventional method and achieve the objectives of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0073] 1. Liquid dispensing device 10 Coating layer 11. Exfoliation layer 12. Ink receiving layer 13 images 100 Control Unit 131 Imaging Inspection Department 132 Film Inspection Department 200 Coating layer forming section 210 Image forming unit P Film [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0074] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-126026

Claims

1. A coating layer forming section that applies a coating agent onto a film to form a coating layer, An image forming unit that applies ink onto the coating layer to form an image, A control unit that controls the amount and area to which the coating agent and the ink are applied, The system includes an image inspection unit that inspects the aforementioned image and detects image parameters, The liquid dispensing device is characterized in that the control unit determines the amount of coating agent to be dispensed according to the detected image parameters.

2. The unit further comprises a film inspection unit that inspects the film and detects the surface condition of the film, The liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit determines the amount of coating agent to be applied according to the detected surface state of the film.

3. The liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning unit for cleaning the surface of the film.

4. The liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the coating layer comprises a release layer formed on the film and an ink receiving layer formed on the release layer.

5. The liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the coating agent and the ink are dispensed by an inkjet method.

6. A coating layer formation step involves applying a coating agent to a film to form a coating layer, An image forming step of applying ink onto the coating layer to form an image, A control step for controlling the amount and area to which the coating agent and the ink are applied, The process includes an image inspection step of inspecting the aforementioned image and detecting image parameters, The control step is characterized by determining the amount of coating agent to be applied according to the detected image parameters, and is a liquid application method.

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