Printer

Abstract

The present invention achieves uniform color development of color inks which form an image printing layer. A printer 10 comprises: a support base 16 that supports a medium 5, a heated part of which foams and bulges; a color ink head 22B that discharges color inks; a foaming inhibition ink head 22A that discharges a foaming inhibition ink; a heating device 110 that heats the medium 5; and a control device 80. The control device 80 includes a first printing control unit 82 that causes discharge of the color inks so as to form an image printing layer L11 on the medium 5, a second printing control unit 83 that causes discharge of the foaming inhibition ink so as to form a foaming inhibition layer L12 on the image printing layer L11 in a part of the medium 5 which is not to bulge, a conveyance control unit 85 that conveys, toward the heating device 110, the medium 5 supported by the support base 16, and a heat control unit 86 that heats the medium 5 which has been conveyed toward the heating device 110 and on which the image printing layer L11 and the foaming inhibition layer L12 have been formed.

Description

printer

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer.

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing an object with a textured surface. In this method, a volume expansion agent-containing layer containing a volume expansion agent is formed on a substrate. Next, an inhibitor that suppresses the volume expansion of the volume expansion agent is applied to a predetermined region on the volume expansion agent-containing layer. After that, an image layer is formed on the volume expansion agent-containing layer.

[0003] As described above, after the volume expansion agent-containing layer partially containing the inhibitor and the image layer are formed on the substrate, the volume expansion agent-containing layer is heated, causing the volume of the region of the volume expansion agent-containing layer other than the predetermined region where the inhibitor is applied to expand, thereby producing an object with a textured surface having textured projections and recesses.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-142684

[0005] Incidentally, when forming an image layer, color inks containing pigments may be ejected. As described above, when an image layer is formed on a volume expansion agent-containing layer to which an inhibitor has been applied, the color inks forming the image layer may not develop uniform color. For example, the color development of the color inks forming the image layer may differ between the region to which an inhibitor that inhibits volume expansion has been applied and the region to which no inhibitor has been applied.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and its object is to provide a printer that can easily make the color development of the color inks that form the image printing layer uniform.

[0007] The printer according to the present invention includes a support table, color ink heads, an anti-foam ink head, a heating device, a transport mechanism, and a control device. The support table supports a medium that foams and bulges when heated. The color ink heads eject color inks containing pigments. The anti-foam ink head ejects an anti-foam ink that inhibits foaming of the medium. The heating device is disposed on one side of the support table in a first direction and heats the medium. The transport mechanism transports the medium supported on the support table toward the heating device in the first direction. The control device includes a first printing control unit, a second printing control unit, a transport control unit, and a heating control unit. The first printing control unit ejects the color inks from the color ink heads to form an image printing layer on the medium supported on the support table. The second printing control unit ejects the anti-foam ink from the anti-foam ink head onto the image printing layer formed by the first printing control unit, in a portion of the medium that is not to be bulged, to form an anti-foam layer. The transport control unit transports the medium supported on the support table toward the heating device, and the heating control unit heats the medium transported toward the heating device and having the image printing layer and the foaming suppression layer formed thereon.

[0008] According to the printer, after an image printing layer is formed on the medium, a foaming-inhibiting layer is formed on the image printing layer, which makes it easier to achieve uniform color development of the color inks forming the image printing layer compared to when the image printing layer is formed on a foaming-inhibiting layer.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printer that can easily make the color development of the color inks that form the image printing layer uniform.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a front view of a printer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the printer taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a bottom view schematically illustrating the configuration of the carriage and the bottom of an ink head. FIG. 4 is a front view of a maintenance unit, illustrating a state in which a cap is not attached to an ink head. FIG. 5 is a front view of a maintenance unit, illustrating a state in which a cap is attached to an ink head. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a printer according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a view showing a heater unit of a heating device, as seen from the rear side of the printer. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which an image printing layer and a foaming suppression layer have been formed on a medium. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating each region of a medium.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described here are not intended to limit the present invention in any particular way. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used to designate components and parts that perform the same functions, and redundant descriptions will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a front view of a printer 10 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the printer 10 taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1. In the following description of the printer 10, the terms left, right, top, and bottom refer to the left, right, top, and bottom directions, respectively, as seen from a user standing in front of the printer 10. The side of the printer 10 approaching the user is referred to as the front, and the side of the printer 10 approaching the user is referred to as the rear. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom directions of the printer 10, respectively. The symbol Y in the drawings indicates the main scanning direction. In this embodiment, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. The symbol X in the drawings indicates the sub-scanning direction. The sub-scanning direction X is a direction that intersects (here, perpendicular to) the main scanning direction Y in a plan view. In this embodiment, the sub-scanning direction X is the front-to-back direction in a plan view. The sub-scanning direction X is the front-to-back direction on a support base 16 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later. In this embodiment, the sub-scanning direction X is an example of a first direction. The main scanning direction Y is an example of a second direction intersecting the first direction. Here, the front side of the sub-scanning direction X is one side of the first direction and the downstream side. The rear side of the sub-scanning direction X is the other side of the first direction and the upstream side. However, these directions are merely defined for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the installation mode of the printer 10 or the present invention in any way.

[0013] The printer 10 is an inkjet printer, or what is known as an inkjet printer. However, the printing method of the printer 10 is not limited to the inkjet method, and it may be, for example, a thermal printer or a laser printer. In this embodiment, the printer 10 is a roll-to-roll type printer in which the medium 5 is laid out on a support base 16 (see FIG. 2 ) and moved in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0014] In this embodiment, the printer 10 prints on a roll-shaped medium 5. Here, printing on the medium 5 refers to printing on a portion of the roll-shaped medium 5 when the roll-shaped medium 5 is unfolded. When the medium 5 is installed in the printer 10, the medium 5 is wound in a roll shape around a rotation axis A1 (see FIG. 2) that extends in the main scanning direction Y. The medium 5 has a shape that allows it to be wound onto a winding roller 71 (see FIG. 2) of a winding device 70, which will be described later. The medium 5 is printed on by the printer 10 in an unrolled, i.e., unfolded, state.

[0015] The medium 5 is a heat-expandable medium that expands when heated. Here, the medium 5 expands (in other words, expands) when heated to a predetermined temperature. The medium 5 has a base portion, such as a film, and a heat-expandable layer formed by thermally expandable microcapsules applied to the base portion. The heat-expandable layer contains a foaming agent and an additive. The foaming agent may be present in an amount of 0.1 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of a polyolefin material having an elastic modulus of less than 0.1 GPa. The foaming agent may include, for example, an azo compound-based foaming agent, a nitroso compound-based foaming agent, baking soda, or the like. The foaming agent may be selected from, for example, azodicarbonamide and / or metal salts thereof, hydrazodicarbonamide, sodium bicarbonate, trihydrazino-sym-triazine, pp'-oxybisbenzenesulfonylhydrazide, dinitrosopentamethylenetetramine, azobisisobutyl-odinitrile, p-toluenesulfonylhydrazide, bisbenzenesulfonylhydrazide, etc. The polyolefin material may be selected from, for example, thermoplastic elastomer polyolefin, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, atactic polypropylene polymer, or a mixture thereof. The thickness of the heat-foamed layer may be, for example, 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm. The additive may be, for example, 0 to 200 parts by weight. The heated portion of the heat-foamed layer of the medium 5 foams, causing the heated portion of the medium 5 to rise. This allows the creation of a printed material with unevenness.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, the printer 10 includes a printer body 10a and legs 11. As shown in Fig. 1, the printer body 10a has a casing that extends in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in Fig. 2, the legs 11 support the printer body 10a. The legs 11 are provided on the underside of the printer body 10a and extend downward from the printer body 10a.

[0017] The printer 10 includes a support table 16, a support table heater 18, and a support roller 14. The support table 16 and the support roller 14 support the medium 5. Here, the support table 16 and the support roller 14 support the rolled medium 5 in an unfolded state. In the following description, the medium 5 includes the rolled medium 5 in an unfolded state. The medium 5 is placed on the support table 16 in an unfolded state. Printing on the medium 5 is performed on the support table 16. The support table 16 is a so-called platen. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the support table 16 extends in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. The upstream portion of the support table 16 (here, the rear portion) has an arc-shaped cross section that curves downward toward the rear.

[0018] The support base heater 18 heats the medium 5 supported by the support base 16. The heating temperature of the support base heater 18 is, for example, approximately 330 to 450 degrees. Here, the support base heater 18 is provided on the back surface of the support base 16. The support base heater 18 is driven to heat the support base 16, thereby heating the medium 5 supported by the support base 16. This promotes drying of the ink ejected onto the medium 5. The position of the support base heater 18 is not particularly limited. For example, the support base heater 18 may be disposed above the support base 16, and heat the medium 5 from above.

[0019] The support roller 14 is a roller that extends in the main scanning direction Y. Although not shown here, the support roller 14 is supported by the printer body 10a so as to be rotatable relative to the printer body 10a. The support roller 14 is located downstream of the support base 16 in the sub-scanning direction X. Here, the support roller 14 is located in front of the support base 16. The medium 5 is transported from the support base 16 toward the circumferential surface of the support roller 14. The support roller 14 then rotates as the medium 5 is transported. As the support roller 14 rotates, the portion of the medium 5 supported by the support roller 14 is transported downstream in the sub-scanning direction X. Note that the support roller 14 is not shown in FIG. 1.

[0020] The printer 10 includes a guide rail 17, a carriage 20, and an ink head 22 (see FIG. 2). The guide rail 17 is disposed above the support base 16. As shown in FIG. 1, the guide rail 17 is disposed parallel to the upper surface of the support base 16 and extends in the main scanning direction Y. A carriage 20 is engaged with the guide rail 17. The carriage 20 is slidably mounted on the guide rail 17 and is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2 , the ink head 22 ejects ink. The ink head 22 is provided on the carriage 20. In other words, the ink head 22 is mounted on the carriage 20. The ink head 22 is supported by the carriage 20 so that its bottom surface is exposed downward. There is no particular limitation on the number of ink heads 22. FIG. 3 is a bottom view schematically showing the configuration of the carriage 20 and the bottom surface of the ink head 22. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 , there are two ink heads 22. The two ink heads 22 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. Each ink head 22 has a nozzle surface 25. The nozzle surface 25 forms the bottom surface of the ink head 22. Nozzles 26 that eject ink are formed on each nozzle surface 25. A plurality of nozzles 26 are formed side by side in the sub-scanning direction X. Here, a row of multiple nozzles 26 lined up in the sub-scanning direction X is referred to as a nozzle row 28. There are four nozzle rows 28 per ink head 22. However, the number of nozzle rows 28 per ink head 22 is not particularly limited, and may be any number between one and three, or may be five or more.

[0022] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 , one of the two ink heads 22 is an anti-foam ink head 22A, and the other is a color ink head 22B. The ink head 22 includes an anti-foam ink head 22A and a color ink head 22B. The anti-foam ink head 22A and the color ink heads 22B are arranged at a distance from each other. The anti-foam ink head 22A and the color ink heads 22B are arranged independently. Here, the anti-foam ink head 22A and the color ink heads 22B are positioned at different positions in the sub-scanning direction X, which is a so-called staggered arrangement. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 , at least a portion of the color ink head 22B is arranged on the other side (here, rearward) of the anti-foam ink head 22A in the sub-scanning direction X. In other words, at least a portion of the nozzle rows 28 of the color ink head 22B are arranged rearward of the nozzle rows 28 of the anti-foam ink head 22A in the sub-scanning direction X. Here, the color ink head 22B and the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A partially overlap in the sub-scanning direction X. Specifically, the color ink head 22B and the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A overlap in the sub-scanning direction X by one or several 26 nozzles (here, one 26 nozzle). The expansion-suppressing ink head 22A is positioned so that it protrudes to one side (here, the front side) in the sub-scanning direction X beyond the color ink head 22B. However, the front end of the color ink head 22B may be positioned behind the rear end of the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A. In other words, the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A and the color ink heads 22B do not have to overlap in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0023] The expansion-suppressing ink head 22A and the color ink heads 22B do not have to be staggered. That is, the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A and the color ink heads 22B may be positioned at the same position in the sub-scanning direction X. The front end of the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A may be positioned at the same position as the front end of the color ink head 22B, and the rear end of the expansion-suppressing ink head 22B may be positioned at the same position as the rear end of the expansion-suppressing ink head 22B. In this case, at least a portion of the nozzle rows 28 of the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A may be positioned further forward in the sub-scanning direction X than the nozzle rows 28 of the color ink heads 22B. However, even in this case, the nozzle rows 28 of the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A and the nozzle rows 28 of the color ink heads 22B may be positioned at the same position in the sub-scanning direction X. In this case, each nozzle row 28 of the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A has an expansion-suppressing nozzle use region in which the nozzles 26 are used to eject the expansion-suppressing ink, and an expansion-suppressing nozzle non-use region located behind the expansion-suppressing nozzle use region in which the nozzles 26 are not used and the expansion-suppressing ink is not ejected. Each nozzle row 28 of the color ink head 22B has a color nozzle use area in which color ink is ejected and the nozzles 26 are used, and a color nozzle non-use area that is located forward of the color nozzle use area and does not eject color ink and does not use the nozzles 26. In this case, it is preferable that at least a portion of the foam-suppressing nozzle use area is located forward of the color nozzle use area in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0024] The expansion-inhibiting ink head 22A (more specifically, the nozzles 26 of the expansion-inhibiting ink head 22A) ejects an expansion-inhibiting ink that inhibits foaming even when the medium 5 (more specifically, the heat-foamable layer of the medium 5) is heated. This expansion-inhibiting ink inhibits foaming even when heated and is ejected onto portions of the medium 5 where swelling is not desired. The portions of the medium 5 other than the portions onto which the expansion-inhibiting ink is ejected are then heated, promoting foaming. As a result, the portions of the medium 5 onto which the expansion-inhibiting ink is not ejected are heated, causing foaming and swelling.

[0025] The foam-inhibiting ink is, for example, a solvent ink suitable for the polyolefin surface on which the heat-foamed layer of the medium 5 is formed. The foam-inhibiting ink may contain, for example, benzotriazole, triazole, trimellitic acid, maleic anhydride, or the like. Of these, trimellitic acid or maleic anhydride is preferably used as the foam-inhibiting ink. In this embodiment, the foam-inhibiting ink does not contain a pigment. In other words, the foam-inhibiting ink is a transparent (in other words, colorless) ink. However, the foam-inhibiting ink may contain a pigment. The foam-inhibiting ink may also be a colored ink.

[0026] The color ink head 22B (more specifically, the nozzles 26 of the color ink head 22B) ejects color ink. An image can be formed on the medium 5 using the color ink ejected from the color ink head 22B. The color ink ejected from the color ink head 22B includes at least process color ink. Here, the color ink includes spot color ink. Here, process color ink includes, for example, cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink. Spot color ink is color ink of a color other than the process color ink. Spot color ink includes, for example, white ink, clear ink, gloss ink, primer ink, fluorescent ink, metallic ink, orange ink, red ink, violet ink, blue ink, and green ink. Here, one color ink is ejected from one nozzle row 28 of the color ink head 22B. Note that there are no limitations on the material of the color ink, and various materials conventionally used as ink materials for inkjet printers and the like can be used. In this embodiment, the color ink includes a pigment. Furthermore, the color ink is aqueous ink. However, the color ink may be a solvent ink. Unlike the above-mentioned foam-inhibiting ink, the color ink is not an ink that inhibits foaming even when the portion of the medium 5 onto which it is ejected is heated. However, the color ink may also be an ink that inhibits foaming even when the portion of the medium 5 onto which it is ejected is heated.

[0027] In this embodiment, the viscosity of the color ink ejected from the color ink head 22B is different from the viscosity of the expansion-inhibiting ink ejected from the expansion-inhibiting ink head 22A. However, which of the color ink and the expansion-inhibiting ink has a higher viscosity differs depending on the proportion of components contained in the color ink and the proportion of components contained in the expansion-inhibiting ink. That is, as long as the viscosities of the color ink and the expansion-inhibiting ink are different, the viscosity of the color ink may be higher or lower than the viscosity of the expansion-inhibiting ink. In this embodiment, the color ink includes inks of multiple colors. Here, all of the color inks have a different viscosity from the expansion-inhibiting ink. In this embodiment, "different viscosity" means that the difference in viscosity between the color ink and the expansion-inhibiting ink is 0.5 Pa·s or more. Here, the difference in viscosity is less than 0.4 Pa·s for all of the color inks. However, the viscosity of the color ink and the viscosity of the expansion-inhibiting ink may be the same. All of the color inks may have the same viscosity.

[0028] In this embodiment, adhesives are used to form the anti-foam ink head 22A and the color ink heads 22B. The adhesives used for the anti-foam ink head 22A and the color ink heads 22B have different components. The anti-foam ink head 22A is formed using an adhesive that is resistant to the solvent-based anti-foam ink. The color ink heads 22B are formed using an adhesive that is resistant to the aqueous-based color inks. Here, "resistance" of an adhesive refers to the fact that the adhesive is not easily peeled off by the ink. Here, the adhesive used for the anti-foam ink head 22A has low attack potential against the anti-foam ink head 22A, and the adhesive used for the color ink head 22B has low attack potential against the color ink head 22B. Here, "attack potential" refers to the degree to which an adhesive affects deterioration of the ink head 22. The higher the attack potential, the more likely it is to cause deterioration of the ink head 22.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 is equipped with a sheet cutter 32. The sheet cutter 32 cuts the medium 5 in an unfolded state supported on the support base 16. In this example, the sheet cutter 32 is used to cut the medium 5 linearly along the main scanning direction Y. The medium 5 cut by the sheet cutter 32 is divided into two parts: one on the upstream side of the sub-scanning direction X (here, the rear side), and one on the downstream side of the sub-scanning direction X (here, the front side). Note that the sheet cutter 32 is not shown in FIG. 3.

[0030] 2, in this embodiment, the sheet cutter 32 is provided on the carriage 20. The sheet cutter 32 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the carriage 20. For example, the sheet cutter 32 may be attached to a solenoid (not shown) and configured to be moved in the vertical direction by turning the solenoid ON / OFF.

[0031] 2, in this embodiment, a cutter groove 16A extending in the main scanning direction Y is formed on the upper surface of the support base 16. In a plan view, the sheet cutter 32 is positioned so as to overlap the cutter groove 16A in the sub-scanning direction X. When the sheet cutter 32 cuts the medium 5, the sheet cutter 32 is configured to penetrate the medium 5 and enter the cutter groove 16A.

[0032] 1, the printer 10 includes a head movement mechanism 40 and a transport mechanism 50. The head movement mechanism 40 moves the carriage 20, the ink head 22, and the sheet cutter 32 in the main scanning direction Y relative to the medium 5 supported by the support base 16. Here, the head movement mechanism 40 moves the carriage 20, the ink head 22, and the sheet cutter 32 in the main scanning direction Y. The configuration of the head movement mechanism 40 is not particularly limited.

[0033] In this embodiment, the head moving mechanism 40 includes a pulley 41, a pulley 42, an endless belt 43, and a scan motor 44. The pulley 41 is provided around the left end of the guide rail 17. The pulley 42 is provided around the right end of the guide rail 17. The belt 43 is wound around the pulleys 41 and 42. As shown in FIG. 2, the belt 43 is fixed to the upper rear surface of the carriage 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the scan motor 44 is connected to the right pulley 42. However, the scan motor 44 may also be connected to the left pulley 41. In this embodiment, the scan motor 44 is driven to rotate the pulley 42, causing the belt 43 to run between the pulleys 41 and 42. As a result, the carriage 20, the ink head 22, and the sheet cutter 32 move in the main scanning direction Y.

[0034] The transport mechanism 50 transports the medium 5 in the sub-scanning direction X relative to the ink head 22. Here, the transport mechanism 50 transports the unfolded portion of the roll-shaped medium 5 supported on the support table 16 in the sub-scanning direction X. The configuration of the transport mechanism 50 is not particularly limited.

[0035] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , the conveying mechanism 50 includes a grit roller 51, a pinch roller 52, and a feed motor 53. The grit roller 51 is mounted on the support base 16. Here, the grit roller 51 is embedded in the support base 16 so that at least a portion of the grit roller 51 is exposed above the support base 16. The pinch roller 52 presses down on the unfolded portion of the rolled medium 5 from above and is positioned above the grit roller 51. The pinch roller 52 sandwiches the medium 5 together with the grit roller 51. The pinch roller 52 faces the grit roller 51. The pinch roller 52 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. Note that the installation positions and number of the grit rollers 51 and pinch rollers 52 are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , seven grit rollers 51 and seven pinch rollers 52 are provided. The plurality of grit rollers 51 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y, and the plurality of pinch rollers 52 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, a feed motor 53 is connected to the grit roller 51. When the feed motor 53 is driven to rotate the grit roller 51 with the medium 5 sandwiched between the grit roller 51 and the pinch roller 52, the unfolded portion of the roll-shaped medium 5 is transported in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2 , the printer 10 includes a supply device 60 having a supply roller 61. A rolled medium 5 is removably mounted on the supply device 60. The supply device 60 supplies the unrolled rolled medium 5 to the support table 16. The supply roller 61 is positioned behind and below the support table 16. As shown in FIG. 1 , the supply roller 61 has a cylindrical or columnar shape extending in the main scanning direction Y. The unprinted medium 5 is wound around the circumferential surface of the supply roller 61. The left end of the supply roller 61 is rotatably supported by a left guide plate 62L, and the right end of the supply roller 61 is rotatably supported by a right guide plate 62R. The transport mechanism 50 transports the unrolled medium 5 downstream in the sub-scanning direction X, and the unrolled portion of the rolled medium 5 is sent from the supply roller 61 toward the support table 16. In this embodiment, the printer 10 does not include a motor for rotating the supply roller 61, but may include such a motor.

[0037] 2, the printer 10 includes a winding device 70 that is supported on the support base 16 and winds the unfolded medium 5 into a roll. The winding device 70 includes a winding roller 71 and a winding motor 75 (see FIG. 1).

[0038] The take-up roller 71 winds up the unrolled medium 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the take-up roller 71 is formed in a cylindrical or columnar shape extending in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 2, the take-up roller 71 is positioned below the support base 16 and below the supply roller 61. The take-up roller 71 is also positioned below the support roller 14. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 includes a first left side wall 76L and a first right side wall 76R that rotatably support the take-up roller 71. The take-up roller 71 includes a support portion 71a supported by the first left side wall 76L and the first right side wall 76R, and a tubular portion 71b having a diameter larger than that of the support portion 71a. The rolled medium 5 is wound around the circumferential surface of the tubular portion 71b. The support portion 71a and the tubular portion 71b may be formed integrally or separately. The left end of the take-up roller 71 is rotatably supported by the first left side wall 76L. The right end of the take-up roller 71 is rotatably supported by the first right side wall 76R. The printer 10 includes rails 74 that support the first left side wall 76L and the first right side wall 76R. The rails 74 extend in the main scanning direction Y.

[0039] The winding motor 75 is connected to the winding roller 71 and rotates the winding roller 71. The winding motor 75 is indirectly connected to the winding roller 71 via a reduction gear or the like (not shown). The winding roller 71 rotates by receiving the driving force of the winding motor 75. In this embodiment, when the winding motor 75 is driven, the portion of the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 is transported downstream in the sub-scanning direction X toward the support roller 14. The medium 5 is then transported from the support roller 14 toward the winding roller 71 and is wound onto the circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 71b of the winding roller 71.

[0040] In this embodiment, the sub-scanning direction X when the medium 5 is transported from the supply device 60 to the support table 16 is inclined upward from the rear to the front. The sub-scanning direction X when the medium 5 is transported from the support roller 14 to the take-up roller 71 is inclined downward from the rear to the front.

[0041] 1, the printer 10 includes an operation panel 55 provided on the right end of the printer body 10a. The operation panel 55 includes a display screen 56 that displays the status of the printer 10, and operation keys 57 that are operated by the user.

[0042] 4 and 5 are front views of the maintenance unit 90. FIG. 4 shows the state in which the cap 91 is not attached to the ink head 22. FIG. 5 shows the state in which the cap 91 is attached to the ink head 22. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the printer 10 includes a maintenance unit 90. The maintenance unit 90 performs maintenance on the ink heads 22 (specifically, the anti-foam ink head 22A and the color ink heads 22B). In this example, the maintenance unit 90 covers the nozzles 26 (see FIG. 3) of the ink heads 22 and sucks ink from the ink heads 22 (specifically, the anti-foam ink in the anti-foam ink head 22A and the color ink in the color ink heads 22B) through the nozzles 26. As shown in FIG. 4, the maintenance unit 90 includes a cap 91, a capping mechanism 92, and a suction pump 93.

[0043] The cap 91 can be attached to the ink head 22 so as to cover the nozzles 26. Here, "attached" refers to a state in which the cap 91 is attached to the ink head 22 so as to cover the nozzles 26. "Attached" includes not only a state in which the cap 91 is fitted to the bottom of the ink head 22 as shown in Figure 5, but also a state in which the end face of the cap 91 (here, the upper end face) is in contact with the nozzle surface 25 so that the cap 91 covers the nozzles 26.

[0044] In this embodiment, one cap 91 is attached to each ink head 22. That is, one cap 91 is attached to the foam-inhibiting ink head 22A, and one cap 91 is attached to the color ink head 22B. Therefore, the number of caps 91 is two, the same as the number of ink heads 22. The two caps 91 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. The caps 91 have a box-like shape with an open top. Note that the type of material from which the caps 91 are formed is not particularly limited. At least the portion of the cap 91 that comes into contact with the ink head 22 is formed from an elastic material such as rubber. An absorbent material (not shown), such as a sponge, may be disposed inside the cap 91. The shape of the opening at the top of the cap 91 corresponds to the shape of the outer periphery of the ink head 22.

[0045] 4 and 5, the capping mechanism 92 is a mechanism that raises and lowers the caps 91 relative to the ink head 22. The capping mechanism 92 is a mechanism that attaches and detaches the caps 91 to and from the ink head 22. In this embodiment, the capping mechanism 92 is configured to raise and lower multiple caps 91 simultaneously without changing the relative positions of the multiple caps 91.

[0046] In this embodiment, the capping mechanism 92 has a support member 95 and a capping motor 96. The support member 95 is a member that supports the caps 91. In this embodiment, the support member 95 is a plate-shaped member. The capping motor 96 is connected to the support member 95. When the capping motor 96 is driven, the support member 95 moves up and down. As the support member 95 moves up and down, the multiple caps 91 move up and down simultaneously.

[0047] The suction pumps 93 are connected to the caps 91. Here, one suction pump 93 is connected to each cap 91. Therefore, the number of suction pumps 93 is two, the same as the number of caps 91. The suction pump 93 is a member that sucks ink, air, and the like from within the caps 91. The type of suction pump 93 is not particularly limited. The suction pump 93 is, for example, a vacuum pump. The suction pump 93 is connected to the bottom surface of the cap 91, for example, via a tube (not shown). As shown in FIG. 5, when the suction pump 93 is driven with the cap 91 attached to the ink head 22, ink and the like are sucked from the nozzles 26 of the ink head 22 (see FIG. 3) into the cap 91. The ink and the like sucked by the suction pump 93 are discarded into a waste liquid tank (not shown) via a tube (not shown).

[0048] As shown in FIG. 1 , the printer 10 includes a control device 80. The control device 80 controls printing and other operations. The configuration of the control device 80 is not particularly limited. The control device 80 is, for example, a microcomputer. The hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited, but may include, for example, an I / F, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a storage device. The control device 80 is provided inside the printer main body 10a. However, the control device 80 does not have to be provided inside the printer main body 10a. For example, the control device 80 may be a computer installed outside the printer main body 10a. In this case, the control device 80 is connected to a control board (not shown) of the printer 10 via a wired or wireless connection so as to be able to communicate with the control board.

[0049] 6 is a block diagram of the printer 10 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the control device 80 is communicatively connected to the support heater 18, the ink head 22, the head moving mechanism 40 (specifically, the scan motor 44), the transport mechanism 50 (specifically, the feed motor 53), the operation panel 55, the winding device 70 (specifically, the winding motor 75), and the maintenance unit 90 (specifically, the capping motor 96 of the capping mechanism 92 and the suction pump 93). The control device 80 controls the support heater 18, the ink head 22, the head moving mechanism 40, the transport mechanism 50, the operation panel 55, the winding device 70, and the maintenance unit 90.

[0050] In this embodiment, the medium 5 is heated to partially bulge, specifically, to cause foaming and bulging of portions of the medium 5 to which the foam-inhibiting ink has not been ejected. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , the printer 10 includes a heating device 110 for heating the medium 5. The heating device 110 heats a portion of the medium 5 that has been transported downstream in the sub-scanning direction X from the support table 16 and the support rollers 14. The heating device 110 is disposed downstream in the sub-scanning direction X from the support table 16 and the support rollers 14. In this embodiment, the heating device 110 is disposed forward of the support table 16. The heating device 110 is also disposed below the support rollers 14 and above the winding device 70. In this embodiment, the heating device 110 is disposed on the transport path 105, which is the path along which the medium 5 is transported from the support rollers 14 to the winding device 70.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 2, the heating device 110 includes a heating device main body 111 and a heater unit 120. The heating device main body 111 is a case-like body with an internal space. As shown in Fig. 1, the heating device main body 111 extends in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in Fig. 2, the heating device main body 111 is disposed midway along the conveying path 105.

[0052] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , the heating device 110 includes a left fixing member 119L and a right fixing member 119R that fix the heating device main body 111 to the printer main body 10a. The left fixing member 119L and the right fixing member 119R are plate-shaped members fixed to the printer main body 10a. The left fixing member 119L and the right fixing member 119R are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y and face each other. In this example, the left end of the heating device main body 111 is provided on the left fixing member 119L. The right end of the heating device main body 111 is provided on the right fixing member 119R. The heating device main body 111 is fixed to the printer main body 10a via the left fixing member 119L and the right fixing member 119R.

[0053] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , the heating device main body 111 is formed with a medium inlet 112 and a medium outlet 114. Here, the medium 5 is heated within the heating device main body 111 of the heating device 110. The medium inlet 112 and the medium outlet 114 are portions through which the medium 5 passes. The portion of the medium 5 transported from the support roller 14 passes through the medium inlet 112 and is transported into the heating device main body 111. The portion of the medium 5 within the heating device main body 111 passes through the medium outlet 114 and is transported to the outside of the heating device main body 111. In this embodiment, the medium inlet 112 is formed on the top surface of the heating device main body 111 and extends in the main scanning direction Y. The medium outlet 114 is formed on the bottom surface of the heating device main body 111 and extends in the main scanning direction Y. The medium outlet 114 is located below the medium inlet 112.

[0054] In this embodiment, a heating support surface 116 is provided inside the heating device main body 111. The heating support surface 116 connects the medium inlet 112 and the medium outlet 114. Here, the heating support surface 116 extends in the main scanning direction Y and in the up-down direction. More specifically, the heating support surface 116 extends obliquely from the medium inlet 112 toward the medium outlet 114. Here, the portion of the medium 5 that passes through the medium inlet 112 is supported by the heating support surface 116 within the heating device main body 111. The portion of the medium 5 supported by the heating support surface 116 passes through the medium outlet 114 and is transported below the heating device 110.

[0055] The heater unit 120 is disposed inside the heating device main body 111. The heater unit 120 is configured to heat the interior of the heating device main body 111, thereby heating a portion of the medium 5 transported inside the heating device main body 111. Here, the heater unit 120 heats a portion of the medium 5 supported on the heat support surface 116 disposed inside the heating device main body 111. As shown in FIG. 1 , the heater unit 120 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The heater unit 120 has a size equal to or slightly shorter than the length of the space inside the heating device main body 111 in the main scanning direction Y. Furthermore, the length of the heater unit 120 in the main scanning direction Y is slightly longer than the length of the medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0056] 7 is a diagram showing the heater unit 120 of the heating device 110, as seen from the rear side of the printer 10. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the heater unit 120 has a plurality of ceramic heaters 121. The plurality of ceramic heaters 121 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. The number of ceramic heaters 121 constituting the heater unit 120 is not particularly limited, but is 13 here. Here, the number of ceramic heaters 121 is determined appropriately depending on the size of the ceramic heaters 121 and the length of the heating device main body 111 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0057] In this embodiment, the ceramic heaters 121 have the same configuration, shape, size, etc. Each ceramic heater 121 has a heater body 130 and a heating temperature sensor 140.

[0058] The heater body 130 has a rectangular shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X, for example. However, the shape of the heater body 130 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the heater body 130 may be arranged so that the right and left sides extending in the up-down direction of the heater body 130 are inclined in the main scanning direction Y. Here, the left and right sides of the heater body 130 are inclined to the right as they extend downward. Alternatively, the heater body 130 may be arranged so that the upper and lower surfaces of the heater body 130 are inclined in the up-down direction. Here, the upper and lower surfaces of the heater body 130 are inclined downward as they extend leftward. However, the heater body 130 may be arranged without being inclined. Here, the heater body 130 is formed of ceramic, but the material for forming the heater body 130 is not particularly limited.

[0059] The heating temperature sensor 140 detects the heater temperature of the ceramic heater 121. There are no particular limitations on the type of heating temperature sensor 140. Here, the heating temperature sensor 140 is configured by a thermocouple. Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the position of the heating temperature sensor 140 relative to the heater main body 130, but the heating temperature sensor 140 may be disposed in the center of the heater main body 130, for example.

[0060] Although not shown, the heater main body 130 is provided with a heat source. The heat source generates heat. In this embodiment, the heater unit 120 heating refers to a state in which heat is generated from the heat source of the ceramic heater 121. The heat generated from the heat source heats the heater unit 120, thereby heating the inside of the heating device main body 111. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , the control device 80 is communicatively connected to the heating device 110 (here, each ceramic heater 121 (more specifically, the above-mentioned heat source) of the heater unit 120 and the heating temperature sensor 140). The control device 80 adjusts the degree of heating of the heater unit 120 in the heating device 110.

[0061] In this embodiment, the heating temperature of the ceramic heater 121 is preferably a temperature at which the portions of the medium 5 onto which the foam-inhibiting ink has not been ejected will foam. For example, the temperature at which the medium 5 foams is about 200°C. Therefore, the heating temperature of the ceramic heater 121 is preferably about 350°C to 400°C. This allows the medium 5 to be sufficiently heated (for example, to about 200°C), causing the medium 5 to foam and bulge in parts. The heating temperature of the ceramic heater 121 is higher than the heating temperature of the support heater 18 (see FIG. 2).

[0062] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the plurality of ceramic heaters 121 are fixed to the heating device main body 111. Here, the heating device main body 111 is provided with a plate-shaped mounting member 118 extending in the main scanning direction Y. The mounting member 118 is fixed to the heating device main body 111. The plurality of ceramic heaters 121 are attached to the mounting member 118. In this case, as shown in Fig. 7, the positions of the plurality of ceramic heaters 121 in the sub-scanning direction X are the same.

[0063] The configuration of the printer 10 according to this embodiment has been described above. Next, the printing procedure using the printer 10 according to this embodiment and maintenance of the ink head 22 will be described. Here, as shown in FIG. 6 , the control device 80 of the printer 10 includes a memory unit 81, a first print control unit 82, a second print control unit 83, a head movement control unit 84, a transport control unit 85, a heating control unit 86, and a maintenance control unit 87 in order to perform printing on the medium 5. Each of the units 81 to 87 of the control device 80 may be realized by one or more processors or by a circuit.

[0064] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which an image printing layer L11 and an expansion suppression layer L12 are formed on the medium 5. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the image printing layer L11 is formed on the medium 5 by printing using the printer 10. The expansion suppression layer L12 is formed on the image printing layer L11. Here, the image printing layer L11 is a layer formed with color inks ejected from the color ink head 22B (see FIG. 3). The image printing layer L11 is a layer on which an image is printed. For example, image printing data DT11 (see FIG. 6) is pre-stored in the memory unit 81 of the control device 80. The image printing data DT11 is raster data or bitmap data obtained by RIP (Raster Image Processor) processing of the print image to be printed on the medium 5. The image printing layer L11 is a layer formed with color inks ejected based on the image printing data DT11.

[0065] The expansion-suppressing layer L12 shown in FIG. 8 is a layer formed using the expansion-suppressing ink ejected from the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A (see FIG. 3). The expansion-suppressing layer L12 is formed on the image-printed layer L11 in a portion of the medium 5 that is not to be raised. Therefore, there are portions on the image-printed layer L11 where the expansion-suppressing layer L12 is formed, and there are portions on the image-printed layer L11 where the expansion-suppressing layer L12 is not formed. As shown in FIG. 6, for example, the memory unit 81 of the control device 80 pre-stores expansion-suppressing ejection data DT12. This expansion-suppressing ejection data DT12 is data indicating ejection areas on the medium 5 where the expansion-suppressing ink is ejected and non-ejection areas where the expansion-suppressing ink is not ejected. The expansion-suppressing layer L12 is formed by ejecting the expansion-suppressing ink onto the image-printed layer L11 in the portions of the medium 5 corresponding to the ejection areas so as to overlap the image-printed layer L11 based on the expansion-suppressing ejection data DT12.

[0066] Next, the steps for forming the image printing layer L11 and the expansion-suppressing layer L12 on the medium 5 and then heating the medium 5 will be described. In this embodiment, as described above, as shown in FIG. 3 , at least a portion of the color ink head 22B is positioned so as to protrude rearward relative to the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A, and the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A and the color ink heads 22B are positioned in a so-called staggered arrangement. Therefore, when the carriage 20 moves in the main scanning direction Y, the image printing layer L11 is formed in some regions of the medium 5 by the color inks ejected from the color ink head 22B, and the expansion-suppressing layer L12 is formed in other regions of the medium 5 by the expansion-suppressing inks ejected from the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A. That is, in this embodiment, the image printing layer L11 and the expansion-suppressing layer L12 are simultaneously formed in different regions of the medium 5.

[0067] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the regions AR11 to AR13 of the medium 5. Specifically, at the start of printing, the head movement control unit 84 of FIG. 6 controls the head movement mechanism 40 (see FIG. 1) to move the carriage 20 in the main scanning direction Y. As a result, the foam-inhibiting ink head 22A and the color ink head 22B mounted on the carriage 20 shown in FIG. 3 move back and forth integrally along the main scanning direction Y. While the carriage 20 is moving in the main scanning direction Y, the first print control unit 82 of FIG. 6 ejects color ink from the color ink head 22B to form an image printing layer L11 in the first region AR11 (see FIG. 9) of the medium 5. The first print control unit 82 forms the image printing layer L11 in the first region AR11 by ejecting color ink at a position in the first region AR11 corresponding to the image print data DT11 (see FIG. 6). Note that at the start of printing, the image printing layer L11 is not yet formed on the medium 5. Therefore, while the carriage 20 is initially moving in the main scanning direction Y, the foam-inhibiting ink is not ejected from the foam-inhibiting ink head 22A (see FIG. 3).

[0068] In this embodiment, during printing, the support base heater 18 (see FIG. 2) provided on the support base 16 is activated. Therefore, with the support base 16 in a heated state, an image printing layer L11 is formed on the medium 5 using color ink, as shown in FIG. 8. As a result, the color ink forming the image printing layer L11 formed on the medium 5 is heated by the support base heater 18 and becomes semi-cured.

[0069] After the carriage 20 moves in the main scanning direction Y and the image printing layer L11 is formed in the first region AR11 of the medium 5, the transport control unit 85 in FIG. 6 controls the transport mechanism 50 (see FIG. 2) to move the medium 5 supported on the support base 16 downstream in the sub-scanning direction X. This causes the first region AR11 of the medium 5 to move to the same position as the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A in the sub-scanning direction X, i.e., to a position overlapping with the expansion-suppressing ink head 22A in a planar view. At this time, the second region AR12 (see FIG. 9), which is located upstream of the first region AR11 in the sub-scanning direction X, moves to the same position as the color ink head 22B in the sub-scanning direction X, i.e., to a position overlapping with the color ink head 22B in a planar view.

[0070] Thereafter, the head movement control unit 84 in FIG. 6 controls the head movement mechanism 40 to move the carriage 20 in the main scanning direction Y, thereby causing the expansion-inhibiting ink head 22A and the color ink heads 22B to move back and forth in the main scanning direction Y. While the head movement control unit 84 is moving the color ink head 22B in the main scanning direction Y, the first printing control unit 82 in FIG. 6 causes the color ink head 22B to eject color ink onto a second region AR12 (see FIG. 9) on the medium 5 based on the image print data DT11 (see FIG. 6), thereby forming an image printing layer L11 in the second region AR12. Furthermore, while the head movement control unit 84 is moving the expansion-inhibiting ink head 22A in the main scanning direction Y, the second printing control unit 83 in FIG. 6 causes the expansion-inhibiting ink head 22A to eject expansion-inhibiting ink, thereby forming an expansion-inhibiting layer L12 in the first region AR11 on the medium 5. The second printing control unit 83 forms the expansion-suppressing layer L12 in the first region AR11 by ejecting the expansion-suppressing ink at a position in the first region AR11 corresponding to the expansion-suppressing ejection data DT12. Here, the image printing layer L11 has already been formed in the first region AR11. Therefore, the second printing control unit 83 ejects the expansion-suppressing ink onto the image printing layer L11 in the first region AR11, thereby forming the expansion-suppressing layer L12 on the image printing layer L11, as shown in FIG. 8 . In this embodiment, the image printing layer L11 is heated by the support heater 18 as described above, resulting in a semi-cured state. Therefore, since the expansion-suppressing layer L12 is formed on the semi-cured image printing layer L11, the color ink forming the image printing layer L11 and the expansion-suppressing ink forming the expansion-suppressing layer L12 are less likely to mix, thereby improving the coating properties.

[0071] 6 controls the transport mechanism 50 to move the medium 5 supported on the support base 16 downstream in the sub-scanning direction X. As a result, the second region AR12 of the medium 5 moves to a position overlapping the expansion-inhibiting ink head 22A in a plan view, and the third region AR13 (see FIG. 9 ), located upstream of the second region AR12 in the sub-scanning direction X, moves to a position overlapping the color ink head 22B in a plan view. After the medium 5 has been transported in the sub-scanning direction X, the carriage 20 is moved in the main scanning direction Y, ejecting color ink onto the third region AR13 of the medium 5 to form an image printing layer L11, and ejecting expansion-inhibiting ink onto the second region AR12 to form an expansion-inhibiting layer L12 on the image printing layer L11.

[0072] Thereafter, the medium 5 is transported in the sub-scanning direction X and the carriage 20 is moved in the main scanning direction Y while the printing of the image printing layer L11 and the foaming suppression layer L12 is alternately repeated, thereby printing on the medium 5, i.e., forming the image printing layer L11 on the medium 5 and forming the foaming suppression layer L12 on the image printing layer L11, as shown in Figure 8.

[0073] After printing on the medium 5, the transport control unit 85 (see FIG. 6 ) controls the transport mechanism 50 to transport the medium 5 downstream in the sub-scanning direction X. At this time, the medium 5 transported from the support table 16 passes through the support roller 14 and then reaches the heating device 110, as shown in FIG. 2 . The portion of the medium 5 transported downstream in the sub-scanning direction X passes through the medium inlet 112 of the heating device main body 111 and is placed inside the heating device main body 111. Inside the heating device main body 111, the medium 5 is supported on the heating support surface 116. At this time, the heating control unit 86 (see FIG. 6 ) activates multiple ceramic heaters 121 (see FIG. 7 ) of the heater unit 120, and the multiple ceramic heaters 121 heat the portions of the medium 5 inside the heating device main body 111. As a result, portions of the medium 5 to which the foam-inhibiting ink has not been ejected, i.e., portions of the medium 5 to which the foam-inhibiting layer L12 (see FIG. 9 ) has not been formed, foam and bulge due to the heat. This results in unevenness being formed on the medium 5.

[0074] After the medium 5 is heated by the heating control unit 86 controlling the heating device 110 in this manner, the transport control unit 85 controls, for example, the drive of the winding motor 75 of the winding device 70 and the transport mechanism 50, so that the portion of the medium 5 inside the heating device main body 111 passes through the medium outlet 114 and is transported downward from the heating device main body 111. The medium 5 is then taken up around the circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 71b of the winding roller 71. In this way, by heating the medium 5 and partially raising it, a printed matter with unevenness can be created.

[0075] In this embodiment, maintenance is performed on the ink heads 22. The maintenance control unit 87 in FIG. 6 can perform maintenance on the ink heads 22 by controlling the maintenance unit 90 shown in FIG. 4. Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the maintenance control unit 87 controls the capping mechanism 92 so that caps 91 are attached to the anti-foam ink head 22A and the color ink heads 22B. With the caps 91 attached to the anti-foam ink head 22A and the color ink heads 22B, the maintenance control unit 87 drives the suction pump 93. This drives the suction pump 93 with the caps 91 attached to the ink heads 22, sucking the anti-foam ink from the anti-foam ink head 22A and the color ink from the color ink head 22B. This prevents ejection defects from occurring in the anti-foam ink head 22A and the color ink heads 22B.

[0076] As described above, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes a support base 16, a color ink head 22B (see FIG. 3), an anti-foaming ink head 22A (see FIG. 3), a heating device 110, a transport mechanism 50, and a control device 80 (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 2, the support base 16 supports a medium 5 that expands and bulges when heated. As shown in FIG. 3, the color ink head 22B ejects color ink containing pigment. The anti-foaming ink head 22A ejects an anti-foaming ink that suppresses expansion of the medium 5. As shown in FIG. 2, the heating device 110 is disposed on one side (here, the front side) of the support base 16 in the sub-scanning direction X and heats the medium 5. The transport mechanism 50 transports the medium 5 supported on the support base 16 downstream in the sub-scanning direction X toward the heating device 110. As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 80 includes a first printing control unit 82, a second printing control unit 83, a transport control unit 85, and a heating control unit 86. The first printing control unit 82 ejects color inks from the color ink head 22B to form an image printing layer L11 (see FIG. 8) on the medium 5 supported on the support table 16. The second printing control unit 83 ejects expansion-inhibiting ink from the expansion-inhibiting ink head 22A onto the image printing layer L11 formed by the first printing control unit 82, on a portion of the medium 5 that is not to be raised, to form an expansion-inhibiting layer L12 (see FIG. 8). The transport control unit 85 transports the medium 5 supported on the support table 16 toward the heating device 110. The heating control unit 86 heats the medium 5 that is transported toward the heating device 110 and on which the image printing layer L11 and the expansion-inhibiting layer L12 have been formed.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 8 , after the image printing layer L11 is formed on the medium 5, the expansion-inhibiting layer L12 is formed on the image printing layer L11. Therefore, compared to, for example, when the image printing layer L11 is formed on the expansion-inhibiting layer L12, it is easier to achieve uniform color development of the color inks forming the image printing layer L11. In this embodiment, during printing, the support table 16 is heated by the support table heater 18 (see FIG. 2 ). Therefore, when the image printing layer L11 is formed on the medium 5 supported by the support table 16, the color inks forming the image printing layer L11 are in a semi-cured state. Therefore, because the expansion-inhibiting layer L12 is formed on the semi-cured image printing layer L11, the color inks and the expansion-inhibiting ink are less likely to mix. As a result, the image printing layer L11 and the expansion-inhibiting layer L12 are formed independently, which makes it easier to achieve uniform color development of the color inks forming the image printing layer L11.

[0078] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 , the color ink head 22B and the foam-suppressing ink head 22A are mounted on the carriage 20. At least a portion of the color ink head 22B is disposed on the other side (here, rearward) of the foam-suppressing ink head 22A in the sub-scanning direction X. In other words, the color ink head 22B and the foam-suppressing ink head 22A are staggered. The head movement mechanism 40 shown in FIG. 1 moves the carriage 20 in the main scanning direction Y. This allows the formation of the image printing layer L11 using color inks and the formation of the foam-suppressing layer L12 using foam-suppressing ink to be performed simultaneously in separate regions of the medium 5 while the carriage 20 is moving in the main scanning direction Y. This reduces printing time.

[0079] In this embodiment, the viscosity of the color inks ejected from the color ink heads 22B is different from the viscosity of the foam-inhibiting ink ejected from the foam-inhibiting ink head 22A. Here, the color ink heads 22B that eject color inks and the foam-inhibiting ink head 22A that eject foam-inhibiting ink are separate ink heads 22. Therefore, the viscosity of the inks ejected from each ink head 22 can be made the same. Therefore, for example, when performing maintenance on the color ink head 22B using the maintenance control unit 87 of FIG. 6, color inks of the same viscosity are sucked by the suction pump 93, allowing the color inks to be uniformly sucked from the multiple nozzles 26 (see FIG. 3) that make up the color ink head 22B. This allows appropriate maintenance of the color ink head 22B alone. Similarly, when performing maintenance on the foam-inhibiting ink head 22A using the maintenance control unit 87 of FIG. 6, the suction pump 93 is sucked from the foam-inhibiting inks of the same viscosity, allowing the foam-inhibiting ink to be uniformly sucked from the multiple nozzles 26 that make up the foam-inhibiting ink head 22A. This allows appropriate maintenance of the foam-inhibiting ink head 22A alone.

[0080] In this embodiment, the color ink ejected from the color ink head 22B is aqueous ink. The foam-inhibiting ink ejected from the foam-inhibiting ink head 22A is solvent ink. The color ink head 22B is formed using an adhesive that is resistant to aqueous ink. The foam-inhibiting ink head 22A is formed using an adhesive that is resistant to solvent ink. In this way, by distinguishing the characteristics of the ink ejected for each ink head 22 (here, the characteristics of aqueous ink or solvent ink), it is possible to use an adhesive that is appropriate for the ink characteristics. Therefore, since it is possible to use ink heads 22 that are appropriate for the ink characteristics, it is possible to replace the ink heads 22 at appropriate times.

[0081] In this embodiment, the color inks ejected from the color ink head 22B include at least process color inks, which allows the image printing layer L11 to be formed using process color inks.

[0082] In this embodiment, the expansion-inhibiting ink ejected from the expansion-inhibiting ink head 22A is a transparent ink, which ensures visibility of the image-printed layer L11 through the expansion-inhibiting layer L12 even when the expansion-inhibiting layer L12 is formed on the image-printed layer L11.

[0083] 5 Medium 10 Printer 16 Support stand 20 Carriage 22A Foam suppression ink head 22B Color ink head 40 Head moving mechanism 50 Conveyance mechanism 80 Control device 82 First print control unit 83 Second print control unit 85 Conveyance control unit 86 Heating control unit 110 Heating device X Sub-scanning direction (first direction) Y Main scanning direction (second direction)

Claims

1. A printer comprising: a support base for supporting a medium that foams and bulges when heated; a color ink head for ejecting color ink containing pigment; an expansion-inhibiting ink head for ejecting expansion-inhibiting ink that inhibits foaming of the medium; a heating device disposed on one side of the support base in a first direction for heating the medium; a transport mechanism for transporting the medium supported on the support base toward the heating device in one side of the first direction; and a control device, wherein the control device comprises: a first printing control unit that ejects the color ink from the color ink head to form an image printing layer on the medium supported on the support base; a second printing control unit that ejects the expansion-inhibiting ink from the expansion-inhibiting ink head onto the image printing layer formed by the first printing control unit in a portion of the medium that is not to be bulged, to form a foam-inhibiting layer; a transport control unit that transports the medium supported on the support base toward the heating device; and a heating control unit that heats the medium that is transported toward the heating device and on which the image printing layer and the expansion-inhibiting layer have been formed.

2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said color ink head is disposed on the other side of said foam suppression ink head in said first direction.

3. The printer according to claim 2, comprising: a carriage on which the color ink head and the foam suppression ink head are mounted; and a head moving mechanism that moves the carriage in a second direction that intersects with the first direction.

4. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the viscosity of the color inks ejected from the color ink heads is different from the viscosity of the foam-inhibiting ink ejected from the foam-inhibiting ink head.

5. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the color inks ejected from the color ink heads are aqueous inks, and the foam-inhibiting inks ejected from the foam-inhibiting ink heads are solvent inks.

6. The printer according to claim 5, wherein the color ink head is formed using an adhesive material that is resistant to water-based ink, and the foam-suppressing ink head is formed using an adhesive material that is resistant to solvent ink.

7. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the color inks ejected from the color ink heads include at least process color inks.

8. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the foam-inhibiting ink ejected from the foam-inhibiting ink head is a transparent ink.

Images