JP7627440B2 - Linear medium guide device, liquid ejection device, and linear medium processing system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a linear media guide device, a liquid ejection device, and a linear media processing system.

Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet recording device that includes a conveying means for conveying fabric 10, a recording means 2 that ejects ink onto the fabric 10 by an inkjet method to perform recording, and a cleaning means 8 for cleaning the fabric 10. The cleaning means 8 is provided upstream of the recording means 2 in the conveying direction of the fabric 10, and includes an adsorption member that adsorbs the fabric 10 and an adsorption member cleaning section that cleans the adsorption member. The inkjet recording device removes fibers and debris from the fabric when inkjet printing is performed, and can stably form high-quality images.

The object of the present invention is to provide a linear media guide device that is less likely to soil the linear media and is capable of transporting the linear media with a small load.

The present invention is a linear media guiding device having a pair of rotating members that guide linear media in a transport direction, wherein the rotating members have groove portions that face each other to form a space through which the linear media can be inserted , and are characterized in that they are equipped with a cleaning member that cleans the rotating members .

The present invention provides a linear media guide device that is less likely to soil the linear media and can transport the linear media with a small load.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a linear medium processing system including a liquid ejection device according to the present invention. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a linear medium guiding device according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

An embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of a linear medium processing system including a liquid ejection device according to the present invention.

The embroidery system 1000 shown as an example of a linear medium processing system mainly comprises a yarn supplying device 102, a liquid ejection device 103, a fixing device 107, and an embroidery device 108.

The yarn supplying device 102 winds and holds the yarn 101, which is an example of a linear medium, and supplies the yarn 101 to the liquid ejection device 103. Note that the yarn 101 wound around the yarn supplying device 102 is usually white, as it is to be colored the desired color by the liquid ejection device 103 provided downstream.

The liquid ejection device 103 includes a liquid ejection head 104, a first guide portion 105, and a second guide portion 106, and applies liquid to the yarn 101 from the yarn supply device 102 using the liquid ejection head 104. Here, the liquid ejection head 104 is an example of a liquid application means. In this embodiment, the liquid ejection head 104 is a head that employs an inkjet recording method, and the liquid applied to the yarn 101 is colored ink.

The number of liquid ejection heads 104 mounted on the liquid ejection device 103 is not limited to one. For example, when using multiple types of ink, multiple liquid ejection heads are arranged in a vertical line along the transport direction of the thread 101.

The first guide section 105 is equipped with a roller that can be rotated by contact with the yarn 101 moving in the conveying direction, and is located at the inlet of the liquid ejection device 103 (upstream of the conveying direction of the yarn 101 relative to the liquid ejection device 103).

The second guide section 106 includes a pair of rollers that can be rotated by contact with the thread 101 moving in the conveying direction, and is located at the outlet section of the liquid ejection device 103 (downstream of the conveying direction of the thread 101 relative to the liquid ejection device 103). Here, the second guide section 106 is an example of a linear medium guiding device.

The first guide portion 105 and the second guide portion 106 guide the thread 101 so that the thread 101 moving inside the liquid ejection device 103 passes directly below the ink ejection port of the liquid ejection head 104.

The fixing device 107 is equipped with a heating means, such as an infrared irradiation method or a hot air blowing method, and heats the yarn 101 after the ink is applied to fix the ink to the yarn 101. As a result, the yarn 101 becomes a yarn colored in the desired color.

The embroidery device 108 includes an embroidery head and sews colored thread 101 into the fabric S to embroider a pattern, such as a design or a design, on the fabric S. The embroidery device 108 also includes a drive device 109 that includes a drive source for drawing the thread 101 into the embroidery device 108.

Therefore, in the embroidery system 1000, the thread 101 moves in the transport direction by the power of the drive device 109, and each roller of the first guide section 105 and the second guide section 106 rotates in contact with the thread 101 moving in the transport direction. Here, the embroidery device 108 is an example of an external device.

In addition, instead of the embroidery device 108, other processing devices such as a weaving machine or sewing machine may be connected downstream of the fixing device 107. Also, if the embroidery device is located elsewhere (if it is not an inline type), instead of the embroidery device 108, a winding device that winds up the thread after the ink is fixed may be connected downstream of the fixing device 107. In this case, the wound thread is transported to the installation location of the processing device, and the thread is loaded into the processing device and the desired processing is performed.

Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of a linear media guide device according to the present invention, where Figure 2(a) is a front view and Figure 2(b) is a side view of Figure 2(a) seen from the downstream side in the transport direction.

The second guide unit 106, which is an example of a linear medium guide device, includes a pair of rollers 106a, 106b that guide the thread 101 in the conveying direction. Here, the pair of rollers 106a, 106b is an example of a pair of rotating members.

Roller 106a can rotate around axis X1. Roller 106b can rotate around axis X2.

Roller 106a and roller 106b have semicircular grooves 106c on their outer circumferential surfaces, and roller 106a and roller 106b face each other with the grooves 106c aligned. As a result, the outer circumferential surfaces of roller 106a and roller 106b face each other, forming a space 106d at the facing area. Here, groove 106c is an example of a groove portion.

The shape of the groove 106c is not limited to a semicircular shape. The shape of the groove 106c can be changed as appropriate, such as rectangular or triangular, depending on the cross-sectional shape of the linear medium being transported.

The depth of the groove 106c on the outer circumferential surface of the rollers 106a and 106b is approximately half the thickness of the thread 101, so that the space 106d formed at the opposing portion of the rollers 106a and 106b is a space through which the thread 101 can be inserted.

In the above configuration, rollers 106a and 106b rotate due to friction with thread 101, which is moved by the power of an external device such as embroidery device 108 shown in FIG. 1. In this case, thread 101 moves through space 106d formed by rollers 106a and 106b while being nipped within space 106d, which makes it difficult for the conveying position of thread 101 to shift.

In addition, by passing the thread 101 through the space 106d, the thread 101 is less likely to be squeezed by the rollers 106a and 106b. As a result, the load on the thread 101 can be reduced, and the thread 101 is less likely to be damaged.

In particular, when used as the second guide portion 106 of the liquid ejection device 103 as shown in FIG. 1, the second guide portion 106 guides the thread 101 carrying unfixed ink. In such a case, in addition to the above effects, it is possible to reduce the disturbance of the ink on the thread 101 and the contamination of the rollers 106a, 106b due to the ink adhering to the rollers 106a, 106b.

As described above, in this embodiment, the second guide section 106 has a pair of rollers 106a, 106b that guide the yarn 101 in the conveying direction, and the rollers 106a, 106b have a groove 106c that faces each other to form a space 106d through which the yarn 101 can be inserted.

This makes it possible to provide the second guide section 106 with a configuration that is less likely to soil the thread 101 and is capable of transporting the thread 101 with a small load.

As described above, the thread 101 moves in the conveying direction by the power from the embroidery device 108 provided outside the second guide section 106, and the rollers 106a and 106b rotate in response to contact with the thread 101.

This allows the system to accommodate the thread tension and linear speed specific to the external device, and even if the external device is an embroidery device 108, it can accommodate the irregular thread tension and linear speed specific to the embroidery device.

In addition, the second guide portion 106 is equipped with a cleaning member 106e that cleans the rollers 106a and 106b.

The cleaning member 106e comes into contact with a portion of the rollers 106a and 106b, and cleans the outer peripheral surfaces of the rollers 106a and 106b, including the grooves 106c. Because the rollers 106a and 106b do not have a driving source, the cleaning member 106e comes into contact with the rollers 106 and 106b with a pressure that does not stop the driven rotation of the rollers 106a and 106b.

By automatically cleaning the rollers 106a and 106b with the rotation of the rollers 106a and 106b, the cleaning member 106e can prevent foreign matter such as ink adhering to the rollers 106a and 106b from being retransferred to the following yarn 101. The cleaning member 106e is detachable from the second guide portion 106 and can be replaced. This allows the outer circumferential surfaces of the rollers 106a and 106b to be kept clean.

As described above, this embodiment includes a cleaning member 106e that cleans the rollers 106a and 106b. Also, as described above, the cleaning member 106e is replaceable.

This allows the outer surfaces of the rollers 106a and 106b to be kept clean, and when the cleaning member 106e becomes dirty, it is possible to replace the cleaning member 106e and maintain the cleaning function of the cleaning member 106e.

Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

In the above-described configuration, the rollers 106a and 106b are rotated in contact with the thread 101, which moves in the conveying direction by the power from an external device (e.g., the drive device 109 of the embroidery device 108).

In contrast, in this embodiment, the second guide portion 106 (rollers 106a, 106b) is provided with a drive unit 110 as shown in FIG. 3.

In this case, the driving device 110 controls the rollers 106a and 106b to rotate in synchronization with the conveying speed of the yarn 101 by the external device.

Thereby, the driving device 110 assists in a state where the rollers 106a, 106b have difficulty rotating due to friction with the thread 101 alone. As a result, it is possible to eliminate a problem in which the thread 101 comes into contact with the non-rotating rollers 106a, 106b, causing ink or other foreign matter to accumulate only in specific locations on the rollers 106a, 106b.

As described above, this embodiment includes a drive device 110 that rotates and drives the rollers 106a and 106b in synchronization with the conveying speed of the yarn 101.

This makes it possible to avoid a situation where only certain parts of rollers 106a and 106b remain dirty.

The thread 101 is not limited to embroidery thread. For example, it may be glass fiber thread, wool thread, cotton thread, synthetic thread, metal thread, wool, cotton, polymer, or metal blend thread, yarn, filament, or a linear object (linear member, continuous substrate) to which liquid can be applied, including braided cord, flat cord, etc.

In addition to the above linear objects, linear media also include strip-shaped members (continuous substrates) to which liquid can be applied, such as ropes, cables, and cords. All linear media are narrow, continuous in the conveying direction, and linear or strip-shaped.

The above is just one example, and the present invention provides unique effects for each of the following aspects:

[First aspect]
The first aspect is a linear medium guiding device (e.g., a second guide portion 106) having a pair of rotating members (e.g., rollers 106a, 106b) that guide a linear medium (e.g., a thread 101) in a conveying direction, and is characterized in that the rotating members have groove portions (e.g., groove 106c) that face each other to form a space (e.g., space 106d) through which the linear medium can be inserted.

According to the first aspect, it is possible to provide a linear media guide device that is less likely to soil the linear media and is capable of transporting the linear media with a small load.

[Second aspect]
In the second aspect, in the first aspect, a cleaning member (for example, cleaning member 106e) for cleaning the rotating member (for example, rollers 106a, 106b) is provided.

[Third aspect]
A third aspect is the second aspect, characterized in that the cleaning member (for example, cleaning member 106e) is replaceable.

According to the second and third aspects, the outer circumferential surface of the rotating member can be kept clean, and when the cleaning member becomes dirty, the cleaning member can be replaced, thereby maintaining the cleaning function of the cleaning member.

[Fourth aspect]
The fourth aspect is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third aspects, the linear medium (e.g., thread 101) moves in the conveying direction by power from an external device (e.g., drive device 109 of embroidery device 108) provided outside the linear medium guiding device (e.g., second guide section 106), and the rotating member (e.g., rollers 106a, 106b) rotates following contact with the linear medium.

According to the fourth aspect, the linear medium can be transported in accordance with the thread tension and linear speed specific to the external device.

[Fifth aspect]
The fifth aspect is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, a driving device (e.g., driving device 110) is provided that rotates and drives the rotating member (e.g., rollers 106a, 106b) in synchronization with the conveying speed of the linear medium (e.g., thread 101).

According to the fifth aspect, the drive device assists in the rotation of the linear medium, which can eliminate problems such as foreign matter accumulating only at specific locations on the rotating member due to the rotating member not rotating.

1000 Embroidery system (linear media processing system)
103 Liquid ejection device 106 Second guide unit (linear medium guide device)
101 Thread (linear medium)
106a, 106b Rollers (rotating members)
106c Groove (groove portion)
106d space 106e cleaning member

JP 2015-218419 A

Claims (6)

A linear medium guiding device having a pair of rotating members that guide a linear medium in a transport direction,
A linear media guiding device characterized in that the rotating member has groove portions that face each other to form a space through which the linear media can be inserted , and that the linear media guiding device is equipped with a cleaning member that cleans the rotating member . 2. The linear media guiding device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is replaceable. A linear media guiding device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the linear media moves in the conveying direction by power from an external device provided outside the linear media guiding device, and the rotating member rotates by contact with the linear media. 4. The linear medium guiding device according to claim 1 , further comprising a drive device that rotates the rotating member in synchronization with a transport speed of the linear medium. A liquid ejection device comprising: a liquid application means for applying liquid to a linear medium; and a linear medium guiding device according to claim 1 , downstream of the liquid application means in a transport direction of the linear medium. A linear medium processing system comprising the liquid ejection device according to claim 5 .