JP4586751B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and more particularly to an image recording apparatus that records an image while holding a recording medium on a drum rotating body.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image recording apparatus that performs image recording while holding a recording medium on the outer peripheral surface of a drum rotating body has attracted attention (see, for example, Patent Document 1 to Patent Document 3). Since the image recording apparatus using the drum rotating body performs main scanning by rotating the drum rotating body holding the recording medium, the movement of the recording medium and the movement of the recording head can be matched with high accuracy. Therefore, there is a feature that a high-quality image can be recorded. Further, since the image can be recorded by the recording head while rotating the recording medium at a constant speed, there is an advantage that the production efficiency is high.

  In an image recording apparatus, generally, the shorter the distance between the recording surface of the recording medium and the ink ejection surface of the recording head, the higher the quality of recording can be made, so the distance between the ink ejection surface of the recording head and the recording surface of the recording medium. In many cases, there are few gaps. For this reason, when the recording medium is lifted or peeled off from the member that holds the recording medium, the lifted or peeled portion comes into contact with the ink ejection surface, and the recording head is damaged. There is a problem that an operation failure such as a jam occurs due to contact with the head.

  In particular, in the case of an image recording apparatus using photocurable ink, it is necessary to irradiate light to cure the ink. For this reason, there has been a problem that the recording medium is distorted due to the influence of heat generated from the light irradiation device, and the floating tends to occur.

  Furthermore, in the case of an image recording apparatus that uses a cationic polymerization type ink among photo-curable inks, in order to prevent the influence of temperature and humidity on ink curing, the recording medium and the ink on the recording medium are heated, It is known that the photocuring reaction needs to be activated (see, for example, Patent Document 4). As described above, when the recording medium itself is heated, similarly, there is a problem that the recording medium is distorted and easily floats.

As a technique for detecting such a holding failure of a recording medium or the like, a displacement sensor is mounted on an image recording apparatus using a drum rotating body, and whether or not the recording medium is lifted or peeled using this displacement sensor is determined. A technique for detection is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 5).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-38820 JP-A-10-138517 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-118065 JP 2002-137375 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-331643

  However, as in the technique described in Patent Document 5, the means for detecting whether or not the recording medium is lifted or peeled using the displacement sensor can detect only a limited portion of the recording medium. In order to prevent a malfunction due to the floating or peeling of the recording medium, it is necessary to appropriately detect the floating or peeling in the width direction of the recording medium.

  In addition, if the recording medium is lifted or peeled off, it may cause malfunction such as a jam if the holding state of the recording medium is not corrected, such as holding the recording medium again if necessary, There is a problem that image recording cannot be continued properly.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and it is possible to prevent malfunction by detecting the floating or peeling of the recording medium and correcting the holding state of the recording medium. An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus.

In order to solve such a problem, the image recording apparatus according to claim 1, a drum rotating body including a suction device that sucks and holds a recording medium for recording an image by air suction;
A rotating mechanism for rotating the drum rotating body in the main scanning direction;
In an image recording apparatus comprising a control unit for controlling the suction device,
A recording head for ejecting ink droplets onto the recording medium;
An irradiation device for irradiating light for curing the photocurable ink ejected to the recording medium;
A detection device that detects floating or peeling of the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction;
When the detection device detects floating or peeling of the recording medium, the control unit controls the suction device to change the suction amount of the air suction ,
The detection device has a predetermined distance from the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body so that the optical axis is parallel to the rotation axis of the drum rotating body and traverses the entire maximum width of the recording medium supported by the drum rotating body. A non-contact detection of the floating or peeling of the recording medium held on the drum rotating body by blocking the light beam of the photoelectric sensor or changing the reflected light, and It is provided downstream in the main scanning direction .

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the first aspect, when the floating or peeling of the recording medium is detected by the detection device, the control unit sets the suction amount of the air suction. The suction device is controlled so as to increase.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the detection device detects the floating or peeling of the recording medium, and the control unit determines the suction amount of the air suction. After the suction device is controlled to be changed, when the detection device detects the floating or peeling of the recording medium, the control unit is configured to reduce or stop the rotation of the drum rotating body. It is characterized by controlling the driving of

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, when the rotation of the drum rotating body is decelerated or stopped, the control unit The suction device is controlled so as to reduce the suction amount of suction.

The invention according to claim 5 is the image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a roller for pressing the recording medium.
When the floating of the recording medium is detected by the detection device, the control unit presses the recording medium by the roller.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, a heating device for heating the recording medium is provided.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the sixth aspect, the heating device is heated by light irradiation.

The invention according to claim 8, wherein the image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to claim 1, has occurred the outer or lifting or peeling of the detection position and the drum rotor of the detection device The distance between the recording surface of the recording medium in the absence of the recording medium is the recording surface of the recording medium in a state where the ink ejection surface of the recording head and the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body or the floating or peeling are not generated. It is characterized by being shorter than the distance between.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the detection device detects whether or not the recording medium floats or peels off in the sub-scanning direction (the width direction of the recording medium), and detects whether the recording medium floats or peels off. Since the suction amount of the air suction by the suction device is changed, the holding state of the recording medium can be corrected as necessary, and the malfunction of the image recording device due to the floating or peeling of the recording medium can be prevented. There is an effect that you can.
When recording is performed with an ink jet recording head, if the recording medium comes into contact with the ink ejection surface of the recording head, the ink ejection surface is damaged, or ink adheres to the recording medium and becomes dirty. However, according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to detect and appropriately deal with floating or peeling that has occurred on the recording medium. Therefore, when such an ink jet recording head is used. In addition, it is possible to prevent the recording medium from coming into contact with the ink ejection surface and to prevent the occurrence of malfunction of the image recording apparatus.
Further, when image recording is performed using photocurable ink, even when the recording medium is heated by light irradiation for curing the ink, the image recording apparatus that appropriately detects the floating or peeling generated on the recording medium. However, there is an effect that it can be dealt with so as not to cause malfunction.
Furthermore, since the detection device can detect the floating or peeling of the recording medium in a non-contact manner over the entire width of the recording medium, even if the floating or peeling occurs anywhere in the sub-scanning direction (the width direction of the recording medium) The floating or peeling of the recording medium can be easily detected without damaging the surface of the recording medium. Thus, there is an effect that it is possible to appropriately detect the floating of the recording medium and cope with the image recording apparatus so as not to cause a malfunction.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the floating or peeling of the recording medium is detected by the detection device, the suction amount of the air suction by the suction device is increased, so that the floating or peeling of the recording medium can be eliminated. It is possible to prevent the malfunction of the image recording apparatus due to the floating or peeling of the recording medium.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, after the detection device detects the floating or peeling of the recording medium, if the floating or peeling is not eliminated even if the removal is attempted by operating the suction device, Reduce or stop rotation. For this reason, it is possible to prevent each part of the image recording apparatus from being damaged due to the recording medium that has been lifted or peeled off coming into contact with each part of the image recording apparatus, or the recording medium from becoming dirty or jammed. The effect of.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the floating or peeling is not eliminated and the rotation of the drum rotating body is decelerated or stopped, the suction amount of the suction device is reduced. When the holding state of the medium can be corrected, the recording medium can be removed from the drum rotating body, maintenance or rewinding of the recording medium can be performed, and the operation for starting a new recording operation can be easily performed. The effect of.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the floating or peeling of the recording medium is detected, the recording medium is pressed by the roller, so that the floating or peeling of the recording medium can be eliminated.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, even if the recording medium is heated and the floating or peeling is likely to occur, the floating or peeling of the recording medium is appropriately detected so that the image recording apparatus does not malfunction. There is an effect that you can.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, even when the recording medium is heated by light irradiation, it is possible to appropriately detect floating or peeling that has occurred on the recording medium so that the image recording apparatus does not cause a malfunction. There is an effect that you can.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the distance between the detection position of the detection device and the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body is shorter than the distance between the ink ejection surface and the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body. When the recording medium is lifted or peeled off, the floating or peeling can be detected before the recording medium comes into contact with the ink ejection surface, thereby preventing the occurrence of malfunction of the image recording apparatus. There is an effect that you can.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image recording apparatus 1 is provided with an apparatus base 2 for fixing each member for performing image recording. The apparatus base 2 is provided with a substantially cylindrical drum rotating body 4 that supports a recording medium 3 (see FIG. 2) on the outer peripheral surface. The drum rotating body 4 includes a rotating shaft 5 provided so as to be substantially concentric with the central axis of the drum rotating body 4, and the rotating shaft 5 is pivotally supported by a support body 6 erected on the apparatus base 2. ing. The drum rotating body 4 is constant in a predetermined rotation direction (hereinafter referred to as “main scanning direction X”) that is a circumferential direction of the drum rotating body 4 by rotating the rotating shaft 5 by the rotating mechanism 7 (see FIG. 4). It can rotate at speed.

  The drum rotating body 4 is hollow, and a plurality of suction holes (not shown) penetrating from the outer surface to the inner surface are formed in the peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4. The suction hole is, for example, a hole having a diameter of about 1.5 mm, and is provided in the entire region that supports the recording medium 3. A suction device 9 (see FIG. 4) that performs air suction via a suction tube (not shown) is connected to the inside of the drum rotating body 4. When the suction device 9 performs air suction, air is sucked into the drum rotating body 4 from the outside through the suction holes, and the recording medium 3 is sucked and held on the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4.

  The recording medium 3 held by the drum rotating body 4 is a recording medium 3 made of various materials such as plain paper, recycled paper and glossy paper, various fabrics, various non-woven fabrics, resin and metal. Although it is possible, a hard or thick object that cannot be wound around the drum-type drum rotating body 4 is not suitable. In the present embodiment, since the recording medium 3 is held on the drum rotating body 4 by air suction, recording media that are difficult to suck and hold by air suction, such as those with low confidentiality, are also recorded. Not suitable as 3. Further, as the form of the recording medium 3, various forms that can be held on the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4 such as a cut sheet form or a roll paper fed from a paper feeding mechanism (not shown) can be applied. is there.

  A carriage guide member 10 that extends in the axial direction of the drum rotating body 4 is provided on the apparatus base 2 so as to be substantially parallel to the rotating shaft 5 of the drum rotating body 4. A carriage support 14 that supports a carriage 13 is supported on the carriage guide member 10, and the carriage support 14 is moved in the main scanning direction along the carriage guide member 10 by a carriage moving mechanism 15 configured by, for example, a linear motor or the like. The reciprocation is possible in the sub-scanning direction Y orthogonal to X. The mechanism for reciprocating the carriage 13 in the sub-scanning direction Y is not limited to the one illustrated here.

  The carriage 13 supported by the carriage support 14 has each color (for example, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), black (K)) used in the image recording apparatus 1 in the present embodiment. Are arranged so as to be parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction. One surface of the recording head 11 is an ink ejection surface 12 provided with a plurality of nozzles (not shown) for ejecting ink. For example, a piezo element (not shown) as a piezoelectric element that is deformed by applying a voltage is attached to the nozzle of each recording head 11, and the piezo element is deformed by applying a driving voltage to the piezo element. Thus, the ink flow path is compressed and ink is ejected from the nozzles. The recording head 11 is arranged so that the ink discharge surface 12 faces the recording medium 3 on the drum rotating body 4, and the ink discharged from the recording head 11 is a predetermined amount of the recording medium 3 on the drum rotating body 4. The position is adjusted to land on the position.

  Note that the number and arrangement of the recording heads 11 are not limited to those exemplified here, and a configuration in which a plurality of recording heads 11 are provided in other arrangement patterns may be employed. The ink used in the image recording apparatus 1 is not limited to the exemplified ones. For example, color ink such as light yellow (LY), light magenta (LM), and light cyan (LC), transparent ink, white ink, and the like are used. It can also be used. In this case, the recording head 11 corresponding to each color is mounted on the carriage 13.

  An irradiation device guide member 18 extending in the axial direction of the drum rotator 4 is located at a position facing the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotator 4 and downstream of the carriage 13 in the main scanning direction X. The guide member 10 is provided substantially in parallel. The irradiation device guide member 18 supports an ultraviolet irradiation device 19 that is an irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet rays as light for curing and fixing the ink ejected and landed on the recording medium 3, and the irradiation device moving mechanism 20 ( 4), the carriage 13 can be reciprocated in the sub-scanning direction Y along the irradiation device guide member 18 as the carriage 13 moves.

  The ultraviolet irradiation device 19 has an ultraviolet light source 21 that irradiates ultraviolet rays. As the ultraviolet light source 21, for example, a high pressure mercury lamp, a low pressure mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp, a semiconductor laser, a cold cathode tube, an excimer lamp, or an LED (Light Emitting Diode) can be applied. Is not limited to those exemplified here.

In addition, a heating device 22 that heats the recording medium 3 in a non-contact manner is disposed at a position facing the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4 and upstream of the carriage 13 in the main scanning direction X. 4 over almost the entire width. The heating device 22 is a radiant heater such as a halogen heater, for example, and can uniformly heat the recording medium 3 over its entire width. As this radiation type heater, a structure in which a metal plate is disposed facing the recording surface of the recording medium 3 and the metal plate is heated by electromagnetic induction heating to generate heat may be used. Since these non-contact type heaters can heat the object from a remote position, the recording medium 3 is not damaged without damaging the surface of the recording medium 3 or obstructing the conveyance of the recording medium 3. Can be heated.
Note that the heating device 22 does not need to heat the recording medium 3 in a non-contact manner, and the position and type of the heating device 22 are not particularly limited. For example, a heating plate or the like formed in a sheet shape is provided inside the drum rotating body 4 as the heating device 22 so that heating is performed uniformly from the non-recording surface side of the recording medium 3 over the entire width of the recording medium 3. Also good.

  Further, on both sides of the drum rotating body 4, there are a photoelectric sensor light emitting unit 23 that emits light such as laser light, visible light, and infrared light, and a photoelectric sensor light receiving unit 24 that receives light from the photoelectric sensor light emitting unit 23. The rotating body 4 is provided so as to face the width direction (sub-scanning direction Y), and an optical axis 23 a of light emitted from a light source (not shown) provided in the photoelectric sensor light emitting unit 23 is supported by the drum rotating body 3. Across the entire maximum width of the recording medium. The photoelectric sensor light emitting unit 23 and the photoelectric sensor light receiving unit 24 constitute a detection device 25 that detects non-contacting of the floating or peeling of the recording medium in the sub-scanning direction (width direction of the recording medium) Y.

  When the recording medium 3 is not lifted or peeled off, the light from the photoelectric sensor light emitting unit 23 is received by the photoelectric sensor light receiving unit 24. However, when the recording medium 3 is lifted or peeled off, the light from the photoelectric sensor light emitting unit 23 is lifted. The photoelectric sensor light receiving unit 24 does not receive the light. In this way, the detection device 25 determines whether or not the light from the photoelectric sensor light-emitting unit 23 is received by the photoelectric sensor light-receiving unit 24 or the light reflected from the light reflected from the photoelectric sensor light-emitting unit 23 on the recording medium 3. It is detected whether or not the recording medium 3 supported by the drum rotating body 4 is lifted or peeled off due to the change.

  The detection device 25 has a recording surface of the recording medium 3 in a state where the optical axis 23a of the light source is substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the drum rotating body 4 and the drum rotating body 4 does not float or peel off. It is arrange | positioned so that it may become predetermined distance from.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the distance from the optical axis (detection position of the detection device) 23a of the light source to the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4 or the recording surface of the recording medium 3 in a state where no floating or peeling occurs is expressed as Da. When the distance between the ink ejection surface 12 of the recording head 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4 or the recording surface of the recording medium 3 in a state where no floating or peeling occurs is defined as Db, Da is larger than Db. Short is preferred. By disposing the detection device 25 at a position where Da is shorter than Db, when the recording medium 3 is lifted or peeled off, the place where the recording medium 3 is lifted or peeled off is the ink ejection surface of the recording head 11. The detection device 25 can detect the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3 before it is lifted from the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4 to such an extent that it contacts with 12.

  Further, the position is opposed to the drum rotating body 4, and is downstream of the detection device 25 in the main scanning direction (rotating direction of the drum rotating body 4) X and upstream of the recording head 11 in the main scanning direction X. On the side, a pressing roller 27 that presses the recording medium 3 held on the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4 is provided in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4. The pressing roller 27 is rotationally driven by a roller driving mechanism 28.

  Note that the pressing roller 27 is not limited to the one that is rotationally driven by the roller driving mechanism 28, and may be a driven roller that rotates along with the rotation of the drum rotating body 4, for example. The pressure roller 27 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotator 4 when at least the detection device 25 detects that the recording medium 3 is lifted or peeled off. It suffices if it is configured so that it can be pressed against the surface, and it is not always necessary to be in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4. For example, when it is not necessary to press the recording medium 3, the recording medium 3 may be configured to retract from the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4.

Here, the ink used in this embodiment will be described.
The ink used in the present embodiment is an ultraviolet curable ink having a property of being cured when irradiated with ultraviolet rays as light, and at least a polymerizable compound (including a known polymerizable compound) as a main component. And a photoinitiator and a coloring material. The photocurable ink is roughly classified into a radical polymerization ink containing a radical polymerizable compound as a polymerizable compound and a cationic polymerization ink containing a cationic polymerizable compound. Both inks are included in this embodiment. Each can be applied as an ink to be used. Further, a hybrid ink in which radical polymerization ink and cation polymerization ink are combined may be applied as the ink used in this embodiment. However, since cationic polymerization inks that have little or no inhibitory action on polymerization reaction due to oxygen are superior in functionality and versatility, it is particularly preferable to use cationic polymerization inks. The cationic polymerization ink is a mixture containing at least a cationic polymerizable compound such as an oxetane compound, an epoxy compound, and a vinyl ether compound, a photocationic initiator, and a coloring material.

  Next, the control configuration of the image recording apparatus 1 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the image recording apparatus 1 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various control programs, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores image data and the like. ) (Both not shown) and the like are provided. The control unit 30 develops various programs recorded in the ROM in a work area of the RAM and executes them by the CPU.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 30 includes an image processing unit 31, a recording head 11, a head driving unit 32 that drives the recording head 11, a carriage moving mechanism 15 that moves the carriage 13 in the sub-scanning direction Y, and the drum rotating body 4. A rotation mechanism 7 for rotating the recording medium, a suction device 9 for sucking and holding the recording medium 3 on the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4, a detection device 25 for detecting the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3, a roller driving mechanism 28 for driving the pressing roller, A heating device 22 for heating the recording medium, an ultraviolet irradiation device 19 and an irradiation device moving mechanism 20 for moving the recording medium are electrically connected, and the control unit 30 drives and controls each of the above components. Yes.

  The image processing unit 14 decodes the encoded input image data sent from the external host system 33 via the interface (I / F) 34 so that the data can be processed by the image recording apparatus 1. It is sent to the drive unit 32. An external device (not shown) such as a PC (Personal Computer) is connected to the host system 33 through a network (not shown), and the host system 33 and the external device send image data for recording to the image recording device 1. The input for controlling the entire operation of the image recording apparatus 1 is performed.

  Based on the signal sent from the control unit 30, the head drive unit 32 records the pulse voltage applied to the piezoelectric element (not shown) of the recording head 11 so as to record the data related to the recorded image obtained by the image processing unit 31. The ink ejection from the nozzles of the recording head 11 is controlled by the application. Note that the control unit 30 may cause the ink to be ejected from the nozzles of the recording head 11 only while the carriage 13 is moving in one direction (for example, the forward direction of movement). A configuration may be adopted in which recording is performed by ejecting ink when scanning in any of the backward directions.

  The carriage moving mechanism 15 is, for example, a linear motor that drives the carriage support 14 that supports the carriage 13, and the control unit 30 drives and controls the linear motor, whereby the carriage 13 supported by the carriage support 14 is moved to the carriage guide. Scanning in the sub-scanning direction Y is performed along the member 10.

  The rotation mechanism 7 includes a motor or the like (not shown). The rotation mechanism 7 controls the drum rotating body 4 that supports the recording medium 3 at a constant peripheral speed in the main scanning direction (rotation direction) under the control of the control unit 30. Rotate to X.

  The control unit 30 operates the suction device 9 to suck and hold the recording medium 3 on the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4.

  The control unit 30 controls the irradiation device moving mechanism 20 to move the ultraviolet irradiation device 19 so as to follow the movement of the carriage 13, and operates the ultraviolet irradiation device 19 to be discharged onto the recording medium 3. The ink is irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

  The control unit 30 controls the heating device 22 to heat the recording medium 3 to a temperature suitable for recording.

  Further, a detection result indicating whether or not the recording medium 3 is peeled off is sent from the detection device 25 to the control unit 30, and the control unit 30 controls each unit according to the detection result of the detection device 25. To do.

  That is, when a detection result indicating that floating or peeling has occurred in at least a part of the recording medium 3 is sent from the detection device 25, the control unit 30 sucks air suction to eliminate the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3. The operation of the suction device 9 is controlled so as to increase the amount. Further, the roller driving mechanism 28 is controlled to rotate the pressing roller to press the recording medium 3 against the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4 so as to eliminate the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3.

  When the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3 is not eliminated by suction or the like by the suction device 9, the control unit 30 controls the rotation mechanism 7 so as to decelerate or temporarily stop the rotation of the drum rotating body 4. Further, when the rotation of the drum rotating body 4 is decelerated or stopped, the control unit 30 controls the operation of the suction device 9 so as to reduce the suction amount of air suction.

  Next, the operation in this embodiment will be described.

  When a signal for starting image recording is input from an external device or the like via the host system 33, the control unit 30 operates the ultraviolet irradiation device 19 to turn on the ultraviolet light source 21 and controls the rotation mechanism 7. The recording medium 3 is rotated in the main scanning direction X with the support drum rotating body 4 at a constant peripheral speed. Further, the control unit 30 drives and controls the heating device 22 to heat the recording medium 3.

  Then, the control unit 30 operates the carriage moving mechanism 15 to move the carriage 13 in the sub-scanning direction (width direction of the recording medium) Y in synchronization with the rotation of the drum rotating body 4 and to perform predetermined image recording information. Based on the above, a pulse voltage is applied from the head drive unit 32 to the piezoelectric element of the recording head 11, and ink is ejected from the nozzles of the recording head 11 in synchronization with the rotation of the drum rotating body 4. The control unit 30 controls the irradiation device moving mechanism 20 to move the ultraviolet irradiation device 19 in the sub-scanning direction Y as the carriage 13 moves, and operates the ultraviolet irradiation device 19 to land on the recording medium 3. The ink is irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet light source 21, whereby the ink is cured.

  The state of the recording medium 3 supported on the drum rotating body 4 is detected by a detection device 25 as needed. When the detection device 25 detects that at least a part of the recording medium 3 is floated or peeled off, the control unit 30 attempts to eliminate the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3 by increasing the suction amount of the suction device 9. After the suction amount of the suction device 9 is increased, if the detection device 25 does not detect the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3, the control unit 30 determines that the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3 has been resolved and resumes the recording operation. To do.

  When the detection device 25 detects the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3 even after the suction amount of the suction device 9 is increased, the control unit 30 determines that the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3 has not been resolved, and the rotation mechanism. 7 is controlled so that the rotation of the drum rotating body 4 is decelerated or once stopped, and then rotated at a reduced speed. Even if the pressing by the pressing roller 27 is performed, the recording medium 3 or the like is not damaged, and the rotating speed of the drum rotating body 4 decreases to a speed at which the pressing operation can be performed, or the pressing by the pressing roller 27 is possible after the rotation is temporarily stopped When the rotation of the drum rotating body 4 starts at the speed, the control unit 30 controls the roller driving mechanism 28 to drive the pressing roller 27 and performs the pressing operation of the recording medium 3. Further, at this time, the suction amount of the suction device 9 may be decreased. By reducing the suction amount of the suction device 9, the recording medium 3 is likely to spread on the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4 when pressed by the pressing roller 27, and the recording medium 3 floats or peels off without causing wrinkles or the like. Can be eliminated.

  If the detection device 25 does not detect the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3 after the pressing operation by the pressing roller 27, the control unit 30 determines that the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3 has been resolved, and the pressing operation by the pressing roller 27. Is stopped and the recording operation is restarted.

  When the detection device 25 detects the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3 even after the pressing operation by the pressing roller 27, the control unit 30 determines that the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3 is not eliminated and correction is impossible. Then, the rotation of the drum rotating body 4 is stopped, and the recording operation is stopped.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the detection device 25 detects the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3, the suction amount of the air suction by the suction device 9 is increased. And the malfunction of the image recording apparatus 1 due to the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3 can be prevented.

  In addition, after the detection device 25 detects the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3, if the floating or peeling is not eliminated even if the removal is attempted by operating the suction device 9, the rotation of the drum rotating body 4 is decelerated or stopped. In addition, since the recording medium 3 is pressed by the pressing roller 27, it is possible to eliminate floating or peeling without damaging the recording medium 3.

  In addition, since the detection device 25 can detect the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3 in a non-contact manner over the entire width of the recording medium 3, the floating or peeling occurs anywhere in the sub-scanning direction (width direction of the recording medium) Y. Even when the recording medium 3 is present, the floating or peeling of the recording medium 3 can be easily detected without damaging the surface of the recording medium 3.

  Further, since the distance between the detection position of the detection device 25 and the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotator 4 is shorter than the distance between the ink discharge surface 12 and the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotator 4, the recording medium 3 floats or When peeling occurs, the floating or peeling can be detected before the recording medium 3 comes into contact with the ink ejection surface 12, and the occurrence of malfunction of the image recording apparatus 1 can be prevented.

  In the present embodiment, as the detection mechanism 25, the photoelectric sensor light emitting unit 23 and the photoelectric sensor light receiving unit 24 are arranged on both sides of the drum rotating body 4, and the optical axis of the light source provided in the photoelectric sensor light emitting unit 23. Although the example in which the recording medium 3 is configured so as to cross the entire maximum width of the recording medium 3 supported by the drum rotating body 3 has been described, the detection device 25 detects whether or not the recording medium 3 has floated or peeled off. The configuration and arrangement are not limited to those illustrated here as long as they are possible.

  For example, a light emitting unit that irradiates light such as visible light or infrared light and a light receiving unit that detects the light, and the light receiving unit receives light emitted from the light emitting unit to measure the distance to the recording medium 3. Thus, a detection device configured to detect whether the recording medium 3 is appropriately supported on the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4 or whether the recording medium 3 is lifted or peeled off may be applied. Further, for example, as a detection device, a contact sensor is provided at a position very close to the surface of the recording medium 3, and when the recording medium 3 floats or peels off, the sensor contacts the recording medium 3 to detect peeling. Also good.

  When such a detection device is used, the detection position of the detection device is a position where the light emitting unit, the light receiving unit, or the contact sensor is provided. The distance between the recording surface of the recording medium 3 and the recording surface of the recording medium 3 in a state where no peeling occurs is Da, and the ink discharge surface 12 of the recording head 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body 4 or a state where no floating or peeling occurs. When the distance from the recording surface of the recording medium 3 is Db, Da is preferably shorter than Db. In addition, when such a detection device is used, in order to appropriately detect whether or not the recording medium 3 is floated or peeled over the entire surface of the recording medium 3, the detection device is arranged in the width direction of the recording medium 3. It is preferable to provide a plurality.

  In this embodiment, the image recording apparatus 1 reciprocates the recording head 11 mounted on the carriage 13 in the axial direction (sub-scanning direction Y) of the drum rotating body 4 and moves the recording medium 3 in the main scanning direction (rotation). In the serial type image recording apparatus 1 for recording an image by ejecting ink from each recording head 11 while being conveyed in the direction X, the recording head is arranged over the entire width of the recording medium 3, and the drum rotating body 4. A line type image recording apparatus that records an image by ejecting ink from the recording head while rotating the recording head may be used.

  In the case of a line type image recording apparatus, for example, a recording head corresponding to each color ink is fixed on a support plate to form a unit. In addition, the recording head may be formed to have a length dimension that extends over the entire width of the recording medium 3. For example, a plurality of recording heads having a length dimension smaller than the entire width of the recording medium 3 are arranged in a staggered manner. You may make it comprise the head unit over. In this case, the ultraviolet irradiation device 19 may be provided so as to be arranged over the entire width of the recording medium 3 as in the case of the recording head, or can be moved in the width direction of the recording medium 3 as in the case of the serial system. It may be configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays while reciprocating in the width direction of the recording medium 3.

  In the present embodiment, the heating device 22 for heating the recording medium 3 is provided. However, the recording medium 3 may be heated by light irradiation from the ultraviolet irradiation device 19 or waste heat from the device. . In this case, it is not necessary to provide the heating device 22 separately.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the ultraviolet irradiation device 19 is configured to be movable in the width direction of the recording medium 3 and is irradiated with ultraviolet rays while reciprocating in the width direction of the recording medium 3. You may make it arrange | position a long ultraviolet irradiation apparatus over the full width. In this case, it is not necessary to provide a mechanism for moving the ultraviolet irradiation device.

  In this embodiment, image recording is performed using ink that is cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays as light. However, the ink is not necessarily limited to this, and for example, electron beam, X-ray, visible The ink may be cured by irradiating light other than ultraviolet rays such as light rays and electromagnetic waves such as infrared rays. In this case, a polymerizable compound that is polymerized and cured with light other than ultraviolet light and a photoinitiator that initiates a polymerization reaction between the polymerizable compounds with light other than ultraviolet light are applied to the ink. In addition, in the case of using a photocurable ink that is cured by light other than ultraviolet rays, an irradiation device that irradiates the light is applied instead of the ultraviolet irradiation device 19. Furthermore, an ink that is cured without being irradiated with light may be used, and in this case, there is no need to provide an irradiation device.

  In this embodiment, the ink jet type image recording apparatus 1 that discharges ink droplets from the recording head 11 has been described as an example. However, the recording method is not limited to the example illustrated here. A non-impact method other than the inkjet method, such as a thermal transfer method or a laser method, or an impact method can be applied.

  Further, the recording head 11 used in the image recording apparatus 1 according to the present invention may be an on-demand system or a continuous system. In addition, as a discharge method, for example, an electro-mechanical conversion method (for example, a single cavity type, a double cavity type, a bender type, a piston type, a shear mode type, a shared wall type, etc.), an electro-thermal conversion method (for example, , Thermal ink jet type, bubble jet (registered trademark) type), electrostatic suction type (for example, electric field control type, slit jet type, etc.) and discharge type (for example, spark jet type, etc.) May be used.

  In addition, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate.

1 is a front view illustrating a schematic configuration of an image recording apparatus in the present embodiment. It is a side view which shows schematic structure of the image recording apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a positional relationship between a detection device and a recording head in the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a main block diagram showing an outline of a control configuration of the image recording apparatus in the present embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image recording device 2 Device mount 3 Recording medium 4 Drum rotator 5 Rotating shaft 7 Rotating mechanism 9 Suction device 11 Recording head 12 Ink discharge surface 13 Carriage 19 Ultraviolet irradiation device 22 Heating device 23a Optical axis 25 Detection device 27 Press roller 30 Control Part X Main scanning direction Y Sub scanning direction

Claims (8)

A drum rotating body including a suction device that sucks and holds a recording medium for recording an image by air suction;
A rotating mechanism for rotating the drum rotating body in the main scanning direction;
In an image recording apparatus comprising a control unit for controlling the suction device,
A recording head for ejecting ink droplets onto the recording medium;
An irradiation device for irradiating light for curing the photocurable ink ejected to the recording medium;
A detection device that detects floating or peeling of the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction;
When the detection device detects floating or peeling of the recording medium, the control unit controls the suction device to change the suction amount of the air suction ,
The detection device has a predetermined distance from the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body so that the optical axis is parallel to the rotation axis of the drum rotating body and traverses the entire maximum width of the recording medium supported by the drum rotating body. A non-contact detection of the floating or peeling of the recording medium held on the drum rotating body by blocking the light beam of the photoelectric sensor or changing the reflected light, and An image recording apparatus provided on the downstream side in the main scanning direction .   2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when the detection device detects that the recording medium is lifted or peeled off, the control unit controls the suction device to increase the suction amount of the air suction. Image recording device.   After the detection device detects floating or peeling of the recording medium and the control unit controls the suction device to change the amount of air suction, the detection device causes the recording medium to float or peel. 3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when detected, the control unit controls the driving of the rotating mechanism so as to decelerate or stop the rotation of the drum rotating body.   4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when the rotation of the drum rotating body is decelerated or stopped, the control unit controls the suction device so as to reduce a suction amount of the air suction. An image recording apparatus according to claim 1. A roller for pressing the recording medium;
5. The image according to claim 1, wherein when the floating of the recording medium is detected by the detection device, the control unit presses the recording medium by the roller. 6. Recording device.   The image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a heating device that heats the recording medium.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the heating device is heated by light irradiation. The distance between the detection position of the detection device and the outer peripheral surface of the drum rotating body or the recording surface of the recording medium in a state where no floating or peeling occurs is the surface of the recording head that ejects the ink and the drum image according shorter than the distance between the recording surface of the recording medium in a state where there is no outer peripheral surface or lifting or peeling of the rotating body from claim 1, wherein in any one of claims 7 Recording device.

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