Drying apparatus and printing system

Abstract

To provide a drying apparatus and printing system capable of suppressing the heating of areas of a printing medium that are not coated with ink. [Solution] The drying apparatus 1,140,150 for drying an ink-coated printing medium 3 according to the present disclosure comprises a plurality of heating units 10-12 or a plurality of hot air blowing units 1410-1412 arranged in the transport direction of the printing medium 3. Each of the plurality of heating units 10-12 stops heating when the coated area 30 on the ink-coated printing medium 3 passes between each of the heating units 10-12 and the transport surface 13 on which the printing medium 3 is transported. Each of the plurality of hot air blowing units 1410-1412 stops blowing air when the coated area 30 on the ink-coated printing medium 3 passes between each of the hot air blowing units 1410-1412 and the transport surface 13 on which the printing medium 3 is transported.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a drying device for drying a print medium and a printing system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various drying devices for drying a print medium coated with ink have been proposed. As an example of such a drying device, Patent Document 1 discloses a drying device including a plurality of heaters provided at an outlet of an air chamber fan.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the drying device disclosed in Patent Document 1, portions of the print medium that are not coated with ink are unnecessarily heated. In particular, in the case of ink containing a resin such as a water-based resin, printing on the heated portion of the print medium becomes difficult.

[0005] In order to solve such a problem, the present disclosure provides a drying device and a printing system that can suppress heating of portions of a print medium that are not coated with ink.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] A drying device for drying a print medium coated with ink according to the present disclosure includes: a plurality of heating units arranged in a conveying direction of the print medium, each of the plurality of heating units stops heating when the coated region on the print medium coated with ink passes between the respective heating unit and a conveying surface on which the print medium is conveyed.

[0007] In a printing system including a drying device for drying a printing medium coated with the ink relating to this disclosure, The drying apparatus comprises a plurality of heating units or a plurality of hot air blowing units arranged in the direction of transport of the printing medium. Each of the multiple heating units stops heating when the coated area 30 on the ink-coated printing medium passes between the respective heating unit and the transport surface on which the printing medium is transported, or each of the multiple hot air blowing units stops blowing air when the coated area on the ink-coated printing medium passes between the respective hot air blowing unit and the transport surface on which the printing medium is transported. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a drying apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of the drying apparatus along the cross-sectional line II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a data table in which the heating stop conditions according to the first embodiment are registered. [Figure 5] This figure shows another example of a data table in which the heating stop conditions according to the first embodiment are registered. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows an example of a process performed by the control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a drying apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of the drying apparatus along the cross-sectional line II-II in Figure 7. [Figure 9] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of a data table in which the movement start conditions according to the second embodiment are registered. [Figure 11] This flowchart shows an example of a process performed by the control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a vertical cross-sectional view of a drying apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing an example of a data table in which movement start conditions according to the third embodiment are registered. [Figure 14] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a drying apparatus according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a cross-sectional view of the drying apparatus taken along section line III-III in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] It is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a control device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing an example of a data table in which heating stop conditions according to the fourth embodiment are registered. [Figure 18] It is a diagram showing another example of a data table in which heating stop conditions according to the fourth embodiment are registered. [Figure 19] It is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the control device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 20] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a drying apparatus according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 21] It is a cross-sectional view of a drying apparatus 5 taken along section line II-II in FIG. 7. [Figure 22] It is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a control device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 23] It is a vertical cross-sectional view of a drying apparatus according to a sixth embodiment. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0009] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a drying apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the drying apparatus along the cross-sectional line II in Figure 1. The drying apparatus 1 is a device for drying a printing medium 3 to which ink has been applied. The drying apparatus 1 may be included in a printing system. The printing system includes a printing device (not shown) that applies ink to the printing medium 3 and transports it. The printing device is equipped with a backfeed mechanism for backfeeding the printing medium 3. Specific examples of ink applied to the printing medium 3 include resin inks such as water-based resin inks. The printing medium 3 is transported on a transport surface 13 formed on the inner surface of the housing 2.

[0010] The drying apparatus 1 comprises a plurality of heating units 10 to 12 arranged in the transport direction Dx of the printing medium 3. The dashed line in Figure 1 shows the housing 2 of the drying apparatus 1. The heating units 10 to 12 can be installed in the housing 2. For example, heater tubes can be used as heating units 10 to 12. Although Figures 1 and 2 show three heating units 10 to 12, the drying apparatus 1 may have two heating units. Furthermore, the drying apparatus 1 may have four or more heating units.

[0011] Heating unit 10 is located upstream of the transport direction Dx. Heating unit 12 is located downstream of the transport direction Dx. Heating unit 11 is located between heating unit 10 and heating unit 12. Hereinafter, heating units 10 to 12 correspond to the first heating unit, the second heating unit, and the third heating unit, respectively. Heating units 10 to 12 start and stop heating according to the control of the control device 4. The heating temperature of heating units 10 to 12 is suitable for drying the ink applied to the printing medium 3.

[0012] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device 4 according to the first embodiment. The control device 4 comprises an arithmetic unit 100, an input / output port 110, and a storage device 120. The control device 4 corresponds to a printing device.

[0013] The input / output port 110 is an interface for sending and receiving signals between the control device 4 and other devices, specifically a print control device (not shown) that controls printing. The storage device 120 is a storage device that stores programs executed by the arithmetic unit 100 and various information processed by the arithmetic unit 100.

[0014] The arithmetic unit 100 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The arithmetic unit 100 executes the control method defined by the control program stored in the memory device 120. Alternatively, an integrated circuit such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) may execute the control program. The processor, MPU, FPGA, and ASIC are equivalent to a computer.

[0015] The arithmetic unit 100 includes a print start determination unit 101, a heating control unit 102, and a heating stop condition determination unit 103. These functions can be implemented by a program.

[0016] The print start determination unit 101 determines whether or not printing has started based on the signal transmitted by the print control device. The signal transmitted by the print control device includes information indicating the start of printing, information indicating the printing speed such as high-speed printing and low-speed printing, information indicating that the transport operation of the printing medium has been performed, and information indicating the end of printing. The information indicating the printing speed is, for example, information indicating high-speed printing and information indicating low-speed printing.

[0017] The heating control unit 102 controls the start and stop of heating by instructing the heating units 10 to 12 to start and stop heating. The heating control unit 102 stops heating of the heating units 10 to 12 when the heating stop conditions for each of the heating units 10 to 12 are met.

[0018] The heating stop condition determination unit 103 determines whether the heating stop condition has been met for each of the heating units 10 to 12. For example, the heating stop condition determination unit 103 can determine that the heating stop condition has been met for each of the heating units 10 to 12 when a predetermined time associated with each of the heating units 10 to 12 has elapsed from the time when the printing operation on the printing medium 3 has started or ended.

[0019] Figure 4 shows an example of a data table in which heating stop conditions according to the first embodiment are registered. This data table is stored in the storage device 120. In the data table shown in Figure 4, a predetermined time corresponding to the printing speed is associated with and registered for each of the first heating unit 10, the second heating unit 11, and the third heating unit 12. The predetermined time is the time from when the printing operation on the printing medium 3 is completed or started until when the coated area 30 of the printing medium 3 passes through each heating unit 10 to 12. This predetermined time can be determined based on the paper feed rate per unit time (mm / s) and the distance (mm) from the boundary between the upstream end 32 of the coated area 30 and the uncoated area 31 at the time the printing operation is completed or started to the position directly below each heating unit 10 to 12. Note that the paper feed rate per unit time for high-speed printing is greater than the paper feed rate per unit time for low-speed printing.

[0020] The heating stop condition determination unit 103 determines the end or start of ink application to the printing medium 3 based on the signal received from the printing control device, and starts timing from that point. Then, using the time that has been timed and the time registered in the data table shown in Figure 4, the heating stop condition determination unit 103 can determine whether or not the heating stop condition has been met for each of the heating units 10 to 12.

[0021] Furthermore, the heating stop condition determination unit 103 can determine that the heating stop condition has been met for each of the heating units 10 to 12 when a predetermined number of transport operations for the printing medium, associated with each of the heating units 10 to 12, have been performed from the time when the printing operation on the printing medium 3 has started or finished.

[0022] Figure 5 shows another example of a data table in which the heating stop conditions according to the first embodiment are registered. This data table is stored in the storage device 120. In the data table shown in Figure 5, the number of executions of a predetermined transport operation according to the printing speed is associated and registered for each of the first heating unit 10, the second heating unit 11, and the third heating unit 12. The number of executions of the predetermined transport operation is the number of transport operations performed from the start or end of the printing operation on the printing medium 3 until the coated area 30 of the printing medium 3 passes through each heating unit 10 to 12. This number of executions of the predetermined transport operation can be determined based on the amount of paper fed by one transport operation (mm / s) and the distance (mm) from the boundary between the upstream end 32 of the coated area 30 and the uncoated area 31 at the start or end of the printing operation to the position directly below each heating unit 10 to 12.

[0023] The heating stop condition determination unit 103 can determine the start of ink application to the printing medium 3 based on the signal received from the printing control device. The heating stop condition determination unit 103 can also determine whether the transport operation of the printing medium 3 is being performed and count the number of executions based on the signal received from the printing control device. Then, using the counted number of executions and the data table, the heating stop condition determination unit 103 can determine whether the heating stop condition has been met for each of the heating units 10 to 12.

[0024] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the process performed by the control device 4 according to the first embodiment. In step S1, the print start determination unit 101 determines whether or not printing has started based on the signal transmitted by the print control device. If it is determined that printing has not started (NO), the process in step S1 is executed again. On the other hand, if it is determined that printing has started (YES), in step S2, the heating control unit 102 instructs all heating units 10 to 12 to start heating.

[0025] In step S3, the heating stop condition determination unit 103 determines whether the heating stop condition for the first heating unit 10 has been met. If it is determined that the heating stop condition for the first heating unit 10 has not been met (NO), the process in step S3 is executed again. On the other hand, if it is determined that the heating stop condition for the first heating unit 10 has been met (YES), in step S4, the heating control unit 102 instructs the heating stop of the first heating unit 10.

[0026] In step S5, the heating stop condition determination unit 103 determines whether the heating stop condition for the second heating unit 11 has been met. If it is determined that the heating stop condition for the second heating unit 11 has not been met (NO), the process in step S5 is executed again. On the other hand, if it is determined that the heating stop condition for the second heating unit 11 has been met (YES), in step S6, the heating control unit 102 instructs the heating stop of the second heating unit 11.

[0027] In step S7, the heating stop condition determination unit 103 determines whether the heating stop condition for the third heating unit 12 has been met. If it is determined that the heating stop condition for the third heating unit 12 has not been met (NO), the process in step S7 is executed again. On the other hand, if it is determined that the heating stop condition for the third heating unit 12 has been met (YES), in step S8, the heating control unit 102 instructs the heating stop of the third heating unit 12, and the process in Figure 5 ends.

[0028] As described above, the drying apparatus 1 includes heating units 10 to 12 arranged in the transport direction Dx of the printing medium 3. As shown in Figure 2, each of the heating units 10 to 12 stops heating when the coated area 30 on the ink-coated printing medium 3 passes between the respective heating unit 10 to 12 and the transport surface 13. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to suppress heating of the uncoated area 31 on the printing medium 3 that has not been coated with ink by the heating units 10 to 12.

[0029] <Second Embodiment> Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a drying apparatus 5 according to the second embodiment. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the drying apparatus 5 along the cross-sectional line II-II in Figure 7. The following explanation will focus on the differences from the drying apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0030] The drying apparatus 5 further includes a movable blocking section 6. The blocking section 6 is configured to block the heat from the heating sections 10-12 that the coated area 30 on the printing medium 3 passes between the heating sections 10-12 and the transport surface 13. The blocking section 6 is moved in the transport direction Dx and the opposite direction of the transport direction Dx by a drive device (not shown). As the drive device, for example, a rotating member such as rollers that clamp both ends of the blocking section 6 in the girder direction Dy from above and below can be used. The rotating member is installed in the housing 2. As the rotating member rotates, the blocking section 6 moves in the transport direction Dx and the opposite direction of the transport direction Dx.

[0031] The shut-off section 6 is configured to move above and below the heating sections 10-12. In this embodiment, the shut-off section 6 is curved by contacting a curved guide member 14 on the upstream side of the transport direction Dx. In other embodiments, the guide member 14 may be omitted. In that case, a rotating member can be arranged along the movement path of the shut-off section 6.

[0032] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 4 according to the second embodiment. The arithmetic unit 100 includes a print start determination unit 101, a heating control unit 102, a heating stop condition determination unit 103, a movement start condition determination unit 104, and a movement control unit 105. These functions can be implemented by a program.

[0033] The movement start condition determination unit 104 determines whether or not the movement start condition of the blocking unit 6 has been met. For example, the movement start condition determination unit 104 can determine that the movement start condition has been met when a predetermined time corresponding to each printing speed has elapsed from the time when the printing operation on the printing medium 3 has started or finished.

[0034] The movement control unit 105 controls the movement of the blocking unit 6 by instructing the drive unit to start and stop the rotation of the rotating member. When the movement start condition is met, the movement control unit 105 instructs the drive unit to start the rotation of the rotating member, thereby starting the movement of the blocking unit 6. Preferably, the movement speed of the blocking unit 6 is the same as the transport speed.

[0035] Figure 10 shows an example of a data table in which the movement start conditions according to the second embodiment are registered. This data table is stored in the storage device 120. In the data table shown in Figure 10, a predetermined time corresponding to the printing speed is registered in association with it. The predetermined time is the time from when the printing operation on the printing medium 3 is completed or started until the blocking unit 6 starts to move. This predetermined time is set so that the timing when the leading edge 60 of the blocking unit 6 reaches directly below the first heating unit 10 coincides with the timing when the boundary between the upstream end 32 of the coated area 30 and the uncoated area 31 reaches directly below the first heating unit 10.

[0036] The movement start condition determination unit 104 determines the completion or start of ink application to the printing medium 3 based on the signal received from the print control device, and starts timing from that point. Then, the movement start condition determination unit 104 can determine whether the movement start condition has been met based on the time measured and the time registered in the data table.

[0037] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by the control device 4 according to the second embodiment. In step S11, the print start determination unit 101 determines whether or not printing has started based on the signal transmitted by the print control device. If it is determined that printing has not started (NO), the processing in step S11 is executed again. On the other hand, if it is determined that printing has started (YES), the processing branches to step S12.

[0038] In step S12, the movement start condition determination unit 104 determines whether the movement start condition for the blocking unit 6 has been met. If it is determined that the movement start condition for the blocking unit 6 has not been met (NO), the process in step S12 is executed again. On the other hand, if it is determined that the movement start condition for the blocking unit 6 has been met (YES), in step S13, the movement control unit 105 instructs the drive device to start rotating the rotating member, and the process in Figure 11 is completed.

[0039] In the second embodiment, the drying apparatus 5 includes a movable shielding unit 6 configured to block the heat from the heating units 10-12 that the coated area 30 has passed through when the coated area 30 passes between each of the heating units 10-12 and the transport surface 13. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to further suppress the heating of the uncoated areas 31 on the printing medium 3 that have not been coated with ink by the heating units 10-12.

[0040] <Third Embodiment> Figure 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the drying apparatus according to the third embodiment. The differences from the second embodiment will be described below.

[0041] In the third embodiment, as shown in Figure 12, the drying apparatus includes a plurality of movable blocking sections 7 to 9 configured to block heat from the heating sections 10 to 12, respectively. The blocking sections 7 to 9 are members that extend in the girder direction Dy.

[0042] The blocking sections 7-9 are configured to block heat from the heating sections 10-12 as the coated area 30 on the printing medium 3 passes between the heating sections 10-12 and the transport surface 13. The blocking sections 7-9 are configured to move around the heating sections 10-12 by a drive device (not shown). As the drive device, for example, a rotating member such as a roller that clamps both ends of the blocking section 6 in the girder direction Dy from above and below can be used. The rotating member is installed in the housing 2. The rotating member moves around the heating sections 10-12 by rotating.

[0043] The movement control unit 105 controls the movement of the blocking units 7-9 by instructing the drive unit to start and stop the rotation of the rotating member. The movement control unit 105 starts the movement of the blocking units 7-9 when it is determined that the movement start condition has been met. Specifically, the movement control unit 105 starts the movement of the blocking units 7-9 by instructing the drive unit to start the rotation of the rotating member capable of moving the blocking units 7-9 when it is determined that the movement start condition has been met. The blocking units 7-9 correspond to the first blocking unit, the second blocking unit, and the third blocking unit, respectively.

[0044] The movement start condition determination unit 104 refers to the data table shown in Figure 13 and determines that the movement start condition has been met for each of the blocking units 7 to 9 when a predetermined time associated with each of the blocking units 7 to 9 has elapsed from the time when the printing operation on the printing medium 3 has started or ended.

[0045] Figure 13 shows an example of a data table in which the movement start conditions according to the third embodiment are registered. This data table is stored in the storage device 120. In the data table shown in Figure 13, a predetermined time corresponding to the printing speed is associated with and registered for each of the first blocking unit 7, the second blocking unit 8, and the third blocking unit 9. Each predetermined time is the time from when the printing operation on the printing medium 3 is completed or started until the blocking unit 6 starts moving.

[0046] The default time for the first blocking section 7 is set so that the timing of the tip 70 of the first blocking section 7 reaching directly below the first heating section 10 coincides with the timing of the boundary between the upstream end 32 of the coating area 30 and the uncoated area 31 reaching directly below the first heating section 10. Similarly, the default time for the second blocking section 8 is set so that the timing of the tip 80 of the second blocking section 8 reaching directly below the second heating section 11 coincides with the timing of the boundary between the upstream end 32 of the coating area 30 and the uncoated area 31 reaching directly below the second heating section 11. Similarly, the default time for the third blocking section 9 is set so that the timing of the tip 90 of the third blocking section 9 reaching directly below the third heating section 12 coincides with the timing of the boundary between the upstream end 32 of the coating area 30 and the uncoated area 31 reaching directly below the third heating section 12.

[0047] In the third embodiment, the drying apparatus 5 includes movable blocking units 7 to 9 configured to block heat from the heating units 10 to 12 as the coated area 30 passes between each of the heating units 10 to 12 and the transport surface 13. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to further suppress heating of the uncoated areas 31 on the printing medium 3, which are not coated with ink, by the heating units 10 to 12.

[0048] <Fourth Embodiment> Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a drying apparatus 140 according to the fourth embodiment. Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the drying apparatus along the cross-sectional line III-III in Figure 14. The differences from the first embodiment will be explained below.

[0049] The drying device 140 is a device for drying the ink-coated printing medium 3. The drying device 140 may be included in the printing system. The drying device 140 comprises a plurality of hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 arranged in the transport direction Dx of the printing medium 3. The dashed line in Figure 14 shows the housing 2 of the drying device 140. Although Figures 14 and 15 show three hot air blowers 1410 to 1412, the drying device 140 may have two hot air blowers. Furthermore, the drying device 140 may have four or more hot air blowers.

[0050] The hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412 can be installed in the housing 2. For example, ducts can be used as the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412. In this embodiment, a blower fan located outside the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412 supplies airflow to the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412 via a duct (not shown) connected to the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412.

[0051] The hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 are equipped with air outlets (not shown) on their lower surfaces facing the printing medium 3, which output an airflow. The hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 output an airflow of a predetermined volume from these outlets. The volume and temperature of the air output by the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 are preferably suitable for drying the ink applied to the printing medium 3, and in particular, suitable for drying the resin contained in the ink.

[0052] The hot air blowing unit 1410 is located on the upstream side in the conveying direction Dx. The hot air blowing unit 1412 is located on the downstream side in the conveying direction Dx. The hot air blowing unit 1411 is located between the hot air blowing unit 1410 and the hot air blowing unit 1412. Hereinafter, the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412 correspond to the first hot air blowing unit, the second hot air blowing unit, and the third hot air blowing unit, respectively. The hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412 start and stop blowing hot air according to the control of the control device 4.

[0053] Figure 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 4 according to the fourth embodiment. The arithmetic unit 100 includes a print start determination unit 101, a fan control unit 106, and a fan stop condition determination unit 107. These functions can be implemented by a program.

[0054] The airflow control unit 106 controls the start and stop of airflow in the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412 by instructing the corresponding blower fans to start and stop airflow in each of the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412. The airflow control unit 106 stops the hot air blowing in the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412 when the conditions for stopping airflow in each of the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412 are met.

[0055] The fan stop condition determination unit 107 determines whether the fan stop condition has been met for each of the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412. For example, the fan stop condition determination unit 107 can determine that the fan stop condition has been met for each of the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412 when a predetermined time associated with each of the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412 has elapsed from the time when the printing operation on the printing medium 3 has started or finished.

[0056] Figure 17 shows an example of a data table in which the airflow stop conditions according to the fourth embodiment are registered. This data table is stored in the storage device 120. In the data table shown in Figure 4, a predetermined time corresponding to the printing speed is associated with and registered for each of the first hot air blower 1410, the second hot air blower 1411, and the third hot air blower 1412. The predetermined time is the time from when the printing operation on the printing medium 3 is completed or started until the coated area 30 of the printing medium 3 passes through each of the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412. This predetermined time can be determined based on the paper feed rate per unit time (mm / s) and the distance (mm) from the boundary between the upstream end 32 of the coated area 30 and the uncoated area 31 at the time the printing operation is completed or started to the position directly below each of the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412. Note that the paper feed rate per unit time for high-speed printing is greater than the paper feed rate per unit time for low-speed printing.

[0057] The fan stop condition determination unit 107 determines the completion or start of ink application to the printing medium 3 based on the signal received from the print control device, and starts timing from that point. Then, using the time that has been timed and the time registered in the data table shown in Figure 17, the fan stop condition determination unit 107 can determine whether or not the fan stop condition has been met for each of the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412.

[0058] Furthermore, the fan stop condition determination unit 107 can determine that the fan stop condition has been met for each of the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412 when a predetermined number of transport operations for the printing medium, associated with each of the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412, have been performed from the time when the printing operation on the printing medium 3 has started or finished.

[0059] Figure 18 shows another example of a data table in which the airflow stop conditions according to the fourth embodiment are registered. This data table is stored in the storage device 120. In the data table shown in Figure 18, the number of executions of a predetermined transport operation according to the printing speed is associated and registered for each of the first hot air blower 1410, the second hot air blower 1411, and the third hot air blower 1412. The number of executions of the predetermined transport operation is the number of transport operations performed from the start or end of the printing operation on the printing medium 3 until the coated area 30 of the printing medium 3 passes through each of the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412. This number of executions of the predetermined transport operation can be determined based on the amount of paper fed by one transport operation (mm / s) and the distance (mm) from the boundary between the upstream end 32 of the coated area 30 and the uncoated area 31 at the start or end of the printing operation to the position directly below each of the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412.

[0060] The airflow stop condition determination unit 107 can determine the start of ink application to the printing medium 3 based on the signal received from the print control device. The airflow stop condition determination unit 107 can also determine whether the transport operation of the printing medium 3 is being performed and count the number of executions based on the signal received from the print control device. Then, using the counted number of executions and the data table, the airflow stop condition determination unit 107 can determine whether the airflow stop condition has been met for each of the hot air blowing units 1410 to 1412.

[0061] Figure 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the process performed by the control device 4 according to the fourth embodiment. In step S21, the print start determination unit 101 determines whether or not printing has started based on the signal transmitted by the print control device. If it is determined that printing has not started (NO), the process in step S21 is executed again. On the other hand, if it is determined that printing has started (YES), in step S22, the air blower control unit 106 instructs the air blower fans corresponding to each of the hot air blower units 1410 to 1412 to start blowing hot air from the hot air blower units 1410 to 1412.

[0062] In step S23, the fan stop condition determination unit 107 determines whether the fan stop condition for the first hot air fan 1410 has been met. If it is determined that the fan stop condition for the first hot air fan 1410 has not been met (NO), the process in step S23 is executed again. On the other hand, if it is determined that the fan stop condition for the first hot air fan 1410 has been met (YES), in step S24, the fan control unit 106 instructs the fan corresponding to the first hot air fan 1410 to stop blowing hot air from the first hot air fan 1410.

[0063] In step S25, the fan stop condition determination unit 107 determines whether the fan stop condition for the second hot air fan 1411 has been met. If it is determined that the fan stop condition for the second hot air fan 1411 has not been met (NO), the process in step S25 is executed again. On the other hand, if it is determined that the fan stop condition for the second hot air fan 1411 has been met (YES), in step S26, the fan control unit 106 instructs the fan corresponding to the second hot air fan 1411 to stop blowing hot air from the second hot air fan 1411.

[0064] In step S27, the fan stop condition determination unit 107 determines whether the fan stop condition for the third hot air fan 1412 has been met. If it is determined that the fan stop condition for the third hot air fan 1412 has not been met (NO), the process in step S27 is executed again. On the other hand, if it is determined that the fan stop condition for the third hot air fan 1412 has been met (YES), in step S28, the fan control unit 106 instructs the fan corresponding to the third hot air fan 1412 to stop blowing hot air from the third hot air fan 1412, and the process in Figure 18 ends.

[0065] As described above, the drying apparatus 140 includes hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 arranged in the transport direction Dx of the printing medium 3. Each of the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 stops blowing hot air when the coated area 30 on the ink-coated printing medium 3 passes between each of the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 and the transport surface 13, as shown in Figure 15. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to suppress the heating of uncoated areas 31 on the printing medium 3 that have not been coated with ink by the hot air.

[0066] <Fifth Embodiment> Figure 20 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a drying apparatus 150 according to the fifth embodiment. Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view of the drying apparatus 150 along the cross-sectional line IV-IV in Figure 20. The differences from the drying apparatus 140 according to the fourth embodiment will be explained below.

[0067] The drying apparatus 150 further includes a movable shielding section 6. The shielding section 6 is configured to block heat from the hot air blowing sections 1410 to 1412 through which the coated area 30 on the printing medium 3 passes when the coated area 30 passes between each of the hot air blowing sections 1410 to 1412 and the transport surface 13. The shielding section 6 is moved in the transport direction Dx and the opposite direction of the transport direction Dx by a drive device (not shown). As the drive device, for example, a rotating member such as rollers that clamp both ends of the shielding section 6 in the girder direction Dy from above and below can be used. The rotating member is installed in the housing 2. As the rotating member rotates, the shielding section 6 moves in the transport direction Dx and the opposite direction of the transport direction Dx.

[0068] The shut-off section 6 is configured to move above and below the hot air blowing sections 1410 to 1412. In this embodiment, the shut-off section 6 is curved when it comes into contact with the curved guide member 14 on the upstream side in the transport direction Dx. In other embodiments, the guide member 14 may be omitted. In that case, a rotating member can be arranged along the movement path of the shut-off section 6.

[0069] Figure 22 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 4 according to the fifth embodiment. The arithmetic unit 100 includes a print start determination unit 101, an air blower control unit 106, an air blower stop condition determination unit 107, a movement start condition determination unit 104, and a movement control unit 105. These functions can be implemented by a program. The functions of the movement start condition determination unit 104 and the movement control unit 105 are the same as in the second embodiment.

[0070] The movement start condition determination unit 104, similar to the second embodiment, determines the completion or start of ink application to the printing medium 3 based on the signal received from the print control device, and starts timing from that point. The movement start condition determination unit 104 can then determine whether the movement start condition has been met based on the time measured and the time registered in the data table shown in Figure 10. In this embodiment, the default time registered in the data table shown in Figure 10 is set so that the timing at which the tip 60 of the blocking unit 6 reaches directly below the first hot air blowing unit 1410 coincides with the timing at which the boundary between the upstream end 32 of the application area 30 and the uncoated area 31 reaches directly below the first hot air blowing unit 1410.

[0071] As described above, in the fifth embodiment, the drying apparatus 150 includes a movable shutoff unit 6 configured to shut off the heat from the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 that the coated area 30 has passed through when the coated area 30 passes between each of the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 and the transport surface 13. By adopting this configuration, the hot air from the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 can be quickly shut off, and the uncoated area 31 on the printing medium 3, which has not been coated with ink, can be prevented from being heated by the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 that have been heated by the hot air.

[0072] <Sixth Embodiment> Figure 23 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the drying apparatus according to the sixth embodiment. The differences from the fifth embodiment will be explained below.

[0073] In the sixth embodiment, as shown in Figure 23, the drying apparatus includes a plurality of movable blocking sections 7 to 9 configured to block heat from the hot air blowing sections 1410 to 1412, respectively. The blocking sections 7 to 9 are members that extend in the girder direction Dy.

[0074] The blocking sections 7-9 are configured to block heat from the hot air blowers 1410-1412 as the coated area 30 on the printing medium 3 passes between each of the hot air blowers 1410-1412 and the transport surface 13. The blocking sections 7-9 are configured to move around the hot air blowers 1410-1412 by a drive device (not shown). As the drive device, for example, a rotating member such as a roller that clamps both ends of the blocking section 6 in the girder direction Dy from above and below can be used. The rotating member is installed in the housing 2. The rotating member moves around the hot air blowers 1410-1412 as it rotates.

[0075] The movement start condition determination unit 104, similar to the third embodiment, refers to the data table shown in Figure 13 and determines that the movement start condition has been met for each of the blocking units 7 to 9 when a predetermined time associated with each of the blocking units 7 to 9 has elapsed from the time when the printing operation on the printing medium 3 has started or ended. In this embodiment, the predetermined time for the first blocking unit 7 registered in this data table is set so that the timing at which the tip 70 of the first blocking unit 7 reaches directly below the first hot air blowing unit 1410 coincides with the timing at which the boundary between the upstream end 32 of the coated area 30 and the uncoated area 31 reaches directly below the first hot air blowing unit 1410. Similarly, the default time for the second shutoff section 8 is set so that the timing at which the tip 80 of the second shutoff section 8 reaches directly below the second hot air blowing section 1411 coincides with the timing at which the boundary between the upstream end 32 of the coated area 30 and the uncoated area 31 reaches directly below the second hot air blowing section 1411. Similarly, the default time for the third shutoff section 9 is set so that the timing at which the tip 90 of the third shutoff section 9 reaches directly below the third hot air blowing section 1412 coincides with the timing at which the boundary between the upstream end 32 of the coated area 30 and the uncoated area 31 reaches directly below the third hot air blowing section 1412.

[0076] As described above, in the sixth embodiment, the drying apparatus 150 includes movable shut-off units 7 to 9 configured to shut off heat from the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 through which the coated area 30 has passed when the coated area 30 has passed between each of the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 and the transport surface 13. By adopting this configuration, the hot air from the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 can be quickly shut off, and the uncoated area 31 on the printing medium 3, which has not been coated with ink, can be prevented from being heated by the hot air blowers 1410 to 1412 which are heated by the hot air.

[0077] In the above example, the program can be stored and provided to the computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable medium. Non-transitory computer-readable medium includes various types of tangible storage medium. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable medium include magnetic storage media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical storage media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memory (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, RAMs). Alternatively, the program may be provided to the computer using various types of transient computer-readable medium. Examples of transient computer-readable medium include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. Transitory computer-readable medium can supply the program to the computer via wired communication channels such as electric wires and optical fibers, or via wireless communication channels.

[0078] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0079] 1...Drying device 2…Cabinet 3…Print media 30…Application area 31…Uncoated area 32…Upstream end 4…Control device 5...Drying device 6... Blocking section 60...Tip 7...First interruption section, interruption section 70...Tip 8...Second blocking section, blocking section 80…Tip 9... Third blocking section, blocking section 90...Tip 10...First heating section, heating section 11...Second heating section, heating section 12...Third heating section, heating section 13…Conveyor surface 14… Guide member 100...Arithmetic device 101...Print start determination section 102... Heating Control Unit 103…Heating stop condition judgment section 104…Movement start condition determination unit 105...Movement Control Unit 106... Air blower control unit 107…Blower stop condition determination section 110… Input / Output Ports 120...Storage device Dx...Transportation phrase Dy... digit direction 140...Drying equipment 1410...First hot air blowing unit, hot air blowing unit 1411...Second hot air blowing unit, hot air blowing unit 1412...Third hot air blowing unit, hot air blowing unit 150...Drying equipment

Claims

1. A drying apparatus for drying a printing medium coated with ink, The printing medium is provided with a plurality of heating units or a plurality of hot air blowing units arranged in the transport direction, Each of the plurality of heating units stops heating when the coated area on the printing medium to which the ink has been applied passes between each of the heating units and the transport surface on which the printing medium is transported, or each of the plurality of hot air blowing units stops blowing air when the coated area on the printing medium to which the ink has been applied passes between each of the hot air blowing units and the transport surface on which the printing medium is transported. drying equipment.

2. A heating control unit that controls the start and stop of heating for each of the plurality of heating units, A heating stop condition determination unit that determines the heating stop condition for each of the plurality of heating units, Equipped with, The heating stop condition determination unit determines that the heating stop condition has been met for each of the plurality of heating units when a predetermined time associated with each of the plurality of heating units has elapsed from the time when the printing operation on the printing medium has started or ended. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating control unit stops heating of the heating section when it is determined that the heating stop condition has been met.

3. A heating control unit that controls the start and stop of heating for each of the plurality of heating units, A heating stop condition determination unit that determines the heating stop condition for each of the plurality of heating units, Equipped with, The heating stop condition determination unit determines that the heating stop condition has been met for each of the plurality of heating units when a predetermined number of transport operations for the printing medium, associated with each of the plurality of heating units, have been performed from the time when the printing operation on the printing medium has started or ended. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating control unit stops heating of the heating section when it is determined that the heating stop condition has been met.

4. The drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising at least one movable shielding unit configured to block heat from the heating unit through which the coating area has passed when the coating area has passed between the heating unit and the transport surface.

5. A single interrupting unit, A movement control unit that controls the movement of the blocking unit, A movement start condition determination unit that determines the movement start condition of the blocking unit and Equipped with, The movement start condition determination unit determines that the movement start condition has been met when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start or end of the printing operation on the printing medium. The drying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the movement control unit starts moving the blocking unit when it determines that the movement start condition has been met.

6. Multiple of the aforementioned blocking units, A movement control unit that controls the movement of the blocking unit, A movement start condition determination unit that determines the movement start condition of the blocking unit and Equipped with, The movement start condition determination unit determines that the movement start condition has been met for each of the plurality of blocking units when a predetermined time associated with each of the plurality of blocking units has elapsed from the time when the printing operation on the printing medium has started or ended. The drying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the movement control unit initiates the movement of the blocking section when it is determined that the movement start condition has been met.

7. A blower control unit that controls the start and stop of blowing air from each of the multiple hot air blowers, A unit that determines the blowing stop condition for each of the multiple hot air blowing units, and Equipped with, The airflow stop condition determination unit determines that the airflow stop condition has been met for each of the plurality of hot air blowers when a predetermined time associated with each of the plurality of hot air blowers has elapsed from the time when the printing operation on the printing medium has started or ended. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air blowing control unit stops the air blowing from the hot air blowing unit when it is determined that the air blowing stop condition has been met.

8. A blower control unit that controls the start and stop of blowing air from each of the multiple hot air blowers, A fan stop condition determination unit that determines the fan stop condition for each of the plurality of hot air blowing units. Equipped with, The airflow stop condition determination unit determines that the airflow stop condition has been met when, for each of the plurality of hot air blowers, a predetermined number of transport operations for the printing medium associated with each of the plurality of hot air blowers have been performed from the time when the printing operation on the printing medium has started or ended. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air blowing control unit stops the air blowing from the hot air blowing unit when it is determined that the air blowing stop condition has been met.

9. The drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 7, and 8, further comprising at least one movable blocking part configured to block the airflow from the hot air blowing part through which the coating area has passed when the coating area has passed between the hot air blowing part and the conveying surface.

10. A single interrupting unit, A movement control unit that controls the movement of the blocking unit, A movement start condition determination unit that determines the movement start condition of the blocking unit and Equipped with, The movement start condition determination unit determines that the movement start condition has been met when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start or end of the printing operation on the printing medium. The drying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the movement control unit starts moving the blocking unit when it determines that the movement start condition has been met.

11. Multiple of the aforementioned blocking units, A movement control unit that controls the movement of the blocking unit, A movement start condition determination unit that determines the movement start condition of the blocking unit and Equipped with, The movement start condition determination unit determines that the movement start condition has been met for each of the plurality of blocking units when a predetermined time associated with each of the plurality of blocking units has elapsed from the time when the printing operation on the printing medium has started or ended. The drying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the movement control unit initiates the movement of the blocking section when it is determined that the movement start condition has been met.

12. A printing system including a drying device for drying an ink-coated printing medium, The drying apparatus comprises a plurality of heating units or a plurality of hot air blowing units arranged in the direction of transport of the printing medium, Each of the plurality of heating units stops heating when the coated area on the printing medium to which the ink has been applied passes between each of the heating units and the transport surface on which the printing medium is transported, or each of the plurality of hot air blowing units stops blowing air when the coated area on the printing medium to which the ink has been applied passes between each of the hot air blowing units and the transport surface on which the printing medium is transported. Printing system.

13. The printing system according to claim 12, further comprising a backfeed mechanism for backfeeding the printing medium.

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