Printing apparatus and printing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a printing apparatus that performs inkjet printing on one side of the adhesive layer of a medium having an adhesive layer and a release sheet, and that can suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer. [Solution] The printing apparatus 1 includes a printing mechanism 11 for printing on the adhesive layer of a medium 3 having an adhesive layer and a release sheet disposed on one side of the adhesive layer using an inkjet method, and a static elimination means 18 for removing static electricity from the medium 3. The printing apparatus 1 makes it possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer caused by static electricity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that performs printing by an inkjet method on one surface of an adhesive layer of a medium having the adhesive layer and a release sheet. The present invention also relates to a printing method for performing printing by an inkjet method on the adhesive layer of a medium having the adhesive layer and a release sheet.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an image transfer sheet for transferring an arbitrary image to a transfer target object is known (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). The image transfer sheet described in Patent Document 1 includes an upper transfer film, a release sheet, an adhesive layer formed on the upper surface of the release sheet, and an image layer disposed between the adhesive layer and the transfer film. The image layer is directly printed on the upper surface of the adhesive layer by an inkjet printer or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The inventors of the present application are developing a printing apparatus that performs printing by an inkjet method on one surface of an adhesive layer of a medium having the adhesive layer and a release sheet, and affixes a transfer sheet to the printed surface of the adhesive layer. The under-development printing apparatus includes a printing mechanism for performing printing by an inkjet method on the adhesive layer of the medium having the release sheet disposed on one side of the adhesive layer.

[0005] In the under-development printing apparatus, dust tends to adhere to the adhesive layer on which printing is performed by the printing mechanism. When dust adheres to the adhesive layer, air bubbles or the like may be generated between the transfer sheet and the adhesive layer in the medium after the transfer sheet is affixed, which may degrade the quality of the medium after the transfer sheet is affixed.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus that can suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer in a printing apparatus that performs inkjet printing on one side of the adhesive layer of a medium having an adhesive layer and a release sheet. Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing method that can suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer in a printing method that performs inkjet printing on the adhesive layer of a medium having an adhesive layer and a release sheet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the printing apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising a printing mechanism for printing on the adhesive layer of a medium having an adhesive layer and a release sheet disposed on one side of the adhesive layer using an inkjet method, and a static electricity removal means for removing static electricity from the medium.

[0008] The printing apparatus of the present invention is equipped with a means for removing static electricity from the medium. Therefore, the present invention makes it possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer caused by static electricity.

[0009] In the present invention, the static elimination means is, for example, an ionizer. In this case, it is preferable that the ionizer irradiates the medium with ions before printing. With this configuration, it becomes possible to irradiate the medium with ions at an earlier stage before printing. Therefore, it becomes possible to effectively suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer.

[0010] In this invention, it is preferable that the ionizer irradiates the adhesive layer with ions. With this configuration, it becomes possible to effectively suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer.

[0011] In the present invention, for example, the printing apparatus includes a medium transport mechanism for transporting a medium, the medium transport mechanism includes a drive roller that contacts a release sheet and a pinch roller that is positioned opposite the drive roller and contacts the adhesive layer, the drive roller and the pinch roller contact the medium before printing is performed by the printing mechanism, and the ionizer irradiates the medium with ions before it is sandwiched between the drive roller and the pinch roller.

[0012] In the present invention, the printing apparatus comprises a transfer sheet attachment section for attaching a transfer sheet to the printed surface of the adhesive layer after printing by the printing mechanism, and a transfer sheet dispensing section to which a roll of transfer sheet before it is attached to the adhesive layer is attached. Preferably, the transfer sheet dispensing section is equipped with an anti-static cord for removing static electricity from the roll of transfer sheet. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the transfer sheet being difficult to peel off the roll of transfer sheet due to the effects of static electricity as it is fed from the transfer sheet dispensing section to the transfer sheet attachment section. Therefore, it becomes possible to easily dispense the transfer sheet from the roll of transfer sheet in the transfer sheet dispensing section.

[0013] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a printing method for printing on the adhesive layer of a medium having an adhesive layer and a release sheet disposed on one side of the adhesive layer, using an inkjet method, comprising the steps of peeling the release sheet from the medium, irradiating the medium from which the release sheet has been peeled with ions, and printing on the adhesive layer of the irradiated medium.

[0014] The printing method of the present invention includes a step of irradiating the medium from which the release sheet has been peeled off with ions. Therefore, in the present invention, even if the release sheet is peeled off before printing on the adhesive layer, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer due to static electricity. Thus, the present invention makes it possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] As described above, the present invention makes it possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer in a printing apparatus that performs inkjet printing on one side of the adhesive layer of a medium having an adhesive layer and a release sheet. Furthermore, the present invention makes it possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer in a printing method for performing inkjet printing on the adhesive layer of a medium having an adhesive layer and a release sheet. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a side view illustrating the configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the medium shown. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the processing performed on the media in the printing apparatus shown. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a part of the configuration of the printing apparatus from the GG direction. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0018] (Overall configuration of the printing device) Figure 1 is a side view illustrating the configuration of a printing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the medium 3 shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the processing performed on the medium 3 in the printing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1.

[0019] The printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is an apparatus that performs printing by an inkjet method on one surface of the adhesive layer 2 of the medium 3 having the adhesive layer 2, and affixes a transfer sheet (application sheet) 4 to the printed surface of the adhesive layer 2. The medium 3 and the transfer sheet 4 are formed in a long shape (an elongated strip shape). The medium 3 before printing and the medium 3 after the transfer sheet 4 is affixed are wound in a roll shape. Further, the transfer sheet 4 before being affixed to the medium 3 is wound in a roll shape.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2(A), the medium 3 includes a release sheet 5 disposed on one side of the adhesive layer 2, and a release sheet 6 disposed on the other side of the adhesive layer 2. The adhesive layer 2 is formed of, for example, a pressure-sensitive adhesive. The release sheets 5 and 6 are, for example, resin release films. The medium 3 is constituted by, for example, the adhesive layer 2 and the release sheets 5 and 6. The release sheet 5 is in contact with one surface of the adhesive layer 2, and the release sheet 6 is in contact with the other surface of the adhesive layer 2. The release sheets 5 and 6 may be paper release paper.

[0021] The width of the release sheet 5 and the width of the release sheet 6 in the width direction of the medium 3 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the medium 3 are equal. In the medium 3, the release sheet 5 and the release sheet 6 are arranged at the same position in the width direction of the medium 3. The width of the release sheets 5 and 6 in the width direction of the medium 3 is larger than the width of the adhesive layer 2 in the width direction of the medium 3. In the medium 3, the end 2a of the adhesive layer 2 in the width direction of the medium 3 is disposed more inward in the width direction of the medium 3 than the end 5a of the release sheet 5 and the end 6a of the release sheet 6 in the width direction of the medium 3 (see FIG. 2(B)).

[0022] The printing apparatus 1 is, for example, a commercial inkjet printer. The printing apparatus 1 continuously prints on the medium 3 and continuously affixes the transfer sheet 4 to the medium 3. The printing apparatus 1 performs printing on the adhesive layer 2 of the medium 3 from which the release sheet 5 has been peeled off. In the medium 3 after printing, the printed layer 7 is formed on one surface of the adhesive layer 2 (see Fig. 3(A)). The release sheet 5 peeled off from the medium 3 is wound into a roll. Further, the printing apparatus 1 affixes the transfer sheet 4 so as to cover the entire one surface of the adhesive layer 2 on which the printed layer 7 is formed (see Fig. 3(B)).

[0023] The medium 3 on which the printed layer 7 is formed and to which the transfer sheet 4 is affixed is used to affix the printed layer 7 to the surface of a predetermined transfer target. When affixing the printed layer 7 to the surface of the transfer target, first, the release sheet 6 is peeled off. In that state, the adhesive layer 2 is pressure-bonded to the surface of the transfer target. Thereafter, when the transfer sheet 4 is peeled off, the affixation of the printed layer 7 to the surface of the transfer target is completed.

[0024] The printing apparatus 1 includes a printing mechanism 11 for performing inkjet printing on the adhesive layer 2 of the medium 3 in a state where the release sheet 5 is peeled off from the medium 3 having the adhesive layer 2 and the release sheets 5 and 6, and a medium transport mechanism 12 for transporting the medium 3. The printing apparatus 1 further includes a transfer sheet affixing section 13 for affixing the transfer sheet 4 to the medium 3 after printing, a medium feeding section 14 to which the roll-wound medium 3 before printing is attached, a medium winding section 15 to which the medium 3 with the transfer sheet 4 affixed thereon and wound into a roll is attached, a release sheet winding section 16 to which the roll-wound release sheet 5 is attached, a transfer sheet feeding section 17 to which the roll-wound transfer sheet 4 is attached, and a static elimination unit 18 for removing static electricity from the medium 3 from which the release sheet 5 has been peeled off.

[0025] The media transport mechanism 12 transports the media 3 in the longitudinal direction of the media 3. That is, the media 3 is formed in an elongated shape with the transport direction of the media 3 by the media transport mechanism 12 being the longitudinal direction. The media feeding unit 14, the printing mechanism 11, the transfer sheet attachment unit 13, and the media winding unit 15 are arranged in this order in the transport direction of the media 3. The width direction of the media 3 handled by the printing device 1 is parallel to the horizontal direction. In the following description, the Y direction in Figure 1, which is the width direction of the media 3, will be referred to as the "left-right direction," and the X direction in Figure 1, which is perpendicular to the left-right direction and the up-down direction (vertical direction, Z direction in Figure 1, etc.), will be referred to as the "front-back direction." In the following description, the X1 direction side in Figure 1, etc., which is one side of the front-back direction, will be referred to as the "front" side, and the X2 direction side in Figure 1, etc., which is the opposite side, will be referred to as the "back" side.

[0026] The transfer sheet application section 13 is located in front of the printing mechanism 11. The media winding section 15 is located below the transfer sheet application section 13. The transfer sheet feeding section 17 is located in front of the crimping roller 83, which is part of the transfer sheet application section 13 and will be described later. The media feeding section 14 is located behind and below the printing mechanism 11. The release sheet winding section 16 is located below the media feeding section 14.

[0027] In the media dispensing unit 14, the media 3 before printing is wound into a roll. The rolled media 3 is rotatable with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation. The media dispensing unit 14 does not have a drive mechanism to rotate the rolled media 3. The rolled media 3 before printing rotates passively in response to the media 3 being transported by the media transport mechanism 12. In the media winding unit 15, the media 3 after the transfer sheet 4 has been attached is wound into a roll. The rolled media 3 is rotatable with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation. The media winding unit 15 is equipped with a media winding mechanism 43, which will be described later and constitutes part of the media transport mechanism 12. The media winding mechanism 43 rotates the rolled media 3.

[0028] In the release sheet winding section 16, the release sheet 5 peeled from the medium 3 is wound into a roll. The roll of release sheet 5 is rotatable with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation. As described above, the release sheet winding section 16 is located below the medium dispensing section 14. As shown in Figure 1, the release sheet 5 is peeled from the medium 3 in the medium dispensing section 14. The release sheet winding section 16 is equipped with a release sheet winding mechanism that winds up the release sheet 5 peeled from the medium 3. The release sheet winding mechanism is equipped with a motor as a drive source. The release sheet winding mechanism rotates the roll of release sheet 5.

[0029] In the transfer sheet dispensing unit 17, the transfer sheet 4 is wound into a roll before being attached to the medium 3 (more specifically, before being attached to the adhesive layer 2). The roll of transfer sheet 4 is rotatable with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation. The transfer sheet dispensing unit 17 does not have a drive mechanism to rotate the roll of transfer sheet 4. In the transfer sheet dispensing unit 17, the roll of transfer sheet 4 rotates passively in response to the transport of the medium 3 by the medium transport mechanism 12.

[0030] The transfer sheet dispensing unit 17 is equipped with an anti-static cord 20 for removing static electricity from the roll-shaped transfer sheet 4. Protruding conductive fibers are arranged all over the surface of the anti-static cord 20. The anti-static cord 20 functions to remove static electricity from the roll-shaped transfer sheet 4 without contact. The anti-static cord 20 is installed in a straight line parallel to the left-right direction. The length of the anti-static cord 20 in the left-right direction is longer than the width (left-right width) of the transfer sheet 4. The end of the anti-static cord 20 is fixed to the frame of the printing device 1. This frame is made of a conductive material. The anti-static cord 20 is positioned near the roll-shaped transfer sheet 4. In this embodiment, the anti-static cord 20 is positioned behind the roll-shaped transfer sheet 4.

[0031] (Configuration of the printing mechanism) The printing mechanism 11 includes an inkjet head 22 (hereinafter referred to as "head 22") that ejects ink onto the adhesive layer 2, a carriage 23 on which the head 22 is mounted, a carriage drive mechanism 24 that moves the carriage 23 back and forth in the left-right direction, which is the main scanning direction, and a guide rail 25 that guides the carriage 23 in the left-right direction. The carriage drive mechanism 24 includes, for example, a belt to which a portion is fixed to the carriage 23, a pulley through which the belt is stretched, and a motor for rotating the pulley.

[0032] The print head 22 ejects ink downwards. Multiple nozzles for ejecting ink are formed on the underside of the print head 22. The print head 22 is equipped with piezoelectric elements (piezo elements) for ejecting ink from the nozzles. In this embodiment, the ink ejected by the print head 22 is UV-curable ink. The carriage 23 is equipped with an ultraviolet irradiator (not shown) that irradiates ultraviolet light toward the medium 3 in order to cure the UV ink ejected from the print head 22. The ultraviolet irradiator is equipped with an ultraviolet LED chip. In this embodiment, the print head 22 ejects white ink, color ink, and clear ink. The printed layer 7 is composed of a white ink layer, a color ink layer, and a clear ink layer that are stacked in order from the bottom relative to the adhesive layer 2.

[0033] The printing mechanism 11 includes a platen 36 on which the printing medium 3 is placed. The platen 36 is located below the head 22 and carriage 23. The upper surface of the platen 36 is the medium-supporting surface on which the medium 3 is placed. When printing is performed by the printing mechanism 11, the thickness direction of the medium 3 (i.e., the thickness direction of the medium 3 placed on the platen 36) coincides with the vertical direction. When printing is performed by the printing mechanism 11, the adhesive layer 2 constitutes the upper surface of the medium 3. Before printing, the medium 3 is transported from the rear to the upper surface of the platen 36, and after printing, the medium 3 is transported from the upper surface of the platen 36 to the front.

[0034] (Configuration of the media transport mechanism) The media transport mechanism 12 includes a first media transport mechanism 42 that transports the media 3 from the media dispensing section 14 toward the platen 36, and a media winding mechanism 43 installed in the media winding section 15. In this embodiment, the media transport mechanism 12 is composed of the first media transport mechanism 42 and the media winding mechanism 43. As described above, in the media winding section 15, the media 3 after the transfer sheet 4 has been attached is wound into a roll. The media winding mechanism 43 rotates the roll-shaped media 3 with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation to wind up the media 3 after the transfer sheet 4 has been attached. The media winding mechanism 43 also transports the media 3 by winding it up.

[0035] The first media transport mechanism 42 includes a drive roller 45 that contacts the release sheet 6, a roller drive mechanism that drives the drive roller 45, and a pinch roller 46 that is positioned opposite the drive roller 45 and contacts the adhesive layer 2. The roller drive mechanism includes a motor as a drive source. The first media transport mechanism 42 includes one drive roller 45 and multiple pinch rollers 46. In this embodiment, the first media transport mechanism 42 includes 14 pinch rollers 46.

[0036] The drive roller 45 is formed in an elongated cylindrical shape in the left-right direction. The pinch roller 46 is formed in a cylindrical shape with the left-right direction as its axis. The drive roller 45 is a metal roller. Numerous fine protrusions are formed on the surface of the drive roller 45 to increase the conveying force of the medium 3. Specifically, numerous fine protrusions are formed on the portion of the surface of the drive roller 45 that faces the pinch roller 46. In other words, the drive roller 45 is a grid roller. The pinch roller 46 is a roller made of resin or rubber. In this embodiment, the pinch roller 46 is made of silicone rubber. The pinch roller 46 is positioned above the drive roller 45 and is biased downward toward the drive roller 45.

[0037] The drive roller 45 and the pinch rollers 46 are rotatable with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation. The drive roller 45 and the multiple pinch rollers 46 are located behind the platen 36 and contact the medium 3 before printing is performed by the printing mechanism 11. The drive roller 45 and the multiple pinch rollers 46 transport the medium 3, with the release sheet 5 removed, sandwiched between the drive roller 45 and the multiple pinch rollers 46.

[0038] Furthermore, the first medium transport mechanism 42 includes seven roller holding parts that rotatably hold two pinch rollers 46. The seven roller holding parts are arranged in the left-right direction, and the 14 pinch rollers 46 are also arranged in the left-right direction. The roller holding parts are rotatable with respect to the frame (not shown) with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation, between a transportable position in which the pinch rollers 46 are in contact with the adhesive layer 2 and a retracted position in which the pinch rollers 46 are retracted away from the adhesive layer 2 (i.e., retracted upward).

[0039] (Configuration of the transfer sheet application area) An after cover (after platen) 81 is positioned in front of the platen 36. The after cover 81 is made of metal. In this embodiment, the after cover 81 is made of steel plate. A convex curved guide surface 81a is formed on the surface of the after cover 81 for guiding the medium 3. The width of the guide surface 81a in the left-right direction is wider than the width of the medium 3. The medium 3 is transported along the guide surface 81a from the platen 36 toward the front, and then transported toward the downward. A heater 82 for heating the printed medium 3 is positioned inside the after cover 81. The heater 82 is positioned inside the after cover 81 so as to be aligned with the guide surface 81a.

[0040] The after cover 81 constitutes part of the transfer sheet application section 13. That is, the transfer sheet application section 13 is equipped with the after cover 81 as a configuration for applying the transfer sheet 4 to the printed medium 3. The transfer sheet application section 13 is also equipped with a pressure roller 83 facing the front lower end of the after cover 81 from the front. The pressure roller 83 is made of foam material. In this embodiment, the pressure roller 83 is made of chloroprene rubber sponge. The pressure roller 83 is rotatable with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation. The length of the pressure roller 83 (length in the left-right direction) is longer than the width of the medium 3.

[0041] In the transfer sheet application section 13, after printing by the printing mechanism 11, the transfer sheet 4 is applied to the printed surface of the adhesive layer 2. Specifically, in the transfer sheet application section 13, the transfer sheet 4 is applied to the printed medium 3 by pressing it against the medium 3 between the after cover 81 and the pressure roller 83. When applying the transfer sheet 4 to the medium 3, the medium 3 is heated by the heater 82. For example, the medium 3 is heated to 60-70°C by the heater 82. In other words, in the transfer sheet application section 13, the transfer sheet 4 is applied to the medium 3 while heat is being applied. The after cover 81 contacts the release sheet 6 from the rear. The pressure roller 83 contacts the transfer sheet 4 from the front. The pressure roller 83 is a driven roller that rotates in accordance with the medium 3 being transported by the medium transport mechanism 12, and there is no drive source for the pressure roller 83.

[0042] (Configuration of static electricity removal means) Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a part of the configuration of the printing apparatus 1 from the GG direction in Figure 1.

[0043] The static elimination means 18 is an ionizer (static eliminator) for suppressing static charge on the medium 3 after the release sheet 5 has been peeled off. Therefore, in the following description, the static elimination means 18 will be referred to as "ionizer 18". The ionizer 18 is formed in the shape of an elongated rectangular prism. The ionizer 18 is, for example, a bar-type ionizer manufactured by Keyence Corporation. The ionizer 18 is positioned so that its longitudinal direction coincides with its left-right direction. Both ends of the ionizer 18 are held by the frame of the printing apparatus 1.

[0044] The ionizer 18 is positioned in the transport path of the medium 3 between the printing mechanism 11 and the medium feeding unit 14. The ionizer 18 is positioned behind the printing mechanism 11. It is also positioned behind the drive roller 45 and the pinch roller 46. The ionizer 18 is positioned above the medium 3 being transported toward the printing mechanism 11. The ion irradiation port (air outlet) of the ionizer 18 faces downwards. The ions irradiated from the ionizer 18 spread out in a cone shape.

[0045] The ionizer 18 irradiates (blows air with) ions toward the medium 3 before printing, after the release sheet 5 has been peeled off. In other words, the printing method by the printing apparatus 1 comprises the steps of peeling the release sheet 5 from the medium 3, irradiating the medium 3 from which the release sheet 5 has been peeled off with ions, and printing on the adhesive layer 2 of the irradiated medium 3. The ionizer 18 also irradiates ions downward toward the upper surface of the medium 3. Below the ionizer 18, the medium 3 is transported with the adhesive layer 2 facing upward. In other words, the ionizer 18 irradiates ions toward the adhesive layer 2. The ionizer 18 also irradiates ions toward the medium 3 before it is sandwiched between the drive roller 45 and the pinch roller 46. It is preferable that the ionizer 18 irradiates ions toward the adhesive layer 2 immediately after the release sheet 5 has been peeled off.

[0046] (Main effects of this form) As explained above, the printing apparatus 1 in this embodiment is equipped with an ionizer 18 for removing static electricity from the medium 3 after the release sheet 5 has been peeled off. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the release sheet 5 is peeled off before printing on the adhesive layer 2, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer 2 due to static electricity.

[0047] In particular, in this embodiment, since the ionizer 18 irradiates ions toward the medium 3 before printing, it becomes possible to irradiate the medium 3 with ions at an earlier stage after the release sheet 5 has been peeled off. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the release sheet 5 is peeled off before printing on the adhesive layer 2, it is possible to effectively suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer 2.

[0048] In this embodiment, the transfer sheet dispensing unit 17 is equipped with an anti-static cord 20 for removing static electricity from the rolled transfer sheet 4. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the difficulty in peeling the transfer sheet 4 from the rolled transfer sheet 4 due to the effects of static electricity as it is fed from the transfer sheet dispensing unit 17 to the transfer sheet application unit 13. Consequently, in this embodiment, it is possible to easily dispensing the transfer sheet 4 from the rolled transfer sheet 4 in the transfer sheet dispensing unit 17. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the load on the medium winding mechanism 43 that winds up the medium 3 after the transfer sheet 4 has been applied.

[0049] (Other embodiments) The above-described embodiments are examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, but are not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without altering the essence of the invention.

[0050] In the above-described configuration, the ionizer 18 may irradiate ions toward the release sheet 6. Also, in the above-described configuration, the ionizer 18 may be positioned in the transport path of the medium 3 between the printing mechanism 11 and the transfer sheet attachment section 13, and may irradiate ions toward the medium 3 after printing. Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, the static elimination means 18 for removing static electricity from the medium 3 after the release sheet 5 has been peeled off may be something other than an ionizer. For example, the static elimination means 18 may be a static elimination member such as a static elimination brush, static elimination plate, static elimination wire, or static elimination string. Moreover, in the above-described configuration, the transfer sheet feeding section 17 does not need to be equipped with a static elimination string 20.

[0051] In the above-described configuration, a roll screen covering the medium 3 from above may be installed in the transport path of the medium 3 between the printing mechanism 11 and the medium feeding unit 14. In this case, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer 2 due to gravity, and even if the release sheet 5 is peeled off before printing on the adhesive layer 2, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the adhesive layer 2. In addition, in the above-described configuration, a hot air fan may be installed to heat the transfer sheet 4 before it is attached to the medium 3. In this case, it is possible to soften the transfer sheet 4 when it is attached to the adhesive layer 2, and even if dust adheres to the adhesive layer 2, it is possible to suppress the formation of air bubbles between the transfer sheet 4 and the adhesive layer 2 in the medium 3 after the transfer sheet 4 has been attached.

[0052] In the above-described configuration, the printing device 1 does not need to have a media winding unit 15. In this case, for example, a storage box for containing the media 3 after the transfer sheet 4 has been attached is installed below the transfer sheet attachment unit 13. Also, in the above-described configuration, the media 3 may be cut to a predetermined length before being set in the printing device 1. That is, the media 3 does not need to be formed in a long shape. In this case, the media feeding unit 14 and the media winding unit 15 become unnecessary. Also, in this case, the printing device 1 does not need to have a release sheet winding unit 16. Also, in the above-described configuration, the transfer sheet attachment unit 13 may be equipped with a pressure roller instead of the after cover 81. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 1 Printing device 2 Adhesive layer 3 Medium 4 Transfer Sheets 5. Release sheet 6. Release sheet 11 Printing mechanism 12. Media transport mechanism 13 Transfer sheet application area 17 Transfer sheet dispensing section 18 Ionizer (static removal method) 20 Static electricity removal cord 45 Drive rollers 46 Pinch Roller

Claims

1. A printing apparatus comprising a printing mechanism for printing on the adhesive layer of a medium having an adhesive layer and a release sheet disposed on one side of the adhesive layer using an inkjet method, and a means for removing static electricity from the medium.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the static elimination means is an ionizer.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the ionizer irradiates the medium with ions before printing.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the ionizer irradiates the adhesive layer with ions.

5. The system includes a media transport mechanism for transporting the aforementioned medium, The media transport mechanism comprises a drive roller that contacts the release sheet and a pinch roller that is positioned opposite the drive roller and contacts the adhesive layer. The drive roller and the pinch roller come into contact with the medium before printing is performed by the printing mechanism. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the ionizer irradiates the medium with ions before it is sandwiched between the drive roller and the pinch roller.

6. The printing mechanism includes a transfer sheet application section for attaching a transfer sheet to the printed surface of the adhesive layer after printing, and a transfer sheet dispensing section to which the rolled transfer sheet is attached before being attached to the adhesive layer. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the transfer sheet dispensing unit is provided with an anti-static cord for removing static electricity from the transfer sheet wound in a roll shape.

7. A printing method for printing on the adhesive layer of a medium having an adhesive layer and a release sheet disposed on one side of the adhesive layer, using an inkjet method, A printing method comprising the steps of: peeling off the release sheet from the medium; irradiating the medium from which the release sheet has been peeled off with ions; and printing on the adhesive layer of the medium that has been irradiated with ions.

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