Liquid discharge device, control method therefor, and program

Abstract

The present invention prevents deterioration of image quality due to imbalance between the amount of processing liquid and the amount of recording liquid. In the present invention, a CPU of a printer causes a treatment liquid discharge unit to discharge pretreatment liquid L so as to satisfy one or both of a first requirement and a second requirement. The first requirement is that the amount of the pretreatment liquid L at an end M2a of a region M2 is larger than the amount of the pretreatment liquid L at a portion M2b other than the end of the region M2. The second requirement is that the amount of the pretreatment liquid L in an outer portion of the region M2 is larger than the amount of the pretreatment liquid L in an inner portion of the region M2.

Description

Liquid Ejection Apparatus, Control Method Therefor and Program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid ejection apparatus including a first ejection section that ejects a treatment liquid and a second ejection section that ejects a recording liquid, a control method therefor, and a program.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a textile printing apparatus including a pretreatment agent applying section that applies a pretreatment agent to a textile printing medium, and a printing liquid ejection section that ejects a printing liquid onto the textile printing medium.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-183331

[0004] In a configuration using a pretreatment agent as a treatment liquid in addition to a printing liquid as a recording liquid as in Patent Document 1, if the balance between the amount of the treatment liquid and the amount of the recording liquid is disrupted, image quality may deteriorate. After the treatment liquid is ejected onto a recording medium, it tends to spread to the surroundings due to capillary action or the like as time passes. As a result, the amount of the treatment liquid decreases in a portion where the treatment liquid has spread, and the balance between the amount of the treatment liquid and the amount of the recording liquid is disrupted. This may cause deterioration of image quality.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejection apparatus, a control method therefor, and a program that can prevent deterioration of image quality caused by disruption of the balance between the amount of a treatment liquid and the amount of a recording liquid.

[0006] The liquid ejection apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a first ejection section that ejects a treatment liquid onto a first region of a recording medium; a second ejection section that ejects a recording liquid onto a second region overlapping the first region of the recording medium; and a control section, wherein the control section causes the first ejection section to eject the treatment liquid so that one or both of a first requirement that the amount of the treatment liquid at an end of the second region is larger than the amount of the treatment liquid in a portion other than the end of the second region, and a second requirement that the amount of the treatment liquid in an outer portion of the second region is larger than the amount of the treatment liquid in an inner portion of the second region are satisfied.

[0007] The control method according to this disclosure is a control method for controlling a liquid dispensing device comprising a first dispensing unit for dispensing a processing liquid to a first region of a recording medium and a second dispensing unit for dispensing a recording liquid to a second region of the recording medium that overlaps with the first region, characterized in that the first dispensing unit is made to dispense the processing liquid such that one or both of the following requirements are met: a first requirement that the amount of processing liquid at the end of the second region is greater than the amount of processing liquid in the portion of the second region other than the end, and a second requirement that the amount of processing liquid in the outer portion of the second region is greater than the amount of processing liquid in the inner portion of the second region.

[0008] The program according to this disclosure is characterized in that the control unit of a liquid dispensing device, which includes a first dispensing unit for dispensing processing liquid to a first region of a recording medium and a second dispensing unit for dispensing recording liquid to a second region of the recording medium that overlaps with the first region, functions as a control means to cause the first dispensing unit to dispense the processing liquid such that one or both of the following requirements are met: a first requirement that the amount of processing liquid at the end of the second region is greater than the amount of processing liquid in the portion of the second region other than the end, and a second requirement that the amount of processing liquid in the outer portion of the second region is greater than the amount of processing liquid in the inner portion of the second region.

[0009] When the first requirement is met, a relatively large amount of processing liquid is discharged to the edge of the second region. Therefore, even if the processing liquid discharged to that edge spreads outward from the second region, the balance between the amount of processing liquid and the amount of recording liquid within the second region can be appropriately maintained. When the second requirement is met, the processing liquid does not easily spread from the inner part to the outer part of the second region. Therefore, the balance between the amount of processing liquid and the amount of recording liquid within the second region can be appropriately maintained. According to this disclosure, by satisfying the first and / or second requirement, it is possible to prevent deterioration of image quality due to an imbalance between the amount of processing liquid and the amount of recording liquid.

[0010] This is a perspective view of a printer according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. This is a plan view showing the internal structure of the printer of Figure 1. This is a schematic diagram of the processing liquid discharge section of the printer of Figure 1. This is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the printer of Figure 1. This is a plan view showing the situation in which an image is recorded on a fabric by the printer of Figure 1. This is a plan view showing the situation in which an image is recorded on a fabric by the printer according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. This is a plan view showing the situation in which an image is recorded on a fabric by the printer according to the third embodiment of this disclosure. This is a side view showing the situation in which a pre-treatment liquid is discharged onto a fabric supported by a platen in the printer according to the fourth embodiment of this disclosure.

[0011] The printer 1 shown in Figure 1 is a first embodiment of the liquid dispensing device according to this disclosure. In the following description, the vertical, horizontal, and left-right directions are defined based on the state shown in Figure 1, where the printer 1 is installed for use. The vertical, horizontal, and left-right directions are orthogonal to each other.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the printer 1 includes a housing 8, a platen 12, and a transport unit 15.

[0013] The housing 8 is roughly rectangular in shape. The front of the housing 8 has an opening 13.

[0014] The platen 12 consists of a substantially rectangular plate member. The fabric M shown in Figure 5 is supported on the upper surface 12A of the platen 12. The fabric M corresponds to the "recording medium" in this disclosure. The platen 12 corresponds to the "support portion" in this disclosure.

[0015] The transport unit 15 includes a transport motor 152 as shown in Figure 4. Driven by the transport motor 152, the transport unit 15 transports the platen 12 in the front-rear direction between the outside and inside of the housing 8 through the opening 13.

[0016] Printer 1 further includes an ink ejection unit 30, a carriage 4, a scanning unit 50, and a processing liquid ejection unit 40, as shown in Figure 2. The ink ejection unit 30, carriage 4, scanning unit 50, and processing liquid ejection unit 40 are housed in a casing 8.

[0017] The ink ejection unit 30 includes four heads 31 to 34. Of the four heads 31 to 34, the two heads 31 and 32 located at the rear eject white ink. Of the four heads 31 to 34, the two heads 33 and 34 located at the front eject color ink. The white ink is used to record images as a white area of ​​an image or as a base for the color ink. The color ink is ejected on the white ink base and used to record color images. The four heads 31 to 34 have the same structure as each other. The white ink and color ink may be collectively referred to as "ink" below. The ink is a liquid for recording an image on the fabric M and corresponds to the "recording liquid" in this disclosure. The ink ejection unit 30 corresponds to the "second ejection unit" in this disclosure.

[0018] The carriage 4 holds the ink ejection unit 30. The carriage 4 is supported by a front shaft 53 and a rear shaft 54. The front shaft 53 and the rear shaft 54 ​​extend in the left-right direction.

[0019] The scanning unit 50 includes a belt 51 and a scanning motor 52. The belt 51 is connected to the rear end of the carriage 4. The belt 51 extends in the left-right direction on the rear shaft 54. The scanning unit 50 moves the carriage 4 in the left-right direction along the front shaft 53 and the rear shaft 54 ​​by the drive of the scanning motor 52.

[0020] The carriage 4 and the ink ejection unit 30 can selectively assume a first maintenance position B1, an ejection position B2, and a second maintenance position B3 by being driven by the scanning unit 50.

[0021] The first maintenance position B1 is the position where the ink ejection unit 30 is maintained by a maintenance unit such as a wiper or cap. The first maintenance position B1 is located on the left side inside the housing 8. The first maintenance position B1 is located at the left end of the movement range of the carriage 4.

[0022] The second maintenance position B3 is the position where the user can clean the ink ejection unit 30. The second maintenance position B3 is located on the right side inside the housing 8. The second maintenance position B3 is located at the rightmost end of the carriage 4's range of motion.

[0023] Discharge position B2 is located between the first maintenance position B1 and the second maintenance position B3 in the left-right direction. Discharge position B2 is located approximately in the center in the left-right direction within the housing 8.

[0024] The processing liquid discharge unit 40 includes seven spray nozzles 41 arranged in the left-right direction. A pre-treatment liquid is discharged from the seven spray nozzles 41. The pre-treatment liquid is a liquid for forming an ink base and corresponds to the "processing liquid" in this disclosure. The pre-treatment liquid reacts with the ink discharged onto the base to coagulate the components of the ink and prevent bleeding. The pre-treatment liquid may contain volatile components including organic acids such as formic acid. The processing liquid discharge unit 40 corresponds to the "first discharge unit" in this disclosure.

[0025] The processing liquid discharge section 40 is covered by a protruding portion 8A, which is part of the housing 8. The protruding portion 8A is a part that protrudes from the front surface of the housing 8.

[0026] The processing liquid discharge unit 40 includes, in addition to the seven spray nozzles 41, a tank 49, a supply member 42, a circulation member 43, a valve 44, a pump 45, and a filter 46, as shown in Figure 3. The tank 49 contains the pre-treatment liquid. The supply member 42, circulation member 43, valve 44, pump 45, and filter 46 are provided for each spray nozzle 41.

[0027] Valve 44 is a three-way valve and can selectively take between a first position and a second position. The first position is a position that connects the pump 45 and the spray nozzle 41 and blocks communication between the circulation member 43 and the supply member 42. The second position is a position that blocks communication between the pump 45 and the spray nozzle 41 and connects the circulation member 43 and the supply member 42.

[0028] When the pump 45 is driven with the valve 44 in the first position, the pretreatment liquid in the tank 49 is supplied to the spray nozzle 41 via the supply member 42. When the spray nozzle 41 is supplied with the pretreatment liquid at a predetermined pressure or higher, it discharges the pretreatment liquid downwards in a mist.

[0029] When the pump 45 is driven with the valve 44 in the second position, the pretreatment liquid in the tank 49 flows from the supply member 42 to the circulation member 43 and returns to the tank 49.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, the transport unit 15 transports the platen 12 along a transport path that passes through the placement position P1, the processing liquid discharge position P2, and the recording position P3. The placement position P1 is the position where the fabric M is placed and is located in front of the housing 8. The user of the printer 1 places the fabric M on the platen 12 at the placement position P1. The processing liquid discharge position P2 is a position that overlaps vertically with the processing liquid discharge unit 40 and is located in the front of the housing 8. The recording position P3 is a position that overlaps vertically with the discharge position B2 of the ink discharge unit 30 and is located in the rear of the housing 8. The processing liquid discharge position P2 is located between the placement position P1 and the recording position P3 in the transport path.

[0031] The printer 1 further includes a control device 80, as shown in Figure 4. The control device 80 is electrically connected to the ink ejection unit 30, the processing liquid ejection unit 40, the scanning motor 52, the transport motor 152, and the sensor 70. The control device 80 is also communicatively connected to an external device 90. The external device 90 may be, for example, a personal computer or a mobile terminal.

[0032] The control device 80 includes a CPU 81, a ROM 82, and a RAM 83. The ROM 82 stores programs and data for the CPU 81 to execute recording processing. The RAM 83 temporarily stores data used by the CPU 81 when executing programs. The CPU 81 executes recording processing according to the programs stored in the ROM 82, based on recording commands input from the external device 90 or the input section of the printer 1, and data stored in the ROM 82 and RAM 83. The CPU 81 corresponds to the "control unit" in this disclosure.

[0033] Next, referring to Figure 5, the recording process performed by the CPU 81 will be explained.

[0034] In the recording process, the CPU 81 first causes the fabric M placed on the placement position P1 to be transported to the rear in the front-rear direction by the transport unit 15, as shown in Figure 5(a) (Step 1A). The front-rear direction corresponds to the "transport direction" in this disclosure. The rear corresponds to "one of the transport directions" in this disclosure. The fabric M is transported while being supported by the platen 12 shown in Figure 2.

[0035] Region M1 of the fabric M shown in Figure 5(a) is the region where the pretreatment liquid L is discharged, as shown in Figure 5(b). Region M2 of the fabric M shown in Figure 5(a) is the region where the ink I is discharged, as shown in Figure 5(d). Region M1 includes the inner portion of region M2 and the outer portion of region M2. The outer portion of region M2 is not included in region M2. Region M2 overlaps with region M1. Region M1 corresponds to the "first region" of this disclosure. Region M2 corresponds to the "second region" of this disclosure.

[0036] After step 1A, the CPU 81 causes the fabric M, which is supported by the platen 12 and transported backward by the transport unit 15, to discharge pre-treatment liquid L from the processing liquid discharge unit 40, as shown in Figure 5(b) (step 2A). As the fabric M passes the processing liquid discharge position P2, the pre-treatment liquid L is discharged from the processing liquid discharge unit 40 and lands in area M1.

[0037] In step 2A, the CPU 81 discharges the pre-treatment liquid L from the processing liquid discharge unit 40 so that both the first and second requirements are met.

[0038] The first requirement is that the amount of pretreatment liquid L at the end M2a of region M2 is greater than the amount of pretreatment liquid L at the portion M2b other than the end of region M2.

[0039] In this embodiment, the amount of pretreatment liquid L is greater towards the front of region M2. In region M2, of the front end, which is one end in the front-to-back direction, and the rear end, which is the other end in the front-to-back direction, the front end corresponds to end M2a. The front end is included in the foremost region of the three regions obtained by dividing region M2 into three equal parts in the front-to-back direction.

[0040] The processing liquid discharge unit 40 discharges pre-treatment liquid L from a spray nozzle 41 fixed to the housing 8. On the other hand, the ink discharge unit 30 is serial and discharges ink I while moving left and right relative to the housing 8. Therefore, the time required to discharge ink I is longer than the time required to discharge pre-treatment liquid L. Alternatively, whether the ink discharge unit 30 is serial or line type, if the discharge amount of the ink discharge unit 30 is greater than the discharge amount of the processing liquid discharge unit 40, the time required to discharge ink I is longer than the time required to discharge pre-treatment liquid L. Also, in this embodiment, the direction in which the fabric M is transported when ink I is discharged is the same as the direction in which the fabric M is transported when pre-treatment liquid L is discharged. Therefore, in this embodiment, of the front and rear ends of region M2, the time between the time when the pre-treatment liquid L discharged by the processing liquid discharge unit 40 lands and the time when the ink I discharged by the ink discharge unit 30 lands is longer at the front end.

[0041] The second requirement is that the amount of pretreatment solution L in the outer part of region M2 is greater than the amount of pretreatment solution L in the inner part of region M2.

[0042] In this embodiment, the second requirement is met at the front end of region M2. That is, at the front end of region M2, the amount of pretreatment liquid L in the outer portion of region M2 is greater than the amount of pretreatment liquid L in the inner portion of region M2.

[0043] The CPU 81 changes the amount of pre-treatment liquid L in region M2 by adjusting the transport speed of the fabric M by the transport unit 15. Specifically, the CPU 81 gradually decreases the transport speed from the start to the end of the period during which the pre-treatment liquid L is discharged to the treatment liquid discharge unit 40 for region M1.

[0044] Therefore, the conveyance speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged onto a portion M2b other than the end portion of the region M2 is higher than the conveyance speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged onto the end portion M2a of the region M2. The amount of the pretreatment liquid L at the end portion M2a of the region M2 is larger than the amount of the pretreatment liquid L at the portion M2b other than the end portion of the region M2. The conveyance speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged onto the portion M2b other than the end portion of the region M2 corresponds to the "first speed" of the present disclosure. The conveyance speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged onto the end portion M2a of the region M2 corresponds to the "second speed" of the present disclosure.

[0045] The conveyance speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged onto the inner portion of the region M2 is higher than the conveyance speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged onto the outer portion of the front end of the region M2. The amount of the pretreatment liquid L in the outer portion of the region M2 is larger than the amount of the pretreatment liquid L in the inner portion of the region M2. The conveyance speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged onto the inner portion of the region M2 corresponds to the "first speed" of the present disclosure. The conveyance speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged onto the outer portion of the front end of the region M2 corresponds to the "second speed" of the present disclosure.

[0046] After step 2A, as shown in FIGS. 5(c) and 5(d), the CPU 81 causes the ink discharge unit 30 to discharge ink I onto the fabric M that is supported by the platen 12 and conveyed backward by the conveyance unit 15 (step 3A). In step 3A, when the fabric M passes the recording position P3, the CPU 81 causes the ink discharge unit 30 to sequentially discharge ink I from the rear end toward the front end of the region M2. Accordingly, an image formed by dots of the ink I is recorded in the region M2.

[0047] After step 3A, the CPU 81 causes the conveyance unit 15 to convey the fabric M further backward from the recording position P3, and discharge the fabric M to the outside of the housing 8 (step 4A). Accordingly, the CPU 81 ends the recording process.

[0048] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the CPU 81 causes the treatment liquid discharge unit 40 to discharge the pretreatment liquid L such that one or both of the first requirement and the second requirement are satisfied. When the first requirement is satisfied, a relatively large amount of the pretreatment liquid L is discharged to the end portion M2a of the region M2. Therefore, even if the pretreatment liquid L discharged to the end portion M2a spreads toward the outside of the region M2, the balance between the amount of the pretreatment liquid L and the amount of the ink I in the region M2 can be appropriately maintained. When the second requirement is satisfied, the pretreatment liquid L is less likely to spread from the inner part toward the outer part of the region M2. Therefore, the balance between the amount of the pretreatment liquid L and the amount of the ink I in the region M2 can be appropriately maintained. According to the present embodiment, by satisfying the first requirement and / or the second requirement, deterioration of image quality caused by an unbalanced ratio between the amount of the pretreatment liquid L and the amount of the ink I can be prevented. The deterioration of image quality is, for example, color dropout of the ink I or weakening of color development of the ink I.

[0049] The CPU 81 causes the treatment liquid discharge unit 40 to discharge the pretreatment liquid L such that the first requirement is satisfied. When the first requirement is satisfied, compared with the case where the second requirement is satisfied, the usage amount of the pretreatment liquid L can be reduced because the pretreatment liquid L is not discharged to the outside of the region M2.

[0050] Among the front end and the rear end of the region M2, the front end has a longer time between the time when the pretreatment liquid L discharged by the treatment liquid discharge unit 40 lands and the time when the ink I discharged by the ink discharge unit 30 lands. The longer this time is, the more easily the pretreatment liquid L spreads to the surroundings and the concentration of the pretreatment liquid L tends to decrease. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a relatively large amount of the pretreatment liquid L is discharged to the end portion M2a where the concentration tends to decrease. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent deterioration of image quality.

[0051] The CPU 81 causes the pretreatment liquid L to be discharged onto the fabric M conveyed rearward, and causes the ink I to be discharged onto the fabric M conveyed rearward. In this case, compared with the case where the pretreatment liquid L is discharged onto the fabric M conveyed rearward and the ink I is discharged onto the fabric M conveyed forward, the above-mentioned time can be shortened. Accordingly, spreading of the pretreatment liquid L can be suppressed, and the amount of the pretreatment liquid L to be discharged onto the end portion M2a for preventing image quality deterioration can be reduced.

[0052] The transport speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged to the portion M2b of region M2 other than the end is higher than the transport speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged to the end M2a of region M2. The transport speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged to the inner portion of region M2 is higher than the transport speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged to the outer portion of the front end of region M2. This configuration is particularly effective when it is difficult to change the discharge amount by controlling the treatment liquid discharge unit 40, and the first and / or second requirements can be satisfied with simple control. For example, in a configuration in which the treatment liquid discharge unit 40 includes a spray nozzle 41, as in this embodiment, it is relatively difficult to change the discharge amount by adjusting the rotation amount of the pump 45.

[0053] The CPU 81 discharges the pre-treatment liquid L from the processing liquid discharge unit 40 so that the second requirement is met. When the second requirement is met, the spread of the pre-treatment liquid L from the inner part to the outer part of region M2 can be effectively suppressed.

[0054] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 6.

[0055] The printer according to the second embodiment differs from the printer 1 according to the first embodiment in that the positions B1, B2, B3 where the ink ejection unit 30 is located and the recording position P3 are located further forward than in the first embodiment, and the content of the recording process executed by the CPU 81 is different.

[0056] In the recording process, the CPU 81 first causes the fabric M placed at the placement position P1 to be transported backward by the transport unit 15, as shown in Figure 6(a) (Step 1B). The fabric M is transported while being supported by the platen 12 shown in Figure 2.

[0057] After step 1B, the CPU 81 causes the fabric M, which is supported by the platen 12 and transported backward by the transport unit 15, to discharge pre-treatment liquid L from the processing liquid discharge unit 40, as shown in Figure 6(b) (step 2B). As the fabric M passes the processing liquid discharge position P2, the pre-treatment liquid L is discharged from the processing liquid discharge unit 40 and lands in area M1.

[0058] In step 2B, the CPU 81 discharges the pre-treatment liquid L from the processing liquid discharge unit 40 such that both the first and second requirements are met.

[0059] The first requirement is that the amount of pretreatment liquid L at the end M2a of region M2 is greater than the amount of pretreatment liquid L at the portion M2b other than the end of region M2.

[0060] In this embodiment, the amount of pretreatment liquid L is greater towards the rear of region M2. In region M2, of the front end (one end in the front-rear direction) and the rear end (the other end in the front-rear direction), the rear end corresponds to end M2a. The rear end is included in the rearmost region of the three regions obtained by dividing region M2 into three equal parts in the front-rear direction.

[0061] In this embodiment, the direction in which the fabric M is transported when the ink I is discharged is opposite to the direction in which the fabric M is transported when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged. Therefore, in this embodiment, of the front and rear ends of region M2, the time between the point in time when the pretreatment liquid L discharged by the treatment liquid discharge unit 40 lands and the point in time when the ink I discharged by the ink discharge unit 30 lands is longer at the rear end.

[0062] The second requirement is that the amount of pretreatment solution L in the outer part of region M2 is greater than the amount of pretreatment solution L in the inner part of region M2.

[0063] In this embodiment, the second requirement is met at the rear end of region M2. That is, at the rear end of region M2, the amount of pretreatment liquid L in the outer portion of region M2 is greater than the amount of pretreatment liquid L in the inner portion of region M2.

[0064] The CPU 81 changes the amount of pre-treatment liquid L in region M2 by adjusting the transport speed of the fabric M by the transport unit 15. Specifically, the CPU 81 gradually increases the transport speed from the start to the end of the period during which the pre-treatment liquid L is discharged to the treatment liquid discharge unit 40 for region M1.

[0065] Therefore, the transport speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged to the portion M2b of region M2 other than the end is higher than the transport speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged to the end M2a of region M2. The amount of pretreatment liquid L at the end M2a of region M2 is greater than the amount of pretreatment liquid L at the portion M2b of region M2 other than the end. The transport speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged to the portion M2b of region M2 other than the end corresponds to the "first speed" of this disclosure. The transport speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged to the end M2a of region M2 corresponds to the "second speed" of this disclosure.

[0066] The transport speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged to the inner portion of region M2 is higher than the transport speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged to the outer portion of the front end of region M2. The amount of pretreatment liquid L in the outer portion of region M2 is greater than the amount of pretreatment liquid L in the inner portion of region M2. The transport speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged to the inner portion of region M2 corresponds to the "first speed" of this disclosure. The transport speed when the pretreatment liquid L is discharged to the outer portion of the front end of region M2 corresponds to the "second speed" of this disclosure.

[0067] After region M2 has passed the recording position P3, the CPU 81 switches the transport direction and causes the transport unit 15 to transport the fabric M forward, as shown in Figure 6(c).

[0068] Then, the CPU 81 causes ink I to be ejected from the ink ejection unit 30 to the fabric M, which is supported by the platen 12 and transported forward by the transport unit 15, as shown in Figures 6(c) and 6(d) (step 3B). In step 3B, as the fabric M passes the recording position P3, the CPU 81 sequentially ejects ink I from the ink ejection unit 30 from the front end to the rear end of the region M2. As a result, an image of ink dots is recorded in the region M2.

[0069] After step 3B, the CPU 81 has the fabric M transported by the transport unit 15 to the placement position P1 and discharged it to the outside of the housing 8 (step 4B). With this, the CPU 81 terminates the recording process.

[0070] As described above, according to this embodiment, the CPU 81 has the same configuration as the first embodiment and the same effects as the first embodiment can be obtained. For example, by discharging the pre-treatment liquid L from the processing liquid discharge unit 40 so that one or both of the first and second requirements are satisfied, it is possible to prevent deterioration of image quality due to an imbalance between the amount of pre-treatment liquid L and the amount of ink I.

[0071] <Third Embodiment> Next, with reference to Figure 7, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0072] The printer according to the third embodiment differs from the printer 1 according to the first embodiment in that the positions B1, B2, B3 where the ink ejection unit 30 is located and the recording position P3 are located further forward than in the first embodiment, and the content of the recording process executed by the CPU 81 is different.

[0073] In the recording process, the CPU 81 first causes the fabric M placed at the placement position P1 to be transported backward by the transport unit 15, as shown in Figure 7(a) (step 1C). The fabric M is transported while being supported by the platen 12 shown in Figure 2.

[0074] After step 1C, the CPU 81 causes the fabric M, which is supported by the platen 12 and transported backward by the transport unit 15, to discharge pre-treatment liquid L from the processing liquid discharge unit 40, as shown in Figure 7(b) (step 2C). As the fabric M passes the processing liquid discharge position P2, the pre-treatment liquid L is discharged from the processing liquid discharge unit 40 and lands in area M1.

[0075] In step 2C, the CPU 81 discharges the pre-treatment liquid L from the processing liquid discharge unit 40 so that both the first and second requirements are met.

[0076] The first requirement is that the amount of pretreatment liquid L at the end M2a of region M2 is greater than the amount of pretreatment liquid L at the portion M2b other than the end of region M2.

[0077] In this embodiment, end portion M2a is located at the rear end of region M2. End portion M2a is U-shaped and includes a first portion extending in the left-right direction and two second portions extending forward from both ends of the first portion in the left-right direction. The two second portions are the left-right ends of region M2. The left-right direction intersects the front-rear direction, which is the transport direction, and corresponds to the "intersecting direction" in this disclosure.

[0078] The second requirement is that the amount of pretreatment solution L in the outer part of region M2 is greater than the amount of pretreatment solution L in the inner part of region M2.

[0079] In this embodiment, the second requirement is met at the rear end portion of region M2. That is, at the rear end portion of region M2, the amount of pretreatment liquid L in the outer portion of region M2 is greater than the amount of pretreatment liquid L in the inner portion of region M2.

[0080] After region M2 has passed the recording position P3, the CPU 81 switches the transport direction and causes the transport unit 15 to transport the fabric M forward, as shown in Figure 7(c).

[0081] Then, the CPU 81 causes ink I to be ejected from the ink ejection unit 30 to the fabric M, which is supported by the platen 12 and transported forward by the transport unit 15, as shown in Figures 7(c) and 7(d) (step 3C). In step 3C, as the fabric M passes the recording position P3, the CPU 81 sequentially ejects ink I from the ink ejection unit 30 from the front end to the rear end of the region M2. As a result, an image of dots of ink I is recorded in the region M2.

[0082] After step 3C, the CPU 81 has the fabric M transported by the transport unit 15 to the placement position P1 and discharged it to the outside of the housing 8 (step 4C). With this, the CPU 81 terminates the recording process.

[0083] As described above, according to this embodiment, the CPU 81 has the same configuration as the first embodiment and the same effects as the first embodiment can be obtained. For example, by discharging the pre-treatment liquid L from the processing liquid discharge unit 40 so that one or both of the first and second requirements are satisfied, it is possible to prevent deterioration of image quality due to an imbalance between the amount of pre-treatment liquid L and the amount of ink I.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the end portion M2a includes the left-right end portion of region M2. This prevents deterioration of image quality at the left-right end portion.

[0085] <Fourth Embodiment> Next, with reference to Figure 8, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0086] The printer according to the fourth embodiment differs from the printer 1 according to the first embodiment in that the content of the recording process performed by the CPU 81 is different.

[0087] In this embodiment, the fabric M includes a portion supported by the platen 12 and a portion not supported by the platen 12, as shown in Figure 8. The portion not supported by the platen 12 includes a portion hanging down from the left end 12X of the platen 12 and a portion hanging down from the right end 12Y of the platen 12. The left end 12X and the right end 12Y correspond to the "ends of the support portion" in this disclosure.

[0088] In this case, the CPU 81 satisfies the second requirement by making the amount of pretreatment liquid L in the outer portion M2x of region M2 greater than the amount of pretreatment liquid L in the inner portion M2y of region M2. The outer portion M2x is the portion supported by the left end 12X and the right end 12Y of the platen 12.

[0089] In the portion of the fabric M supported by the ends 12X and 12Y of the platen 12, gravity easily causes the pre-treatment liquid L to flow out, and the concentration of the pre-treatment liquid L tends to become diluted. This problem is particularly likely to occur when the fabric M has a portion that hangs down, as in this embodiment. This problem can also occur when the fabric M does not have a portion that hangs down. Therefore, the CPU 81 discharges the pre-treatment liquid L from the processing liquid discharge unit 40 in the portion of the fabric M supported by the ends 12X and 12Y of the platen 12 so that the second requirement is satisfied. This prevents deterioration of image quality due to the flow of the pre-treatment liquid L at the ends 12X and 12Y of the platen 12.

[0090] <Modifications> Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various design modifications are possible as long as they are within the scope of the claims.

[0091] For example, in the embodiment described above, the control unit performs control so that both the first and second requirements are satisfied, but is not limited thereto. The control unit may perform control so that only one of the first and second requirements is satisfied.

[0092] The first and second requirements only need to be met in a portion of the second region, and do not need to be met in other parts of the second region. For example, there may be a portion in the center of the second region where the amount of processing liquid is partially larger.

[0093] The second region may have a portion that does not overlap with the first region. The second region may be smaller than the region supported by the support member.

[0094] The first requirement may be satisfied at the edges of the entire periphery of the second region. These edges are included in the second region.

[0095] The second requirement may be met in the outer portion of the entire periphery of the second region. This outer portion is not included in the second region.

[0096] In the embodiment described above, the first discharge unit is an injector having a spray nozzle, but it may have the same configuration as the second discharge unit.

[0097] To satisfy the first and / or second requirements, the rotation amount of the pump 45 constituting the first discharge section may be adjusted. Alternatively, if the first discharge section has the same configuration as the second discharge section, the drive of the actuator may be controlled to satisfy the first and / or second requirements.

[0098] The discharge of the processing fluid and the recording fluid to the second region may be performed simultaneously.

[0099] The second dispensing unit is not limited to a serial type as in the above-described embodiment, but may also be a line type.

[0100] The processing liquid is not limited to the pre-processing liquid according to the above embodiment, but may also be a post-processing liquid. The post-processing liquid is a processing liquid for forming the surface of the recording liquid. When the processing liquid is a post-processing liquid, for example, in the above embodiment, the post-processing liquid is discharged from the processing liquid discharge unit 40. The CPU 81 transports the platen 12 from the mounting position P1 toward the recording position P3. The CPU 81 discharges ink from the ink discharge unit 30 at the recording position P3. After this, the CPU 81 transports the platen 12 toward the processing liquid discharge position P2. The CPU 81 discharges the post-processing liquid from the processing liquid discharge unit 40 at the processing liquid discharge position P2. In this case as well, similar to the above embodiment, the time between the time when the post-processing liquid lands and the time when the ink I lands is longer at the front end and rear end of region M2 where ink is discharged first than at the other end where ink is discharged later.

[0101] The recording medium may have a portion supported by the support member and a portion that is not supported by the support member, as shown in Figure 8, or it may have only a portion supported by the support member.

[0102] The recording medium is not limited to the fabric according to the above embodiment, but may also be paper, leather, resin material, etc.

[0103] This disclosure is not limited to printers, but is also applicable to facsimile machines, copiers, multifunction devices, etc.

[0104] This disclosure is also applicable to liquid dispensing devices used for purposes other than image recording, such as liquid dispensing devices that dispense conductive liquid onto a substrate to form conductive patterns.

[0105] The program disclosed herein can be distributed by recording it on removable recording media such as flexible disks or fixed recording media such as hard disks, and can also be distributed via communication lines.

[0106] 1 Printer (liquid ejection device) 12 Platen (support part) 12X Left end (end) 12Y Right end (end) 15 Transport part 30 Ink ejection part (second ejection part) 40 Processing liquid ejection part (first ejection part) 81 CPU (control unit) I Ink (recording liquid) L Pre-processing liquid (processing liquid) M Fabric (recording medium) M1 Area (first area) M2 Area (second area) M2a End M2b Part other than the end M2x Outer part M2y Inner part

Claims

1. A liquid dispensing device comprising: a first dispensing unit for dispensing a processing liquid onto a first region of a recording medium; a second dispensing unit for dispensing a recording liquid onto a second region of the recording medium that overlaps with the first region; and a control unit, wherein the control unit causes the first dispensing unit to dispens the processing liquid such that one or both of the following conditions are met: a first requirement that the amount of processing liquid at the end of the second region is greater than the amount of processing liquid in the portion of the second region other than the end; and a second requirement that the amount of processing liquid in the outer portion of the second region is greater than the amount of processing liquid in the inner portion of the second region.

2. The liquid dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit causes the first dispensing unit to dispense the processing liquid so that the first requirement is satisfied.

3. A liquid dispensing device according to claim 2, further comprising a transport unit for transporting a recording medium in a transport direction, wherein the control unit causes the transport unit to transport the recording medium in the transport direction, causes the first dispensing unit to dispense the processing liquid onto the recording medium being transported in the transport direction by the transport unit, and causes the second dispensing unit to dispense the recording liquid onto the recording medium being transported in the transport direction by the transport unit, and the end is the end of the transport direction where the time between the time when the processing liquid dispensed from the first dispensing unit lands and the time when the recording liquid dispensed from the second dispensing unit lands is longer.

4. The liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the control unit causes the first dispensing unit to dispense the processing liquid to a recording medium being transported in one direction in the transport direction by the transport unit, and the second dispensing unit to dispense the recording liquid to a recording medium being transported in one direction in the transport direction by the transport unit.

5. A liquid dispensing device according to claim 2, further comprising a transport unit for transporting a recording medium, wherein the control unit causes the transport unit to transport the recording medium, causes the first dispensing unit to discharge the processing liquid to the end portion of the recording medium transported by the transport unit at a first speed, and causes the first dispensing unit to discharge the processing liquid to the portion of the recording medium other than the end portion transported by the transport unit at a second speed higher than the first speed.

6. A liquid dispensing device according to claim 2, further comprising a transport unit for transporting a recording medium in a transport direction, wherein the control unit causes the transport unit to transport the recording medium in the transport direction, causes the first dispensing unit to dispense the processing liquid onto the recording medium being transported in the transport direction by the transport unit, causes the second dispensing unit to dispense the recording liquid onto the recording medium being transported in the transport direction by the transport unit, and the end is an end in an intersecting direction that intersects the transport direction.

7. The liquid dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit causes the first dispensing unit to dispense the processing liquid so that the second requirement is satisfied.

8. The liquid dispensing device according to claim 7, further comprising a support portion for supporting a recording medium, wherein the control unit causes the first dispensing portion to dispense the processing liquid onto the recording medium supported by the support portion, and the second dispensing portion to dispense the recording liquid onto the recording medium supported by the support portion, and the outer portion is a portion supported at the end of the support portion.

9. A liquid dispensing device according to claim 7, further comprising a transport unit for transporting a recording medium, wherein the control unit causes the transport unit to transport the recording medium, causes the first dispensing unit to discharge the processing liquid onto the outer portion of the recording medium transported by the transport unit at a first speed, and causes the first dispensing unit to discharge the processing liquid onto the inner portion of the recording medium transported by the transport unit at a second speed higher than the first speed.

10. A control method for controlling a liquid dispensing device comprising a first dispensing unit for dispensing a processing liquid to a first region of a recording medium, and a second dispensing unit for dispensing a recording liquid to a second region of the recording medium that overlaps with the first region, characterized in that the first dispensing unit is caused to dispensing the processing liquid such that one or both of the following conditions are met: a first requirement that the amount of processing liquid at the end of the second region is greater than the amount of processing liquid in the portion of the second region other than the end, and a second requirement that the amount of processing liquid in the outer portion of the second region is greater than the amount of processing liquid in the inner portion of the second region.

11. A program characterized in that the control unit of a liquid dispensing device, which includes a first dispensing unit for dispensing processing liquid to a first region of a recording medium and a second dispensing unit for dispensing recording liquid to a second region of the recording medium that overlaps with the first region, functions as a control means for causing the first dispensing unit to dispense the processing liquid such that one or both of the following conditions are met: a first requirement that the amount of processing liquid at the end of the second region is greater than the amount of processing liquid in the portion of the second region other than the end, and a second requirement that the amount of processing liquid in the outer portion of the second region is greater than the amount of processing liquid in the inner portion of the second region.

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