Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can reduce downtime while preventing environmental problems caused by VOC emissions. [Solution] The system comprises a conveyor belt 33 that transports a wet cloth P while the cloth P is placed on a belt that is not coated with a flocculant, and an image forming unit 4 that applies ink to the wet cloth P transported by the conveyor belt 33 to form an image. The image forming unit 4 forms an image using pigment ink that reacts with a flocculant applied to the cloth P and flocculates.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, resist printing for performing resist printing on fabrics such as cotton, silk, and polyester has been known. The fabric conveying means during resist printing is mainly a "gripping agent application and conveying belt" that adheres the fabric to an adhesive belt (a belt coated with a gripping agent) and conveys it. Solvents (such as ethyl acetate and toluene) used in the gripping agent, the peeling and application operations of the gripping agent cause environmental problems due to the generation of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Environmental problems due to the generation of VOCs include, for example, health hazards to workers, the need for exhaust equipment in the working environment, and concerns about environmental regulations. In addition, the application and peeling operations of the gripping agent cause an extension of downtime, thereby reducing productivity.

[0003] In order to solve the above problems, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a sheet member coated with a gripping agent is detachably attached to a belt. According to the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the sheet member can be easily attached and detached, so that the peeling and application operations of the gripping agent are not required, and productivity can be improved. In addition, since the peeling and application operations of the gripping agent are not required, the occurrence of environmental problems due to the generation of VOCs can be prevented.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The configuration described in Patent Document 1 above can prevent environmental problems caused by VOC generation at the site where the sheet member is attached and detached. However, since the application of the de-icing agent must be performed at a location other than the site, it is not possible to completely prevent environmental problems caused by VOC generation. Furthermore, the configuration described in Patent Document 1 above can improve productivity by eliminating the need for peeling and applying the de-icing agent. However, the configuration described in Patent Document 1 above requires that replacement sheets be kept in stock at all times, and that man-hours be allocated for the sheet replacement work. Therefore, the configuration described in Patent Document 1 above cannot completely prevent the extension of downtime. In addition, the engagement portion of the belt with the sheet member wears down due to repeated attachment and detachment of the sheet member, so the durability of the engagement portion is also a concern.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide an image forming apparatus that can reduce downtime while preventing environmental problems caused by VOC generation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention described in claim 1 was made to achieve the above objective, In an image forming apparatus, A conveyor belt that transports a wet cloth while the wet cloth is placed on a belt that has not been coated with a barrier agent, An image forming unit that applies ink to the wet cloth conveyed by the conveyor belt to form an image, It is characterized by being equipped with [the following features].

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, The wet cloth is characterized by being adsorbed onto the conveyor belt by water.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, The image forming unit is characterized by comprising an inkjet head that ejects ink onto the wet cloth.

[0010] The invention described in claim 4 is an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, The image forming unit is characterized by forming an image using a pigment ink that reacts with and aggregates with a coagulant applied to the cloth.

[0011] The invention described in claim 5 is an image forming apparatus described in claim 3, The image forming unit is characterized in that the printing method is either a scanning method or a single-pass method.

[0012] The invention described in claim 6 is an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, The system is characterized by having an application unit for applying water to the cloth.

[0013] The invention described in claim 7 is an image forming apparatus according to claim 6, The coating unit is characterized by comprising a first coating unit that directly applies water to the cloth.

[0014] The invention described in claim 8 is an image forming apparatus according to claim 6, The coating unit is characterized by comprising a second coating unit that indirectly applies water to the cloth.

[0015] The invention described in claim 9 is an image forming apparatus according to claim 6, The coating portion is A first coating unit that directly applies water to the cloth, A second coating unit that indirectly applies water to the aforementioned cloth, It is characterized by being equipped with [the following features].

[0016] The invention described in claim 10 is an image forming apparatus according to claim 6, The coating unit is characterized by applying water to the cloth at a position on the conveyor belt or upstream of the conveyor belt in the direction of cloth transport.

[0017] The invention according to claim 11 is the image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein it comprises a control unit configured to change the position where the application unit applies the water based on the type of the cloth.

[0018] The invention according to claim 12 is the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it comprises an adhering unit configured to adhere the cloth to the conveying belt.

[0019] The invention according to claim 13 is the image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein <00,00091> it comprises an adjusting unit configured to adjust the amount of the water applied to the cloth by the application unit.

[0020] The invention according to claim 14 is the image forming apparatus according to claim, 13, wherein the adjusting unit also functions as an adhering unit configured to adhere the cloth to the conveying belt.

[0021] The invention according to claim 15 is the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a cleaning unit configured to clean the conveying belt, and a drying unit configured to dry the moisture adhering to the conveying belt by a cleaning process performed by the cleaning unit. and is characterized by comprising the same.

[0022] The invention according to claim is the image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein it comprises a cleaning unit configured to clean the conveying belt, and the cleaning unit is characterized by cleaning the conveying belt by reusing the water remaining after being applied by the application unit.

[0023] The invention according to claim 17 is the image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the application of the flocculant is performed simultaneously with or prior to the application of the ink.

[0024] The invention described in claim 18 is an image forming apparatus as described in claim 7, The coating portion is characterized by mixing a coagulant with the water and applying it to the cloth.

[0025] The invention described in claim 19 is an image forming apparatus according to claim 6, The system includes an image forming control unit that controls the image forming unit, The image forming control unit is characterized in that, when it stops and then restarts printing by the image forming unit, it first applies the water to the cloth using the coating unit, and then forms the image using the image forming unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0026] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce downtime while preventing environmental problems caused by VOC generation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0027] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the inkjet recording apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This block diagram shows the main functional configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows an example of control of the inkjet recording device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This diagram provides a list and explanation of the configurations of each of the examples and comparative examples 1 to 3. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the results of an experiment confirming the effectiveness of this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The following description is illustrative of one embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the invention.

[0029] [Inkjet recording device] First, an example of the configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus (image forming apparatus) 1 according to this embodiment is disclosed. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. The inkjet recording apparatus 1 forms an image by an inkjet method, which ejects ink from appropriate nozzles onto a cloth P at a desired timing. The inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a paper feeder 2, a transporter 3, an image forming unit 4, a cleaning unit 5, a dryer 6, a paper discharge unit 7, a coating unit 10, a pressure roller 20, a drying unit 30, etc.

[0030] [Paper feeder] The paper feeder 2 comprises a paper feed roller 21 and a transport roller 22. A continuous, long piece of cloth P is wound around the paper feed roller 21. The paper feed roller 21 rotates at a speed corresponding to the transport speed of the transporter 3 to feed out the cloth P. The transport roller 22 feeds the cloth P to the transporter 3.

[0031] [Conveying equipment] The conveying device 3 has an endless conveying belt 33 stretched across drive rollers 31 and driven rollers 32 that are arranged parallel to each other at a predetermined interval. The upper surface of the conveying belt 33 stretched across the drive rollers 31 and driven rollers 32 is a mounting surface on which the cloth P is placed in close contact.

[0032] In this embodiment, the surface on which the conveyor belt 33 is placed does not have an adhesive layer formed to adhere the cloth P to it during transport. That is, the surface on which the conveyor belt 33 is placed does not have an adhesive layer formed by applying an adhesive called a barrier agent (e.g., water-soluble resin, pressure-sensitive resin, heat-sensitive resin, etc.). In other words, the conveyor belt 33 is a belt that does not have a barrier agent (adhesive) applied to it. The conveyor belt 33 transports the wet cloth P with the wet cloth P placed on the belt that does not have a barrier agent (adhesive) applied to it. That is, the wet cloth P is adsorbed to the conveyor belt 33 by water.

[0033] Furthermore, the drive roller 31 is driven by a sub-scanning motor (not shown) under the control of the control unit 100. The drive roller 31 rotates at a predetermined speed in the conveying direction, indicated by the arrow in Figure 1, due to the rotational drive of the sub-scanning motor. The conveying belt 33, which is stretched between the drive roller 31 and the driven roller 32, rotates due to the rotation of the drive roller 31. The cloth P placed on the surface of the conveying belt 33 is conveyed in the conveying direction by this operation.

[0034] [Image Forming Unit] The image forming unit 4 forms an image by applying ink to a wet cloth P conveyed by a transport belt 33. The image forming unit 4 forms images using an inkjet method. Specifically, the image forming unit 4 uses either a scan method or a single-pass method for printing. When the scan method is adopted, the print head moves and performs overlapping printing, allowing for high-density, high-quality images. When the single-pass method is adopted, the print head is fixed and the cloth P is transported, enabling mass production. The image forming unit 4 is composed of multiple inkjet heads 41 (see Figure 2) that eject ink onto the wet cloth P at an appropriate timing based on the image data. The inkjet recording device 1 includes four inkjet heads 41, each corresponding to one of four ink colors, such as yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). The four inkjet heads 41 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the order YMCK from the upstream side in the transport direction of the cloth P. Each of the four inkjet heads 41 includes a tank for the color ink, a flow path, a piezoelectric element, and multiple nozzles. Under the control of the control unit 100, the four inkjet heads 41 eject the color ink onto the cloth P by applying pressure fluctuations to the color ink supplied from the tank to the nozzles via the flow path using the piezoelectric element. The number of inkjet heads 41 may be three or fewer, or five or more.

[0035] [ink] The ink ejected by the image forming unit 4 is a pigment ink containing a solvent and a pigment.

[0036] (solvent) The solvent in the ink is not particularly limited, but for example, organic solvents or water can be used. The ink may contain one or more solvents.

[0037] When water is used as the solvent for the ink, the water is not particularly limited, but for example, deionized water, distilled water, and pure water can be used. The water content in the ink is preferably in the range of 30 to 70% by mass relative to the total amount of ink.

[0038] When using an organic solvent as the solvent for the ink, it is preferable to use a water-soluble organic solvent. Examples of water-soluble organic solvents that can be used include monohydric alcohols, polyhydric alcohols, polyhydric alcohol ethers, amines, amides, heterocyclic compounds, sulfoxides, and sulfones.

[0039] (Pigment) The pigment can preferably be an organic pigment or an inorganic pigment such as titanium dioxide. The pigment is generally anionic. The ink may contain one or more pigments.

[0040] Examples of organic pigments include azo, azomethine, methine, diphenylmethane, triphenylmethane, quinacridone, anthraquinone, perylene, indigo, and quinophthalone. Other examples include isoindolinone, isoindorine, azine, oxazine, thiazine, dioxazine, thiazole, phthalocyanine, and diketopyrrolopyrrole.

[0041] Titanium dioxide exists in three crystalline forms: anatase, rutile, and blue kite. However, the most common forms are generally anatase and rutile. While not strictly limited, the rutile form of titanium dioxide is preferred due to its high refractive index and opacity. Specific examples of titanium dioxide include Fuji Titanium Industries' TR series, Teika's JR series, and Ishihara Sangyo's Typeque.

[0042] The pigment may be a self-dispersing pigment. A self-dispersing pigment is one in which the surface of the pigment particles is modified with a hydrophilic group. A self-dispersing pigment comprises pigment particles and a hydrophilic group bonded to its surface.

[0043] The ink dispensed by the image forming unit 4 is one to which a binder resin has been added. In particular, adding an anionic binder resin to the ink improves the fixation of the pigment.

[0044] The components of the ink are not limited to pigments and solvents. Other components besides pigments and solvents may be added to the ink as needed, provided that the effects of the present invention are not impaired. For example, surfactants such as anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, and amphoteric surfactants may be added to the ink. Preservatives such as aromatic halogen compounds, methylenedithiocyanates, halogenated nitrogen-sulfur compounds, and 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one may also be added to the ink. Furthermore, pH adjusters such as citric acid, sodium citrate, hydrochloric acid, and sodium hydroxide may be added to the ink.

[0045] [Agglutinants] The image forming unit 4 forms an image using pigment ink that reacts with and aggregates a coagulant applied to the fabric P. The coagulant is a component that can aggregate colorants (pigment inks). In this embodiment, the application of the coagulant is performed in-line. Here, applying the coagulant in-line means that the application of the coagulant is performed simultaneously with the application of the ink. That is, the ink and pretreatment liquid are ejected almost simultaneously from the inkjet head 41 and the pretreatment liquid ejection head 42 (see Figure 2). The image forming unit 4 forms an image by ejecting the pretreatment liquid by the pretreatment liquid ejection head 42 (pretreatment) and ejecting the ink by the inkjet head 41. The pretreatment liquid discharge head 42 is located upstream of the inkjet head 41 in the fabric P transport direction. Similar to the inkjet head 41, the pretreatment liquid discharge head 42 includes a pretreatment liquid tank, a flow path, a piezoelectric element, and multiple nozzles. The pretreatment liquid discharge head 42 discharges the pretreatment liquid under the control of the control unit 100.

[0046] The pretreatment liquid discharged by the pretreatment liquid discharge head 42 is, for example, a pretreatment ink containing a coagulant. The pretreatment ink is mixed in liquid form with the color ink discharged by the inkjet head 41. The pretreatment ink contains at least a coagulant and may also contain other components such as a solvent, surfactant, or water.

[0047] The flocculant contained in the pretreatment ink is not particularly limited as long as it generates aggregates when it comes into contact with the colorant (color ink). As flocculants, since colorants are usually anionic components, examples include polyvalent metal salts, monovalent metal salts, organic acids, inorganic acids, cationic polymers, and metal chelates. Among these, from the viewpoint of flocculation force, polyvalent metal salts or organic acids are preferred, and polyvalent metal salts are more preferred. Although the pH of the aqueous solution of polyvalent metal salts is closer to neutral than that of organic acids, they are preferred over organic acids because they have multiple ionic bonding sites that act as active sites. Only one type of flocculant may be added, or two or more types may be added.

[0048] [Cleaning Department] The cleaning unit 5 performs a cleaning process to clean the conveyor belt 33 of the conveying device 3. The cleaning process removes foreign matter (mainly solidified ink) adhering to the conveyor belt 33. The cleaning unit 5 includes, for example, a collection unit 51, a water spraying unit 52, a brush roller 53, a scraping unit 54, and a water storage unit 55.

[0049] The collection unit 51 is a bucket-shaped member with an opening on the conveyor belt 33 side. The collection unit 51 collects cleaning liquid dripping from the conveyor belt 33, watering unit 52, brush roller 53, scraping unit 54, etc. The collection unit 51 also collects excess water squeezed out from the cloth P pressed by the pressure roller 20. The collection unit 51 also collects excess water that is not applied to the cloth P by the coating unit 10. The watering unit 52, brush roller 53, scraping unit 54, and water storage unit 55 are arranged in order in the collection unit 51 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 33.

[0050] The water spraying unit 52 is equipped with nozzles that span the entire width of the conveyor belt 33 in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The nozzles of the water spraying unit 52 are positioned opposite the mounting surface of the conveyor belt 33. The nozzles of the water spraying unit 52 spray cleaning liquid supplied from the water reservoir 55 onto the mounting surface of the conveyor belt 33. The cleaning liquid is sprayed, for example, into the area between the brush roller 53 and the conveyor belt 33. By spraying the cleaning liquid, the water spraying unit 52 can remove foreign matter adhering to the conveyor belt 33. By spraying the cleaning liquid onto the conveyor belt 33, the water spraying unit 52 can enhance the cleaning effect of the conveyor belt 33 by the subsequent brush roller 53. The cleaning liquid sprayed from the water spraying unit 52 is collected by the collection unit 51.

[0051] The brush roller 53 is a roller-shaped brush with a bundle of brushes mounted on a rotating shaft that spans the entire width of the conveyor belt 33. The brush roller 53 is positioned so that the tips of the bundle of brushes are in contact with the surface on which the conveyor belt 33 is placed. Due to this arrangement, the brush roller 53 rotates while constantly in contact with the surface on which the conveyor belt 33 is placed.

[0052] The brush roller 53 is configured to rotate in the opposite direction to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 33 at the contact point with the conveyor belt 33. By rotating at a predetermined speed, the brush roller 53 rubs against the surface on which the conveyor belt 33 is placed with its brush bundle. Through this rubbing, the brush roller 53 removes foreign matter that has been cleaned by the spraying of cleaning fluid by the water spraying unit 52 from the surface on which the conveyor belt 33 is placed. The foreign matter and cleaning fluid removed by the brush roller 53 are collected by the collection unit 51.

[0053] The scraping section 54 is a flat plate-shaped member made of, for example, an elastic material such as rubber or a PET sheet. The scraping section 54 spans the entire width of the conveyor belt 33. The tip of the scraping section 54 is positioned to contact the surface on which the conveyor belt 33 is placed. This arrangement allows the scraping section 54 to scrape off foreign matter and cleaning fluid remaining on the conveyor belt 33. The foreign matter and cleaning fluid scraped off by the scraping section 54 are collected by the collection section 51.

[0054] The water reservoir 55 is located on the bottom side of the recovery unit 51. The water reservoir 55 is configured to store foreign matter and cleaning liquid recovered by the recovery unit 51. The water reservoir 55 is provided with a flow path that communicates with the water spraying unit 52. This flow path is equipped with a pump (not shown) for spraying cleaning liquid and a filter (not shown) for removing foreign matter. The cleaning liquid sprayed from the water spraying unit 52 is recovered in the recovery unit 51 by this configuration and then sent from the water reservoir 55 to the water spraying unit 52. Therefore, the water spraying unit 52 can repeatedly spray cleaning liquid.

[0055] The cleaning unit 5, with the above configuration, reuses excess water applied by the coating unit 10 to clean the conveyor belt 33. This allows for the recycling of water resources and their efficient use without waste.

[0056] [Dryer] The dryer 6 is positioned downstream of the image forming unit 4 in the direction of fabric P transport, and dries and fixes the ink on the fabric P. For example, the dryer 6 performs heating and blowing to evaporate the moisture from the ink.

[0057] [Paper output device] The paper discharge device 7 is located downstream of the conveying device 3 in the conveying direction and stores the cloth P conveyed by the conveying device 3. The paper discharge device 7 includes a winding roller 71 and a conveying roller 72. The winding roller 71 winds up the cloth P discharged by the conveying device 3. The conveying roller 72 is located closer to the conveying device 3 than the winding roller 71. The cloth P discharged from the conveying device 3 is conveyed towards the winding roller 71 by the conveying roller 72. The winding roller 71 then winds up the cloth P conveyed by the conveying roller 72 into a roll as needed.

[0058] [Application area] The coating unit 10 applies water to the cloth P. This allows the coating unit 10 to wet the cloth P. The wet cloth P is then attracted to the conveyor belt 33 by the water. As shown in Figure 1, the coating unit 10 comprises a first coating unit 11 and a second coating unit 12. The first coating unit 11 directly applies water to the cloth P. The first coating unit 11 is, for example, a watering device, sprayer, head, or coating apparatus. The first coating unit 11 may be a combination of the exemplified configurations as appropriate (for example, watering device + sprayer). The second coating unit 12 indirectly applies water to the cloth P. The second coating unit 12 is, for example, a moistened component (wet roller, wet web), a wetted conveyor belt 33, or a wetted pressure roller 20. Furthermore, any excess water that is not applied to the cloth P by the first coating section 11 and the second coating section 12 is collected in the collection section 51 of the cleaning section 5.

[0059] The first coating unit 11 applies water to the cloth P at a position upstream of the conveyor belt 33 in the direction of conveyance of the cloth P. The second coating unit 12 indirectly applies water to the cloth P on the conveyor belt 33. Specifically, the second coating unit 12 applies water to the conveyor belt 33 at a position downstream of the cleaning unit 5 in the direction of rotation of the conveyor belt 33, and upstream of the position where the conveyor belt 33 begins to convey the cloth P. This allows the second coating unit 12 to apply water to the cloth P via the conveyor belt 33.

[0060] The control unit 100 changes the position at which the coating unit 10 applies water based on the type of cloth P. For example, in the case of a fabric P that easily conducts water (e.g., polydecine) that easily penetrates laterally, it is preferable to apply the water on a conveyor belt 33 that can stabilize the posture and wet the fabric uniformly. Therefore, the control unit 100 controls the second application unit 12 to apply water when the fabric P is one that easily conducts water. On the other hand, in the case of a fabric P that does not easily absorb water (for example, cotton satin), it is preferable to apply the water at a position upstream of the conveyor belt 33 in the direction of conveyance of the fabric P, where a sufficient amount of water can be applied. Therefore, the control unit 100 controls the first application unit 11 to apply water when the fabric P does not easily absorb water.

[0061] [Pressure roller] The pressure roller 20 brings the cloth P, which has been coated with water by the first coating section 11 or the second coating section 12, into close contact with the conveyor belt 33. In other words, the pressure roller 20 functions as the contact section of the present invention. The pressure roller 20 is positioned on the conveyor belt 33 and upstream of the image forming section 4 in the direction of rotation of the conveyor belt 33. Since the cloth P is wet via the conveyor belt 33 by the first coating section 11 or the second coating section 12, it is attracted to the conveyor belt 33 by the action of the pressure roller 20.

[0062] Furthermore, the pressure roller 20 adjusts the amount of water applied to the cloth P by the application unit 10. In other words, the pressure roller 20 functions as an adjustment unit of the present invention. Specifically, the pressure roller 20 presses the cloth P placed on the conveyor belt 33, squeezing out the moisture contained in the cloth P. In this way, the pressure roller 20 can adjust the amount of moisture contained in the cloth P. The excess water squeezed out from the cloth P pressed by the pressure roller 20 is collected in the collection unit 51 of the cleaning unit 5. As described above, the pressure roller 20 functions as both the contact portion and the adjustment portion of the present invention.

[0063] [Drying section] The drying unit 30 dries the moisture adhering to the conveyor belt 33 by the cleaning process performed by the cleaning unit 5. The drying unit 30 dries the moisture adhering to the conveyor belt 33 by heater drying, air drying, and direct wiping. For example, the drying unit 30 performs heating or blowing air to evaporate the moisture in the ink. The drying unit 30 dries the conveyor belt 33 at a position downstream of the cleaning unit 5 in the direction of rotation of the conveyor belt 33 and upstream of the second coating unit 12 in the direction of rotation of the conveyor belt 33. This allows the conveyor belt 33 to be dried before water is applied by the second coating unit 12. Therefore, the amount of moisture in the conveyor belt 33 that has been wetted by water application by the second coating unit 12 can be precisely adjusted. Thus, the amount of moisture in the cloth P that has been wetted via the conveyor belt 33 can be precisely adjusted.

[0064] [Functional Configuration] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of the inkjet recording device 1. The inkjet recording device 1 includes a control unit 100, a head drive unit 110, a transport drive unit 120, an input / output interface 130, a first pressure contact / separation unit 140, a brush drive unit 150, a second pressure contact / separation unit 160, a pump drive unit 170, an operation panel 180, and a storage unit 190, etc.

[0065] The control unit 100 includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. The CPU reads various control programs and setting data stored in ROM, stores them in RAM, and executes the programs to perform various calculations. The CPU comprehensively controls the operation of each part of the inkjet recording device 1. RAM provides the CPU with a working memory space to store temporary data. RAM may also include non-volatile memory. ROM stores various control programs and setting data executed by the CPU. Instead of ROM, rewritable non-volatile memory such as EEPROM or flash memory may be used.

[0066] For example, when the control unit 100 stops and then restarts printing by the image forming unit 4, it causes the coating unit 10 to apply water to the cloth P before the image forming unit 4 forms the image. In other words, the control unit 100 functions as an image forming control unit of the present invention. For example, when printing is stopped due to an alarm or warning and then restarted, the areas of the cloth P that have already been coated with water will dry out, preventing them from being picked up by the conveyor belt 33 and causing conveying and image defects. Therefore, when printing is stopped and then restarted, starting again with the application of water to the cloth P can suppress the occurrence of conveying and image defects. For example, if a job is in progress, the job will be restarted from the beginning. In this case, some parts may have dried after water coating before printing, so the successfully printed parts will be wasted, but the job will be reprinted from the beginning. This helps to suppress the occurrence of transport and image defects. Furthermore, when a job is long or jobs are running consecutively, restarting from the beginning of the job would result in a lot of wasted time, so it is best to restart from a convenient point. In this case, if necessary, advance the cloth P at the stopping point slightly to restart from a convenient point. This can suppress the occurrence of transport and image defects.

[0067] The head drive unit 110 supplies a drive signal to the image forming unit 4 at an appropriate timing according to the image data, based on the control of the control unit 100. This supply causes the head drive unit 110 to eject an amount of ink from the nozzles of the image forming unit 4 corresponding to the pixel values ​​of the image data.

[0068] The transport drive unit 120 supplies a drive signal to the sub-scanning motor of the drive roller 31 based on the control of the control unit 100. The transport drive unit 120 controls the transport operation by rotating the transport belt 33 at a predetermined speed and timing based on this supply.

[0069] The input / output interface 130 mediates the transmission and reception of data between the external device 8 and the control unit 100. The input / output interface 130 is composed of, for example, various serial interfaces and / or various parallel interfaces.

[0070] External device 8 is, for example, a personal computer. External device 8 supplies image recording commands (print jobs) and image data, etc., to the control unit 100 via the input / output interface 130.

[0071] The first pressure-contacting-and-separating unit 140 presses the brush roller 53 against the mounting surface of the conveyor belt 33 and separates it based on the control of the control unit 100. The first pressure-contacting-and-separating unit 140 controls the amount of cleaning nip formed between the mounting surface of the conveyor belt 33 and the brush roller 53 through this control.

[0072] The brush drive unit 150 controls the rotational speed (rotation amount per unit time) of the brush roller 53 under the control of the control unit 100.

[0073] The second pressure-contacting-and-separating section 160 presses the scraping section 54 against the mounting surface of the conveyor belt 33 and separates it under the control of the control unit 100. The second pressure-contacting-and-separating section 160 controls the amount of cleaning nip formed by the mounting surface of the conveyor belt 33 and the scraping section 54 through this control.

[0074] The pump drive unit 170, under the control of the control unit 100, changes the driving mode of the pump provided in the flow path connecting the water storage unit 55 and the water spraying unit 52. Through this control, the pump drive unit 170 controls the spray pressure (water pressure) of the cleaning liquid by the water spraying unit 52.

[0075] The control panel 180 includes a display unit 181 that displays various information to the user, and an operation unit 182 that receives operation input from the user. The display unit 181 is composed of a color liquid crystal display or the like. The display unit 181 displays operation screens, etc., according to display control signals input from the control unit 100. The operation screens include, for example, various setting screens, various buttons, and the operating status of each function. Under the control of the control unit 100, the display unit 181 notifies the user of various warnings. The operation unit 182 includes a touch panel provided on the screen of the display unit 181 and various hard keys arranged around the screen of the display unit 181. When a button displayed on the screen is pressed with a finger or stylus, the operation unit 182 first detects the XY coordinates of the point of force application as a voltage value. Next, the operation unit 182 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the detected position to the control unit 100. The touch panel is not limited to pressure-sensitive; for example, it may be electrostatic or optical. Also, when a hard key is pressed, the operation unit 182 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the pressed key to the control unit 100. The user can operate the operation unit 182 to perform settings related to image formation, cloth transport instructions, and stop operations of the device. Settings related to image formation include, for example, image quality settings, magnification settings, application settings, output settings, and cloth type settings.

[0076] The storage unit 190 stores print jobs (image recording commands) and image data related to said print jobs that are input from the external device 8 via the input / output interface 130. For example, an HDD may be used as the storage unit 190, and DRAM may also be used in combination.

[0077] Next, the control of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 3. The control in Figure 3 is a control that changes the position in which the coating unit 10 applies water based on the type of cloth P.

[0078] First, the control unit 100 obtains the fabric type set by the user via the operation unit 182 (step S1).

[0079] Next, the control unit 100 determines whether the fabric type obtained in step S1 is a fabric type that is easily permeable to water (step S2). If the control unit 100 determines that the fabric is easily permeable to water (step S2: YES), it proceeds to the next step S3. On the other hand, if the control unit 100 determines that the fabric is not easily permeable to water (step S2: NO), it proceeds to step S4.

[0080] Next, the control unit 100 indirectly applies water to the cloth P using the second coating unit 12 (step S3). After that, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S5.

[0081] In step S4, the control unit 100 causes the first coating unit 11 to directly apply water to the cloth P. After that, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S5.

[0082] In step S5, the control unit 100 presses the cloth P against the conveyor belt 33 using the pressure roller 20. This causes the cloth P to adhere closely to the conveyor belt 33 and adjusts the amount of water applied to the cloth P.

[0083] Next, the control unit 100 causes the image forming unit 4 to form an image (step S6).

[0084] [Experimental Results] Next, the results of experiments confirming the effectiveness of this embodiment will be explained using Figures 4 and 5. The experiment (verification) to confirm the effectiveness of this embodiment compared a configuration in which water is applied to the cloth P (Example) with a configuration in which water is not applied to the cloth P (Comparative Example 1), in which a conveyor belt 33 without a barrier agent is applied. Furthermore, the experiment (verification) to confirm the effectiveness of this embodiment compared a configuration in which an image is formed using (water-based) pigment ink and a coagulant (pre-treatment ink) (Example) with configurations in which this is not done (Comparative Examples 2 and 3). Comparative Example 2 is a configuration in which an image is formed using only (water-based) dye ink. Comparative Example 3 is a configuration in which an image is formed using only (water-based) pigment ink. Comparative Example 1, like the example, uses a (water-based) pigment ink and a coagulant (pre-treatment ink) to form an image. Comparative Examples 2 and 3, like the example, have a conveyor belt 33 that is not coated with a barrier agent, and the cloth P is coated with water.

[0085] Figure 4 is a diagram that displays and explains the configurations of each of the examples and comparative examples 1 to 3. The example is a configuration in which water is applied to the cloth P, in which a conveyor belt 33 is not coated with a barrier agent. The example is a configuration in which an image is formed using (water-based) pigment ink and a coagulant (pre-treatment ink). Comparative Example 1 is a configuration in which a conveyor belt 33 is not coated with a barrier agent, and in which water is not coated on the cloth P. Comparative Example 1 is a configuration in which an image is formed using (water-based) pigment ink and a coagulant (pre-treatment ink), similar to the example. Comparative Example 2 is a configuration similar to the Example, in which a conveyor belt 33 without a barrier agent is applied, and water is applied to the cloth P. Comparative Example 2 is a configuration in which an image is formed using only (water-based) dye ink. Comparative Example 3 is a configuration in which water is applied to the cloth P, in a configuration that is similar to the example, but with a conveyor belt 33 that is not coated with a barrier agent. Comparative Example 3 is a configuration in which an image is formed using only (water-based) pigment ink.

[0086] Figure 5 shows an example of the results of an experiment confirming the effectiveness of this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 5, the quality of an image printed under the above conditions is evaluated. Here, the notations "A" and "B" in the image quality section of the evaluation results have the following meanings. A: There is no blurring, and the image quality is good. B: There is blurring, and the image quality is not good. As shown in Figure 5, in the image quality category, the evaluation results for Example and Comparative Example 1, where an agglutinant (pre-treatment ink) was used to form the image, were "A," indicating good results. On the other hand, the evaluation results for Comparative Examples 2 and 3, where an agglutinant (pre-treatment ink) was not used to form the image, were "B," indicating that good results were not obtained.

[0087] In the example shown in Figure 5, the transportability of cloth P when printed under the above conditions is evaluated. Here, the notations "A" and "B" in the cloth transportability item that shows the evaluation results have the following meanings. A: No fabric lifting occurs, and fabric transportability is good. B: Fabric lifting is occurring, resulting in poor fabric transportability. As shown in Figure 5, in the cloth transportability category, the evaluation results for the example and Comparative Examples 2 and 3, in which water was applied to the cloth P in a configuration with a conveyor belt 33 that was not coated with a barrier agent, were "A", indicating good results. On the other hand, the evaluation result for Comparative Example 1, in which water was not applied to the cloth P in a configuration with a conveyor belt 33 that was not coated with a barrier agent, was "B", indicating that good results were not obtained.

[0088] As described above, the image forming apparatus (inkjet recording apparatus 1) according to this embodiment includes a conveyor belt 33 that conveys a wet cloth P with the wet cloth placed on a belt that is not coated with a barrier agent, and an image forming unit 4 that applies ink to the wet cloth P conveyed by the conveyor belt 33 to form an image. The image forming unit 4 includes an inkjet head 41 that ejects ink onto the wet cloth P. The printing method of the image forming unit 4 is either a scanning method or a single-pass method. Therefore, according to the image processing apparatus of this embodiment, the cloth P can be subjected to water adsorption (liquid crosslinking) on ​​the conveyor belt 33 without using a barrier agent. Thus, environmental problems caused by VOC generation can be prevented. In addition, the peeling and application of barrier agents, as well as the stocking and replacement of replacement sheets, are unnecessary, reducing downtime. Furthermore, when the printing method is a scanning method, high-density, high-quality images can be obtained. Also, when the printing method is a single-pass method, mass production can be performed.

[0089] Furthermore, the wet cloth P is adsorbed onto the conveyor belt 33 by the water. Therefore, the fabric P can be transported while wet and without swelling or stretching. Furthermore, because it is a belt transport system, the tension on the fabric P in the transport direction and perpendicular to it can be reduced to zero. Thus, productivity related to fabric transport can be improved regardless of the type of fabric used.

[0090] Furthermore, the image forming unit 4 forms an image using pigment ink that reacts with and aggregates with a coagulant applied to the cloth P. Therefore, even on a wet cloth P, an image can be formed without causing blurring. Thus, sufficient image quality can be ensured.

[0091] Furthermore, it includes an application section 10 for applying water to the cloth P. The application section 10 includes a first application section 11 for directly applying water to the cloth P. The application section 10 also includes a second application section 12 for indirectly applying water to the cloth P. Therefore, the fabric P can be made to adhere to the conveyor belt 33 by water adsorption (liquid crosslinking) without the use of a barrier agent. This prevents environmental problems caused by VOC generation and reduces downtime. In addition, it can improve the conveyability of the fabric P by suppressing fabric floating, etc.

[0092] Furthermore, the coating unit 10 applies water to the cloth P either on the conveyor belt 33 or at a position upstream of the conveyor belt 33 in the direction of conveyance of the cloth P. The unit includes a control unit 100 that changes the position at which the coating unit 10 applies water based on the type of cloth P. Therefore, water can be applied at the appropriate location depending on the type of fabric. This allows for more appropriate fabric transport and image formation.

[0093] Furthermore, it is equipped with a contact section (pressure roller 20) that ensures the cloth P is in close contact with the conveyor belt 33. Therefore, it is possible to ensure close contact between the cloth P and the conveyor belt 33. Thus, it is possible to suppress cloth lifting and improve the conveyance of the cloth P.

[0094] Furthermore, the device includes an adjustment unit (pressure roller 20) that adjusts the amount of water applied to the cloth P by the application unit 10. The adjustment unit also functions as an adhesion unit that ensures the cloth P is in close contact with the conveyor belt 33. Therefore, the amount of moisture contained in the cloth P can be adjusted to an appropriate level. As a result, cloth transport and image formation can be performed more effectively.

[0095] The system also includes a cleaning unit 5 for cleaning the conveyor belt 33, and a drying unit 30 for drying the moisture adhering to the conveyor belt 33 as a result of the cleaning process by the cleaning unit 5. Therefore, the conveyor belt 33 can be dried before water is applied by the second coating unit 12. In other words, the amount of moisture in the conveyor belt 33, which has been wetted by water application by the second coating unit 12, can be precisely controlled. Thus, the amount of moisture in the cloth P, which has been wetted via the conveyor belt 33, can be precisely controlled.

[0096] Furthermore, the cleaning unit 5 reuses the excess water applied by the coating unit 10 to clean the conveyor belt 33. Therefore, the excess water applied by the coating unit 10 can be reused to clean the conveyor belt 33. Thus, water resources can be recycled and used efficiently without waste.

[0097] Furthermore, the application of the coagulant is carried out at the same time as or before the application of the ink. Therefore, the coagulant can be applied to the fabric P at the appropriate time. Thus, sufficient image quality can be ensured.

[0098] Furthermore, the coating section 10 is applied to the cloth P by mixing a coagulant with water. Therefore, the configuration for applying the flocculant can be eliminated. This allows for space to be saved within the device and reduces the cost of the device.

[0099] The system also includes an image forming control unit (control unit 100) that controls the image forming unit 4. When the image forming control unit stops and then restarts printing by the image forming unit 4, it causes the coating unit 10 to apply water to the cloth P before the image forming unit 4 forms the image. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of transport and image defects caused by the drying of areas on the cloth P where water has already been applied. Thus, cloth transport and image formation can be performed more appropriately.

[0100] Although the present invention has been specifically described above based on embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified without departing from its spirit.

[0101] For example, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to an apparatus that forms images using an inkjet method, but it is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be applied to an apparatus that performs analog printing instead of an inkjet method.

[0102] Furthermore, although the above embodiment illustrates a configuration in which the coating section 10 includes a first coating section 11 and a second coating section 12, it is not limited to this configuration. In other words, the coating section 10 only needs to include at least one of the first coating section 11 and the second coating section 12.

[0103] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first coating unit 11 applies water to the cloth P at a position upstream of the conveyor belt 33 in the conveying direction of the cloth P, but it is not limited to this. That is, the first coating unit 11 may be configured to apply water to the cloth P on the conveyor belt 33. In this case, the first coating unit 11 applies water to the cloth P at a position downstream of the conveyor belt 33 in the rotational direction of the conveyor belt 33 from the position where the conveyor belt 33 starts conveying the cloth P, and upstream of the pressure roller 20 in the rotational direction of the conveyor belt 33. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the second coating unit 12 indirectly applies water to the cloth P on the conveyor belt 33, but it is not limited to this. That is, the second coating unit 12 may indirectly apply water to the cloth P at a position upstream of the conveyor belt 33 in the direction of conveyance of the cloth P. In this case, the second coating unit 12 is, for example, a wet roller (a roller coated with water), and it comes into contact with the cloth P at a position upstream of the conveyor belt 33 in the direction of conveyance of the cloth P, thereby wetting the cloth P. As a result, the second coating unit 12 can indirectly apply water to the cloth P.

[0104] Furthermore, while the description illustrates a configuration in which the pressure roller 20 functions as an adjustment unit of the present invention, the invention is not limited to this. For example, a sensor for detecting the moisture content of the cloth P may be provided downstream of the pressure roller 20 in the conveying direction of the cloth P, and the moisture content of the cloth P may be readjusted based on the detection result of the sensor. For example, if the moisture content of the cloth P is low, the system may be configured to apply more water. On the other hand, if the moisture content of the cloth P is high, the system may be configured to squeeze out more water.

[0105] Furthermore, while the above embodiment illustrates a configuration in which the pressure roller 20 functions as the contact portion and adjustment portion of the present invention, the invention is not limited thereto. For example, a configuration in which the air spray is pressurized or sucked by an air spray may be adopted so that the air spray functions as the contact portion and adjustment portion of the present invention.

[0106] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the application of the coagulant to the cloth P is performed in-line, but this is not the only option. For example, the application of the coagulant may be performed offline. Here, applying the coagulant offline means applying the coagulant at a different timing than the application of the ink. Specifically, it means applying it before the application of the ink (before the cloth P reaches the image forming unit 4). For example, the application unit 10 that applies water to the cloth P may mix the coagulant (pretreatment solution) with the water and apply it to the cloth P. Alternatively, a coagulant application unit (not shown) for applying the coagulant to the cloth P may be provided between the application unit 10 and the image forming unit 4. In this case, the coagulant can be applied between the application unit 10 and the image forming unit 4. However, it is preferable that the application of the coagulant is simultaneous with the application of water by the application unit 10 or after the application of water by the application unit 10.

[0107] Furthermore, the detailed configuration and operation of each component of the inkjet recording device can also be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1. Inkjet recording device (image forming apparatus) 2. Paper feed device 21 Paper feed roller 22 Conveyor rollers 3. Conveying device 31 Drive roller 32 Driven rollers 33 Conveyor belt 4 Image forming unit 41 Inkjet heads 42 Pre-treatment liquid discharge head 5 Cleaning Department 51 Recovery Section 52 Sprinkler section 53 Brush Roller 54 Scraping section 55 Water storage section 6 Dryer 7 Paper ejection device 71 Winding roller 72 Conveyor rollers 8 External device 10. Coating area 11. First application section 12. Second coating area 20. Pressure roller (contact section, adjustment section) 30 Drying section 100 Control Unit (Image Forming Control Unit) 110 Head drive unit 120 Conveyor drive unit 130 Input / Output Interfaces 140 First pressure contact separation section 150 Brush drive unit 160 Second pressure contact / separation section 170 Pump drive unit 180 Control Panel 181 Display section 182 Operation section 190 Memory section P Cloth

Claims

1. A conveyor belt that transports a wet cloth while the wet cloth is placed on a belt that has not been coated with a barrier agent, An image forming unit that applies ink to the wet cloth conveyed by the conveyor belt to form an image, An image forming apparatus characterized by comprising:

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the wet cloth is adsorbed onto the conveyor belt by water.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the image forming unit includes an inkjet head for ejecting ink onto the wet cloth.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the image forming unit forms an image using a pigment ink that reacts with and aggregates with a coagulant applied to the cloth.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the image forming unit uses a scanning method or a single-pass method for printing.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with a coating unit for applying water to the cloth.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the coating portion comprises a first coating portion that directly applies water to the cloth.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the coating portion comprises a second coating portion that indirectly applies water to the cloth.

9. The coating portion is A first coating unit that directly applies water to the cloth, A second coating unit that indirectly applies water to the aforementioned cloth, The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, characterized by comprising:

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the coating portion applies water to the cloth at a position on the conveyor belt or upstream of the conveyor belt in the direction of the cloth's transport.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a control unit that changes the position at which the coating unit applies the water based on the type of cloth.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an adhesion portion for adhering the cloth to the conveyor belt.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an adjustment unit for adjusting the amount of water applied to the cloth by the coating unit.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the adjustment unit also functions as a contact unit that brings the cloth into close contact with the conveyor belt.

15. A cleaning unit for cleaning the aforementioned conveyor belt, A drying unit that dries the moisture adhering to the conveyor belt as a result of the cleaning process by the cleaning unit, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by comprising:

16. The system includes a cleaning unit for cleaning the aforementioned conveyor belt, The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the cleaning unit reuses the excess water applied by the coating unit to clean the conveyor belt.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the application of the coagulant is performed simultaneously with or before the application of the ink.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the coating portion is applied to the cloth by mixing a coagulant with the water.

19. The system includes an image forming control unit that controls the image forming unit, The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, when the image forming control unit stops and then restarts printing by the image forming unit, it causes the coating unit to apply the water to the cloth before the image forming unit forms the image.

Images