JP7136295B2 - PRINTING DEVICE, FABRIC HOLDING MEMBER, HOLDING MEMBER WITH FABRIC - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printing device, a fabric holding member, and a holding member with fabric.

2. Description of the Related Art In a printing apparatus that prints on fabric (including processed products such as T-shirts), it is necessary to supply the fabric to the printing section in the apparatus body while maintaining the flatness of the fabric.

Conventionally, a medium transport section capable of reciprocating in a linear direction on which a cloth can be set, and a fixed side structure that supports the medium transport section and has a space inside for housing the medium transport section. and a head for forming an image on a fabric, which is provided in a stationary structure, and when the power supply of the apparatus is in an off state, the medium transport unit is positioned in the moving direction of the medium transport unit. Positioned so as to be included in the length of the side structure, when the fabric is set on and removed from the media transport part, the media transport part extends from the length of the fixed side structure in the direction of movement of the media transport part. One that is positioned so as to partially protrude to one side is known (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 4222070

However, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-100002, when the fabric is set with the upper side of the entire surface of the medium conveying portion exposed, the setting operation is facilitated, but the medium conveying portion is separated from the fixed side structure. There is a problem that a part protrudes and the device becomes large.

On the other hand, if the fabric is set while part of the medium transport section is hidden inside the apparatus in order to reduce the size of the apparatus by suppressing forward protrusion, the medium transport section where the fabric is set can be visually recognized. Due to poor performance and workability, there is a problem that it is difficult to set the cloth on the entire surface of the medium conveying section without creases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to reduce the size of the apparatus and improve the ease of fabric setting work.

In order to solve the above problems, the printing apparatus according to the present invention includes:
a fabric holding member for holding the fabric;
a receiving member that holds the fabric holding member and moves back and forth so that at least a part of the fabric holding member is inside the housing of the apparatus main body;
printing means for printing on the fabric held by the fabric holding member held by the receiving member;
The fabric holding member is detachable from the receiving member while holding the fabric,
The fabric holding member is attached to the receiving member by sliding it in the moving direction of the receiving member.
It was configured.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the device and improve the ease of setting the cloth.

1 is an external perspective explanatory view of an example of a printing apparatus according to the present invention; FIG. It is a perspective explanatory view explaining the whole structure of the same apparatus. FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view similarly seen from a direction different from that of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a perspective explanatory view of an example of a cassette that is a fabric holding member; It is a perspective explanatory view of the state in which the cover of the same cassette is opened. It is cross-sectional explanatory drawing along the transversal direction of the same cassette. It is a perspective explanatory view explaining the structure of the same cassette and a stage. It is a perspective explanatory view when mounting|wearing a stage with the same cassette. It is a schematic explanatory view when mounting the same cassette on the stage. FIG. 4 is a perspective explanatory view of a form when the same cassette is attached to the apparatus main body and the apparatus power is turned off. 1 is an external perspective explanatory view of an example of a fixing device using heat; FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the internal configuration of the fixing device; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the lateral direction around the cassette when similarly fixing is being performed; It is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the short direction of the cassette in the second embodiment of the present invention. It is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the width direction of the cassette in the third embodiment of the present invention. It is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the short direction of the cassette in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view of the cassette in 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing the disassembled state when holding the cloth in the same cassette. FIG. 4 is a perspective explanatory view for explaining a method of attaching fabrics to the cassette; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the longitudinal direction of the cassette in the sixth embodiment of the present invention; It is a cross-sectional explanatory drawing along the longitudinal direction of the cassette in 7th Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the longitudinal direction of the cassette in the eighth embodiment of the present invention; It is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the longitudinal direction of the cassette in the ninth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective explanatory view for explaining another example of the configuration for attaching and detaching the cassette to and from the receiving member; FIG. 11 is a perspective explanatory view for explaining another example of the fabric holding member; It is an explanatory view with which explanation of a 10th embodiment of the present invention is presented. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional explanatory view of another example of the pretreatment device; FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a fabric printing system according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention; It is a flow chart for explaining the flow of processing regarding image addition in the same system. FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram for explaining cassette identification means in a twelfth embodiment of the present invention;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. An example of a printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the device, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the overall configuration of the device, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device viewed from a direction different from that of FIG.

The printing apparatus 1 is a receiving member that removably holds a cassette 200, which is a tray (hereinafter referred to as a "fabric holding member") for holding the fabric 400 (see FIG. 6), and moves forward and backward. A certain stage 111 and printing means 112 for printing on a cloth 400 held in a cassette 200 held by the stage 111 are provided.

The cloth 400 is not only a piece of cloth such as a handkerchief or a towel, but also a cloth processed into clothing such as a T-shirt, a sweatshirt, or a part of a product such as a tote bag. It can also be used on fabrics.

The stage 111 is provided on a carrier structure 113 held so as to be movable in the arrow A direction (feed direction) with respect to the apparatus main body 100 . Here, a transport guide member 115 is arranged along the direction of arrow A in the bottom housing portion 114 of the apparatus main body 100 , and a slider portion 116 of the transport structure 113 is movably held by the transport guide member 115 .

The printing means 112 includes a carriage 121 that moves in the arrow B direction (main scanning direction) with respect to the stage 111 and a head 122 mounted on the carriage 121 . A carriage 121 is movably held by a guide member 123 arranged along the arrow B direction, and reciprocated in the arrow B direction by a drive motor 124 via a scanning mechanism such as a timing belt 125 . The head 122 uses a liquid ejection head to eject ink onto the surface of the fabric to form an image, but it is not limited to this.

In the printing apparatus 1 , the cassette 200 is mounted and held on the stage 111 in the apparatus main body 100 in a state where the cloth 400 is set in the cassette 200 . By repeating the movement of the stage 111 in the direction of arrow A and the reciprocating movement of the head 122 in the direction of arrow B, a desired image is printed on the fabric 400 .

Next, an example of a cassette, which is a fabric holding member according to the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective explanatory view of the same cassette, FIG. 5 is a perspective explanatory view of the same cassette with its outer peripheral cover opened, and FIG.

The cassette 200 has a cassette base 201, which is a base member, and a platen member 300 that holds a printed portion of the fabric 400 in a flat state.

The platen member 300 is composed of a platen structure 302 and a heat insulating member 301 forming a surface for holding the fabric 400 in a flat state. The heat insulating member 301 has heat resistance against heating by the fixing device 5 which will be described later.

A platen outer cover 202 , which is an outer cover member, is provided on the cassette base 201 so as to be openable and closable in the direction of the arrow with a hinge 203 . The platen outer cover 202 has an opening 202a in a portion corresponding to the platen member 300 and presses the fabric 400 between the platen member 300 and the flange 300a on the outer periphery thereof.

The platen member 300 is supported by a support portion 311 with respect to the cassette base 201 , and an accommodation space 312 is formed between the platen member 300 and the cassette base 201 to accommodate the surplus portion 400 a of the cloth 400 . The surplus portion 400a corresponds to, for example, both sleeves, the collar, and the hem of a T-shirt when printing is performed on the front surface of the T-shirt.

Here, the platen member 300 is detachable from the cassette base 201 and replaceable. As a result, a plurality of platen members 300 can be prepared, and clothing can be wrapped around another platen member 300 during the printing operation, and printing of the next fabric can be quickly performed simply by replacing the platen member 300 after printing and fixing are completed. can start.

When setting the cloth 400 in the cassette 200, the platen outer cover 202 is opened and the cloth 400 is set (held) on the platen member 300, as shown in FIG. At this time, the platen outer cover 202 is closed as shown in FIG. 4 while the excess portion (surplus portion) 400a of the fabric 400 is accommodated in the accommodation space 312 as shown in FIG.

When printing an image on the fabric 400, the cassette 200 is mounted (set) on the stage 111 of the apparatus main body 100, as shown in FIG.

In this manner, the cloth 400 to be printed can be set on the platen member 300 while the entire cassette 200 is taken out of the apparatus main body 100. Therefore, the work of setting the cloth 400 on the platen member 300 is facilitated. Become.

Next, a configuration for mounting the cassette to the printing apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective explanatory view for explaining the configuration of the cassette and the stage, FIG. 8 is a schematic explanatory view for mounting the cassette on the stage, and FIG. 9 is a perspective explanatory view for mounting the cassette on the stage.

The stage 111 of the apparatus main body 100 is provided with guide rail portions 131 , 131 on both sides in a direction perpendicular to the direction of arrow A, which is the moving direction of the stage 111 . On the other hand, both sides of the cassette 200 are provided with grooves 211 into which the guide rails 131 are movably (slidably) fitted.

Further, the stage 111 is provided with recessed portions 132 , 132 on both sides in a direction perpendicular to the direction of arrow A, which is the moving direction of the stage 111 . The position of the recessed portion 132 in the direction of arrow A is the movement end position (slide end position) of the guide rail portion 131 and the groove portion 211 . On the other hand, the cassette 200 is provided with a convex portion 212 that fits into the concave portion 132 of the stage 111 . The concave portion 132 and the convex portion 212 constitute means for fixing the cassette 200 and the stage 111 to each other after the cassette 200 is slid and set on the stage 111 .

Because of this configuration, when the cassette 200 holding the cloth 400 on the platen member 300 is mounted on the stage 111 of the apparatus main body 100, as shown in FIG. , the cassette 200 is slid onto the stage 111 from the direction of the arrow C.

The mounting procedure of the cassette 200 at this time is as follows, as shown in FIG.

First, the front end of the cassette 200 is placed on the stage 111 as indicated by the two-dot chain line cassette 200A. Then, as indicated by a dashed cassette 200B, the cassette 200 is slid in the direction of arrow C and pushed into the guide rail portion 131 of the stage 111 while fitting the groove portion 211 of the cassette 200 thereon.

Then, as indicated by the solid line cassette 200C, by pushing the cassette 200 to the terminal position, the convex portion 212 of the cassette 200 is fitted into the concave portion 132 of the stage 111, and the mounting of the cassette 200 to the stage 111 is completed. do.

At this time, since the cassette 200 can be mounted on the stage 111 from the moving direction of the stage 111, the stage 111 as a whole can be moved from the apparatus main body 100 to the outside, compared to the configuration in which the cassette 200 is mounted on the stage 111 from directly above the stage 111. Since there is no need to move and expose the device, the size of the device can be reduced.

The configuration for mounting the cassette to the printing apparatus is not limited to the above configuration. For example, by removing the upper housing of the apparatus main body as shown in FIG. The cassette 200 may be set on the stage 111 in the direction of the arrow G from . Even with this configuration, it is not necessary to move the entire stage 111 out of the device body 100 to expose it, and the size of the device can be reduced. At this time, instead of the configuration in which the housing is removed as shown in FIG. 2, a door structure in which a part of the upper portion of the apparatus main body 100 is rotated and released may be used.

Next, referring to FIG. 10, a description will be given of a mode when the cassette is mounted in the apparatus main body of the printing apparatus and the apparatus power is turned off. FIG. 10 is an external perspective view for explaining the same.

When receiving a command to turn off the main body 100 of the printing apparatus 1, the cassette 200 is moved so that the front side of the cassette 200 (the front side in the mounting direction) and the front side of the main body 100 are flat as shown in FIG. After moving the stage 111 until it reaches almost the same position visually, the power is turned off.

As a result, the installation space during standby can be reduced.

Next, an example of a fixing device using heat will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13. FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory perspective view of the appearance of the identification fixing device, FIG. 12 is an explanatory view explaining the internal structure of the identification fixing device, and FIG.

The fixing device 5 is a device for heating fabric, and is held by a receiving member 501 detachably mounted in the apparatus main body 500 and a platen member 300 of the cassette 200 to be set in the printing apparatus 1 described above. A heat press section 521, which is a contact-type heating means for heating and pressurizing the cloth 400 lying thereon, is also provided. A temperature of 130° C. or higher, preferably 150° C. or higher is required for the heat press portion 521 for fixing.

In this case, the heat insulating member 301 of the platen member 300 has heat resistance against the heating temperature (fixing temperature) of the heat press section 521 of the fixing device 5 .

By forming the surface of the platen member 300 in contact with the fabric with a heat-insulating material in this manner, the heat for heating the fabric does not escape into the platen structure 302 or the cassette 200, enabling efficient heating.

As the material of the heat insulating member 301, heat-resistant sponge rubber made of silicon rubber, fluorine rubber, etc., various heat-resistant resins, felt, calcium silicate plate, carphone, callite, gypsum board, melamine sponge, glass wool, glass, and the like can be used. Also, since the platen structure 302 is required to have hardness and a certain degree of heat resistance to keep the platen flat, a metal plate, a glass plate, or the like is suitable. Note that the heat insulating member 301 and the platen structure 302 may be formed as a single component instead of separate bodies.

Also, the heat press portion 521 is sized to contact the cloth 400 only within the area of the platen member 300 that holds the cloth 400 (within the area of the heat-resistant member 302).

Further, a cover 502 that can be opened and closed and an operation section 504 are provided on the front side of the device main body 500 of the fixing device 5 . The operation unit 504 is provided at a position where it cannot be operated unless the cover 502 is closed. Here, the cover 502 is tilted forward, and the operating section 504 is arranged at the lower front portion of the apparatus main body 500 .

As a result, it is possible to prevent a situation in which an operator accidentally touches the operation part 504 during the cassette loading operation, and the heat press part 521 is driven and contacts the operator.

The attachment/detachment structure between the receiving member 501 and the cassette 200 is the same as the attachment/detachment structure between the stage 111 which is the receiving member of the printing apparatus 1 and the cassette 200 .

When the fabric 400 is set in the fixing device 5, the cassette 200 holding the fabric 400 on which the image is printed is taken out from the printing device 1, the cover 502 is opened in the direction of arrow E as shown in FIG. The cassette 200 is inserted into the receiving member 501 of the device 5 from the direction of the arrow D shown in FIG. 11 and held. Here, the cassette 200 is slid and set with respect to the receiving member 501 .

Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the heat press section 521 is lowered in the direction of arrow F, and the heat press section 521 is pressed against the image-printed fabric 400 held by the platen member 300 to heat it.

Thus, the cassette 200 holding the fabric 400 can be shared between the printing device 1 and the fixing device 5 .

As a result, the printed cloth 400 can be set in the fixing device 5 while being held in the state in which it was printed, and even if the cloth 400 is carried, the printed surface will not be disturbed due to wrinkling or partial overlapping. Therefore, the workability of setting the cloth 400 is improved.

At this time, since the platen member 300 holding the cloth 400 of the cassette 200 has heat resistance against the heating by the fixing device 5, the platen member 300 is not deformed by the heat.

In addition, although the fixing device 5 is described as having a configuration using the heat press unit 521, the configuration is not limited to this, and may be a configuration in which, for example, the cloth is heated in a non-contact manner. Specifically, a plate-like heater may be provided at a position about 2 to 3 mm from the surface of the fabric, and the fixing may be performed by heating the surface of the fabric by radiant heating.

In this embodiment, the case where the cassette 200 of the printing device 1 is shared with the fixing device 5 is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in some cases, the surface of the fabric is heat-pressed before printing in order to suppress fluffing of the fabric. Alternatively, the same cassette 200 may be used throughout for the processing of the preprocessing device, the printing device, and the fixing device.

Alternatively, the printing apparatus 1 and the drying apparatus 5 may be arranged side by side, and the cassette 200 may be shared for continuous processing. By sharing the cassette 200, it is also possible to automate the connection between devices. Further, by using the cassette 200 to reduce the size, it is possible to integrate a plurality of devices such as the printing device 1 and the drying device 5 into one housing.

Next, a cassette according to a second embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the width direction of the same cassette.

The cassette base 201 of the cassette 200 is provided with a side wall portion 221 that rises from the peripheral portion and forms a side wall of the housing space 312 .

On the other hand, the platen outer peripheral cover 202 is a flat plate-shaped frame member with an opening for the platen member 300 .

With this configuration, even when the platen outer cover 202 is opened, the side wall portion 221 is present, so that the excess portion (surplus portion) 400a of the fabric 400 can be reliably accommodated in the cassette. It is possible to prevent the surplus portion 400a from protruding and being sandwiched between the platen outer peripheral cover 202 and the cassette base 201.例文帳に追加

Next, a cassette according to a third embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the width direction of the same cassette.

The cassette base 201 of the cassette 200 is provided with a side wall portion 221 that rises from the peripheral portion and forms a part of the side wall of the housing space 312 . On the other hand, the platen outer peripheral cover 202 is provided with a side wall portion 222 that extends down from the peripheral edge portion and forms a part of the side wall of the accommodation space 312 .

As a result, the surplus portion 400a of the cloth 400 can be prevented from protruding, and the opening (the interval between the platen member 300 and the side wall portion 221) when the surplus portion 400a of the cloth 400 is accommodated in the accommodation space 312 can be adjusted to that of the second embodiment. It can be made larger than that, making it easier to accommodate the surplus part.

Next, a cassette according to a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the width direction of the same cassette.

A side wall portion 221 forming a part of the side wall of the housing space 312 is provided at the peripheral edge portion of the cassette base 201 of the cassette 200 so as to be openable and closable with a shaft 223 .

As a result, the excess portion 400a of the fabric 400 can be prevented from protruding in the same manner as in the second embodiment, and an opening for storing the excess portion 400a of the fabric 400 in the storage space 312 can be secured in the same manner as in the first embodiment. This makes it easier to accommodate the surplus portion.

Specifically, by setting the fabric 400 with the side wall portion 221 laid down, it is possible to easily accommodate the surplus portion 400a in the accommodation space 312, and raise the side wall portion 202 before closing the platen outer peripheral cover 202. As a result, the surplus portion 400a can be reliably accommodated within the accommodation space 312 of the cassette, and the protrusion can be reliably prevented.

Next, a cassette according to a fifth embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. FIG. FIG. 17 is a perspective explanatory view of the cassette, and FIG. 18 is a perspective explanatory view showing a disassembled state when holding the cloth in the cassette.

The platen member 300 can be detachably attached to the cassette base 201 of the cassette 200 . Further, the platen outer cover 202 is configured to be detachable separately from the cassette base 201 and fitted to the outer peripheral edge of the platen member 300 .

A method of attaching the cloth 400 to the cassette 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 19 as well. FIG. 19 is a perspective view for explaining the same.

As shown in FIG. 18 described above, the platen member 300 is removed from the cassette base 201 .

Then, as shown in FIG. 19A, the back surface of the cloth 400 to be printed (the surface opposite to the surface to be printed) is laid out, and the platen member 300 is placed on the back surface of the cloth 400 . After that, as shown in FIG. 19B, the excess portion 400a of the cloth 400 protruding from the platen member 300 is folded to the back side of the platen member 300. Then, as shown in FIG.

At this time, since the platen member 300 is removed from the cassette base 201, a sufficient space for folding the fabric 400 can be secured around the portion of the fabric 400 protruding from the platen member 300. - 特許庁Therefore, the surplus portion 400a of the fabric 400 protruding from the platen member 300 can be neatly folded.

After that, as shown in FIG. 19(c), after the supporting portion (leg portion) 311 of the platen member 300 is fitted into the recessed portion 206 of the cassette base 201, the platen outer peripheral cover 202 is fitted to the outer peripheral side of the platen member 300. enter.

At this time, since the surplus portion 400a of the fabric 400 protruding from the plane portion of the platen member 300 can be neatly folded, when the outer peripheral portion of the fabric 400 is pressed by the platen outer peripheral cover 202, the printed portion of the fabric 400 is folded. flatness can be increased. This makes it possible to print with high quality.

Next, a cassette according to a sixth embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the longitudinal direction of the same cassette.

The support portion 311 that supports the platen member 300 includes a hollow support portion 231 on the cassette base 201 side, a hollow support portion 331 on the platen member 330 side that is movably fitted to the hollow support portion 231, and a hollow support portion 231 and a hollow support portion 311 on the platen member 330 side. and a compression spring 3313 disposed between the strut portion 331 .

As a result, the platen member 300 is movably supported with respect to the cassette base 201, which is the base member.

Further, a lock member 204 is provided to regulate the height of the platen outer peripheral cover 202 , which is a cover member covering the peripheral portion of the platen member 300 , with respect to the cassette base 201 . The lock member 204 is arranged on the side opposite to the side of the platen outer cover 202 held by the hinge 203 with respect to the cassette base 201 so as to be openable and closable.

With this configuration, when the thickness of the cloth 400 changes, the platen member 300 descends against the restoring force of the spring 313, and the distance from the cassette base 201 changes, so that the cloth 400 of different thickness can be handled. can do.

Further, since the platen member 300 is always pressed against the platen outer peripheral cover 202 with a constant force, the cloth 400 is less likely to shift even when the cassette 200 is carried.

In addition, even when the thickness of the fabric 400 changes, the platen member 300 is lowered so that the gap between the platen member 300 and the platen outer peripheral cover 202 is secured. The height relative to 201 remains unchanged.

That is, the surface height of the fabric 400 held by the platen member 300 is based on the height of the platen outer peripheral cover 202 with respect to the cassette base 201 .

As a result, the locking position of the platen outer cover 202 with respect to the cassette base 201 by the locking member 204 can be fixed, and the configuration of the cassette 200 itself can be simplified. In addition, since the locking position does not change, the user's operation is facilitated.

Further, when a liquid ejection head is used as the head 122, the narrower the distance between the head 122 and the target surface to which the liquid is applied, the more accurate image quality can be obtained.

In this case, the platen member 300 is made displaceable, and the peripheral edge of the platen member 300 is pressed against the platen outer circumference cover 202, so that the surface height of the cloth 400 is defined by the platen outer circumference cover 202 even if the thickness of the cloth 400 changes. Therefore, the image quality can be improved.

Further, when the platen member 300 is displaceable, in order to ensure the parallelism of the surface of the platen member 300 with respect to the moving surface of the head 122, the support portion 311 is held on the peripheral side of the platen member 300. is preferred. However, if this is done, the support portion 311 will interfere with the accommodation of the surplus portion 400a of the fabric 400 .

On the other hand, by defining the surface height of the cloth 400 held by the platen member 300 by the height of the platen outer peripheral cover 202, the support portion 311 can be arranged inside the platen member 300, and the support portion The number of 311 can also be reduced. Thereby, the surplus portion 400a of the fabric 400 can be easily accommodated.

Next, a cassette according to a seventh embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the longitudinal direction of the same cassette.

In this embodiment, in the configuration of the sixth embodiment, the hollow strut portion 231 on the cassette base 201 side and the hollow strut portion 331 on the platen member 330 side are fitted with play, and the platen member 300 is tilted. But it can be displaced.

As a result, when printing on a fabric 400 having a thickness deviation, for example, a fabric 400 that partially has a double structure in a pocket or the like, the platen member 300 is lowered obliquely, and the thin portion of the fabric 400 is printed. It is possible to align the height with the thick part.

As a result, the flatness of the surface of the cloth 400 with respect to the head 122 can be ensured, and a high-quality image can be printed even on the cloth 400 having partially different thicknesses.

Therefore, detailed height adjustment is not necessary depending on the state of the cloth 400 to be printed (overlapped gussets, pockets, overlapped seams, etc.), and workability when setting the cloth 400 is improved.

Next, a cassette according to an eighth embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the longitudinal direction of the same cassette.

In the present embodiment, the platen member 300 is provided with a guide rod 315 between the support portions 311, 311, and the cassette is provided with a guide portion 205 for guiding the guide rod 315 to the base 201 side in the configuration of the sixth embodiment. there is The guide rod 315 and the guide portion 205 constitute guide means.

Thereby, when the platen member 300 is displaced, it can be moved with high precision. Further, when the platen member 300 is displaced, the force transmitted to the support portion 311 when a force is applied to the edge of the platen member 300 can be absorbed, and the support portion 311 can be prevented from being damaged. Therefore, the number of supporting portions 311 can be reduced, and the workability of storing the surplus portion 400a of the fabric 400 in the storage space 312 is improved.

Next, a cassette according to a ninth embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the longitudinal direction of the same cassette.

In this embodiment, in the configuration of the eighth embodiment, the platen member 300 is lowered to the lowest position, and the hollow support section 231 is in contact with the hollow support section 331 in the displacement direction. The member 300 is configured to be at a position protruding by ΔH.

As a result, when the heat press portion 521 of the fixing device 5 is pressed against the fabric 400 for fixing, a required pressure can be applied to ensure the fixing.

That is, when the heat press portion 521 is pressed against the surface of the platen member 300, if the surface of the platen member 300 falls below the surface of the platen outer peripheral cover 202, the cloth 400 held on the surface of the platen member 300 is subjected to the required pressure. Unable to apply pressure.

Therefore, by restricting the lower limit of the displacement of the platen member 300 so that the surface of the platen member 300 does not drop below the surface of the platen outer peripheral cover 202, the fabric 400 can be applied with the required pressure. Become.

Next, a tenth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the same embodiment.

In this embodiment, the cassette 200, which is a fabric holding member, can be shared by the printing device 1, the fixing device 5, and the preprocessing device 6. FIG. The pretreatment device 6 can hold the cassette 200 inside and perform pretreatment on the cloth 400 held in the cassette 200 . Here, the "pretreatment" includes heat pressing of the surface of the fabric to suppress fluffing of the fabric as described above, but is not limited to this. A fixer may be applied to assist fixation or prevent bleeding.

A plurality of different examples of the pretreatment device for applying the fixer will now be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 27 is a schematic cross-sectional explanatory view of the pretreatment device.

The pretreatment device 6 ( 6 a , 6 b , 6 c ) includes a receiving member 601 and a pretreatment mechanism 602 in an internal space surrounded by a housing 603 and a front cover 604 . Here, the configuration having the front cover 604 will be described, but depending on the pretreatment method, the configuration can be configured without the front cover 604 to improve convenience.

The attachment/detachment structure between the receiving member 601 and the cassette 200 is the same as the attachment/detachment structure between the stage 111 and the cassette 200 of the printing apparatus 1 or between the receiving member 501 and the cassette 200 of the fixing device 5 .

A pretreatment mechanism 602 (602a, 602b, 602c) performs pretreatment on the cloth 400 in the cassette 200 set in the pretreatment device 6 .

The pretreatment mechanism 602a is an example using a roller coating mechanism, the pretreatment mechanism 602b is an example using a spray coating mechanism, and the pretreatment mechanism 603c is an example using a liquid ejection method.

Since the receiving member 601 of the cassette 200 has the same structure as the printing device 1 and the fixing device 5, it is possible to fix the cloth surface with the same precision as those of the fixing device 5. The pretreatment device can be easily configured.

Next, a fabric printing system according to an eleventh embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 28 and 29. FIG. FIG. 28 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the fabric printing system.

This fabric printing system includes one or a plurality of printing devices 1 (1a, 1b, etc.) and print instruction devices (terminals) 7 (7a, 7b, 7c, etc.) that give print instructions (print commands) to the printing devices 1. and Also, the terminal 7 can be connected to one or more fixing devices 5 (5a, 5b, 5c, etc.) and one or more preprocessing devices 6 (6a, 6b, 6c, etc.) that perform pre-printing processing. be.

These terminals 7, the printing device 1, the fixing device 5, and the preprocessing device 6 are connected directly or via a wired or wireless network infrastructure. Examples of the terminals 7 are computing terminals 7a and 7b, a tablet terminal 7c, and the like, but they may be dedicated terminals.

Here, the processing when the terminal 7b is a print command device and has a server function for managing this fabric printing system will be described with reference to FIG.

When a print command is issued from the terminal 7 issuing the print designation, the command is transmitted to the server terminal 7b, and it is determined whether or not preprocessing is necessary from the contents of the print command.

When preprocessing is required, the optimum preprocessing device 6 is selected according to the processing content, installation location, and device state, and a processing command is transmitted. After the preprocessing is completed, the server terminal 7b determines whether processing is required again or another processing is required.

Here, when it is determined that all the preprocessing has been completed, the selection of the printing device 1 follows. The optimum printer 1 is selected according to the content of the print command (number of colors, material type, amount of ink required, etc.), the installation location, and the state of the device, and the print command is sent to that device 1 .

Then, when the printing is completed, the necessity of post-processing is determined.

An optimum fixing device 5 is selected according to the contents of the print command (the number of colors, the type of material, the required amount of ink, etc.), the installation location, and the state of the device, and a fixing processing command is sent to that device 5 . When the same processing is completed, the server terminal 7b determines whether the processing is necessary again or another processing is necessary. When all processing is completed, printing is completed.

In this way, the same cassette 200 can be detachably shared by the printing device 1, the fixing device 5, and the preprocessing device 6. By preparing a plurality of devices, waiting time, running out of ink, and cancellation due to failure can be reduced. You can continue printing without any problems.

Next, a twelfth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 30 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the cassette identifying means in the same embodiment.

An identifier 290 serving as identification means holding identification information is provided in a portion of the cassette 200 . It is preferable that the identifier 290 is provided at a portion of the printer 1, the fixing device 5, and the preprocessing device 6, which is inserted into the main body of the device.

On the other hand, the printing apparatus 1 is provided with an identification reading unit 190 for reading (detecting) the identifier 290 on the stage 111, for example. Therefore, it is possible to detect identification information from the identifier 290 of the set cassette 200 . The receiving member 501 of the fixing device 5 and the receiving member 601 of the preprocessing device 6 are similarly provided with identification reading units.

The identification means consisting of the identifier 290 and the identification reading section 190 may be either contact type or non-contact type. Here, an information holding member (memory) is arranged in the identifier 290 of the cassette 200, and can hold information related to printing. For example, along with the time data, it is possible to hold information such as the presence or absence of preprocessing by the preprocessing device 6 and its content (preprocessing device specific information), the type of printed image, and whether or not prefixing processing has been completed. .

As a result, when a fabric printing system using a plurality of terminals is constructed, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience of performing processing or printing on the wrong cassette. Therefore, even if a large number of cassettes are prepared in the same manner as the apparatus, the user's inconvenience of identifying the cassettes and erroneous printing can be prevented, thereby further improving convenience and avoiding problems.

Also, although the fabric printing system including the printing device 1, the fixing device 5, and the pre-processing device 6 is described here, the configuration may be selected according to the printing needs. It is good also as a structure which does not contain one.

It should be noted that the "fabric holding member" in the present invention is not limited to a box-like form such as the cassette in the above embodiment, as long as it is detachable from the printing device and the fixing device. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 25, it may be a single plate-like platen member formed so as to be insertable between the printing device and the fixing device (only the printing device is shown in FIG. 25). .

In addition, as a means of improving the workability of the printing work, in order to eliminate the process of setting the fabric (such as a T-shirt) on the fabric holding member each time when printing, the fabric ( T-shirts, etc.) can also be used. In this case, the used fabric holding member is collected and supplied with the fabric set again. In this way, the cloth can be set on the cloth holding member, and the holding member with the cloth holding the printed surface of the cloth flat can be marketed and commercialized.

Furthermore, in order to achieve the same effect, it is possible to use a platen member in which a cloth (such as a T-shirt) is set on the platen member detachably formed on the cloth holding member. When used, the platen member on which the cloth has been set is mounted as it is on the cloth holding member, and after printing and fixing are completed, the platen member is removed from the cloth holding member, and the next platen member on which the cloth has been set is used to hold the cloth. It is attached to a member, and printing and fixing are performed. In this case, the used platen member is collected and supplied with the cloth set again. In the same manner as described above, it is also possible to set the cloth on the platen member and distribute it to the market as a holding member with the cloth holding the printed surface of the cloth flat for commercial transactions.

By doing so, the operator does not need to set the fabric (T-shirt, etc.) every time, the continuous processing of a plurality of sheets is facilitated, and the continuous processing of a plurality of sheets can be automated.

1 printing device 5 fixing device 6 preprocessing device 7a, 7b, 7c terminal (printing instruction device)
100 device main body of printing device 111 stage (receiving member)
122 head 200 cassette (cloth holding member)
201 cassette base (base member)
202 Platen outer cover (peripheral cover member)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 300 platen member 311 support section 400 fabric 500 main body of fixing device 511 receiving member 521 heat press section (contact heating means)
601 receiving member 602a, 602b, 602c pretreatment mechanism

Claims (21)

a fabric holding member for holding the fabric;
a receiving member that holds the fabric holding member and moves back and forth so that at least a part of the fabric holding member is inside the housing of the apparatus main body;
printing means for printing on the fabric held by the fabric holding member held by the receiving member;
The fabric holding member is detachable from the receiving member while holding the fabric,
A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fabric holding member is attached to said receiving member by being slid from a moving direction of said receiving member. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cloth holding member and the receiving member are provided with a guide portion on one side and a groove portion on the other side into which the guide portion is slidably fitted. 3. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising fixing means for fixing said cloth holding member to said receiving member at a sliding end position of said cloth holding member relative to said receiving member. 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cloth holding member is attachable to and detachable from the receiving member while the receiving member is inside a housing of the apparatus main body. The fabric holding member is
a base member;
a platen member that holds the printed portion of the fabric flat;
an outer peripheral cover member that sandwiches the fabric between itself and the peripheral edge of the platen member;
5. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein an accommodation space is formed between the platen member and the base member to accommodate the surplus portion of the fabric. Having a side wall portion surrounding the accommodation space,
6. A printing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein at least part of said side wall portion is integrated with said peripheral cover member. Having a side wall portion surrounding the accommodation space,
7. A printing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein at least part of said side wall is integral with said base member. Having a side wall portion surrounding the accommodation space,
6. The printing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the side wall portion is movable between a position surrounding the housing space and a position opening the housing space. The fabric holding member is
a base member;
a platen member that holds the printed portion of the fabric in a flat state and is displaceably supported with respect to the base member;
an outer peripheral cover member that covers the peripheral edge of the platen member;
a locking member that regulates the height of the outer peripheral cover member relative to the base member;
The cloth is sandwiched between the platen member and the outer peripheral cover member at the peripheral edge of the platen member, and when the thickness of the cloth changes, the height of the platen member relative to the base member changes. 5. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , characterized by: 10. The printing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the platen member of the cloth holding member is displaceable while being inclined with respect to the base member. 10. A printing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said cloth holding member comprises guide means for guiding displacement of said platen member. The platen member has means for regulating the lower limit of the displacement of the platen member so that the platen member does not drop below the surface of the outer peripheral cover member when the distance from the base member is minimized. 10. The printing device according to claim 9 , characterized by: a receiving member that moves forward and backward while holding the fabric holding member and is provided with a guide rail portion that extends along the moving direction;
printing means for printing on the fabric held by the fabric holding member held by the receiving member;
A fabric holding member for use in a printing device comprising
is detachable from the receiving member while holding the fabric,
A groove portion is provided in which the guide rail portion of the receiving member is fitted ,
The receiving member of the printing device advances and retreats such that at least part of the cloth holding member is within the housing of the device main body.
A fabric holding member characterized by: a receiving member that holds the fabric holding member and moves back and forth so that at least part of the fabric holding member is inside the housing of the apparatus main body;
A fabric holding member for use in a printing apparatus, comprising printing means for printing on the fabric held by the fabric holding member held by the receiving member,
is detachable from the receiving member while holding the fabric,
A cloth holding member, wherein the cloth holding member is attached to the receiving member by being slid from a movement direction of the receiving member. The receiving member of the printing device is provided with guide rail portions on both sides in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the receiving member,
15. The fabric holding member according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the fabric holding member is provided with groove portions in which the guide rail portions are fitted on both side portions in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the receiving member. Element. 16. The cloth holding member according to any one of claims 13 to 15 , wherein the cloth holding member is attachable to and detachable from the receiving member while the receiving member is inside the housing of the apparatus main body. 17. The fabric holding member according to any one of claims 13 to 16 , wherein the printing device and the device for heating the fabric can be used in common. 18. The fabric holding member according to claim 17 , wherein the heating device is a device for heating the fabric printed by the printing device. 17. The fabric holding member according to any one of claims 13 to 16 , wherein the fabric holding member can be shared by the printing device and a pre-printing treatment device for pre-treating the fabric. 20. A fabric retaining member according to claim 19 , wherein said pre-printing device is a device for pre-treating an area including an area to be printed by said printing device. 20. A retainer with a fabric comprising the fabric holding member according to any one of claims 13 to 19 and the fabric, wherein at least part of the fabric is held by the fabric holding member so as to be flat. Element.

Images