Inkjet Textile Printing Equipment

Abstract

To provide an ink jet printing apparatus capable of reducing drainage water and surely removing unnecessary colorant, solvent, preservative, etc., from printed fabric with a small amount of cleaning liquid.SOLUTION: An ink jet printing apparatus for printing water-based ink on fabric comprises a printing unit for discharging the water-based ink onto the fabric, a unit for applying cleaning liquid containing no eluted substance from the fabric onto the fabric, disposed downstream of the printing unit, and a unit for removing the cleaning liquid, disposed downstream of the unit for applying cleaning liquid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet textile printing apparatus, and more particularly to an inkjet textile printing apparatus capable of reducing wastewater and reliably removing colorants, solvents, preservatives, and the like remaining on printed fabric with a small amount of cleaning liquid. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, inkjet printing methods using inkjet recording apparatuses (printing apparatuses) have been used as methods for forming images such as characters, pictures, and designs on fabrics such as woven fabrics and nonwoven fabrics. The printing device usually has an inkjet head having a pressure chamber and a nozzle for ejecting the ink in the pressure chamber, and ejects droplets of the ink from the nozzle provided in the inkjet head to print on a fabric as a printing substrate.

[0003] Usually, after printing to fix dyes or the like on the fabric and develop color, a washing step must be performed. For example, in Patent Document 1, the printed fabric is passed through a washing tank for initial washing. However, when a washing tank is used, a large amount of wastewater becomes an environmental problem.

[0004] On the other hand, inkjet printing equipment, which is a dry process, does not have a cleaning process, so wastewater can be reduced, which is a great advantage from an environmental perspective. However, it is difficult to remove the solvents and preservatives required for inkjet printing, as well as unnecessary colorants after printing, from fabrics printed using the inkjet method. In addition, regulations on skin-sensitizing substances remaining in textile products are also being strengthened. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-97953 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems and circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ink-jet printing apparatus that can reduce wastewater and reliably remove colorants, solvents, preservatives, etc. remaining on printed fabric with a small amount of cleaning liquid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In the course of investigating the causes of the above problems in order to solve the above problems, the inventors discovered that it is possible to provide an inkjet printing apparatus that can reduce wastewater and reliably remove colorants, solvents, preservatives, etc. remaining on the printed fabric by configuring the apparatus to include a printing device that ejects water-based ink onto the fabric, an application device that applies a cleaning liquid to the fabric to clean the fabric, and a removal device that removes the cleaning liquid after cleaning, and thus arrived at the present invention. That is, the above-mentioned problems of the present invention are solved by the following means.

[0008] 1. An inkjet printing apparatus for printing water-based ink onto fabric, comprising: a printing device that ejects the water-based ink onto the fabric; Downstream of the printing device, No leachables from the fabric are included a device for applying a cleaning solution to the fabric; a cleaning liquid removal device downstream of the cleaning liquid application device; The cleaning liquid not containing any eluted substances from the fabric means that the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning tank is excluded. An ink-jet textile printing apparatus comprising:

[0009] 2. The ink-jet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the application device and the removal device for the cleaning liquid are installed on the same line.

[0010] 3. The inkjet textile printing apparatus described in item 1 or 2, wherein the cleaning liquid applicator applies the cleaning liquid to the fabric in a non-contact manner.

[0011] 4. The ink-jet printing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the water-based ink contains at least a pigment.

[0012] 5. The ink-jet printing apparatus described in any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the water-based ink contains at least a dispersible ink.

[0013] 6. The ink-jet textile printing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the cleaning liquid applicator is a mist applicator or a spray applicator.

[0014] 7. The ink-jet textile printing apparatus described in any one of items 1 to 6, wherein the device for removing the cleaning liquid is a suction device, a blade removal device or an air blow device.

[0015] 8. The inkjet textile printing apparatus described in any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that the applicator has a function of controlling the amount and area of ​​the cleaning liquid to be applied depending on conditions.

[0016] 9. The ink-jet printing apparatus described in item 8, wherein the application device controls the amount and area of ​​application of the cleaning liquid depending on the type of the fabric and the printing rate of the water-based ink.

[0017] 10. The ink-jet printing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 9, wherein an application device and a removal device for the cleaning liquid are provided on both sides of the fabric.

[0018] 11. The inkjet textile printing apparatus described in any one of items 1 to 10, wherein the cleaning liquid applied by the cleaning liquid application device contains an additive.

[0019] 12. The ink-jet textile printing apparatus described in any one of items 1 to 11, wherein the cleaning liquid applied by the application device is temperature controlled.

[0020] 13. The ink-jet printing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 12, wherein the cleaning liquid recovered by the removal device is purified and then reused. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the above-mentioned means of the present invention, it is possible to provide an ink-jet printing apparatus which can reduce wastewater and reliably remove colorants, solvents, preservatives, etc. remaining on the printed fabric with a small amount of cleaning liquid. Although the mechanism by which the effects of the present invention are manifested or the mechanism by which the effects of the present invention are acted upon has not been clearly understood, it is speculated as follows. The inkjet printing apparatus of the present invention is configured to include a printing device that ejects an aqueous ink onto a fabric, a device downstream of the printing device that applies a cleaning liquid that does not contain any elution from the fabric to the fabric, and a cleaning liquid remover downstream of the cleaning liquid applicator, so that it is not necessary to pass the fabric through a cleaning tank as in the conventional method, thereby reducing wastewater and allowing the fabric to be washed with a small amount of cleaning liquid. Also, colorants, solvents, preservatives, etc. remaining on the printed fabric can be reliably removed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of an ink-jet printing apparatus according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] Schematic diagram of coating device and removal device [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet head in a printing device; [Figure 4] Exploded perspective view of an inkjet head [Diagram 5] Cross-sectional view of an inkjet head DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The inkjet printing apparatus of the present invention is an inkjet printing apparatus that prints an aqueous ink onto a fabric, and is characterized in that it comprises a printing device that ejects the aqueous ink onto the fabric, a device downstream of the printing device that applies a cleaning liquid to the fabric that does not contain any eluted material from the fabric, and a device for removing the cleaning liquid downstream of the device for applying the cleaning liquid. This feature is a technical feature common to or corresponding to each of the following embodiments.

[0024] As an embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the application device and the removal device for the cleaning liquid are installed on the same line, since application and removal can be performed continuously without winding or the like.

[0025] It is also preferable that the cleaning liquid applicator applies the cleaning liquid to the fabric in a non-contact manner, in order to prevent damage to the fabric and deterioration of the image.

[0026] It is preferable that the water-based ink contains at least a pigment, since the amount of unbound colorant after fixing is small and the fabric can be sufficiently cleaned with a small amount of cleaning liquid. Also, it is preferable that the water-based ink is a dispersible ink, since it dissolves little in the cleaning liquid and the colorant is less likely to remain after passing through a removal device.

[0027] It is preferable that the cleaning liquid applicator is a mist applicator or a spray applicator, since unnecessary colorants, solvents, preservatives, etc. can be removed from the fabric with a small amount of cleaning liquid.

[0028] The device for removing the cleaning liquid is preferably a suction device, a blade removal device or an air blow device, in that the cleaning liquid can be reliably removed after application.

[0029] It is preferable that the applicator has a function of controlling the application amount and application area of ​​the cleaning liquid to be applied depending on conditions, in terms of excellent cleaning efficiency of the fabric. It is also preferable that the applicator controls the amount and area of ​​application of the cleaning liquid depending on the type of the fabric and the printing rate of the water-based ink.

[0030] It is preferable that the application device and removal device for the cleaning liquid are provided on both sides of the fabric, in terms of excellent cleaning efficiency of the fabric. In addition, it is preferable that the cleaning liquid applied by the cleaning liquid application device contains additives, since this makes it easier to dissolve colorants, solvents, preservatives, etc. in the cleaning liquid. Furthermore, it is preferable to control the temperature of the cleaning liquid applied by the application device, since this makes it easier to dissolve colorants, solvents, preservatives, etc. in the cleaning liquid.

[0031] The cleaning liquid recovered by the removal device can be purified and then reused, which is preferable from an environmental standpoint because it can reduce wastewater.

[0032] The present invention, its components, and embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below. In this application, the symbol "to" is used to mean that the numerical values ​​before and after the symbol "to" are included as lower and upper limits.

[0033] [Inkjet printing device] An inkjet printing apparatus for printing an aqueous ink onto a fabric is characterized by comprising a printing device for ejecting the aqueous ink (hereinafter also simply referred to as "ink") onto the fabric, a device downstream of the printing device for applying a cleaning liquid to the fabric that does not contain any eluted material from the fabric, and a device for removing the cleaning liquid downstream of the device for applying the cleaning liquid.

[0034] In the present invention, "textile printing" refers to a dyeing method in which an ink containing a dye or pigment is applied to a fabric (fabric to be dyed) to give the fabric a pattern, and the dye or pigment is allowed to adhere or fix to produce a dyed product with a pattern. In the present invention, this refers to printing a water-based ink onto a fabric, and then subjecting the fabric to a heat treatment or the like to fix an image such as a design. Moreover, "printing" refers to the operation of ejecting and depositing ink containing a dye or pigment onto the portion of the fabric on which the pattern is to be produced. In the present invention, "eluted substances from the fabric" refer to colorants, solvents, preservatives, surfactants, etc. contained in the aqueous ink ejected onto the fabric, and also refer to unnecessary substances that remain on the fabric without adhering thereto. Therefore, "cleaning liquid not containing eluted substances from the fabric" means excluding the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning tank.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an ink-jet printing apparatus of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet printing apparatus 800 includes at least a printing device 200 that ejects a water-based ink 110 onto a fabric 240 , an application device 300 for a cleaning liquid 310 , and a removal device 400 for the cleaning liquid 310 .

[0036] The inkjet printing apparatus 800 further includes a drying and fixing device 500 located downstream of the printing device 200 (downstream in the transport direction X of the fabric 240) and upstream of the application device 300, which dries and heats the water-based ink 110 ejected by the printing device 200 to fix it onto the fabric 240, thereby forming an image 120. The drying / fixing device 500 may be provided upstream of the printing device 200 to dry the water-based ink 110 using heat stored in the fabric 240 before the water-based ink 110 is ejected by the printing device 200, or may be provided both upstream and downstream of the printing device 200 in the transport direction X of the fabric 240.

[0037] In addition, the inkjet printing apparatus 800 preferably includes a drying device 600 that dries the fabric 240 after the cleaning liquid 310 has been removed by the removing device 400 . Moreover, the inkjet printing apparatus 800 preferably includes a transport device 700 that transports the fabric 240 to the printing device 200 , the drying / fixing device 500 , the coating device 300 , the removing device 400 and the drying device 600 .

[0038] <Coating equipment> The applicator 300 in the present invention is a device that applies a cleaning liquid 310 that does not contain any eluted matter from the fabric 240 to the fabric 240 downstream of the printing device 200. The applicator 300 may be any device capable of applying the cleaning liquid 310 to the fabric 240, and examples of such devices include a mist applicator, a spray applicator, a dispenser, and a roller applicator. However, it is preferable to apply the cleaning liquid in a non-contact manner, and for example, a mist applicator or a spray applicator is preferable in that it can further reduce wastewater and has excellent cleaning efficiency.

[0039] (Spray Coating Equipment) The spray coating device is not particularly limited as long as it has a configuration capable of spraying the cleaning liquid, and an example of the spray coating device is a spray coating device 300A as shown in FIG. The spray coating device 300A includes a supply tank 301, and coating liquid 310 in the supply tank 301 is supplied under pressure to a head 303 through a connecting pipe 302, and the coating liquid 310 supplied to the head 303 is discharged from a nozzle 304 to be applied to the fabric 240. The coating liquid 310 is discharged from the nozzle 304 by air pressure generated by an air compressor (not shown).

[0040] The hole diameter at the tip of the nozzle is preferably within a range of 0.4 to 4 mm, more preferably within a range of 1 to 2.5 mm. It is preferable that the nozzle is movable up and down, left and right, and back and forth. For example, a spray gun W-101-142BPG manufactured by Anest Iwata Corporation can be used as the nozzle, and an OFP-071C manufactured by Anest Iwata Corporation can be used as the compressor.

[0041] It is preferable that the nozzle angle is adjustable and can be inclined with respect to the fabric. The angle of the nozzle with respect to the fabric can be adjusted, for example, within a range of 0 to 90 degrees, assuming that the horizontal direction is 0 degrees. As shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable that a plurality of nozzles 304 are provided along the conveying direction X of the fabric 240.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2, supply tank 301 contains stirrer 305, and cleaning solution 310 is preferably stirred at all times, so that cleaning solution 310 can be maintained in a dispersed state. For example, the supply tank may be PC-51 manufactured by Anest Iwata Corporation.

[0043] The compressed air pressure is preferably within a range of 0.05 to 1 MPa. Furthermore, the distance from the nozzle to the fabric is preferably within a range of 5 to 30 cm.

[0044] (Mist application device) The mist application device is not shown in the figure, but is not particularly limited as long as it can generate mist of a specified particle size, and may be, for example, a type in which the cleaning liquid and air are each compressed and sprayed from a nozzle so that they collide with each other, or a type in which only the cleaning liquid is compressed and sprayed from a nozzle into the air.

[0045] The hole diameter at the tip of the nozzle of the mist applicator is preferably within the range of 20 to 200 μm. A commercially available mist applicator may be used, for example, SFS-104-4 manufactured by Super Kogyo Co., Ltd. The distance from the nozzle to the fabric is preferably within the range of 1 to 20 cm.

[0046] The above-mentioned coating device preferably has a function of controlling the amount and area of ​​the cleaning liquid to be applied according to conditions. The conditions include, for example, the type of fabric and the printing rate of the water-based ink. The type of fabric may be, for example, the material, mass, or weaving method of the fabric.

[0047] The material of the fabric is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include natural fibers such as cotton (cellulose fiber), silk, and wool, chemical fibers such as nylon, rayon, polyurethane, polyester, and acrylic resin, and composite fiber woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, and nonwoven fabrics that combine these fibers.

[0048] The mass of the fabric is, for example, 40 to 300 g / m 2 It is preferable that the range is within the range of 100 μm. Examples of the fabrics having the above weaving methods include fabrics woven with fibers in a plain weave, twill weave, satin weave, and the like.

[0049] The printing rate (printing rate) of the water-based ink is, for example, an average printing rate in a direction (width direction) perpendicular to the transport direction X of the fabric. The applicator controls the amount of application and the area to be applied depending on the type of fabric and the printing rate of the water-based ink. For example, when the average printing rate exceeds 50%, the amount of application of the water-based ink is set to 50 g / m 2 The ink is applied to the entire surface of the fabric, and when the ink coverage is within the range of 20-50%, the amount of water-based ink applied is set to 20 g / m 2 When the average printing rate is less than 20%, the coating amount of the water-based ink is 10 g / m 2 It is preferable to apply the ink to the printed portion of the fabric.

[0050] Furthermore, it is preferable that the coating device controls the temperature of the cleaning liquid to be applied in terms of excellent cleaning efficiency. Specifically, it is preferable that a temperature sensor or the like is provided in a supply tank in which the cleaning liquid of the coating device is stored, and that the cleaning liquid is controlled to a predetermined temperature by a heating or cooling device based on the measurement by the temperature sensor.

[0051] The temperature of the cleaning solution is preferably within a range of 15 to 80° C. In addition, the pH of the cleaning solution (25° C.) is preferably within a range of 5 to 11. Such a cleaning liquid may be any liquid that does not contain any substances eluted from the fabric, and examples thereof include pure water and a mixture of water, ethanol, a surfactant, a pH adjuster, and a preservative.

[0052] The coating device may be installed on only one side of the printed surface of the fabric (see FIG. 1). However, in terms of fabric cleaning efficiency, it is preferable to install the coating device on both the printed surface and the opposite surface of the fabric.

[0053] <Removal device> As shown in FIG. 1, a removal device 400 for the cleaning liquid 310 is a device downstream of the coating device 300 for removing the cleaning liquid 310 after cleaning. The removal device 400 is preferably, for example, a suction device, a blade removal device, or an air blow device, in that the cleaning liquid 310 can be reliably removed.

[0054] (suction device) As shown in FIG. 2, suction device 400A is a device that removes cleaning liquid 310 applied to fabric 240 after cleaning by suction. The suction device 400A is not particularly limited as long as it can suck the cleaning liquid 310, but it is preferable that the suction device 400A includes, for example, a suction port 401, a suction pump 402 that generates a negative pressure (suction force) at the suction port 401, a drainage tank 403 that stores the sucked cleaning liquid 310 as drainage, etc. In addition, the suction port 401, the suction pump 402, and the drainage tank 403 are preferably connected by a suction tube 404. In this type of suction device 400A, when the suction pump 402 is operated, negative pressure is generated at the suction port 401, and the cleaning liquid 310 in which the colorant, solvent, preservative, etc. are dissolved is sucked from the washed fabric 240, and the cleaning liquid 310 is stored in the drainage tank 403 via the suction tube 404.

[0055] It is preferable that the cleaning liquid 310 collected in the drainage tank 403 is purified by a purification device 405 and then sent to a supply tank 301 for supplying the cleaning liquid 310 to the coating device 300, and the drained cleaning liquid 310 is reused.

[0056] (Blade removal device) The blade removal device is a device that removes cleaning liquid by contacting a blade with the fabric. The blade removal device is not particularly limited, but preferably includes a blade formed into a flat plate shape using an elastic material such as rubber, a PET sheet, a straight brush, or the like, and the blade is stretched across the entire width of a conveyor belt that conveys the fabric. Although not shown, the blade is provided so that its tip abuts against the surface of the fabric, and the cleaning liquid applied to the fabric after cleaning is scraped off and removed by the movement of the conveyor belt. The removed cleaning liquid preferably flows down the surface of the blade and is collected in a drain tank. The drain tank collects the cleaning liquid scraped off by the blade, and the cleaning liquid collected in the drain tank is preferably purified by a purification device and then sent to a supply tank or the like for supplying cleaning liquid to the coating device, thereby reusing the drained cleaning liquid.

[0057] (Air blower device) The air blowing device is a device that blows off and removes the cleaning solution applied to the fabric by using a gas jet. The air blowing device is not particularly limited, but is preferably, for example, a gas injection device having a plurality of nozzles at the tip, the plurality of nozzles being arranged along the conveying direction of the fabric, and the nozzles are preferably connected to a high-pressure gas supply source by piping. In such an air blowing device, high pressure gas is sprayed onto the washed fabric being conveyed to blow off the washing liquid applied to the fabric after washing. It is preferable that a drain tank is provided to collect the washing liquid blown off by the gas spray from the nozzle. It is preferable that the cleaning liquid collected in the drain tank is purified by a purification device and then sent to a supply tank for supplying the cleaning liquid to the coating device, so that the drained cleaning liquid can be reused.

[0058] The above-mentioned removal device may be installed on only one side of the printed surface of the fabric (see Figure 1), but from the standpoint of efficiency in removing cleaning liquid, it is preferable to install it on both the printed surface and the opposite surface of the fabric.

[0059] The coating device and the removing device are preferably installed on the same line. Specifically, it is preferable that a coating device and a removal device are installed on the same transport belt, and coating / removal are performed continuously.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 1, a drying device 600 for drying the fabric 240 after the cleaning liquid 310 has been removed by the removal device 400 may be provided downstream of the removal device 400 . The drying device 600 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a heat roll and an iron.

[0061] <Transportation equipment> The conveying device 700 is a device for conveying the fabric 240 to the printing device 200 , the drying / fixing device 500 , the cleaning liquid applying device 300 , the cleaning liquid removing device 400 , and the drying device 600 . Conveyor device 700 is not particularly limited, and includes, for example, belt conveyor 701 and rotatable feed roller 702. Belt conveyor 701 includes rotatable pulleys 703a and 703b, and an endless conveyor belt 704 stretched around these pulleys 703a and 703b. Feed roller 702 is disposed at a position facing pulley 703a on the upstream side in conveying direction X of fabric 240, so as to sandwich conveyor belt 704 and fabric 240 therebetween and feed out fabric 240 onto conveyor belt 704.

[0062] The transport speed of the fabric is preferably within the range of 30 to 200 m / h.

[0063] <Printing device> The printing device 200 includes an inkjet head 100 , an ink supply device 220 , and a main tank 230 .

[0064] Inkjet head 100 is disposed so as to be freely scannable, for example, in a direction intersecting a transport direction X of fabric 240 on which image 120 is to be formed. Inkjet head 100 has a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink droplets of ink (water-based ink) 110 onto fabric 240. Inkjet head 1 is configured, for example, so that a plurality of different colored inks are supplied to the corresponding nozzles. The configuration of inkjet head 100 will be described later.

[0065] The ink supply device 220 is disposed integrally with the inkjet head 100. The ink supply device 220 is disposed for each type of ink. For example, when four colors of ink, Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black), are used, four ink supply devices 220 are disposed on the inkjet head 100.

[0066] The ink supply device 220 is supplied with ink from the main tank 230 via a flow path 251 connected to the main tank 230 and a valve 254. The ink supply device 220 also communicates with a common ink chamber 51 (ink chamber) (see FIG. 5) of the inkjet head 100 via a flow path 252, and is connected so as to be able to supply ink of each color to a first ink port 53 (see FIG. 5) that communicates with the common ink chamber 51.

[0067] The inkjet head 100 is also connected to the main tank 230 by a bypass flow path 253 branching off from the flow path 251. At the branch point between the flow path 251 and the bypass flow path 253, a valve 254 is disposed that can switch and set the ink flow path to one or both of the flow path 251 and the bypass flow path 253. The flow path 251, the flow path 252, and the bypass flow path 253 are all, for example, flexible tubes. The valve 254 is, for example, a three-way valve.

[0068] The main tank 230 is a tank for storing ink to be supplied to the inkjet head 100. The main tank 230 is disposed separately from the inkjet head 100. The main tank 230 has, for example, a stirring device (not shown). The main tank 230 can be appropriately determined depending on the image forming performance and size of the printing device 200. For example, if the image forming speed of the printing device 200 is 1 to 3 m 2 / min, the capacity of the main tank 230 is, for example, 1 L.

[0069] (Inkjet head 100) Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the inkjet head 100 in the printing device 200 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the inkjet head 100. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the inkjet head 100. Note that the cover member 9 is omitted in Figs. 4 and 5.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 4, the inkjet head 100 of this embodiment has a head chip 1, a wiring board 2, a flexible board 3, a drive circuit board 4, a manifold 5, a housing 6, a cap receiving plate 7, and a cover member 9 (see FIG. 3). Hereinafter, the stacking direction of these members is referred to as the Z direction, and in a plane perpendicular to the Z direction, the direction parallel to the conveyance direction of the fabric is referred to as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction is referred to as the Y direction.

[0071] The head chip 1 has a nozzle substrate 11, a flow path spacer substrate 12, and a pressure chamber substrate 13.

[0072] Wiring board 2 has an opening 22 approximately in the center. Manifold 5 is disposed on one surface of wiring board 2 so as to correspond to opening 22, and head chip 1 is disposed on the other surface so as to correspond to opening 22. In other words, wiring board 2 communicates manifold 5 and head chip 1 through opening 22. A lower end of a manifold 5 is fixed to the outer edge of the wiring board 2 .

[0073] The flexible substrate 3 electrically connects the drive circuit substrate 4 and the electrode portion of the wiring substrate 2. This allows a signal from the drive circuit substrate 4 to be applied to a drive electrode provided on a partition wall (not shown) in the head chip 1 via the flexible substrate 3.

[0074] Manifold 5 is disposed on head chip 1 via wiring board 2, and communicates with pressure chambers 131 of head chip 1 via wiring board 2 (see FIG. 5). Manifold 5 has a hollow main body portion 52 that constitutes a common ink chamber 51 (ink chamber), first to fourth ink ports 53 to 56 that constitute ink flow paths, and a discharge liquid chamber 57.

[0075] The common ink chamber 51 has a filter F therein for removing foreign matter from the ink. This divides the common ink chamber 51 into a first liquid chamber 51a and a second liquid chamber 51b. The common ink chamber 51 stores the ink to be introduced into the pressure chamber 131.

[0076] The first ink port 53 communicates with the first liquid chamber 51a, and is used to introduce ink into the common ink chamber 51. In other words, the first ink port 53 functions as an inlet for introducing ink into the inkjet head 100. A first joint 81a is fitted onto the tip of the first ink port 53.

[0077] The second ink port 54 communicates with the first liquid chamber 51a, and is used to remove air bubbles from within the first liquid chamber 51a. A second joint 81b is fitted onto the tip of the second ink port 54.

[0078] The third ink port 55 communicates with the second liquid chamber 51b and is used to remove air bubbles from the second liquid chamber 51b. A third joint 82a is fitted onto the tip of the third ink port 55.

[0079] The fourth ink port 56 is in communication with a discharge liquid chamber 57 of the head chip 1. The ink discharged from the head chip 1 through the fourth ink port 56 is discharged to the outside of the inkjet head 100 through the fourth ink port 56. In other words, the fourth ink port 56 functions as an outlet that discharges ink to the outside of the inkjet head 100.

[0080] The discharge liquid chamber 57 is disposed between the head chip 1 and the fourth ink port 56 and connects them.

[0081] The housing 6 is formed so as to be capable of housing therein the head chip 1, the wiring board 2, the flexible board 3, the manifold 5, etc. (see FIG. 4). The bottom surface of the housing 6 is open. Also, mounting holes 68 for mounting the housing 6 to the printer body are formed at both ends of the housing 6 in the X direction.

[0082] The cap receiving plate 7 has a nozzle opening 71 at approximately the center. The cap receiving plate 7 is attached so as to close the bottom opening of the housing 6 while leaving the nozzle substrate 11 exposed through the nozzle opening 71.

[0083] The cover member 9 is attached to the housing 6 (see FIG. 3).

[0084] (Operation of the inkjet head 100) Ink is introduced from the first ink port 53 into the first liquid chamber 51a of the common ink chamber 51. The introduced ink passes through the filter F and the second liquid chamber 51b, and is introduced into the inlet of the pressure chamber 131.

[0085] When a voltage is applied to a drive electrode provided on a partition wall of the ink introduced into the pressure chamber 131, the partition wall is displaced and pressure is applied to the ink in the pressure chamber 131. Due to the generation of such pressure, the ink in the pressure chamber 131 is ejected from the tip (ejection port) of the nozzle 111 toward the fabric 240.

[0086] In the inkjet head 100 of FIGS. 3 to 5, an example has been shown in which the ejection method is a piezoelectric method, but the ejection method is not limited to this, and a thermal method may also be used.

[0087] The printing method of the printing device 200 is not particularly limited, and may be a single-pass method or a scan method. The single-pass method is preferable because it is effective for high-speed printing. As an image forming device of the single-pass method, it is preferable to use an inkjet head of a line head type.

[0088] <Drying and fixing device> As shown in FIG. 1, the drying device in the drying and fixing device 500 is a device that dries the water-based ink 110 applied to the fabric 240 by the printing device 200 to remove moisture and solvent components in the ink, and the fixing device is a device that further fixes the water-based ink 110 onto the fabric 240 by heating after drying, thereby allowing the original hue of the ink to be expressed.

[0089] The drying device is not particularly limited, and may be a method using a heater, a hot air dryer, a heating roller, etc. Among them, it is preferable to use a hot air dryer and a heater to heat and dry both sides of the fabric.

[0090] Examples of the fixing device include heat treatment devices using a normal pressure steam method, a high pressure steam method, a thermofix method, or the like.

[0091] [Water-based ink] The aqueous ink used in the inkjet printing apparatus of the present invention preferably contains a colorant, water, a water-soluble organic solvent, and a hydrophobic polymer, and the viscosity of the aqueous ink at 25° C. is preferably adjusted to the range of 6 to 20 cp.

[0092] When the ink viscosity is 6 cp or more, even when ink is discharged at a high discharge frequency using the inkjet head 100, the meniscus of the ink near the discharge port of the nozzle 111 is unlikely to become unstable, so that a decrease in ejection stability can be suppressed. When the ink viscosity is 20 cp or less, the ink viscosity is not too high, so that nozzle clogging can be suppressed. From the same viewpoint, it is more preferable that the ink viscosity is within the range of 7 to 15 cp.

[0093] The viscosity of the ink can be measured by an E-type viscometer at 25° C. The rotation speed can be set according to the viscosity, and can be, for example, 10 rpm or 20 rpm.

[0094] The viscosity of the ink can be adjusted by the ink composition, for example, the content of the colorant, the content of the hydrophobic polymer, the solvent composition, etc. From the viewpoint of appropriately increasing the viscosity of the ink, it is preferable to set the content of the colorant to a certain level or more, to set the content of a water-soluble organic solvent having a high viscosity, for example, a polyhydric alcohol including a trihydric or higher alcohol such as glycerin, to a certain level or more, or to set the content of the hydrophobic polymer to a certain level or more, and more preferably to combine two or more of these.

[0095] The colorant is not particularly limited, and is preferably, for example, a pigment or a dye.

[0096] <Pigments> The pigment is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, an organic or inorganic pigment having the following numbers as described in the Color Index:

[0097] Examples of red or magenta pigments include Pigment Red 3, 5, 19, 22, 31, 38, 43, 48:1, 48:2, 48:3, 48:4, 48:5, 49:1, 53:1, 57:1, 57:2, 58:4, 63:1, 81, 81:1, 81:2, 81:3, 81:4, 88, 104, 108, 112, 122, 123, 144, 146, 149, 166, 168, 169, 170, 177, 178, 179, 184, 185, 208, 216, 226, 257, Pigment Violet 3, 19, 23, 29, 30, 37, 50, 88, Pigment Orange 13, 16, 20, 36.

[0098] Examples of blue or cyan pigments include Pigment Blue 1, 15, 15:1, 15:2, 15:3, 15:4, 15:6, 16, 17-1, 22, 27, 28, 29, 36, 60.

[0099] Examples of green pigments include Pigment Green 7, 26, 36, and 50. Examples of yellow pigments include Pigment Yellow 1, 3, 12, 13, 14, 17, 34, 35, 37, 55, 74, 81, 83, 93, 94, 95, 97, 108, 109, 110, 137, 138, 139, 153, 154, 155, 157, 166, 167, 168, 180, 185, and 193.

[0100] Examples of black pigments include Pigment Black 7, 28, and 26.

[0101] Commercially available examples of pigments include: Chromofine Yellow 2080, 5900, 5930, AF-1300, 2700L, Chromofine Orange 3700L, 6730, Chromofine Scarlet 6750, Chromofine Magenta 6880, 6886, 6891N, 6790, 6887, Chromofine Violet RE, Chromofine Red 6820, 6830, Chromofine Blue HS-3, 5187, 5108, 5197, 5085N, SR-5020, 5026, 5050, 4920, 4927, 4937, 4824, 4933GN-EP, 4940, 4973, 5205, 5208, 5214, 5221, 5000P , Chrome Fine Green 2GN, 2GO, 2G-550D, 5310, 5370, 6830, Chrome Fine Black A-1103, Seika Fast Yellow 10GH, A-3, 2035, 2054, 2200, 2270, 2300, 2400(B), 2500, 2600, ZAY-260, 2700(B), 2770 , Seika Fast Red 8040, C405(F), CA120, LR-116, 1531B, 8060R, 1547, ZAW-262, 1537B, GY, 4R-4016, 3820, 3891, ZA-215, Seika Fast Carmine 6B1476T-7, 1483LT, 3840, 3870, Seika Fast Bordeaux 10B-430, Seika Light Rose R40, Seika Light Violet B800, 7805, Seika Fast Maroon 460N, Seika Fast Orange 900, 2900, Seika Light Blue C718, A612, Cyanine Blue 4933M, 4933GN-EP, 4940, 4973 (Dainichi Seika Chemicals); KET Yellow 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 416, 424, KET Orange 501, KET Red 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 336, 337, 338, 346, KET Blue 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 111, 118, 124, KET Green 201 (manufactured by Dainippon Ink & Chemicals);Colortex Yellow 301, 314, 315, 316, P-624, 314, U10GN, U3GN, UNN, UA-414, U263, Finecol Yellow T-13, T-05, Pigment Yellow1705, Colortex Orange 202, Colortex Red101, 103, 115, 116, D3B, P-625, 102, H-1024, 105C, UFN, UCN, UBN, U3BN, URN, UGN, UG276, U456, U457, 105C, USN, Colortex Maroon601, Colortex BrownB610N, Colortex Violet600, Pigment Red 122, Colortex Blue516, 517, 518, 519, A818, P-908, 510, Colortex Green 402, 403, Colortex Black 702, U905 (Sanyo Pigment); Lionol Yellow 1405G, Lionol Blue FG7330, FG7350, FG7400G, FG7405G, ES, ESP-S (Toyo Ink Co., Ltd.); Toner Magenta E02, Permanent Rubin F6B, Toner Yellow HG, Permanent Yellow GG-02, Hostapearm Blue B2G (Hoechst Industry); Novoperm P-HG, Hostaperm Pink E, Hostaperm Blue B2G (manufactured by Clariant); Carbon black #2600, #2400, #2350, #2200, #1000, #990, #980, #970, #960, #950, #850, MCF88, #750, #650, MA600, MA7, MA8, MA11, MA100, MA100R, MA77, #52, #50, #47, #45, #45L, #40, #33, #32, #30, #25, #20, #10, #5, #44, CF9 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical).

[0102] <dye> The dye is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include disperse dyes, reactive dyes, acid dyes, basic dyes, direct dyes, etc. Note that an ink containing a disperse dye is also called a disperse ink, and an ink containing a reactive dye is also called a reactive ink.

[0103] The dispersible dye is preferably a sublimable dye. Here, the term "sublimable dye" refers to a dye that has the property of being sublimated by heating.

[0104] The disperse dye is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include CI Disperse Yellow 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 13, 23, 24, 30, 33, 34, 42, 44, 49, 50, 51, 54, 56, 58, 60, 63, 64, 66, 68, 71, 74, 76, 79, 82, 83, 85, 86, 88, 90, 91, 93, 98, 99, 100, 104, 108, 114, 116, 118, 119, 122, 124, 126, 135, 140, 141, 149, 160, 162, 163, 164, 165, 179, 180, 182, 183, 184, 186, 1 92, 198, 199, 202, 204, 210, 211, 215, 216, 218, 224, 227, 231, 232;CI Disperse Orange 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 20, 21, 25, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 37, 38, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 61, 66, 71, 73, 76, 78, 80, 89, 90, 91, 93, 96, 97, 119, 127, 130, 139, 142;CI Disperse Red 1, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 1 3, 15, 17, 27, 43, 44, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 58, 59, 60, 65, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 78, 81, 82, 86, 88, 90, 91, 92, 93, 96, 103, 105, 106, 107, 108, 110, 111, 113 , 117, 118, 121, 122, 126, 127, 128, 131, 132, 134, 135, 137, 143, 145, 146, 151, 152, 153, 154, 157, 159, 164, 167, 169, 177, 179, 181, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 19 ... 8, 189, 190, 191, 192, 200, 201, 202, 203, 205, 206, 207, 210, 221, 224, 225, 227, 229, 239, 240, 257, 258, 277, 278, 279, 281, 288, 298, 302, 303, 310, 311, 312, 320, 324, 328;CI Disperse Violet 1, 4, 8, 23, 26, 27, 28, 31, 33, 35, 36, 38, 40, 43, 46, 48, 50, 51, 52, 56, 57, 59, 61, 63, 69, 77;CI Disperse Green 9;CIDisperse Brown 1, 2, 4, 9, 13, 19; CI Disperse Blue 3, 7, 9, 14, 16, 19, 20, 26, 27, 35, 43, 44, 54, 55, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 71, 72, 73, 75, 79, 81, 82, 83, 87, 91, 93, 94, 95, 96, 102, 106, 108, 112, 113, 115, 118, 120, 122, 125, 128, 130, 139, 141, 142, 143, 146, 148, 14 9, 153, 154, 158, 165, 167, 171, 173, 174, 176, 181, 183, 185, 186, 187, 189, 197, 198, 200, 201, 205, 207, 211, 214, 224, 225, 257, 259, 267, 268, 270, 284, 285, 287, 288, 291, 293, 295, 297, 301, 315, 330, 333, 359, 360; CI Disperse Black 1, 3, 10, 24.

[0105] The acid dye is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include CI Acid Yellow 1, 3, 6, 11, 17, 18, 19, 23, 25, 36, 38, 40, 40:1, 42, 44, 49, 59, 59:1, 61, 65, 67, 72, 73, 79, 99, 104, 159, 169, 176, 184, 193, 200, 204, 207, 215, 219, 220:1, 221, 222:1, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 1, 220, 230, 232, 235, 241, 242, 246;CI Acid Orange 3, 7, 8, 10, 19, 22, 24, 33, 51, 51S, 56, 67, 74, 80, 86, 87, 88, 89, 94, 95, 107, 108, 116, 122, 127, 140, 142, 144, 149, 152, 156, 162, 166, 168;CI Acid Orange Cid Red 1, 6, 8, 9, 13, 18, 27, 35, 37, 52, 54, 57, 60, 73, 82, 88, 97, 97:1, 106, 111, 114, 118, 119, 127, 131, 138, 143, 145, 151, 183, 195, 198, 211, 215, 217, 225, 226, 249, 251, 254, 256, 257, 260 , 261, 265, 266, 274, 276, 277, 289, 296, 299, 315, 318, 336, 337, 357, 359, 361, 362, 364, 366, 399, 407, 415;CI Acid Violet 17, 19, 21, 42, 43, 47, 48, 49, 54, 66, 78, 90, 97, 102, 109, 126;CI Acid Blue 1, 7, 9, 15, 23, 25, 40, 61:1, 62, 72, 74, 80, 83, 90, 92, 103, 104, 112, 113, 114, 120, 127, 127:1, 128, 129, 138, 140, 142, 156, 158, 171, 182, 185, 193, 199, 20 1, 203, 204, 205, 207, 209, 220, 221, 224, 225, 229, 230, 239, 258, 260, 264, 277 :1, 278, 279, 280, 284, 290, 296, 298, 300, 317, 324, 333, 335, 338, 342, 350; CI Acid Green 9, 12, 16, 19, 20, 25, 27, 28, 40, 43, 56, 73, 81, 84, 104, 108, 109; CI Acid Brown 2, 4, 13, 14, 19, 28, 44, 123, 224, 226, 227, 248, 282, 283, 289, 294, 297, 298, 301, 355, 357, 413; CI Acid Black 1, 2, 3, 24, 24:1, 26, 31, 50, 52, 52:1, 58, 60, 63, 63S, 107, 109, 112, 119, 132, 140, 155, 172, 187, 188, 194, 207, 222, etc.

[0106] Examples of basic dyes include, but are not limited to, CI Basic Yellow 1, 2, 13, 19, 21, 25, 32, 36, 40, 51; CI Basic Red 1, 5, 12, 19, 22, 29, 37, 39, 92; CI Basic Blue 1, 3, 9, 11, 16, 17, 24, 28, 41, 45, 54, 65, 66; and CI Basic Black 2 and 8.

[0107] The direct dye is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include CI Direct Yellow 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 22, 27, 28, 39, 44, 50, 58, 86, 87, 98, 105, 106, 130, 137, 142, 147, 153; CI Direct Orange 6, 26, 27, 34, 39, 40, 46, 102, 105, 107, 118; CI Direct Red 2, 4, 9, 23, 24, 31, 54, 62, 69, 79, 80, 81, 83, 84, 89, 95, 212, 224, 225, 226, 227, 239, 242, 243, 254; and CI Direct Ba Violet 9, 35, 51, 66, 94, 95;CI Direct Blue 1, 15, 71, 76, 77, 78, 80, 86, 87, 90, 98, 106, 108, 160, 168, 189, 192, 193, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 218, 225, 229, 237, 244, 248, 251, 270, 273, 274, 290, 291;CI Direct Green 26, 28, 59, 80, 85;CI Direct Brown 44, 44:1, 106, 115, 195, 209, 210, 212:1, 222, 223,CI Direct Black 17 , 19, 22, 32, 51, 62, 108, 112, 113, 117, 118, 132, 146, 154, 159, 169, etc.

[0108] Examples of reactive dyes include, but are not limited to, CI Reactive Yellow 2, 3, 7, 15, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 37, 39, 42, 57, 69, 76, 81, 84, 85, 86, 87, 92, 95, 102, 105, 111, 125, 135, 136, 137, 142, 143, 145, 151, 160, 161, 165, 167, 168, 175, and 176; CI Reactive Orange 1, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 20, 30, and 35; 56, 64, 67, 69, 70, 72, 74, 82, 84, 86, 87, 91, 92, 93, 95, 99, 107;CI Reactive Red 2, 3, 3:1, 5, 8, 11, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 31, 33, 35, 43, 45, 49, 55, 56, 58, 65, 66, 78, 83, 84, 106, 11 1, 112, 113, 114, 116, 120, 123, 124, 128, 130, 136, 141, 147, 158, 159, 171, 174, 180, 183, 184, 187, 190, 193, 194, 195, 198, 218, 220, 222, 223, 226, 228, 235, 245;CI Reactive Bio Red 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 22, 23, 33, 36, 38; CI Reactive Blue 2, 3, 4, 7, 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, 25, 27, 28, 29, 38, 39, 41, 49, 50, 52, 63, 69, 71, 72, 77, 79, 89, 104, 109, 112, 113, 114, 116, 119, 120, 122, 137, 140, 143, 147, 160, 161, 162, 163, 168, 171, 176, 182, 184, 191, 194, 195, 198, 203, 204 , 207, 209, 211, 214, 220, 221, 222, 231, 235, 236; CI Reactive Green 8, 12, 15, 19, 21; CI Reactive Brown 2, 7, 9, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 31, 37, 43, 46; CI Reactive Black 5, 8, 13, 14, 31, 34, 39, etc.

[0109] The dyes described above may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0110] Among these, pigments are preferred because they have good dispersibility in the constituent components of the ink and excellent weather resistance.

[0111] The content of the colorant is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of easily adjusting the viscosity of the ink within the above range and enabling the formation of a high-density image, it is preferably within the range of 4 to 15% by mass of the ink. If the colorant content is 4% by mass or more, not only can the viscosity of the ink be increased appropriately, but also high-density images can be easily formed. If the colorant content is 15% by mass or less, the viscosity of the ink does not become too high, so nozzle clogging and the like are unlikely to occur. From the same viewpoint, the colorant content is more preferably within the range of 5 to 15% by mass, and even more preferably within the range of 6.5 to 12% by mass, relative to the ink.

[0112] <Hydrophobic polymer> The hydrophobic polymer is a water-dispersible polymer, and can be a polymer dispersant, a water-dispersible resin (binder resin), or the like.

[0113] (Polymer dispersant) The type of polymer dispersant is not particularly limited, but examples include block copolymers and random copolymers composed of two or more monomers selected from styrene, styrene derivatives, vinylnaphthalene derivatives, acrylic acid, acrylic acid derivatives, maleic acid, maleic acid derivatives, itaconic acid, itaconic acid derivatives, fumaric acid, and fumaric acid derivatives, as well as salts thereof, polyoxyalkylene, and polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether.

[0114] When the polymer dispersant has an acidic group such as a carboxy group, the acidic group is preferably neutralized with a neutralizing base. Examples of the neutralizing base include organic bases such as ammonia, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, and morpholine.

[0115] (Water dispersible resin) Examples of water-dispersible resins include urethane resins, butadiene resins, acrylic resins, polystyrene, etc. Examples of butadiene resins include styrene-butadiene copolymers and acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymers. Examples of acrylic resins include acrylic acid ester copolymers, styrene-acrylic copolymers, silicon-acrylic copolymers, and acrylic-modified fluororesins. Among these, urethane resins and styrene-acrylic copolymers are preferred.

[0116] Examples of styrene-acrylic copolymers include styrene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymers and styrene-(meth)acrylic acid-(meth)acrylic acid ester copolymers. Examples of (meth)acrylic acid esters include benzyl (meth)acrylate, cyclohexyl (meth)acrylate, methyl (meth)acrylate, ethyl (meth)acrylate, propyl (meth)acrylate, butyl (meth)acrylate, hexyl (meth)acrylate, octyl (meth)acrylate, lauryl (meth)acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl (meth)acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl carbitol (meth)acrylate, phenol EO modified (meth)acrylate, isobornyl (meth)acrylate, dicyclopentenyl (meth)acrylate, dicyclopentanyl (meth)acrylate, and dicyclopentenyloxyethyl (meth)acrylate.

[0117] The urethane resin is a polymer obtained by reacting a polyol with a polyisocyanate. Examples of the polyol include polypropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polytetramethylene glycol, poly(ethylene adipate), poly(diethylene adipate), poly(propylene adipate), poly(tetramethylene adipate), poly(hexamethylene adipate), poly-ε-caprolactone, poly(hexamethylene carbonate), and silicone polyol. Examples of the isocyanate include tolylene diisocyanate, 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, xylylene diisocyanate, naphthalene diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, hydrogenated tolylene diisocyanate, hydrogenated 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, and tetramethylxylylene diisocyanate.

[0118] The Tg of the water-dispersible resin is not particularly limited, but may be within the range of, for example, -30 to 100°C, preferably -10 to 50°C, and more preferably 20 to 40°C.

[0119] The acid value of the water-dispersible resin is not particularly limited, but is preferably 44 mgKOH / g or more, more preferably 60 mgKOH / g or more, from the viewpoint of improving the dispersion stability. The upper limit of the acid value can be, for example, 110 mgKOH / g. The acid value can be measured in accordance with JIS K0070.

[0120] The average particle size of the water-dispersible resin is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of preventing clogging of the nozzles of the inkjet head, it is preferably 300 nm or less, and more preferably 130 nm or less. The average particle size of the water-dispersible resin can be measured by a laser diffraction / scattering type particle size distribution measurement.

[0121] The content of the hydrophobic polymer is appropriately set depending on the type. For example, when the hydrophobic polymer is a polymer dispersant, the content of the polymer dispersant is, for example, 4% by mass or less, preferably within the range of 0.8 to 2% by mass, relative to the ink. If the polymer dispersant is 0.8% by mass or more, it is easy to sufficiently increase the dispersibility of solid colorants such as pigments, and if it is 4% by mass or less, it is easy to suppress an excessive increase in viscosity.

[0122] When the hydrophobic polymer is a water-dispersible resin (binder resin), the content of the water-dispersible resin (binder resin) is preferably 1 to 15% by mass relative to the ink, from the viewpoint of easily adjusting the viscosity of the ink within the above range. When the content of the water-dispersible resin is 1% by mass or more, the viscosity of the ink is easily increased appropriately, and not only the ejection stability can be further increased, but also the adhesion to the fabric and the abrasion resistance of the obtained image can be easily increased. When the content of the water-dispersible resin is 15% by mass or less, the viscosity of the ink does not become too high, and therefore nozzle clogging and the like are unlikely to occur. From the same viewpoint, the content of the water-dispersible resin is more preferably 2 to 10% by mass relative to the ink.

[0123] When the hydrophobic polymer contains both a polymer dispersant and a water-dispersible resin, from the viewpoint of easily adjusting the viscosity of the ink within the above range, the total amount of the hydrophobic polymer is preferably 1 to 20 mass % of the ink, and more preferably 2 to 15 mass %.

[0124] <Water-soluble organic solvent> The water-soluble organic solvent is not particularly limited as long as it is compatible with water, and examples thereof include polyhydric alcohols (e.g., dihydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, and polypropylene glycol, and trihydric or higher alcohols such as glycerin, trimethylolpropane, and hexanetriol); polyhydric alcohol ethers (e.g., ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monophenyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, and diethylene glycol dimethyl ether); monohydric alcohols (e.g., methanol, ethanol, propanol, pentanol, hexanol, cyclohexanol, benzyl alcohol); amines (e.g., ethanolamine, N-ethyldiethanolamine, morpholine, N-ethylmorpholine, ethylenediamine, diethylenediamine, triethylenetetramine); amides (e.g., formamide, N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide); heterocycles (e.g., 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-cyclohexyl-2-pyrrolidone, 2-oxazolidone, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidine), sulfoxides (e.g., dimethyl sulfoxide); and sulfones (e.g., sulfolane).

[0125] Among these, from the viewpoint of facilitating an appropriate increase in the viscosity of the ink, the water-soluble organic solvent preferably contains a polyhydric alcohol. From the viewpoint of facilitating an increase in the viscosity of the ink, the polyhydric alcohol preferably contains a trihydric or higher alcohol, and more preferably contains glycerin.

[0126] The content of polyhydric alcohols is preferably moderately high. Specifically, the content of polyhydric alcohols is preferably within the range of 25 to 50% by mass of the ink. If the content of polyhydric alcohols is above a certain level, the viscosity of the ink is easily increased, and if it is below a certain level, nozzle clogging caused by the ink becoming too viscous is easily suppressed. From the same viewpoint, the content of polyhydric alcohols is more preferably within the range of 30 to 45% by mass of the ink.

[0127] <Other ingredients> The inkjet ink may further contain other components as necessary. Examples of the other components include solvents, surfactants, preservatives, antifungal agents, antirust agents, pH adjusters, etc.

[0128] (Surfactant) The water-based ink-jet ink may further contain a surfactant to control the surface tension.

[0129] Examples of surfactants include anionic, cationic, amphoteric, and nonionic surfactants. Examples of anionic surfactants include fatty acid salts, alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfate esters, alkylbenzene sulfonates, alkylnaphthalene sulfonates, dialkyl sulfosuccinates, alkyl phosphate ester salts, alkylnaphthalene sulfonate-formaldehyde condensates, and polyoxyethylene alkyl sulfate ester salts. Examples of cationic surfactants include amine salts, tetraalkyl quaternary ammonium salts, trialkyl quaternary ammonium salts, alkyl pyridinium salts, and alkyl quinolinium salts. Examples of nonionic surfactants include polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene alkyl amines, ethylene oxide adducts of polypropylene glycol, acetylene glycol, and ethylene oxide adducts of acetylene glycol.

[0130] (Preservatives, antifungal agents) Examples of the preservative or antifungal agent include aromatic halogen compounds (eg, Preventol CMK), methylene dithiocyanate, halogen-containing nitrogen-sulfur compounds, 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one (eg, PROXELGXL), and the like.

[0131] (pH adjuster) Examples of pH adjusters include urea, sodium hydroxide, and the like.

[0132] [Printing method] The textile printing method using the inkjet textile printing apparatus of the present invention is a method in which, after or when the water-based ink is ejected onto a fabric, the water-based ink is dried and fixed onto the fabric by a heat treatment such as a heat press to form an image, and then a cleaning liquid is applied to the fabric to wash it, and the cleaning liquid after washing is removed. In addition, when the dispersible dye contained in the aqueous ink is a sublimation dye that has the property of sublimating when heated, the printing method according to the present invention also includes sublimation transfer. Examples of such a printing method using sublimation transfer include a method in which printing is performed by the inkjet method using an aqueous ink (also called sublimation transfer ink) containing a sublimation dye on a sheet-like intermediate transfer medium such as paper, and then the intermediate transfer medium is placed on a fabric and sublimation transferred by heating (sublimation transfer method). Furthermore, even when the dispersible dye contained in the aqueous ink is a sublimation dye, a method of printing directly onto the fabric by an inkjet method (also called a direct sublimation method) without using an intermediate transfer medium may be used. In the following description, a textile printing method that does not utilize sublimation transfer will be taken as an example.

[0133] In the textile printing method, the above-mentioned water-based ink is ejected from the inkjet head 100 of the printing device 200 in the inkjet textile printing device 800 of Figure 1 to form an image 120 on a fabric 240, and then the fabric 240 is washed with a cleaning liquid 310, and the cleaning liquid 310 after washing is removed.

[0134] Specifically, the textile printing method according to the present invention includes the steps of 1) ejecting ink from an inkjet head 1 to apply (adhere) droplets of the water-based ink onto a fabric (ink application step), 2) drying and fixing the water-based ink applied to the fabric (drying and fixing step), 3) applying a cleaning liquid to the fabric (cleaning liquid application step), and 4) removing the cleaning liquid after application and cleaning (cleaning liquid removal step).

[0135] Step 1) (ink application step) In the ink application step, at least the above-mentioned water-based ink is ejected from the inkjet head 100 of the printing device 200 of FIG.

[0136] From the viewpoint of enabling high-speed printing, the ejection frequency of the inkjet head is preferably within the range of 20 to 50 kHz.

[0137] In the present invention, as described above, ink is ejected from the inkjet head 100 of the printing device 200 in FIG. The surface of the fabric to which the ink is applied may be heated. This can increase the drying speed after the ink is applied, and can easily suppress bleeding of the image. The surface temperature of the fabric when the ink is applied is preferably within the range of 35 to 70°C.

[0138] The heating method is not particularly limited, but the fabric can be heated from the side opposite to the side to which the ink is applied. The heating means is not particularly limited and may be any of an infrared heater, an electric heating wire, a UV lamp, gas, a hot air dryer, etc. Among these, heating by an electric heating wire or an infrared heater is preferred from the viewpoints of safety and energy efficiency.

[0139] 2) Process (Drying and Fixing Process) 1, the ink applied to the fabric 240 is dried using a drying and fixing device 500 to remove water and solvent components in the ink, and the ink is then fixed onto the fabric by heating, thereby allowing the ink to express its original hue.

[0140] The drying method is not particularly limited and may be a method using a heater, a hot air dryer, a heating roller, etc. Among them, it is preferable to use a hot air dryer and a heater to heat and dry both sides of the fabric.

[0141] When drying is performed using a heating means such as a heater, the heating means may be arranged downstream of the inkjet head in the transport direction of the fabric, or may be arranged upstream of the inkjet head in the transport direction of the fabric to dry the ink using heat that has been stored in the fabric before the ink is ejected by the inkjet head, or may be arranged both upstream and downstream of the inkjet head in the transport direction of the fabric.

[0142] The drying temperature is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, not higher than 160° C. The drying time varies depending on the drying temperature, but may be, for example, about 0.5 to 30 minutes.

[0143] Furthermore, examples of heating methods for expressing the original hue of the ink include heat treatments using normal pressure steam, high pressure steam, Thermofix, etc. The temperature during the heat treatment is preferably 120 to 200°C, and more preferably 140 to 180°C.

[0144] Step 3) (application of cleaning solution) In the cleaning liquid application step, cleaning liquid 310 is applied to fabric 240 to which ink has been applied, dried, and fixed, by application device 300 shown in Fig. 1. By applying cleaning liquid 310, colorants, preservatives, solvents, surfactants, etc. that remain on fabric 240 and cannot be adhered to the fabric are dissolved in the cleaning liquid.

[0145] Step 4) (removal of cleaning solution) In the cleaning liquid removal step, a removal device 400 shown in FIG. 1 removes the cleaning liquid 310 in which the colorant, preservative, solvent, surfactant, etc. have been dissolved in the application step.

[0146] The textile printing method of the present invention may further include other steps in addition to those described above depending on the type of water-based ink. For example, 1-a) a step of applying a pretreatment agent to the fabric (pretreatment step) may be performed before step 1), and 5) a step of drying the washed fabric 240 (drying step) may be performed after step 4) of removing the washing liquid.

[0147] Step 1-a) (pretreatment step) In the pretreatment step, from the viewpoint of preventing ink bleeding or improving fixation, an image may be formed on a fabric that has been pretreated with a pretreatment agent containing water, a polyvalent metal ion, or a polymer, as necessary. The pretreatment may be carried out by offline processing in which an image is formed on a fabric to which a pretreatment agent has been applied, or by in-line processing in which the pretreatment is carried out continuously with the image formation. The method for applying the pretreatment agent is not particularly limited, and may be an inkjet method or a coating method using a coater or the like. As the pretreatment agent, for example, the pretreatment agent described in JP 2019-073642 A can be used.

[0148] Step 5) (drying process) The drying step is carried out after the removing step 4) and involves drying the washed fabric. The drying method is not particularly limited, and may be a method in which the washed fabric is wrung out, hung to dry, or dried using a dryer (heat roll, iron, etc.). EXAMPLES

[0149] The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the following examples, unless otherwise specified, the operations were performed at room temperature (25°C). Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, "%" and "parts" mean "% by mass" and "parts by mass", respectively.

[0150] [Ink components] <Reactive dyes> CIReactive Red 24

[0151] <Dispersible dye> CIDisperse Red 152 <Sublimation dye> CIDisperse Red 60

[0152] <Pigments> Pigment Red 122

[0153] <Hydrophobic polymer> (Polymer dispersant) J819 (Joncryl 819 manufactured by BASF Japan, Tg: 57°C, acid value 75mgKOH / g, neutralized with ammonia)

[0154] (Water dispersible resin) WBR-2000U (Acrylate, polyurethane resin particles, Tg: 45°C, manufactured by Taisei Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.)

[0155] <Water-soluble organic solvent> Ethylene glycol Glycerin Propylene Glycol

[0156] <Surfactant> KF351A (Shin-Etsu Silicone, polyoxyethylene modified silicone)

[0157] <Preservatives> Proxel GXL (1,2-Benzisothiazolin-3-one)

[0158] [Preparation of Inks 1 to 4] Inks 1 to 4 were prepared by mixing the components so as to obtain the compositions shown in Table I below.

[0159] [Table 1]

[0160] [Preparation of cleaning solutions A to C] Cleaning solutions A to C were prepared according to the following compositions. Cleaning solution A: 89.9% by mass of water, 10% by mass of ethanol, 0.1% by mass of surfactant (KF351A), pH adjusted to 6 (25° C.). Cleaning solution B: The above cleaning solution A was adjusted to pH 11 (25°C) with sodium hydroxide and citric acid. Cleaning solution C: Pure water

[0161] [Example 1] First, we prepared an inkjet textile printing device as shown in Figure 1. The configuration of the inkjet textile printing device is as follows. The printing method of the inkjet head in the printing device was the scan method, and a modified Pro120 manufactured by Konica Minolta was used. Cleaning fluid application device: Spray application device - Area of ​​fabric to which cleaning solution is applied: Entire fabric (including areas other than the printed area) -Amount of cleaning solution applied: 250g / m 2 Cleaning fluid removal device: Suction device Location of application device and removal device: One side of the printed surface of the fabric -Cleaning solution temperature: 25℃ Reuse of cleaning fluid: No

[0162] [Fabric] As the fabric, T / C broadcloth (35% cotton, 65% polyester) was prepared.

[0163] [Textile printing] The inks shown in Table II below were printed on the fabric by ejecting them from the nozzles of an inkjet head of a printing device. Specifically, the fabric was printed in the following manner.

[0164] 1) Ink application process The ink was set in a printing device. An image was then formed on the fabric using the ink obtained, with a main scanning resolution of 540 dpi and a sub-scanning resolution of 720 dpi, so that the average printing rate was 100%. The dpi stands for the number of ink droplets (dots) per 2.54 cm. The ejection frequency was 22.4 kHz.

[0165] 2) Drying and fixing process The ink-applied fabric was dried in a belt-transport dryer at 160° C. for 3 minutes to fix the ink.

[0166] 3) Cleaning solution application process After the drying process, the entire surface of one side of the printed surface of the fabric was washed by spraying pure water using a spray coating device. The coating amount was 50 g / m2 depending on the ink printing rate (average printing rate: 100%). 2 The mixture was applied and washed so that the result was as follows.

[0167] 4) Cleaning solution removal process After the cleaning liquid application step, the cleaning liquid remaining on the surface of the fabric was sucked out using a suction device.

[0168] [Examples 2 to 8, 11 to 18] Steps 1) to 4) were carried out in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the types of ink and cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid application device and removal device, the areas to be applied with the cleaning liquid, the application amount, the installation locations of the application device and removal device, the temperature of the cleaning liquid, etc. were changed as shown in Table II below.

[0169] The cleaning liquid application device and removal device used were as follows. The amount of cleaning liquid applied is controlled according to the printing rate of the ink. When the printing rate exceeds 50%, the amount of cleaning liquid applied is set to 50 g / m. 2When the printing rate is within the range of 20 to 50%, the coating amount is 20 g / m 2 When the printing rate is less than 20%, the coating amount is 10 g / m 2 It was decided.

[0170] (Spray Coating Equipment) Nozzle tip hole diameter: 1.4 mm Compressed air pressure: 0.24 MPa Distance from nozzle to fabric: 15cm

[0171] (Mist application device) Hole diameter at tip of nozzle: 60μm Distance from nozzle to fabric: 5cm

[0172] (suction device) Negative pressure by suction pump: 3MPa

[0173] (Blade removal device) Blade material: urethane resin Blade shape: Plate-shaped Contact pressure: 20N / m

[0174] (Air blower device) Air pressure from nozzle: 3MPa

[0175] [Example 9] The sublimation transfer ink prepared above was used to print on transfer paper as an intermediate transfer medium by an inkjet method using a printing device, and then the paper was placed on a fabric, which was heated to 180° C., and the paper was printed. Thereafter, steps 1) to 4) were carried out in the same manner, except that the type of cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid application device and removal device, the area to be coated with the cleaning liquid, the amount of application, the installation locations of the application device and removal device, the temperature of the cleaning liquid, etc. were changed as shown in Table II below.

[0176] [Example 10] The sublimation transfer ink prepared above was used to directly print on fabric using a printing device without using an intermediate transfer medium as in Example 9. Then, steps 1) to 4) were carried out in the same manner as above, except that the type of cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid applicator and remover, the area coated with the cleaning liquid, the amount of application, the installation locations of the applicator and remover, the temperature of the cleaning liquid, etc. were changed as shown in Table II below.

[0177] [Comparative Example 1] The same procedures were carried out as in steps 3) and 4) of Example 1, except that a cleaning tank was used as the cleaning liquid application device, the fabric was passed through the cleaning tank, and no device for removing the cleaning liquid was used.

[0178] [Comparative Example 2] The same procedure was carried out as in Example 5, except that steps 3) and 4) were not carried out.

[0179] [Comparative Example 3] The same procedure was carried out as in Example 9, except that steps 3) and 4) were not carried out.

[0180] [evaluation] <Amount of cleaning solution discarded> The amount of cleaning solution used and discarded was used as the evaluation criterion. (standard) ◎: The amount of cleaning fluid used and discarded is 80g / m 2 less than ○: The amount of cleaning solution used and discarded is 80 g / m 2 More than 200g / m 2 less than △: The amount of cleaning solution used and discarded was 200 g / m 2 More than 500g / m 2 less than ×: The amount of cleaning solution used and discarded is 500 g / m 2 End

[0181] <Remaining amount of coloring agent, solvent, and preservative> The amounts of colorant, solvent and preservative remaining on the fabric after the cleaning solution was removed were extracted by ultrasonic cleaning, and the average reduction rate of each substance compared to the amount extracted without the cleaning process was used as the evaluation standard. (standard) ◎: Less than 1 / 500 compared to when no cleaning was used ○: 1 / 500 or more, less than 1 / 100 compared to when no cleaning was used △: 1 / 100 or more, less than 1 / 10 of the result without cleaning ×: Less than 1 / 10 of the value without washing

[0182] [Table 2]

[0183] As shown by the above results, by applying and removing the cleaning liquid using the inkjet printing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the amount of wastewater compared to the comparative example, and to reliably remove the colorant, solvent, and preservative remaining on the fabric. [Explanation of symbols]

[0184] 1 Head Chip 100 Inkjet head 110 Water-based ink 120 images 200 Printing equipment 220 Ink supply device 230 Main Tank 240 Fabric 300 Coating Equipment 300A Spray Coating Device 301 Supply Tank 302 Connecting pipe 303 Head 304 Nozzle 305 Stirring bar 310 Cleaning fluid 400 Removal equipment 400A suction device 401 Suction port 402 Suction Pump 403 Drainage tank 405 Purification Equipment 500 Drying and fixing device 600 Drying equipment 700 Transport Equipment 701 Conveyor Belt 702 Feed roller 703a, 703b Pulley 704 Conveyor belt 800 Inkjet Textile Printing Machine

Claims

1. An inkjet printing apparatus for printing a water-based ink onto a fabric, comprising: a printing device that ejects the water-based ink onto the fabric; a device downstream of the printing device for applying a cleaning liquid to the fabric that does not contain any eluted matter from the fabric; a cleaning liquid removal device downstream of the cleaning liquid application device; The ink-jet printing apparatus is characterized in that the cleaning liquid not containing any eluted matter from the fabric means that the cleaning liquid stored in a cleaning tank is excluded.

2. 2. The ink-jet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the application device and the removal device for the cleaning liquid are installed on the same line.

3. 3. The ink-jet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid applicator applies the cleaning liquid to the fabric in a non-contact manner.

4. 4. The ink-jet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water-based ink contains at least a pigment.

5. 4. The ink-jet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water-based ink contains at least a dispersible ink.

6. 6. The ink-jet textile printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid applicator is a mist applicator or a spray applicator.

7. 7. The ink-jet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device for removing the cleaning liquid is a suction device, a blade removal device or an air blow device.

8. 8. The inkjet textile printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the applicator has a function of controlling an application amount and an application area of ​​the cleaning liquid to be applied depending on conditions.

9. 9. The ink-jet printing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the applicator controls the amount and area of ​​application of the cleaning liquid depending on the type of the fabric and the printing rate of the water-based ink.

10. 10. The ink-jet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an application device and a removal device for the cleaning liquid are provided on both sides of the fabric.

11. 11. The ink-jet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid applied by the cleaning liquid application device contains an additive.

12. 12. The ink-jet textile printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a temperature of the cleaning liquid applied by the application device is controlled.

13. 13. The ink-jet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid collected by the removal device is purified and then reused.

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