Printing system and processing device

Abstract

To provide a printing system that enables a treatment device to uniformly treat a fabric regardless of the operation of a printer, and provide a treatment device.SOLUTION: A printing system 10 includes a printer to print a fabric M, a treatment device 30, and a control device. The treatment device 30 includes a contact member 51, 55 having a plurality of projections to come into contact with the fabric M printed by the printer, and a vibrator 32, 33 including a vibration source to vibrate the contact member 51, 55. The control device controls the operation of the treatment device 30 according to the operation of the printer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing system and a processing device that performs physical processing on printed fabric to control the texture, etc. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a printing system that includes a printer, which is a printing device that performs a printing process by ejecting ink, a post-processing machine that performs a predetermined post-processing process on the printed matter obtained by the printer performing the printing process, and a control device that determines the conditions of the post-processing process based on the conditions of the printing process. The post-processing machine is a steaming machine or a washing machine. The washing machine uses a large amount of washing water and energy, and in this case, the post-processing process is a washing process. The control device controls the conditions of the washing process, such as the steaming conditions and washing conditions, based on the conditions of the printing process. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-084279 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the printing system described in Patent Document 1, the printed fabric is treated using a steamer or a washer, but this is not sufficient to improve the texture of the fabric, which is a problem. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A printing system that solves the above problem comprises a printing device that prints on fabric, a processing device that includes a contact member having multiple protrusions that contact the fabric printed by the printing device and a vibration imparting unit that includes a vibration generating source that imparts vibrations to the contact member, and a control device that controls the operation of the processing device in accordance with the operation of the printing device.

[0006] A processing device that solves the above problem is a processing device that processes printed fabric supplied from a printing device that prints on fabric, and is equipped with a contact member having multiple protrusions that contact the fabric supplied from the printing device, a vibration imparting unit that includes a vibration generating source that imparts vibration to the contact member, and a control device that controls the operation of the contact member, to which vibration is imparted by the vibration generating source, to treat the fabric, and the control device controls the operation of treating the fabric in accordance with the operation of the printing device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing a printing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing the processing apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a first vibration applying section. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a second vibration applying section. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the printing system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An embodiment of a printing system will be described below with reference to the drawings. Assuming that the printing system 10 shown in FIG. 1 is placed on a horizontal plane, the direction of gravity is indicated by the Z axis, and directions along the horizontal plane are indicated by the X and Y axes. The X, Y, and Z axes are perpendicular to one another. In the following description, the direction along the Y axis is the direction in which the fabric M is transported in the printing system 10, and is therefore also referred to as the transport direction Y. Furthermore, the direction along the X axis is the width direction that intersects with the transport direction Y in which the fabric M is transported, and is therefore also referred to as the width direction X. Furthermore, the direction along the Z axis is also referred to as the vertical direction Z.

[0009] <Configuration of printing system 10> The configuration of the printing system 10 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the printing system 10 includes a printing device 11 that prints on fabric M, and a processing device 30 that processes the fabric M printed by the printing device 11.

[0010] The processing device 30 includes vibration applying units 32 and 33 that come into contact with the fabric M printed by the printing device 11 and apply vibrations to the fabric M, thereby improving the texture of the fabric M. In other words, the processing device 30 is a texture improvement processing device that improves the texture of the fabric M. The vibration applying units 32 and 33 improve the texture of the fabric M by destroying a portion of the fabric M, including the surface layer. The processing device 30 of this embodiment includes a first vibration applying unit 32 for rough processing and a second vibration applying unit 33 for finish processing. Note that a configuration including only one of the vibration applying units 32 and 33 is also possible.

[0011] 1, the printing system 10 may also include a drying device 20 that dries the fabric M printed by the printing device 11. The drying device 20 is provided between the printing device 11 and the processing device 30 in the transport direction Y of the fabric M. The drying device 20 performs a drying process on the fabric M after the printing process by the printing device 11, i.e., the printed fabric M. The processing device 30 is supplied with the fabric M after the drying process by the drying device 20.

[0012] The printing system 10 transports the fabric M using a roll-to-roll method. The printing system 10 includes a feeding unit 12 on which a first roll R1 around which the fabric M before printing is wound is mounted, and a winding unit 40 that winds up the fabric M that has been texture-treated after printing into a second roll R2. In this embodiment, the feeding unit 12 is provided in the printing device 11, and the winding unit 40 is provided in the processing device 30. The fabric M unwound from the first roll R1 mounted in the feeding unit 12 is printed while passing through the printing device 11, the print on the fabric M is dried while passing through the drying device 20, and the texture of the fabric M is improved while passing through the processing device 30. The fabric M with improved texture is then wound up into the second roll R2 by the winding unit 40.

[0013] The printing system 10 includes a transport path T along which the fabric M is transported from the feeding unit 12 to the winding unit 40. The transport path T includes a first transport path T1 along which the printing device 11 transports the fabric M, a second transport path T2 along which the drying device 20 transports the fabric M, and a third transport path T3 along which the processing device 30 transports the fabric M.

[0014] In this way, from the time the fabric M is unwound from the feeding section 12 until it is wound up in the winding section 40, the fabric M being transported is successively subjected to printing by the printing device 11, drying by the drying device 20, and texture improvement processing by the processing device 30.

[0015] The printing system 10 includes a control device 100 (see FIG. 5) that controls the operation of the processing device 30 in accordance with the operation of the printing device 11. The details of the control by the control device 100 to control the operation of the processing device 30 in accordance with the operation of the printing device 11 will be described later.

[0016] Next, detailed configurations of the printing device 11, drying device 20, and processing device 30 that make up the printing system 10 will be described in order. First, the configuration of the printing device 11 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0017] <Configuration of Printer 11> As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 11 prints on the fabric M. That is, the printing device 11 performs a printing process on the fabric M. The printing device 11 prints on the fabric M by applying a liquid to the fabric M. The printing device 11 includes a housing 11A. A feed unit 12 is supported on the outside of the housing 11A. The feed unit 12 includes a feed motor 12M, which is a drive source that rotates the attached first roll body R1 in the payout direction. The printing device 11 also includes a transport unit 13 that transports the fabric M paid out from the feed unit 12. The transport unit 13 includes a drive roller 14A, a driven roller 14B, and an endless transport belt 15 that is wrapped around both rollers 14A and 14B. The transport unit 13 also includes a transport motor 13M, which is a drive source that rotates the drive roller 14A. The transport motor 13M is driven to rotate the transport belt 15. The fabric M on the conveyor belt 15 is conveyed in the conveying direction Y by the rotation of the conveyor belt 15. The driven roller 14B is paired with a roller 43, and supplies the fabric M onto the conveyor belt 15 while nipping the fabric M between the roller 43.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, a printing unit 16 that prints on the fabric M transported along the first transport path T1 is disposed within the housing 11A. The printing unit 16 includes a print head 18. The print head 18 ejects a liquid, such as ink, supplied from a liquid container, such as an ink cartridge or ink tank (not shown), onto the fabric M. The liquid container contains the same type of liquid as the liquid ejected by the print head 18. The liquid ejected by the print head 18 is not limited to ink, but may include a pre-treatment liquid that is ejected before printing on the fabric M, or a post-treatment liquid that is ejected after printing on the fabric M. Therefore, the printing process performed on the fabric M by the printing device 11 may include a process of ejecting a pre-treatment liquid, a post-treatment liquid, or the like onto the fabric M, in addition to a process of ejecting ink onto the fabric M.

[0019] For example, if the printing device 11 is configured to perform color printing using N colors of ink, N liquid containers each containing one of the N colors of ink are attached to attachment portions provided in predetermined positions on the printing device 11. If the N colors are, for example, four colors, four liquid containers each containing one of the four colors of ink, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, are attached to the attachment portions. Color printing is not limited to three or four colors, and may be one, two, or five or more colors.

[0020] The printing device 11 of this embodiment is a serial digital textile printer. The serial printing unit 16 includes a carriage 17 that is movable in the width direction X, and a print head 18 fixed to the carriage 17. The print head 18 is fixed to the surface of the carriage 17 that faces the first transport path T1, and moves back and forth in the width direction X together with the carriage 17. The print head 18 has multiple nozzles (not shown) that open to a nozzle surface that faces the fabric M.

[0021] The carriage 17 is driven by a carriage motor 17M (see FIG. 5). The printing device 11 includes a power transmission mechanism (not shown) that converts the power of the carriage motor 17M into linear motion of the carriage 17 in the width direction X. The power transmission mechanism is, for example, a belt-type power transmission mechanism. The carriage 17 is guided by a guide rail (not shown) so that it can move in the width direction X. The carriage 17 is fixed to a part of an endless timing belt that constitutes the belt-type power transmission mechanism, and when the carriage motor 17M is driven, the timing belt rotates forward and backward, causing the carriage 17 to move back and forth along the width direction X.

[0022] The print head 18 prints on the fabric M by ejecting liquid such as ink from nozzles while the carriage 17 moves in the width direction X. One movement of the print head 18 in the width direction X is called one pass. An image or the like based on the print data PD is printed on the fabric M by alternating a printing operation in which the carriage 17 moves in the width direction X and the print head 18 prints for one pass or multiple passes, and a transport operation in which the fabric M is transported to the next printing position.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 11 includes a maintenance unit 19 within the housing 11A. The maintenance unit 19 performs maintenance on the print head 18. One type of maintenance is cleaning. Cleaning is a process for cleaning the nozzles of the print head 18. Cleaning is a process forcibly discharging ink or other liquid from the nozzles of the print head 18, thereby forcibly discharging thickened ink, air bubbles, fiber powder, and other foreign matter from the nozzles. The maintenance unit 19 includes a cap (not shown) that can come into contact with the nozzle surface of the print head 18, and applies pressure or negative pressure to the nozzles to forcibly discharge ink or other liquid. Discharged waste liquid, such as ink, is received in the cap and collected in a waste liquid tank (not shown) from the cap through a conduit (not shown).

[0024] Cleaning is performed when it is time to perform cleaning. The conditions for determining when to perform cleaning may be set as appropriate. For example, the cleaning may be performed when a predetermined amount of time has passed since the end of the previous cleaning. Alternatively, the cleaning may be performed when a predetermined length of printing has been performed since the end of the previous cleaning. As part of its maintenance, the print head 18 performs a blank ejection (also called "flushing"), which ejects a liquid such as ink unrelated to printing toward the cap of the maintenance unit 19 to refresh the ink in the nozzles.

[0025] In this way, when the printing device 11 prints on the fabric M, the fabric M is transported intermittently. Furthermore, when the time comes to perform cleaning while the printing device 11 is printing on the fabric M, printing is temporarily stopped while the cleaning is being performed, and the transport of the fabric M is also stopped accordingly. Furthermore, when the image to be printed on the fabric M is changed, the print data PD is changed. The transport of the fabric M is also temporarily stopped when this print data PD is changed. In this way, the operation of the printing device 11 involves temporary stopping of the fabric M when the transport unit 13 intermittently transports the fabric M, when maintenance including cleaning is performed, and when the print data PD is changed.

[0026] The printing unit 16 may be a line printing unit instead of a serial printing unit in which the print head 18 can move in the width direction X together with the carriage 17. The line printing unit 16 is equipped with a line printing unit 18 (a so-called line head) having multiple nozzles across the entire range of the maximum expected width of the fabric M. In the line printing printing device 11, the transport unit 13 transports the fabric M at a constant speed. The print head 18 prints an image or the like on the fabric M by ejecting liquid such as ink from the nozzles onto the fabric M transported at a constant speed. In the operation of the line printing printing device 11, the transport operation is not temporarily stopped due to the intermittent transport of the fabric M, but the transport of the fabric M is temporarily stopped when maintenance, including cleaning, is performed and when the print data PD is changed.

[0027] <Configuration of Drying Device 20> Next, the drying device 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the drying device 20 has a second transport path T2 as a path along which the fabric M is transported so as to pass through a housing 21 in a transport direction Y. The drying device 20 also has a heater 22 within the housing 21 as a heat source for drying the fabric M. The heater 22 is housed in an air duct 23 that is located within the housing 21 at a position above the second transport path T2. A fan 24 is disposed in a portion of the air duct 23 that communicates with the outside of the housing 21. When the fan 24 is driven, air is drawn into the air duct 23 from outside the housing 21. The drawn air is heated as it passes through the heater 22, and the heated air is blown as hot air or warm air from an air outlet of the air duct 23 onto the printed surface of the fabric M on the second transport path T2.

[0028] Therefore, the liquid such as ink printed on the fabric M by the printing device 11 dries as the fabric M is transported along the transport path T2 of the drying device 20. Then, the fabric M, from which the liquid such as ink has dried and discharged from the drying device 20, is supplied to the processing device 30. A buffer unit 31 is provided between the drying device 20 and the processing device. In this example, the buffer unit 31 is provided in the processing device 30. The buffer unit 31 may also be provided in the drying device 20. Furthermore, of the two roller pairs 41, 42 constituting the buffer unit 31, the first roller pair 41 on the upstream side may be provided in the drying device 20, and the second roller pair 42 on the downstream side may be provided in the processing device 30. The printing system 10 shown in FIG. 1 is also provided with a roller 43 and a plurality of guide rollers 44-46 that form the transport path T, in addition to the roller pairs 41, 42, etc.

[0029] <Configuration of Processing Device 30> Next, the processing device 30 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The processing device 30 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a device that applies processing to fabric M after printing and drying to improve the texture of the fabric M. The processing device 30 includes the first vibration applying unit 32 and second vibration applying unit 33 described above that apply processing to improve the texture. The first vibration applying unit 32 is used for rough processing, and the second vibration applying unit 33 is used for finishing processing.

[0030] The first vibration applying unit 32 is located upstream of the second vibration applying unit 33 on the conveying path T3, and applies a rough processing treatment to the fabric M. The second vibration applying unit 33 is located downstream of the first vibration applying unit 32 on the conveying path T3, and applies a finish processing treatment to the fabric M that has been subjected to the rough processing treatment.

[0031] The first vibration applying section 32 includes a pair of contact members 51 arranged at positions facing each other across the third transport path T3 along which the fabric M is transported. The second vibration applying section 33 includes a pair of contact members 55 arranged at positions facing each other across the third transport path T3.

[0032] The first vibration applying unit 32 performs a rough processing process on the fabric M printed by the printing device 11 by a vibration action of clamping the fabric M between a pair of contact members 51 multiple times per second. The second vibration applying unit 33 performs a finish processing process on the fabric M after the rough processing process by a vibration action of clamping the fabric M between a pair of contact members 55 multiple times per second. In this embodiment, the contact members 51 are also referred to as the first contact members 51, and the contact members 55 are also referred to as the second contact members 55.

[0033] The processing device 30 also includes tension adjustment units 34, 35 that can adjust the tension applied to the fabric M being processed. The first tension adjustment unit 34 is configured to be able to adjust the tension applied to the portion of the fabric M that is processed by the first vibration applying unit 32. The second tension adjustment unit 35 is configured to be able to adjust the tension applied to the portion of the fabric M that is processed by the second vibration applying unit 33.

[0034] The processing device 30 also includes heating units 36 and 37 that heat the fabric M after it has been printed by the printing device 11 and before it is processed by the processing device 30. The first heating unit 36 ​​heats the portion of the fabric M before it is processed by the first vibration applying unit 32. The second heating unit 37 heats the portion of the fabric M that is to be processed by the second vibration applying unit 33.

[0035] Furthermore, the processing device 30 includes a cleaning unit 39 that cleans the fabric M after it has been processed by the processing device 30. The cleaning unit 39 includes removal members 91 and 92 that clean the fabric M while coming into contact with the fabric M. The processing device 30 also includes a collection unit 94 that collects fiber powder and the like generated by the cleaning performed by the cleaning unit 39. The collection unit 94 includes a first collection unit 95 that collects fiber powder and the like generated by the cleaning performed by the first removal member 91, and a second collection unit 96 that collects fiber powder and the like generated by the cleaning performed by the second removal member 92.

[0036] The following describes in detail the configurations of the vibration applying units 32 and 33, the tension adjusting units 34 and 35, the heating units 36 and 37, and the cleaning unit 39. First, the configurations of the vibration applying units 32 and 33 will be described in detail. <Configuration of first vibration applying unit 32> First, the configuration of the first vibration applying unit 32 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the first vibration applying unit 32 includes a contact member 51 having a plurality of protrusions 52 that contact the fabric M printed by the printing device 11, and a vibration generating source 53 that applies vibration to the contact member 51. When vibration is applied from the vibration generating source 53, the pair of contact members 51 vibrate with displacement in the Z-axis direction, which is a direction intersecting the printed surface of the fabric M. When vibration is applied, the pair of contact members 51 repeatedly move toward and away from the fabric M in the Z-axis direction. The pair of contact members 51 may repeatedly move toward and away from the fabric M at approximately the same timing. Alternatively, the pair of contact members 51 may be configured to repeatedly move toward and away from the fabric M at different timings.

[0037] The protrusions 52 are cylindrical or rod-shaped, such as needle-shaped with a pointed tip. Because the protrusions 52 are rod-shaped, when the pair of contact members 51 approach the fabric M, the protrusions 52 pierce the printed surface and back surface of the fabric M, destroying the portion of the fabric M containing the ink layer. Furthermore, if a resin layer is applied to the surface (front surface) of the fabric M to be printed, for example, to smooth the surface, the resin layer underneath the ink layer is also destroyed. In this way, rough processing destroys the ink layer and resin layer that cause the hardness of the printed fabric M. However, the destruction of the ink layer is carried out to a degree that does not cause problems such as bleeding (blurring) that can occur when powder from the broken ink layer diffuses to the surrounding area.

[0038] The vibration generating source 53 is driven and controlled by the control device 100 (see FIG. 5 ). By controlling the driving of the vibration generating source 53, the vibration imparted to the pair of contact members 51 is controlled. Specifically, the control device 100 controls at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration imparted to the pair of contact members 51. The control device 100 may control both the amplitude and frequency of the vibration imparted to the pair of contact members 51.

[0039] The control device 100 may control the amplitude of the pair of contact members 51, for example, within a range of 1 to 10 mm. The control device 100 may also control the frequency of the pair of contact members 51, for example, within a range of 1 to 1000 Hz. The amplitude and frequency of the pair of contact members 51 are not limited to these numerical ranges and may be controlled to values ​​outside the above ranges. The contact members 51 to which vibration is applied are not limited to a pair. For example, the control device 100 may be configured to include a non-vibrating base and a contact member 51 disposed opposite the base across the third transport path T3. The control device 100 may be configured to control only the amplitude of the contact members 51, control only the frequency of the contact members 51, drive the contact members 51 only at a predetermined amplitude, or drive the contact members 51 only at a predetermined frequency.

[0040] <Configuration of second vibration applying unit 33> Next, the configuration of the second vibration applying unit 33 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the second vibration applying unit 33 includes a contact member 55 having a plurality of protrusions 56 that contact the fabric M printed by the printing device 11, and a vibration generating source 57 that applies vibration to the contact member 55. When vibration is applied from the vibration generating source 57, the pair of contact members 55 vibrates with displacement in the Z-axis direction, which is a direction intersecting the printed surface of the fabric M. When vibration is applied, the pair of contact members 55 repeatedly move toward and away from the fabric M in the Z-axis direction. The pair of contact members 55 may repeatedly move toward and away from the fabric M at approximately the same timing. Alternatively, the pair of contact members 55 may repeatedly move toward and away from the fabric M at different timings.

[0041] The protrusions 56 have a rounded surface shape, such as a convex spherical shape or a wave-shaped surface. Because the protrusions 56 have a rounded surface shape, when the pair of contact members 55 approach the fabric M, the protrusions 56 smooth out the rough-processed surface of the fabric M after rough processing. In other words, the protrusions 56 smooth out the rough-processed surfaces that have been destroyed during rough processing of the ink layer and resin layer of the fabric M, and perform finishing processing to give the surface layer of the fabric M a desired texture.

[0042] The vibration generating source 57 is driven and controlled by a control device 100 (see FIG. 5 ). By controlling the driving of the vibration generating source 57, the vibration imparted to the pair of contact members 55 is controlled. Specifically, the control device 100 controls at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration imparted to the pair of contact members 55. The control device 100 may control both the amplitude and frequency of the vibration imparted to the pair of contact members 55.

[0043] The control device 100 may control the amplitude of the pair of contact members 55, for example, within a range of 1 to 10 mm. The control device 100 may also control the frequency of the pair of contact members 55, for example, within a range of 1 to 1000 Hz. Note that the amplitude and frequency of the pair of contact members 55 are not limited to these numerical ranges, and may be controlled to values ​​outside the above ranges.

[0044] Furthermore, similar to the contact member 51 for rough machining, the contact members 55 are not limited to being a pair. For example, a combination of a base and a contact member 55 is also possible. Note that the control device 100 may be configured to control only the amplitude of the contact member 55, control only the vibration frequency of the contact member 55, drive the contact member 55 only at a predetermined amplitude, or drive the contact member 55 only at a predetermined vibration frequency.

[0045] Furthermore, the control device 100 may control the drive of the vibration generating sources 53, 57 under the condition that the vibration imparted to the second abutting member 55 is smaller than the vibration imparted to the first abutting member 51. For example, the control device 100 may control the drive of the vibration generating sources 53, 57 under the condition that the amplitude of the vibration imparted to the second abutting member 55 is smaller than the amplitude of the vibration imparted to the first abutting member 51. Furthermore, the control device 100 may control the drive of the vibration generating sources 53, 57 under the condition that the frequency of the vibration imparted to the second abutting member 55 is smaller than the frequency of the vibration imparted to the first abutting member 51.

[0046] <Configuration of tension adjustment units 34, 35> Next, the configuration of the tension adjustment units 34, 35 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the first tension adjustment unit 34 adjusts the tension acting on the portion of the fabric M to be processed by the first vibration application unit 32. The first tension adjustment unit 34 includes a pair of rollers 61, 62 that are arranged at positions sandwiching the portion of the fabric M to which the first vibration application unit 32 applies vibrations in the conveyance direction Y. The first tension adjustment unit 34 includes a motor 61M that drives the pair of rollers 61 and a motor 62M that drives the pair of rollers 62. The control device 100 controls the drive of the motors 61M, 62M so as to generate a speed difference between the conveyance speeds at which the pair of rollers 61, 62 convey the fabric M, thereby adjusting the tension of the portion of the fabric M facing the contact member 51.

[0047] The second tension adjustment unit 35 adjusts the tension acting on the portion of the fabric M that is processed by the second vibration applying unit 33. The second tension adjustment unit 35 includes a pair of rollers 65, 66 that are arranged at positions that sandwich the portion of the fabric M to which the second vibration applying unit 33 applies vibrations in the conveyance direction Y. The second tension adjustment unit 35 includes a motor 65M that drives the pair of rollers 65 and a motor 66M that drives the pair of rollers 66. The control device 100 controls the drive of the motors 65M, 66M so as to generate a speed difference in the conveyance speed at which the pair of rollers 65, 66 convey the fabric M, thereby adjusting the tension of the portion of the fabric M that faces the abutting member 55.

[0048] <Configuration of heating units 36 and 37> Next, the configuration of the heating units 36, 37 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the heating units 36, 37 use exhaust heat from the drying device 20 (see Fig. 1) as a heat source. The processing device 30 includes a heat exhaust system 70 that uses the exhaust heat from the drying device 20. The heat exhaust system 70 includes a heat exhaust duct 71 extending from the inside of the drying device 20, and a heat exhaust fan 72 provided midway through the heat exhaust duct 71. The heat exhaust fan 72 is driven to supply the exhaust heat from the drying device 20 to the processing device 30.

[0049] The first heating section 36 includes a first supply duct section 73 branching off from the heat exhaust duct 71 and a first heating fan 74 disposed within the first supply duct section 73. The first supply duct section 73 has an air outlet 73A at its tip. The air outlet 73A faces a portion of the fabric M prior to processing by the first vibration imparting section 32. The first heating section 36 heats the portion of the fabric M prior to processing by the first vibration imparting section 32 with hot air blown from the air outlet 73A by driving the first heating fan 74. In this way, the first heating section 36 can use the exhaust heat of the drying device 20 to heat the portion of the fabric M to be processed by the first vibration imparting section 32. That is, the first heating section 36 heats the portion of the fabric M that has been subjected to the printing process by the printing device 11 and the drying process by the drying device 20 that dries the fabric M, but before the processing by the first vibration applying section 32. A recovery duct section 79A that recovers hot air from the air outlet 73A is disposed at a position opposite to the air outlet 73A across the transport path T3.

[0050] The processing device 30 includes a first temperature detection unit 81 that detects the temperature of the portion of the fabric M heated by the first heating unit 36. The control device 100 controls the temperature to which the fabric M is heated by the hot air from the air outlet 73A by controlling the rotation speed of the first heating fan 74 based on the temperature detected by the first temperature detection unit 81. Note that the first heating unit 36 ​​is not limited to a configuration that blows hot air, and may heat the portion of the fabric M before it is processed by the first vibration applying unit 32 using radiant heat from a heat source such as a heater.

[0051] The second heating section 37 includes a second supply duct section 75 branching off from the heat exhaust duct 71 and a second heating fan 76 disposed within the second supply duct section 75. The second supply duct section 75 has an air outlet 75A at its tip. The air outlet 75A faces the portion of the fabric M prior to processing by the second vibration imparting section 33. The second heating section 37 heats the portion of the fabric M prior to processing by the second vibration imparting section 33 with hot air blown from the air outlet 75A by driving the second heating fan 76. In this manner, the second heating section 37 can heat the portion of the fabric M to be processed by the second vibration imparting section 33 by utilizing the exhaust heat of the drying device 20. A recovery duct section 79B that recovers the hot air from the air outlet 75A is disposed opposite the air outlet 75A across the transport path T3.

[0052] The processing device 30 includes a second temperature detection unit 82 that detects the temperature of the portion of the fabric M heated by the second heating unit 37. The control device 100 controls the temperature to which the fabric M is heated by the hot air from the air outlet 75A by controlling the rotation speed of the second heating fan 76 based on the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit 82. Note that the second heating unit 37 is not limited to a configuration that blows hot air, and may heat the portion of the fabric M before it is processed by the second vibration applying unit 33 using radiant heat from a heat source such as a heater.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 2, the processing device 30 also includes a cooling unit 38 located upstream of the first heating unit 36 ​​in the conveying direction Y to cool the fabric M. The cooling unit 38 includes a cooling duct 77 that draws in air from outside the housing 30A and a cooling fan 78 disposed within the cooling duct 77. The cooling duct 77 has an air outlet 77A at its tip. The air outlet 77A is located upstream of the first heating position heated by the first heating unit 36 ​​in the conveying direction Y. The cooling unit 38 cools the portion of the fabric M that has been heated to a predetermined temperature higher than room temperature during the drying process by the drying device 20 (see FIG. 1) to a temperature closer to room temperature before heating by the first heating unit 36. By cooling the portion, the first heating unit 36 ​​can always start heating the fabric M from a predetermined temperature close to room temperature, regardless of the heating temperature of the drying device 20, making it easier to control the temperature of the fabric M after heating. A third recovery duct section 79C that recovers the cold air from the air outlet 77A is disposed at a position opposite to the air outlet 77A across the transport path T3. The hot air or cold air recovered from each recovery duct section 79A, 79B, 79C passes through the recovery duct 79 and is connected to the heat exhaust duct 71, and then is exhausted to the outside through a duct (not shown) installed inside the factory.

[0054] <Configuration of cleaning unit 39> Next, the configuration of the cleaning unit 39 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning unit 39 includes removal members 91 and 92 that clean the fabric M while coming into contact with it. The first removal member 91 cleans the fabric M while coming into contact with the printed surface of the fabric M. The second removal member 92 cleans the fabric M while coming into contact with the back surface of the fabric M, which is the surface opposite the printed surface. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the removal members 91 and 92 are rotary brushes. The cleaning unit 39 includes a drive unit 93 (see FIG. 5) that drives the removal members 91 and 92. The removal members 91 and 92 have width dimensions that allow them to clean the entire area in the width direction X of the fabric M with the maximum expected width. When the removal members 91, 92 are rotary brushes, the outer surface of the cylindrical brush is formed with brush bristles that spiral in opposite directions on both sides of the width center, so that when the brush rotates, the fiber powder is guided outward in the width direction X of the fabric M.

[0055] The pair of rotating brushes, for example, rotate while in contact with both sides of the fabric M, and remove foreign matter such as fiber powder from both sides (the treatment surfaces) of the fabric M. The rotating brushes may be configured to be able to adjust the rotation speed at which they rotate while in contact with the treatment surface of the fabric M. In this case, the control device 100 may control the rotation speed of the rotating brushes so that the treatment intensity, which is determined by the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations applied by the vibration applying unit 33 to the contact members 51, 55, becomes higher as the treatment is more intense, generating more fiber powder.

[0056] The cleaning unit 39 also includes a collection unit 94 that collects fiber powder generated when the removal members 91 and 92 clean the fabric M. The collection unit 94 includes a first collection unit 95 that collects fiber powder generated when the first removal member 91 cleans the printed surface of the fabric M, and a second collection unit 96 that collects fiber powder generated when the second removal member 92 cleans the back surface of the fabric M.

[0057] The first collection unit 95 includes a collection duct 95A having a suction port facing the printed surface of the fabric M at a position downstream in the conveyance direction Y from a cleaning position where the first removal member 91 can contact the fabric M, and a dust box 95B located midway through the collection duct 95A. The first collection unit 95 also includes a fan 97 and a filter 98 located downstream in the airflow direction from the dust box 95B within the collection duct 95A. The suction force generated by the rotation of the fan 97 sucks fiber powder from the printed surface of the fabric M into the collection duct 95A through the suction port, and the sucked fiber powder is collected in the dust box 95B. The airflow sucked into the collection duct 95A is filtered by the filter 98 and then exhausted from the processing device 30.

[0058] The second collection section 96 has a configuration basically similar to that of the first collection section 95. The second collection section 96 includes a collection duct 96A having a suction port facing the back surface of the fabric M at a position downstream in the conveyance direction Y from the cleaning position of the second removal member 92, and a dust box 96B, a fan 97, and a filter 98 arranged within the collection duct 96A. The suction force generated by the rotation of the fan 97 sucks fiber powder from the back surface of the fabric M into the collection duct 96A through the suction port, and the collected fiber powder is collected in the dust box 96B. The airflow sucked into the collection duct 96A is filtered by the filter 98 and then exhausted from the processing device 30.

[0059] <Electrical configuration of the printing system 10> Next, the electrical configuration of the printing system 10 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in Fig. 5, the control device 100 is electrically connected to the printing device 11, the drying device 20, and the processing device 30. The control device 100 controls the printing device 11, the drying device 20, and the processing device 30. The control device 100 is electrically connected to the feed motor 12M, the transport motor 13M, the printing unit 16, and the maintenance unit 19 that constitute the printing device 11. The control device 100 controls the operation of the printing device 11 by controlling the feed motor 12M, the transport motor 13M, the printing unit 16, and the maintenance unit 19.

[0060] The control device 100 is also electrically connected to the heater 22 and the fan 24 that constitute the drying device 20. The control device 100 controls at least one of the temperature of the heater 22 and the rotation speed of the fan 24, thereby controlling the temperature at which the drying device 20 heats the fabric M.

[0061] 5, the control device 100 is electrically connected to the buffer unit 31, vibration applying units 32 and 33, tension adjusting units 34 and 35, heating units 36 and 37, cooling unit 38, cleaning unit 39, and take-up motor 40M that constitute the processing device 30. The control device 100 controls the operation of the processing device 30 by controlling the buffer unit 31, vibration applying units 32 and 33, tension adjusting units 34 and 35, heating units 36 and 37, cooling unit 38, cleaning unit 39, and take-up motor 40M.

[0062] When controlling the first vibration applying unit 32, the control device 100 controls the first vibration generating source 53, thereby controlling at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration applied to the abutting member 51. When controlling the second vibration applying unit 33, the control device 100 controls the second vibration generating source 57, thereby controlling at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration applied to the abutting member 55.

[0063] 5, when controlling the first tension adjustment unit 34, the control device 100 individually controls the rotation speeds of the motors 61M, 62M (see FIG. 2) to adjust the tension applied to the portion of the fabric M processed by the first contact member 51. When controlling the second tension adjustment unit 35, the control device 100 individually controls the rotation speeds of the motors 65M, 66M (see FIG. 2) to adjust the tension applied to the portion of the fabric M processed by the second contact member 55.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 5, the control device 100 controls the first heating unit 36 ​​to heat the portion of the fabric M processed by the first contact member 51 at a position upstream of the processing position in the conveyance direction Y. The control device 100 also controls the second heating unit 37 to heat the portion of the fabric M processed by the second contact member 55 at a position upstream of the processing position in the conveyance direction Y. In this embodiment, the heating units 36 and 37 utilize exhaust heat from the drying device 20, so the temperature of the exhaust heat depends on the heating temperature required for the drying device 20. Therefore, even if the temperature of the exhaust heat, i.e., the heating temperature of the drying device 20, changes, the control device 100 controls the rotation speeds of the fans 74 and 76 (see Fig. 2) so that the heating units 36 and 37 can heat the fabric M to the required temperature.

[0065] Furthermore, the control device 100 controls the cooling unit 38 to temporarily cool the temperature of the portion of the fabric M supplied from the drying device 20 to the processing device 30. This resets the temperature of the fabric M to a temperature range close to room temperature (for example, a predetermined temperature range of 20 to 50°C) before heating by the first heating unit 36. Resetting the temperature of the fabric M to a temperature within the predetermined temperature range by cooling makes it easier to control the temperature of the fabric M when heated by the first heating unit 36.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 5 , the cleaning unit 39 includes a drive unit 93 that drives the removal members 91 and 92. In this example, the removal members 91 and 92 are rotating brushes, and the drive unit 93 is, for example, a motor. When controlling the cleaning unit 39, the control device 100 controls the drive unit 93 to adjust the cleaning intensity when cleaning the fabric M, for example, the rotation speed and rotation torque of the removal members 91 and 92. The control device 100 may also control the fan 97 to adjust the cleaning intensity when cleaning the fabric M, for example, the suction power of the fan 97. That is, the control device 100 may control at least one of the drive unit 93 and the fan 97 to adjust the cleaning intensity when cleaning the fabric M.

[0067] In addition, the control device 100 individually controls the drive sources of the conveying system, namely, the feed motor 12M, the conveying motor 13M, the motors 61M, 61M, 62M, 65M, 66M and the winding motor 40M, thereby controlling the fabric M to the required speed (including stopping) at each section from the feed section 12 to the winding section 40.

[0068] The control device 100 controls the motors 41M, 42M (see FIG. 2) that constitute the buffer unit 31 to operate at the same speed, thereby transporting the fabric M in the processing device 30 at the same transport speed as the transport speed of the fabric M in the printing device 11 and the drying device 20. Furthermore, by stopping the motor 41M and then driving the motor 42M, the control device 100 can continue to operate the processing device 30 until the slack in the fabric M in the buffer unit 31 is eliminated, even while the operation of the printing device 11 is stopped.

[0069] 5, the printing system 10 includes an input unit 131 that is operated by an operator to input information, and a display unit 132 that displays menus and the like. The input unit 131 and the display unit 132 are electrically connected to the control device 100. The input unit 131 is configured to allow the operator to select and input information about the strength of cleaning by the cleaning unit 39.

[0070] The control device 100 is also electrically connected to a first temperature detection unit 81, a second temperature detection unit 82, and a third temperature detection unit 83. The control device 100 controls the first heating unit 36 ​​based on the temperature detection value detected by the first temperature detection unit 81, thereby adjusting the temperature of the portion of the fabric M processed by the first contact member 51 to a required temperature. The control device 100 controls the second heating unit 37 based on the temperature detection value detected by the second temperature detection unit 82, thereby adjusting the temperature of the portion of the fabric M processed by the second contact member 55 to a required temperature. The control device 100 controls the cooling unit 38 based on the temperature detection value detected by the third temperature detection unit 83, thereby resetting the temperature of the portion of the fabric M located upstream in the conveyance direction Y from the heating position heated by the first heating unit 36 ​​to within a temperature range close to room temperature.

[0071] 5, the control device 100 includes a first control unit 110 that mainly controls the printing device 11, and a second control unit 120 that mainly controls the processing device 30. The control device 100 may include a third control unit (not shown) that controls the drying device 20, or may be configured so that the first control unit 110 controls the drying device 20. The control device 100 of this embodiment controls the operation of the processing device 30 in accordance with the operation of the printing device 11.

[0072] 5 shows a configuration in which the printing system 10 includes one control device 100, but the printing system 10 may also include two control devices: a first control device including a first control unit 110, and a second control device including a second control unit 120. In this case, the second control device may control the operation of the processing device 30 in accordance with the operation of the printing device 11, based on information regarding the operation of the printing device 11 received from the first control device.

[0073] The control device 100 controls the operation of the printing device 11 based on the input print data PD. The print data PD includes printing condition information and print image data. The print condition information includes fabric-related information, such as the type, size, and thickness of the fabric M, as well as information on the number of passes of the print head 18. Here, the type of fabric M refers to the material, such as the type of fiber that makes up the fabric M. The first control unit 110 calculates the average ink application amount per unit area of ​​the fabric M when the print head 18 ejects ink onto the fabric M based on the print image data. In this embodiment, when explaining how the control device 100 controls the operation of the processing device 30 in accordance with the average ink application amount per unit area of ​​the fabric M, this average ink application amount per unit area of ​​the fabric M may be simply referred to as the "ink amount."

[0074] <Control Contents of the Control Device 100> Next, the control details of the control performed by the control device 100 to control the operation of the processing device 30 will be described. The control device 100 controls the operation of the processing device 30 in accordance with the operation of the printing device 11. The operation of the printing device 11 includes a stop operation required for printing. Since the stop operation of the printing device 11 leads to the stop of the transport of the fabric M, the control device 100 stops the processing device 30 in conjunction as necessary. The control device 100 also controls the operation of the processing device 30 in accordance with the values ​​of parameters included in the printing condition information. Examples of parameters include the type of fabric M, the thickness of the fabric M, and the average ink application amount (ink amount). The control details of the processing device 30 by the control device 100 will be described below.

[0075] The printing system 10 of this embodiment transports the fabric M by a roll-to-roll method. The transported fabric M is successively subjected to printing by a printing device 11, drying by a drying device 20, and treatment (e.g., texture improvement treatment) by a treatment device 30 in this order.

[0076] When the same type of fabric M is printed under the same printing conditions, the processing device 30 processes the fabric M at the same processing speed (e.g., vibration frequency) and processing intensity (e.g., amplitude). When the fabric M after printing and drying is supplied to the processing device 30 at a constant speed, the processing device 30 simply processes the fabric M at the same processing speed and processing intensity. However, the speed at which the fabric M is fed from the printing device 11 changes depending on the operation of the printing device 11. The speed at which the fabric M is fed to the processing device 30 changes depending on the operation of the printing device 11. In this case, if the processing device 30 continues processing at the same processing speed and processing intensity, the degree of processing applied to the fabric M changes depending on the change in the conveying speed. For example, if the printing device 11 temporarily stops feeding the fabric M due to an operation required for printing, if the processing device 30 continues processing the fabric M at the same processing speed and processing intensity, the stopped fabric M will be repeatedly processed at the same position. This would be excessive processing for fabric M.

[0077] Therefore, the control device 100 controls the operation of the processing device 30 in accordance with the operation of the printing device 11. Specifically, the control device 100 changes at least one of the processing intensity and processing speed of the processing performed by the processing device 30 on the fabric M in accordance with the operation of the printing device 11. While the printing device 11 is performing a first operation of conveying the fabric M at a first conveying speed V1, the control device 100 controls the processing device 30 at a first processing intensity and a first processing speed in accordance with the first operation of the printing device 11. Meanwhile, while the printing device 11 is performing a second operation of conveying the fabric M at a second conveying speed V2 (including a stop where V2 = 0) that is different from the first conveying speed V1, the control device 100 controls the processing device 30 at a second processing intensity and a second processing speed in accordance with the second operation of the printing device 11. Here, it is sufficient that at least one of the second processing intensity and the second processing speed is different from the first processing intensity and the first processing speed. In an example in which the treatment performed on the fabric M is controlled by vibrations applied to the contact members 51, 55, the treatment intensity corresponds to the amplitude, and the treatment speed corresponds to the vibration frequency.

[0078] The control device 100 controls the vibration applying units 32, 33 as follows. While the printing device 11 is performing a first operation of conveying the fabric M at a first conveying speed V1, the control device 100 causes the processing device 30 to perform a vibration applying operation at a first amplitude and a first vibration frequency corresponding to the first operation of the printing device 11. Meanwhile, while the printing device 11 is performing a second operation of conveying the fabric M at a second conveying speed V2 different from the first conveying speed V1 (including a stop where the conveying speed is zero), the control device 100 causes the processing device 30 to perform a vibration applying operation at a second amplitude and a second vibration frequency obtained by changing at least one of the first amplitude and the first vibration frequency according to the second operation of the printing device 11. Here, at least one of the second amplitude and the second vibration frequency is a value different from the first amplitude and the first vibration frequency.

[0079] In a printing system 10 that continuously prints and processes fabric M transported by a roll-to-roll method, it is possible to make the degree of processing that the processing device 30 applies to the fabric M uniform regardless of the operation of the printing device 11.

[0080] The second operation in which the printing device 11 stops (V2=0) or changes the speed (V1=V2 not) of conveying the fabric M is as follows. (a) Transport stop operation accompanying intermittent transport when the printing device 11 is a serial printer (b) Speed ​​change operation due to change in the number of passes when the printing device 11 is a serial printer (c) Transport stop operation due to maintenance (d) Transport stop operation when exchanging print data The above items (a) to (d) will be explained below.

[0081] In the serial printing method described in (a) above, the fabric M is transported intermittently. That is, a printing operation in which ink is ejected from the print head 18 while the carriage 17 is moved in the width direction X while the fabric M is stopped to print one line (one pass) is alternately performed with a transport operation in which the fabric M is transported to the next printing position. The transport operation in which the fabric M is transported to the next printing position corresponds to a first operation, and the printing operation in which the print head 18 is moved in the width direction X and the fabric M is stopped during the period in which printing is performed corresponds to a second operation. The control device 100 reduces at least one of the amplitude and frequency of vibration during the stop period in which transport of the fabric M is stopped during intermittent transport. For example, when the operation (intermittent conveying operation) of the printing device 11 switches from the first operation (conveying) to the second operation (stopping), the control device 100 controls the processing device 30 to stop conveying the fabric M and reduces at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations applied to the fabric M by the vibration applying units 32 and 33. For example, the control device 100 may reduce both the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations to zero to stop the vibrations.

[0082] In the above (b), in the serial printing method, the number of passes is set according to requirements such as the printing resolution. The operator sets the number of passes according to the required printing resolution. Here, the operation of moving the print head 18 once in the width direction X during printing is referred to as "one pass". The number of passes refers to the number of times the print head 18 needs to move to perform printing of a unit length in the conveyance direction Y with respect to the fabric M. As the printing resolution increases, the conveyance distance of the fabric M conveyed per pass decreases. For this reason, as the number of passes increases, the feed amount per intermittent conveyance becomes shorter, so the average conveyance speed decreases. That is, when the number of passes is changed from the first number of passes to the second number of passes, the average conveyance speed switches from the first conveyance speed V1 to the second conveyance speed V2. The control device 100 switches the conveyance speed at which the processing device 30 conveys the fabric M from the first conveyance speed V1 to the second conveyance speed V2, and controls at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration applied to the fabric M by the vibration applying units 32 and 33. If the speed change from the first conveyance speed V1 to the second conveyance speed V2 is a deceleration (V1 > V2), at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration is decreased. On the other hand, if the speed change from the first conveyance speed V1 to the second conveyance speed V2 is an acceleration (V1 < V2), the control device 100 increases at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration.

[0083] In (c) above, the printing device 11 performs cleaning when a predetermined cleaning time is reached during printing. Cleaning involves moving the print head 18 to the home position, and then the cap of the maintenance unit 19 comes into contact with or approaches the print head 18, forcibly discharging ink from the nozzles of the print head 18 to clean the nozzles. Cleaning forcibly expels thickened ink from the nozzles and foreign matter such as air bubbles in the ink. Cleaning reduces or eliminates printing errors due to poor ejection of the print head 18. When cleaning is performed, both the printing operation and the transport of the fabric M are stopped. The operation of printing when cleaning is not being performed corresponds to the first operation, and the cleaning operation, which is the operation of cleaning, corresponds to the second operation. When the printing device 11 reaches the cleaning time and switches to the cleaning operation (second operation), the control device 100 commands the processing device 30 to stop transporting the fabric M and to stop the vibrations applied to the fabric M by the vibration applying units 32 and 33.

[0084] In the above (d), when the printing content, such as the design to be printed by the printing device 11 on the fabric M, is changed, the operator operates the input unit 131 to change the print data PD. The printing operation of the printing device 11 is temporarily stopped while the print data PD is being changed. The carriage 17 moves to the home position, and the cap of the maintenance unit 19 caps the print head 18. When the print data PD is changed, the printing operation is stopped, thereby halting the transport of the fabric M. The printing operation corresponds to the first operation, and the operation of changing the print data PD corresponds to the second operation. The operation of changing the print data PD refers to a series of processing operations, such as the operator pausing the printing operation based on the current print data PD, the operator changing the print data PD to the next print data PD, and accepting an operation to resume printing. When the control device 100 receives an instruction to change the print data PD from the input unit 131, it switches to a series of print data change processes (second operation) that includes stopping the printing operation based on the current print data PD. When the control device 100 shifts to the print data change process, it commands the processing device 30 to stop conveying the fabric M and to stop the vibration applied to the fabric M by the vibration applying units 32 and 33.

[0085] <Control according to the type of fabric M> Next, the control of the processing device 30 performed by the control device 100 according to the type of fabric M will be described. The control device 100 controls at least one of vibration by the vibration applying units 32 and 33, tension by the tension adjusting units 34 and 35, and heating temperature by the heating units 36 and 37 according to the type of fabric M. The control device 100 may, for example, perform all three of these controls. Types of fabric M include cotton, wool, silk, synthetic fibers, etc. Synthetic fibers are further classified into types of fabric M according to their material, such as polyester. Among the types of fabric M, cotton, wool, silk, synthetic fibers, etc., there are also fabrics M containing synthetic resin between fibers. The type of fabric M may be determined, for example, by a user inputting information into the control device 100 via an operation unit such as a touch panel, or by transmitting measurement results from a measurement unit, such as a camera, that measures the properties of the fabric M to the control device 100.

[0086] (Control of vibration by vibration applying units 32 and 33) The hardness of the fabric M varies depending on differences in the fabric material, fabric thickness, fabric mesh density, fiber thickness, etc. Here, the type of fabric M may be a type whose hardness is determined by differences in the fabric material, fabric thickness, fabric mesh density, fiber thickness, etc. Furthermore, a type of fabric M that contains a synthetic resin between the fibers has higher rigidity than a type of fabric M that does not contain a synthetic resin between the fibers. A type of fabric M with higher rigidity needs to be subjected to stronger vibrations to achieve the same degree of texture improvement compared to a less stiff fabric M.

[0087] Therefore, the control device 100 controls the degree of texture treatment by the vibration imparting units 32, 33 depending on the type of fabric M. Specifically, the control device 100 controls at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration imparted to the fabric M by the vibration imparting units 32, 33 depending on the type of fabric M. The control device 100 controls at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration imparted to the fabric M by the vibration imparting units 32, 33 so that the vibration imparted to the fabric M is stronger as the stiffness of the fabric M increases. Depending on the type of fabric M, the control device 100 may control only the frequency, only the amplitude, or both the frequency and the amplitude of the vibration imparted to the fabric M by the vibration imparting units 32, 33.

[0088] When the type of fabric M is a first type, the control device 100 increases at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration applied to the contact members 51, 55 compared to when the type of fabric M is a second type that is lower in rigidity than the first type. Note that the range of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration applied to the contact members 51 may be selected to the extent that bleeding (blurring) caused by destruction of the ink layer by the contact members 51, 55 does not become a problem.

[0089] (Tension control by tension adjustment units 34, 35) The fibers of the fabric M do not extend straight in the conveying direction Y, but are bent in a wavy shape depending on the weave. When the fabric M or its fabric fibers bend when it comes into contact with the contact members 51, 55, the shear stress applied to the fabric M by the protrusions 52, 56 of the contact members 51, 55 is reduced. In other words, the bending of the fabric M or its fibers when vibration is applied acts to reduce the degree of processing applied to the fabric M by the vibration applying units 32, 33. Here, applying a greater tension to the fabric M prevents the fabric M or its fibers from bending when it comes into contact with the contact members 51, 55, and therefore prevents the shear stress applied to the fabric M by the contact members 51, 55 from becoming smaller. In other words, applying a greater tension to the fabric M increases the shear stress applied to the fabric M by the contact members 51, 55, thereby increasing the degree of processing.

[0090] Therefore, the control device 100 controls the operation of the tension adjusting units 34, 35 depending on the type of fabric M. Here, the type of fabric M may be a type that determines the hardness of the fabric M depending on differences in fabric material, fabric thickness, fabric mesh density, fiber thickness, etc. The control device 100 adjusts the tension applied to the fabric M by the tension adjusting units 34, 35 so as to increase the tension applied to a type of fabric M that has higher rigidity.

[0091] (Control of heating temperature by heating units 36 and 37) When the fabric M is made of synthetic fibers, the fabric tends to soften as the heating temperature increases, although this varies depending on the synthetic fiber's material due to differences in glass transition temperature and melting point. The softening of the fabric M due to heating enhances the degree of texture improvement treatment achieved by the vibration of the contact members 51, 55. Whether the fabric M is made of cotton, wool, silk, or the like, if the fabric M contains synthetic resin between the fibers, it tends to soften as the heating temperature increases, just like synthetic fibers. Even if the fabric M is made of 100% cotton, wool, or silk, the ink after drying contains synthetic resin as part of its components, so at least the ink portion tends to soften as the heating temperature increases. Thus, although this varies depending on the content of synthetic fibers and synthetic resins, the printed fabric M tends to soften as the heating temperature increases. The softening of the synthetic fibers and synthetic resins contained in the fabric M enhances the degree of treatment (texture improvement) achieved by the vibration imparted to the fabric M by the vibration imparted to the fabric M by the vibration imparting units 32, 33.

[0092] The hardness of the fabric M varies depending on differences in the fabric material, fabric thickness, fabric mesh density, fiber thickness, presence or absence of synthetic resin between the fibers, etc. The type of fabric M may be a type that determines the hardness of the fabric M. A type of fabric M with high rigidity can be heated to a higher temperature than a type of fabric M with lower rigidity, thereby increasing the degree of processing when vibration is applied to the fabric M.

[0093] Therefore, the control device 100 controls the temperature at which the heating units 36, 37 heat the fabric M depending on the type of fabric M. The control device 100 controls the temperature at which the heating units 36, 37 heat the fabric M so that a type of fabric M with higher rigidity is heated to a higher temperature.

[0094] <Control according to ink amount> Since the ink portion formed on the dried fabric M contains synthetic resin as part of its components, the fabric M tends to become harder as the amount of ink, i.e., the average amount of ink per unit area of ​​the fabric M, increases. Depending on the amount of ink, the control device 100 controls at least one of vibration by the vibration applying units 32 and 33, tension by the tension adjusting units 34 and 35, and heating temperature by the heating units 36 and 37. Depending on the amount of ink, the control device 100 may, for example, perform all three of these controls.

[0095] The control device 100 controls, depending on the amount of ink, at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations applied by the vibration applying units 32, 33 to the fabric M. The control device 100 controls at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations applied by the vibration applying units 32, 33 to the fabric M so as to increase the vibrations applied to the fabric M having a larger amount of ink.

[0096] The control device 100 controls the operation of the tension adjusting units 34, 35 according to the amount of ink. The control device 100 adjusts the tension applied to the fabric M by the tension adjusting units 34, 35 so as to increase the tension applied to the type of fabric M with a larger amount of ink.

[0097] The control device 100 controls the temperature at which the heating units 36, 37 heat the fabric M in accordance with the amount of ink. The control device 100 controls the temperature at which the heating units 36, 37 heat the fabric M so that the temperature at which the fabric M having a larger amount of ink is heated is higher.

[0098] Furthermore, the operator can operate the input unit 131 to select the strength at which the cleaning unit 39 cleans the fabric M. The control device 100 controls the drive unit 93 so that the cleaning unit 39 cleans the fabric M at a strength based on the selection signal input from the input unit 131. The input unit 131 is an example of an operation unit.

[0099] <Operation of the embodiment> Next, the operation of the printing system 10 of this embodiment will be described. In the following, an example will be described in which the printing device 11 is a serial printing device.

[0100] Below, there are a first embodiment that does not utilize the buffer unit 31, and a second embodiment that utilizes the buffer unit 31. First, the first embodiment that does not utilize the buffer unit 31 will be described. <First Example> The operation of the printing device 11 includes a first operation involving the transport of the fabric M and a second operation involving the stopping of the fabric M. By utilizing the buffer unit 31, even if the printing device 11 stops the transport of the fabric M, the processing of the processing device 30 can continue by the amount of slack in the fabric M formed in the buffer unit 31. The first embodiment does not utilize the buffer unit 31. Therefore, when the printing device 11 transitions from the first operation to the second operation, the control device 100 stops or reduces the operation of the processing device 30 in accordance with the operation of the printing device 11.

[0101] (a) Stop of the fabric M due to intermittent conveyance of the printing device 11 When the printing device 11 uses a serial printing method, the fabric M is transported intermittently. The printing device 11 alternately performs a printing operation in which ink is ejected from the print head 18 while the carriage 17 moves in the width direction X while the fabric M is stationary, thereby printing one line (one pass), and a transport operation in which the fabric M is transported to the next printing position. When the transport operation (first operation) is completed, the operation switches to a printing operation (second operation), during which the transport of the fabric M is stopped. In other words, the printing device 11 transports the fabric M intermittently during printing. When the printing device 11 stops between intermittent transports of the fabric M, the control device 100 causes the processing device 30 to stop transporting the fabric M and stops the operation of the vibration applying units 32 and 33. Then, the control device 100 causes the printing device 11 to resume conveyance, causes the processing device 30 to resume conveyance of the fabric M, and also causes the vibration applying units 32, 33 to resume operation. Therefore, even if the printing device 11 intermittently conveys the fabric M, the processing device 30 can perform texture improvement processing on the printed fabric M at an appropriate processing level.

[0102] (b) Deceleration operation due to increase in the number of passes of the printing device 11 The parameters of the printing conditions include the printing resolution (or number of passes). The higher the printing resolution, the shorter the transport distance of the fabric M transported per pass. Therefore, the greater the number of passes, the lower the average transport speed of the fabric M transported by intermittent transport. In other words, by changing from the first number of passes to a second number of passes that is greater than the first number of passes, the average transport speed of the fabric M in the printing device 11 switches from the first transport speed V1 to a slower second transport speed V2. The control device 100 switches the transport speed at which the processing device 30 transports the fabric M from the first transport speed V1 to the second transport speed V2, and reduces at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations applied to the fabric M by the vibration applying units 32 and 33.

[0103] (c) Transport suspension due to maintenance When the printing device 11 reaches a predetermined cleaning time during printing, it drives the maintenance unit 19 to perform cleaning. Cleaning involves moving the print head 18 to the home position, and bringing the cap of the maintenance unit 19 into contact with or close to the print head 18. In this state, ink is forcibly expelled from the nozzles of the print head 18 to clean the nozzles. Cleaning forcibly expels thickened ink from the nozzles and foreign matter such as air bubbles in the ink. When cleaning is performed, both the printing operation and the transport of the fabric M are stopped. That is, the operation transitions from a first operation in which printing is performed to a second operation in which cleaning is performed. When the printing device 11 reaches the cleaning time during printing and transitions from the printing operation (first operation) to the cleaning operation (second operation), the control device 100 causes the processing device 30 to stop the transport of the fabric M and causes the vibration applying units 32 and 33 to stop the vibrations applied to the fabric M.

[0104] (d) Transport stop operation when exchanging print data When changing the printing content, such as the design to be applied by the printing device 11 to the fabric M, the operator operates the input unit 131 to change the print data PD. The printing operation of the printing device 11 is temporarily stopped while the print data PD is being changed. The carriage 17 moves to the home position, and the cap of the maintenance unit 19 caps the print head 18. When the print data PD is changed, both the printing operation and the transport of the fabric M are stopped. When the operator operates the input unit 131 to select a change to the print data PD, the control device 100 stops the printing operation of the printing device 11. The control device 100 stops the printing operation based on the current print data PD by the operator. The control device 100 stops the operation of the processing device 30 in response to the stop of the printing device 11. That is, when the control device 100 receives an exchange of print data while the printing device 11 is printing, it transitions the printing device 11 from the printing operation (first operation) to the print data exchange operation (second operation). In response to this transition in the operation of the printing device 11, the control device 100 causes the processing device 30 to stop conveying the fabric M, and also causes the vibration applying units 32 and 33 to stop applying vibration to the fabric M.

[0105] The control device 100 controls at least one of vibration by the vibration applying units 32, 33, tension by the tension adjusting units 34, 35, and heating temperature by the heating units 36, 37, depending on the type of fabric M.

[0106] (e) Vibration application operation (e-1) Control according to the type of fabric M The control device 100 controls at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations applied to the fabric M by the vibration applying units 32, 33 according to the type of fabric M. The control device 100 controls at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations applied to the fabric M by the vibration applying units 32, 33 so that the vibration applied to the fabric M is stronger for types of fabric M with higher rigidity. When the type of fabric M is a first type, the control device 100 increases at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations applied to the contact members 51, 55 compared to when the type of fabric M is a second type, which has lower rigidity than the first type. Note that the fabric M tends to become stiffer as its thickness increases. Therefore, the control device 100 may control at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations applied to the contact members 51, 55 according to the thickness of the fabric M, as well as the type of fabric M.

[0107] (e-2) Control according to ink amount The control device 100 controls at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations applied to the fabric M by the vibration applying units 32, 33 according to the amount of ink ejected onto the fabric M. The control device 100 controls at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations applied to the fabric M by the vibration applying units 32, 33 so that the vibration applied to the fabric M increases as the amount of ink ejected onto the fabric M increases. When the ink amount is a first ink amount, the control device 100 increases at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations applied to the contact members 51, 55 compared to when the ink amount is a second ink amount that is smaller than the first ink amount.

[0108] (f) Tension application operation (f-1) Control according to the type of fabric M The control device 100 controls the operation of the tension adjustment units 34, 35 according to the type of fabric M. The control device 100 adjusts the tension applied to the fabric M by the tension adjustment units 34, 35 so that the tension applied to the fabric M increases as the type of fabric M becomes more rigid. When the type of fabric M is a first type, the control device 100 increases the tension applied to the fabric M by the tension adjustment units 34, 35 compared to when the type of fabric M is a second type, which has lower rigidity than the first type. Note that the thicker the fabric M, the stiffer it tends to be. For this reason, the control device 100 may control the operation of the tension adjustment units 34, 35 according to the thickness of the fabric M, as well as the type of fabric M.

[0109] (f-2) Control according to ink amount The control device 100 controls the operation of the tension adjustment units 34, 35 in accordance with the amount of ink ejected onto the fabric M. The control device 100 adjusts the tension applied to the fabric M by the tension adjustment units 34, 35 so that the tension applied to the fabric M increases as the amount of ink ejected onto the fabric M increases. When the ink amount is a first ink amount, the control device 100 increases the tension applied to the fabric M by the tension adjustment units 34, 35 compared to when the ink amount is a second ink amount that is less than the first ink amount.

[0110] (g) Heating operation (g-1) Control according to the type of fabric M The control device 100 controls the temperature at which the heating units 36, 37 heat the fabric M depending on the type of fabric M. The control device 100 controls the temperature at which the heating units 36, 37 heat the fabric M so that the heating temperature is higher for types of fabric M with higher rigidity. When the type of fabric M is a first type, the control device 100 sets the temperature at which the heating units 36, 37 heat the fabric M to a higher temperature than when the type of fabric M is a second type that has lower rigidity than the first type. Note that the thicker the fabric M, the harder it tends to be. For this reason, the control device 100 may control the temperature at which the heating units 36, 37 heat the fabric M depending on the thickness of the fabric M, as well as the type of fabric M.

[0111] (g-2) Control according to ink amount The control device 100 controls the temperature to which the heating units 36, 37 heat the fabric M in accordance with the amount of ink ejected onto the fabric M. The control device 100 controls the temperature to which the heating units 36, 37 heat the fabric M so that the fabric M with a larger amount of ink is heated to a higher temperature. When the ink amount is a first ink amount, the control device 100 sets the temperature to which the heating units 36, 37 heat the fabric M to a higher temperature than when the ink amount is a second ink amount that is smaller than the first ink amount.

[0112] (h) Control of cleaning operation according to operation of processing device 30 The control device 100 controls the operation of the drive unit 93 of the cleaning unit 39 in accordance with the operation of the processing device 30. For example, the control device 100 controls the intensity at which the cleaning unit 39 cleans the fabric M in accordance with the operation of the processing device 30. The control device 100 controls the intensity at which the cleaning unit 39 cleans the fabric M so that the cleaning intensity increases as the intensity of the treatment applied to the fabric M by the vibration applying units 32 and 33 increases. This is because the higher the intensity of the treatment applied to the fabric M by the vibration applying units 32 and 33, the more fiber powder tends to be generated. When the treatment intensity applied to the fabric M is a first intensity, the control device 100 increases the intensity at which the cleaning unit 39 cleans the fabric M compared to when the treatment intensity is a second intensity lower than the first intensity. For example, the drive speed of the drive unit 93 is increased to increase the intensity at which the cleaning unit 39 cleans the fabric M, for example, the rotation speed of the rotating brush.

[0113] (i) Control of fiber powder removal operation according to the operation of the processing device 30 The control device 100 controls the operation of the collection unit 94 to remove fiber powder from the cleaned portion of the fabric M in accordance with the operation of the processing device 30. For example, the control device 100 controls the intensity at which the collection unit 94 removes fiber powder from the cleaned portion of the fabric M in accordance with the operation of the processing device 30. The control device 100 controls the intensity at which the collection unit 94 removes fiber powder so that the intensity at which the fiber powder is removed increases as the cleaning intensity increases. This is because the higher the cleaning intensity, the stronger the processing applied to the fabric M by the vibration applying units 32, 33, and the more fiber powder tends to be generated. When the cleaning intensity is a first intensity, the control device 100 increases the intensity at which the collection unit 94 removes fiber powder compared to when the cleaning intensity is a second intensity that is lower than the first intensity. For example, the intensity at which the collection unit 94 removes (sucks) fiber powder is increased by increasing the rotation speed of the fan 97.

[0114] <Second Example> Next, we will explain a second embodiment that utilizes the buffer unit 31. Even when the printing device 11 transitions from the first operation to the second operation, by utilizing the buffer unit 31, the processing of the processing device 30 is not stopped or changed, and the printing device 11 continues processing under the same conditions as when it performed the first operation.

[0115] When the conveying operation of the fabric M in the printing device 11 is temporarily stopped or slowed down, the processing device 30 continues to process the fabric M under the same conditions as when the printing device 11 is performing the first operation during the allowable period until the slack in the fabric M formed in the buffer section 31 is eliminated.

[0116] The allowable period of the buffer unit 31 is obtained from the amount of slack in the fabric M formed in the buffer unit 31, based on the detection result of a sensor (not shown) or the result of calculating the difference in the feed amount of the fabric M between the printing device 11 and the processing device 30. This allowable period is longer than the (a) intermittent stop period associated with intermittent conveyance, so even if the processing device 30 transitions from the first operation to the second operation due to an intermittent stop, the processing device 30 continues to process the fabric M under the same conditions as when the printing device 11 was performing the first operation. During this intermittent stop period, the slack in the fabric M in the buffer unit 31 gradually decreases, allowing the supply of the fabric M to the processing device 30 to continue.

[0117] Furthermore, if this allowable period is set to be longer than the (c) cleaning period, the processing device 30 continues the operation of processing the fabric M under the same conditions as when the printing device 11 is performing the first operation. Specifically, even when the printing operation is stopped for cleaning and the processing device 30 transitions to a cleaning operation (second operation) in which the transport of the fabric M is temporarily stopped, the processing device 30 continues the operation of processing the fabric M under the same conditions as when the printing device 11 is performing the first operation. During this cleaning period, the slack in the fabric M in the buffer unit 31 gradually decreases, allowing the supply of the fabric M to the processing device 30 to continue.

[0118] Note that (d) even during print data exchange, the processing device 30 may continue processing the fabric M under the same conditions as when the printing device 11 is performing the first operation during the allowable period. Furthermore, if the (c) cleaning period is longer than the allowable period, the processing device 30 may continue processing the fabric M under the same conditions as when the printing device 11 is performing the first operation during the allowable period. Because the (d) print data exchange period is determined by the operator's operation time and is variable, the operation of the processing device 30 may be stopped or the processing speed may be slowed down when the printing device 11 switches from the first operation to the second operation. Slowing down the processing speed can ensure a longer time until the allowable period is exceeded, reducing the frequency of processing stoppages. Slowing down the processing speed can prevent the degree of texture improvement in that portion of the fabric M from differing significantly from other portions due to a longer processing stoppage time.

[0119] The control device 100 performs the same control as in the first embodiment without utilizing the buffer unit 31, except for the above-mentioned control when utilizing the buffer unit 31. In other words, the control device 100 performs the above-mentioned controls (e) to (i) in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0120] In the first and second embodiments, the vibration applying units 32 and 33 uniformly process the printed fabric M1 sent from the printing device 11, regardless of the operation of the printing device 11. Therefore, the fabric M2 having a uniform degree of texture improvement and an appropriate texture can be produced as a roll R2.

[0121] <Effects of the embodiment> According to the embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The printing system 10 includes a printing device 11 that prints on fabric M, a processing device 30, and a control device 100. The processing device 30 includes contact members 51, 55 having multiple protrusions 52, 56 that contact the fabric M printed by the printing device 11, and vibration applying units 32, 33 including vibration generating sources 53, 57 that apply vibrations to the contact members 51, 55. The control device 100 controls the operation of the processing device 30 in accordance with the operation of the printing device 11. With this configuration, the contact members 51, 55 to which vibrations have been applied apply physical processing to the fabric M, such as repeatedly poking or hitting the fabric M with the multiple protrusions 52, 56, thereby loosening the fabric M, and this loosening can enhance the texture of the fabric M. The operation of the processing device 30 can be changed in accordance with the operation of the printing device 11. This allows the processing device 30 to perform uniform processing on the fabric M regardless of the operation of the printing device 11. Therefore, the texture of the fabric M can be improved compared to a configuration in which the operation of the processing device 30 is not controlled according to the operation of the printing device 11.

[0122] (2) The fabric M is intermittently conveyed in the processing device 30. The control device 100 reduces at least one of the amplitude and frequency of vibration during periods when the conveyance of the fabric M is stopped during the intermittent conveyance. Here, "reducing" includes stopping the operation of the processing device 30. This configuration can prevent excessive processing of the same location of the fabric M that is stopped between intermittent conveyances.

[0123] (3) The control device 100 controls at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration depending on the type of fabric M. With this configuration, at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration applied to the contact members 51, 55 is controlled depending on the type of fabric M. In other words, at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the loosening operation in which the multiple protrusions 52, 56 repeatedly contact the fabric M at an amplitude and frequency depending on the vibration due to the vibration applied to the contact members 51, 55 is controlled. For example, if the fabric M is a type with high rigidity, the fabric M can be processed with a strength depending on the rigidity of the fabric M by increasing at least one of the amplitude and frequency. Therefore, an appropriate texture can be imparted to the fabric M regardless of differences in rigidity depending on the type of fabric M.

[0124] (4) The processing device 30 includes tension adjustment units 34, 35 that can adjust the tension applied to the fabric M processed by the processing device 30. The control device 100 controls the operation of the tension adjustment units 34, 35 depending on the type of fabric M. With this configuration, the tension applied to the fabric M processed by the processing device 30 is adjusted depending on the type of fabric M. For example, the tension may be increased for a highly rigid type of fabric M. This enhances the effect of the loosening action applied to the fabric M when the contact members 51, 55 apply physical processing such as repeatedly poking or hitting the fabric M with the multiple protrusions 52, 56, even under the same vibration conditions. Therefore, even if the vibration of the contact members 51, 55 is the same, an appropriate texture can be imparted to the fabric M regardless of differences in rigidity depending on the type of fabric M.

[0125] (5) The printing device 11 prints on the fabric M by applying liquid to the fabric M. The control device 100 controls at least one of the amplitude and frequency of vibration depending on the amount of liquid applied to the fabric M. With this configuration, at least one of the amplitude and frequency of vibration is controlled depending on the amount of liquid applied to the fabric M during printing. For example, if a large amount of liquid is applied to the fabric M and the rigidity of the fabric M increases due to a printed layer formed when the liquid dries, a stronger loosening action can be imparted to the fabric M by increasing at least one of the amplitude and frequency. Therefore, an appropriate texture can be imparted to the fabric M regardless of differences in the rigidity of the fabric M due to differences in the thickness of the printed layer depending on the amount of liquid applied to the fabric M.

[0126] (6) The processing device 30 includes heating units 36 and 37 that heat the portion of the fabric M after the printing process by the printing device 11 and the drying process by the drying device that dries the fabric M, but before the processing by the vibration applying units 32 and 33. This configuration allows the portion of the fabric M that has been subjected to the drying process after printing to be heated before the processing by the processing device 30 using vibration. This improves the fixation of the printed image and improves the loosening effect of the vibration applying units 32 and 33 by utilizing the softening of the heated portion of the fabric M.

[0127] (7) The control device 100 controls the temperature at which the heating units 36, 37 heat the fabric M depending on the type of fabric M. The softness of the fabric M changes depending on the temperature. The way in which the softness changes depending on the temperature differs depending on the type of fabric M. According to the above configuration, by controlling the temperature at which the heating units 36, 37 heat the fabric M depending on the type of fabric M, the loosening effect can be further optimized depending on the type of fabric M.

[0128] (8) A cleaning unit 39 is provided to clean the fabric M after it has been processed by the processing device 30. With this configuration, fiber powder such as fluff generated from the fabric M by the processing by the processing device 30 is removed from the fabric M, so that clean fabric M can be collected.

[0129] (9) The cleaning unit 39 includes removal members 91, 92 that clean the fabric M while contacting the fabric M, and a drive unit 93 that drives the removal members 91, 92. The control device 100 controls the operation of the drive unit 93 in accordance with the operation of the processing device 30. The strength of the treatment performed on the fabric M varies depending on the operation of the processing device 30. Therefore, the amount of fiber powder such as fluff generated on the fabric M varies depending on the operation of the processing device 30. According to the above configuration, the control device 100 controls the operation of the drive unit 93 in accordance with the operation of the processing device 30, so that the fabric M can be cleaned with an appropriate strength in accordance with the amount of fiber powder generated by cleaning. For example, damage to the fabric M due to excessive cleaning of the fabric M can be suppressed.

[0130] (10) The printing system 10 includes an input unit 131 that is operated to input information. The input unit 131 is configured to allow the cleaning unit 39 to select and input the strength at which the cleaning unit 39 cleans the fabric M. The control device 100 controls the drive unit 93 so that the cleaning unit 39 cleans the fabric M at a strength based on the selection signal input from the input unit 131. With this configuration, the worker can operate the input unit 131 to select the strength at which the removal members 91, 92 of the cleaning unit 39 clean the fabric M. Because the worker can appropriately select the strength they desire, it becomes easier to avoid, for example, damage to the fabric M caused by excessive cleaning of the fabric M.

[0131] (11) The processing device 30 processes the printed fabric M supplied from the printing device 11 that prints on the fabric M. The processing device 30 includes contact members 51, 55, vibration applying units 32, 33, and a control device 100. The contact members 51, 55 have multiple protrusions 52, 56 that contact the fabric M supplied from the printing device 11. The vibration applying units 32, 33 include vibration generating sources 53, 57 that apply vibrations to the contact members 51, 55. The control device 100 controls the operation of the contact members 51, 55, to which vibrations are applied by the vibration generating sources 53, 57, to process the fabric M. The control device 100 controls the operation of processing the fabric M in accordance with the operation of the printing device 11. This configuration allows the processing device 30 to uniformly process the fabric M regardless of the operation of the printing device 11. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the operation of the processing device 30 is not controlled in accordance with the operation of the printing device 11, the texture of the fabric M can be improved.

[0132] The above embodiment can also be modified into the following modified examples. Furthermore, a further modified example can be formed by appropriately combining the above embodiment and the modified examples shown below, or by appropriately combining the modified examples shown below.

[0133] The type of fabric M is not limited to being input into the control device 100 by an operator operating an input unit 131 such as a touch panel or an operation button, but may also be obtained by the control device 100 performing image analysis on an image captured by a camera capable of capturing images of the fabric M to identify the type of fabric M.

[0134] The control device 100 may control the operation of the processing device 30 based on information about the type of fabric M selected on the screen of the display unit 132 by the worker operating the input unit 131 . The control device 100 may control the vibrations applied by the vibration applying units 32 and 33 based on information about the vibration strength (processing strength) selected on the screen of the display unit 132 by the worker operating the input unit 131.

[0135] In the above embodiment, all three of the temperature, tension, and vibration to be applied to the portion to be subjected to the texture improvement treatment can be controlled depending on the type of fabric, but it is also possible to control at least one of these three. For example, it is also possible to control only the temperature depending on the type of fabric, or only the tension depending on the type of fabric, or only the vibration depending on the type of fabric. Furthermore, it is also possible to control both the temperature and tension depending on the type of fabric, or both the tension and vibration depending on the type of fabric, or both the temperature and vibration depending on the type of fabric.

[0136] The control device 100 may be configured to reduce at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration while the conveyance of the fabric M is stopped. In this case, the control device 100 may be configured to stop at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration while the conveyance of the fabric M is stopped. In other words, reducing at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration is not limited to reducing the value of at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration to a value greater than 0, but may also include stopping the value to 0.

[0137] In the above embodiment, dry vibrations are applied to the fabric M without using any liquid. However, the fabric M may be hit by the protrusions 52, 56 of the contact members 51, 55 by applying vibrations to the contact members 51, 55 while liquid is applied to the fabric M. In this case, the liquid may be, for example, water or fabric softener.

[0138] In the above embodiment, the removal members 91, 92 constituting the cleaning unit 39 are rotating brushes, but they may also be straight brushes. The straight brushes have a length in the width direction X that allows them to contact the entire width of the fabric M of the widest width that the printing device 11 can print. For example, a pair of straight brushes contacts both sides of the fabric M to remove foreign matter such as fiber powder from both sides (the processed surfaces) of the fabric M. In this case, the straight brushes may be configured to adjust the pressure when they contact the processed surface of the fabric M. In this case, the control device 100 controls the straight brushes so that the pressure when they contact the processed surface of the fabric M becomes greater the more intense the processing that generates more fiber powder.

[0139] The printing device 11 is not limited to a textile printing device that prints on fabric M such as a woven fabric, but may be an inkjet printer that prints on fabric M such as paper. The printing device 11 is not limited to a serial printer in which the print head 18 moves back and forth in the width direction X of the fabric M, or a line printer in which the print head 18 does not move in the width direction X, but may also be a lateral printer in which the print head 18 can move in two directions, the width direction X and the transport direction Y.

[0140] The printing device 11 is not limited to a digital textile printing device, but may be an analog textile printing device. In this case, the analog textile printing device may be a silk screen printing device, or a dyeing textile printing method in which the fabric M is immersed in ink. Furthermore, the printing device 11 may be configured such that the print head 18 is a dispenser that ejects liquid, or may be configured such that a liquid such as ink is dripped onto the fabric M.

[0141] The printing device 11 is not limited to an inkjet type, but may be a dot impact type, a laser type, or a thermal transfer type. The technical concepts grasped from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described below together with their effects.

[0142] (A) The printing system includes a printing device that prints on fabric, a processing device that includes a contact member having a plurality of protrusions that contact the fabric printed by the printing device, and a vibration imparting unit that includes a vibration generating source that imparts vibration to the contact member, and a control device that controls the operation of the processing device in accordance with the operation of the printing device.

[0143] According to this configuration, the vibrated contact member applies physical processing to the fabric, such as repeatedly poking or hitting the fabric with the multiple protrusions, thereby loosening the fabric, and this loosening can improve the texture of the fabric. The operation of this processing device can be changed in accordance with the operation of the printing device. This allows the processing device to apply uniform processing to the fabric regardless of the operation of the printing device. Therefore, the texture of the fabric can be improved compared to a configuration in which the operation of the processing device is not controlled in accordance with the operation of the printing device.

[0144] (B) In the printing system, the fabric is intermittently transported in the processing device, and the control device may reduce at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration during a stop period in which the transport of the fabric is stopped in the intermittent transport. Note that "reducing" also includes stopping the operation of the processing device.

[0145] This configuration can prevent excessive treatment from being applied to the same location of the fabric that is stopped between intermittent conveyances. (C) In the printing system, the control device may control at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration depending on the type of the fabric.

[0146] According to this configuration, at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration applied to the contact member is controlled according to the type of fabric. That is, at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the loosening operation in which the vibration applied to the contact member causes the multiple protrusions to repeatedly contact the fabric at an amplitude and frequency according to the vibration is controlled. For example, if the fabric is of a high rigidity type, the fabric can be treated with a strength according to the rigidity of the fabric by increasing at least one of the amplitude and frequency. Therefore, an appropriate texture can be imparted to the fabric regardless of differences in rigidity according to the type of fabric.

[0147] (D) The printing system may include a tension adjustment unit capable of adjusting the tension acting on the fabric processed by the processing device, and the control device may control the operation of the tension adjustment unit depending on the type of fabric.

[0148] According to this configuration, the tension applied to the fabric being processed by the processing device is adjusted depending on the type of fabric. For example, the tension is increased for fabrics with high rigidity. This enhances the effect of the loosening action that the fabric receives when the contact member applies physical processing such as repeatedly poking or hitting the fabric with multiple protrusions, even under the same vibration conditions. Therefore, even if the vibration of the contact member is the same, it is possible to impart an appropriate texture to the fabric regardless of differences in rigidity depending on the type of fabric.

[0149] (E) In the above printing system, the printing device may print on the fabric by applying a liquid to the fabric, and the control device may control at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration depending on the amount of the liquid applied to the fabric.

[0150] According to this configuration, at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration is controlled according to the amount of liquid applied to the fabric during printing. For example, if a large amount of liquid is applied to the fabric and the resulting printed layer is the result of the drying of the liquid, the stiffness of the fabric increases. By increasing at least one of the amplitude and frequency, a stronger loosening action can be imparted to the fabric. Therefore, an appropriate texture can be imparted to the fabric, regardless of differences in stiffness of the fabric due to differences in the thickness of the printed layer depending on the amount of liquid applied to the fabric.

[0151] (F) The printing system may include a heating unit that heats a portion of the fabric after the printing process by the printing device and the drying process by a drying device that dries the fabric, but before the processing by the vibration applying unit.

[0152] With this configuration, the portion of the fabric that has been subjected to a drying process after printing is heated before being subjected to vibration processing in the processing device, thereby improving the fixability of the printed image and improving the loosening effect of the vibration applying unit by utilizing the softening of the heated portion of the fabric.

[0153] (G) In the printing system, the control device may control the temperature to which the heating unit heats the fabric depending on the type of the fabric. The softness of fabric changes depending on the temperature. The way in which the softness changes depending on the temperature differs depending on the type of fabric. With the above configuration, the temperature at which the heating unit heats the fabric can be controlled depending on the type of fabric, thereby optimizing the loosening effect depending on the type of fabric.

[0154] (H) The printing system may include a cleaning unit that cleans the portion of the fabric after it has been processed by the processing device. According to this configuration, fiber powder such as fluff generated from the fabric by the treatment in the treatment device is removed from the fabric, so that clean fabric can be recovered.

[0155] (I) In the above printing system, the cleaning unit may include a removal member that cleans the fabric while contacting the fabric, and a drive unit that drives the removal member, and the control device may control the operation of the drive unit in accordance with the operation of the processing device.

[0156] The strength of the treatment applied to the fabric varies depending on the operation of the treatment device. Therefore, the amount of fiber powder such as fluff generated on the fabric varies depending on the operation of the treatment device. With the above configuration, the control device controls the operation of the drive unit depending on the operation of the treatment device, so the fabric can be cleaned with an appropriate strength according to the amount of fiber powder generated during cleaning. For example, damage to the fabric caused by excessive cleaning can be prevented.

[0157] (J) The printing system may include an input unit that is operated to input information, and the input unit may be configured to allow the cleaning unit to select and input the strength at which the cleaning unit cleans the fabric, and the control unit may control the drive unit so that the cleaning unit cleans the fabric at the strength based on the selection signal input from the input unit.

[0158] With this configuration, the operator can select the strength at which the removal member cleans the fabric by operating the input unit. Because the operator can appropriately select the strength they desire, it becomes easier to avoid, for example, damaging the fabric due to excessive cleaning.

[0159] (K) The processing device is a processing device that processes printed fabric supplied from a printing device that prints on fabric, and includes a contact member having multiple protrusions that contact the fabric supplied from the printing device, a vibration imparting unit that includes a vibration generating source that imparts vibration to the contact member, and a control device that controls the operation of the contact member, to which vibration is imparted by the vibration generating source, to treat the fabric, and the control device controls the operation of treating the fabric in accordance with the operation of the printing device.

[0160] This configuration allows the processing device to uniformly process the fabric regardless of the operation of the printing device, thereby improving the texture of the fabric compared to a configuration in which the operation of the processing device is not controlled in accordance with the operation of the printing device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0161] 10...printing system, 11...printing device, 11A...housing, 12...feed section, 12M...feed motor, 13...conveying section, 13M...conveying motor, 14A...drive roller, 14B...driven roller, 15...conveying belt, 16...printing section, 17...carriage, 17M...carriage motor, 18...print head, 19...maintenance section, 20...drying device, 21...housing, 22...heater, 23...air duct, 24...fan, 30...processing device (texture improvement processing device), 30A...housing, 31...buffer section, 32...first vibration applying section, 33...second vibration applying section, 34...first tension adjustment unit, 35...second tension adjustment unit, 36...first heating unit, 37...second heating unit, 38...cooling unit, 39...cleaning unit, 40...winding unit, 40M...winding motor, 41...first roller pair, 42...second roller pair, 43-46...guide roller, 51...first contact member, 52...first protrusion, 53...vibration generating source, 55...second contact member, 56...first protrusion, 57...vibration generating source, 61...first roller pair, 61M...first motor, 62...second roller pair, 62M...second motor, 65...first roller pair, 65M...first motor, 66...second roller pair, 66M...second motor, 70...exhaust Thermal system, 71...heat exhaust duct, 72...heat exhaust fan, 73...first supply duct section, 73A...air outlet, 74...first heating fan, 75...second supply duct section, 75A...air outlet, 76...second heating fan, 77...cooling duct section, 77A...air outlet, 78...cooling fan, 79...recovery duct, 79A...first recovery duct section, 79B...second recovery duct section, 79C...third recovery duct section, 81...first temperature detection section, 82...second temperature detection section, 83...third temperature detection section, 91...first removal member (first brush), 92...second removal member (second brush), 93...drive section, 94...recovery section, 95...first collection section, 95A...collection duct, 95B...dust box, 96...second collection section, 96A...collection duct, 96B...dust box, 97...fan, 98...filter, 100...control device, 110...first control section, 120...second control section, 131...input section, 132...display section, T...conveyor path, T1...first conveyor path, T2...second conveyor path, T3...third conveyor path, R1...first roll, R2...second roll, M...fabric, M1...fabric before processing, M2...fabric after processing, X...width direction, Y...conveyor direction, Z...vertical direction, PD...printing data, V1...first conveyor speed, V2...second conveyor speed.

Claims

1. a printing device for printing on fabric; a processing device including a vibration applying unit including a contact member having a plurality of protrusions that contact the fabric printed by the printing device, and a vibration generating source that applies vibration to the contact member; a control device that controls the operation of the processing device in response to the operation of the printing device; Equipped with the vibration applying unit includes a first vibration applying unit and a second vibration applying unit located downstream of the first vibration applying unit in a transport path of the fabric, The printing system is characterized in that the control device controls the amplitude of the vibrations caused by the first vibration applying unit so that the amplitude of the vibrations caused by the second vibration applying unit is larger than the amplitude of the vibrations caused by the first vibration applying unit.

2. a printing device for printing on fabric; a processing device including a vibration applying unit including a contact member having a plurality of protrusions that contact the fabric printed by the printing device, and a vibration generating source that applies vibration to the contact member; a control device that controls the operation of the processing device in response to the operation of the printing device; Equipped with the vibration applying unit includes a first vibration applying unit and a second vibration applying unit located downstream of the first vibration applying unit in a transport path of the fabric, The printing system is characterized in that the control device controls the frequency of the vibrations caused by the first vibration applying unit to be greater than the frequency of the vibrations caused by the second vibration applying unit.

3. a printing device for printing on fabric; a processing device including a vibration applying unit including a contact member having a plurality of protrusions that contact the fabric printed by the printing device, and a vibration generating source that applies vibration to the contact member; a control device that controls the operation of the processing device in response to the operation of the printing device; Equipped with the vibration applying unit includes a first vibration applying unit and a second vibration applying unit located downstream of the first vibration applying unit in a transport path of the fabric, the abutment member includes a first abutment member having a plurality of rod-shaped protrusions and a second abutment member having a plurality of planar protrusions, the first vibration applying portion includes the first abutment member, A printing system, wherein the second vibration applying unit includes the second contact member.

4. The fabric is intermittently conveyed in the processing device, 4. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the control device reduces at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration during a stop period in which the transport of the fabric is stopped during the intermittent transport.

5. 5. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibration depending on the type of the fabric.

6. a tension adjusting unit capable of adjusting the tension acting on the fabric processed by the processing device, 6. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls the operation of the tension adjusting unit depending on the type of the fabric.

7. the printing device prints on the fabric by applying a liquid to the fabric; 7. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations in accordance with the amount of the liquid applied to the fabric.

8. 8. The printing system according to claim 1, further comprising a heating unit that heats a portion of the fabric after the printing process by the printing device and the drying process by a drying device that dries the fabric, but before the processing by the vibration applying unit.

9. The printing system according to claim 8 , wherein the control device controls the temperature at which the heating unit heats the fabric depending on the type of the fabric.

10. The printing system according to claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning unit that cleans the portion of the fabric after it has been processed by the processing device.

11. The cleaning unit includes: a removal member that cleans the fabric while contacting the fabric; a drive unit that drives the removal member; Including, 11. The printing system according to claim 10, wherein the control device controls the operation of the drive unit in accordance with the operation of the processing device.

12. an input unit that is operated to input information; The input unit is configured to allow the user to select and input a strength at which the cleaning unit cleans the fabric, The printing system according to claim 11 , wherein the control device controls the drive unit so that the cleaning unit cleans the fabric at the intensity based on the selection signal input from the input unit.

13. A processing device that processes printed fabric supplied from a printing device that prints on the fabric, a vibration applying unit including a contact member having a plurality of protrusions that contact the fabric supplied from the printing device, and a vibration generating source that applies vibration to the contact member; a control device that controls the operation of the contact member to which vibration is applied by the vibration generating source to treat the fabric; Equipped with the vibration applying unit includes a first vibration applying unit and a second vibration applying unit located downstream of the first vibration applying unit in a transport path of the fabric, The control device controls the operation of processing the fabric in accordance with the operation of the printing device, and controls the amplitude of vibration applied by the first vibration applying unit to be larger than the amplitude of vibration applied by the second vibration applying unit.

14. A processing device that processes printed fabric supplied from a printing device that prints on the fabric, a vibration applying unit including a contact member having a plurality of protrusions that contact the fabric supplied from the printing device, and a vibration generating source that applies vibration to the contact member; a control device that controls the operation of the contact member to which vibration is applied by the vibration generating source to treat the fabric; Equipped with the vibration applying unit includes a first vibration applying unit and a second vibration applying unit located downstream of the first vibration applying unit in a transport path of the fabric, The control device controls the operation of processing the fabric in accordance with the operation of the printing device, and controls the frequency of vibrations applied by the first vibration applying unit to be greater than the frequency of vibrations applied by the second vibration applying unit.

15. A processing device that processes printed fabric supplied from a printing device that prints on the fabric, a vibration applying unit including a contact member having a plurality of protrusions that contact the fabric supplied from the printing device, and a vibration generating source that applies vibration to the contact member; a control device that controls the operation of the contact member to which vibration is applied by the vibration generating source to treat the fabric; Equipped with the vibration applying unit includes a first vibration applying unit and a second vibration applying unit located downstream of the first vibration applying unit in a transport path of the fabric, the abutment member includes a first abutment member having a plurality of rod-shaped protrusions and a second abutment member having a plurality of planar protrusions, the first vibration applying portion includes the first abutment member, the second vibration applying portion includes the second abutment member, The processing device is characterized in that the control device controls an operation of processing the fabric in accordance with an operation of the printing device.

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