JP2002249976A - Inkjet printer for fabric - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inkjet printer for a fabric, capable of preventing the wrinkles and distortion of the fabric from being caused by a simple structure, and capable of printing a high-quality image at a low cost. SOLUTION: This inkjet printer for the fabric by conveying the fabric drawn from an original roll of the fabric by the drive of a conveying belt, and printing the conveyed fabric by the ink jetted from a recording head is characterized in that the inkjet printer has a smoothing mechanism of wrinkles for smoothing wrinkles in the fabric at the printing at an upstream side of the recording head in the conveying direction of the fabric, and the smoothing mechanism of wrinkles is constituted of a sheet metal having ribs in truncated chevron shapes.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention particularly relates to an ink jet printer for fabric which has been improved so as to perform high-quality printing on a fabric such as a woven fabric which is soft and free of "strain".

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Printers can be classified into a thermal system, a wire dot system, an ink jet system and the like according to their recording systems. Among them, an ink jet system (ink jet printer) is one in which a recording medium (for example, paper) is conveyed by a pressing roller and a conveying roller, and ink droplets are ejected from a printer head to form an image or the like. Conventionally, an ink jet printer has been used as a printing device for printing on paper or the like, but has recently been used for printing on woven fabric.

Various materials such as natural fibers such as silk, wool and cotton, and synthetic fibers such as polyester, acryl and nylon are used for fabrics for printing. These have different characteristics due to differences in the thickness and weaving of the fibers, as well as by raising the fibers in a pile or knitting the fibers like a knit, and thus require different handling than when printing on paper or the like. Compared to paper or film sheets, woven fabric has no so-called "strain" as a recording medium, and in an inkjet printer, when transported by a press roller and a transport roller as described above, the fabric is likely to wrinkle and expand and contract. When a woven fabric such as a knit having a property is used, the shape of the fabric is distorted. Further, as the width of the fabric is increased, wrinkles and distortion of the shape of the fabric are likely to occur. It has become

In order to prevent distortion and wrinkles from occurring in the cloth, a polyester film which can be used repeatedly, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2925013, is coated with an acrylic micro-adhesive, and this is applied to the cloth. An invention in which printing is performed by bonding (see FIG. 18)
No. 370, the roller for transporting the fabric is made of a soft or semi-rigid foam, and further provided with an elastic member which comes into contact with the surface of the fabric to flatten it, and the direction in which the fabric is transported in the printer. Up at a predetermined angle,
Or, an invention in which the cloth is flattened in the vicinity of the printer head by being conveyed while changing downward (see FIG. 19).
Alternatively, the fabric disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-310986 and a breathable sheet made of a nonwoven fabric are superimposed, transported and printed, and after printing, the fabric and the nonwoven fabric are wound together in a superposed state. The invention (see FIG. 20) and the like have been proposed.

[0005]

However, the above-mentioned invention is,
The structure and control for preventing wrinkles and distortion of the fabric are complicated, or the printing apparatus is expensive because the structure requires high accuracy, or frequent maintenance is required, In addition, when printing on a wide cloth, a polyester film (carrier) having the same width or more, a large amount of an adhesive applied thereto, and a nonwoven fabric are required, so that printing cost is further increased. Was to be. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an ink jet printer for fabric which can prevent wrinkles and distortion of the fabric with a simple configuration and can print a high quality image at low cost.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
In a fabric ink jet printer that conveys the fabric drawn from the fabric main winding by driving a conveyance belt or a conveyance roller and prints the cloth by ejecting ink from a recording head, the cloth is transported upstream of the recording head in the fabric conveyance direction. A wrinkle removing mechanism for removing wrinkles of the fabric at the time of printing, wherein the wrinkle removing mechanism is constituted by a plate-like member having a rib formed on a surface thereof.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ink jet printer for a fabric according to the first aspect, wherein the wrinkle extending mechanism is formed by a C-shaped sheet metal with ribs. .

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet printer for fabric, which conveys the fabric drawn from the fabric main roll by driving a conveying belt or a conveying roller, and prints the cloth by jetting ink from a recording head.
On the upstream side in the fabric transport direction from the recording head, there is provided a wrinkle stretching mechanism for removing wrinkles of the fabric at the time of printing, and the wrinkle stretching mechanism is a sheet metal formed by bending from a center or a predetermined position. It is characterized by the following.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ink jet printer for fabric according to the third aspect, wherein a U-shaped rib is formed on a surface of a sheet metal member serving as the wrinkle stretching mechanism. Is what you do.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet printer for a fabric, which conveys the fabric drawn from the main fabric roll by driving a conveyance belt or a conveyance roller, and prints the cloth by ejecting ink from a recording head.
On the upstream side in the fabric transport direction from the recording head, in order to remove wrinkles of the fabric at the time of printing, it has a wrinkle stretching mechanism, and the wrinkle stretching mechanism is constituted by a roller having a rib formed on the surface, and its rotation direction Is opposite to the direction of transport of the fabric.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ink jet printer for fabric according to the fifth aspect, wherein a rib formed on a surface of a roller serving as the wrinkle stretching mechanism is formed in a spiral shape. It is assumed that.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ink jet printer for fabric according to the fifth aspect, wherein the rib formed on the surface of the roller as the wrinkle elongating mechanism is formed in a spiral shape having an unequal pitch. It is characterized by having.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet printer for fabric according to the fifth aspect, the roller as the wrinkle elongating mechanism is formed in a crown shape.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ink jet printer for a fabric according to the fifth aspect, wherein the roller serving as the wrinkle elongation mechanism is capable of rotating forward and backward with respect to the fabric conveying direction, and And a mechanism capable of stopping the rotation in accordance with the condition.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet printer for a fabric, which conveys the fabric drawn from the main fabric roll by driving a conveyance belt or a conveyance roller, and prints the cloth by ejecting ink from a recording head. On the upstream side in the fabric transport direction from the recording head, in order to remove wrinkles of the fabric at the time of printing, it has a wrinkle stretching mechanism, and the wrinkle stretching mechanism faces outwards in a direction perpendicular to the fabric transport direction. And a pair of rotating belts.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ink jet printer for a fabric according to the tenth aspect, wherein the pair of belts, which are the wrinkle elongation mechanisms, spread in a C-shape toward the upstream in the transport direction of the fabric. It is characterized by being arranged.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet printer for fabric which conveys the fabric drawn from the fabric main roll by rotating a conveying roller and prints the fabric by jetting ink from a recording head. The wrinkle straightening mechanism for removing wrinkles of the cloth has a configuration in which the shape of a driven roller for causing the cloth to follow the conveying roller has a spiral shape that spreads radially from the center of the roller or a predetermined position. It is a feature.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet printer for a fabric according to the twelfth aspect, the rib formed on the surface of the driven roller serving as the wrinkle elongating mechanism is formed in a spiral shape having an unequal pitch. It is characterized by having.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet printer for fabric according to the twelfth aspect, the driven roller serving as the wrinkle elongation mechanism is a nip roller, and the nip roller is made of a metal or rubber material, a sponge, or a sponge. Are characterized by a combination of the following.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ink jet printer for a cloth according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, wherein the elongation of the cloth by the wrinkle stretching mechanism is kept within 1%. Things.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fabric for printing a fabric drawn from a main winding of a fabric by driving a conveyor belt or rotating a conveyor roller and printing the fabric by jetting ink from a recording head. In the ink jet printer, on the upstream side in the fabric transport direction from the recording head, in order to remove wrinkles of the fabric at the time of textile printing, it has a wrinkle stretching mechanism. Is detected by a sensor and controlled to a specified length, and a load is applied to a slack portion of the fabric using a weight such as a round bar, for example. It is characterized by being performed.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ink jet printer for a fabric according to the sixteenth aspect, wherein the unwinding mechanism comprises a rotation driving means for unwinding a predetermined amount of the fabric and a sensor for detecting the unwinding amount. It is characterized by being performed.

The invention according to claim 18 is the ink jet printer for fabric according to claim 16, wherein the sensor for detecting the length of the fabric can adjust the position in advance depending on the type of the fabric to be printed. Things.

According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet printer for a fabric according to the sixteenth aspect, the position of the sensor is adjusted manually or by inputting data depending on the type of the fabric to be printed in advance. It is characterized by the following.

According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet printer for a fabric according to the sixteenth aspect, the position of the sensor is determined by printing a test pattern on a fabric to be printed in advance and evaluating the test pattern. Is set at the position of.

[0026]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [First Embodiment] FIG. 1 shows an ink jet printer 1 for fabric according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. As described in claim 1, the present invention is directed to a fabric for transporting a fabric drawn from a fabric original winding by driving a transport belt or a transport roller, and printing the fabric by jetting ink from a recording head. Although the present invention relates to an ink jet printer, the following description will be made by taking an example of an ink jet printer for fabric that conveys the fabric by a conveyance belt.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ink jet printer 1 for fabric uses a recording head 2 for discharging ink from nozzles to perform printing, and a scanning direction (not shown) on which the recording head 2 is mounted. A carriage 4 that scans in a direction perpendicular to the recording head;
And a wrinkle stretching mechanism 9 provided on the upstream side of the recording head 2 in the fabric transport direction and in the vicinity of the transport roller 6 as a wrinkle stretching means for fabric, and a fabric 3 to be printed on these components. And a fabric roll 8. The wrinkle removing mechanism 9 is, as shown in the front view of FIG.
A plurality of ribs 9b arranged in a C shape so as to spread in the transport direction of the fabric 3 are formed on the surface of a rectangular plate-like body 9a, and the width is slightly larger than the width of the fabric 3. have. The bending position of the rectangular plate-shaped body 9a is assumed to be bent at an appropriate position, and the position is not limited.

Hereinafter, the process of printing the fabric 3 will be specifically described. A fabric roll 8, which is the original roll of the fabric 3, is rotatably attached to the inkjet printer 1 at a position upstream of the recording head 2 in the transport direction of the fabric 3. The fabric base roll 8 is disposed, for example, near the floor on which the inkjet printer 1 is installed, and is detachably attached to a frame or the like of the ink jet printer 1 that can sufficiently withstand the pivot of the fabric base roll 8.

The cloth 3 is pulled out of the cloth roll 8 by the driving of the conveyor belt 5, and a means for smoothing the wrinkles of the cloth 3 provided between the cloth roll 8 and the conveying roller 6 downstream of the cloth 3 in the conveying direction. Is transported to the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9.

Here, as described above, the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9 is made of, for example, a sheet metal using a steel plate or the like, and has a U-shaped rib (FIG. 1B) Reference) is formed. Then, the cloth 3 is pressed against the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9 to remove the wrinkles.

The wrinkle stretching mechanism 9 is not limited to the one made of metal, but may be one made of resin or the like. The ribs formed on the contact surface of the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9 with the cloth 3 may be formed so as to expand toward the downstream in the transport direction of the cloth 3, and the size and number (interval) thereof are limited. is not.

As shown in FIG. 2, the fabric 3 conveyed from the fabric roll 8 is pressed by the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9, whereby the wrinkles 3a generated in the fabric 3 are reduced. The fabric 3 is conveyed outward from the center of the fabric along the C-shaped rib 9b formed on the upper surface, and expelled from the end surface of the fabric 3 to the outside (following the arrow shown in FIG. 2). At this time, a tension Th from the center to the outside is generated in the cloth 3 in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and at the same time, a tension Tv is generated in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction due to frictional resistance with the rib 9b. That is, the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9 has a role of a so-called tensioner,
As a result, the cloth 3 after passing through the wrinkle stretching mechanism is uniformly tensioned in the transport direction and the direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and is transported to the next transport belt 5 without wrinkles. Become.

The fabric 3 transported to the transport belt 5
Is transported further below the recording head 2 while maintaining a wrinkle-free state for the above-described reason, and is printed by ink ejection from the recording head 2 scanned by the carriage 4. Accordingly, it is possible to print a high-quality image without distortion on the cloth 3.

As described above, the ink jet printer 1 for fabric according to the present invention has a simple structure and control for preventing wrinkles and distortions of the fabric, and does not require high accuracy in the structure. In addition, the printing apparatus does not become expensive, and there is no need for frequent maintenance. Therefore, a high-quality image can be printed, and the printing cost can be reduced.

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 3 is a schematic structural view showing an ink jet printer for fabric according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As described in claim 3, the present invention is directed to a fabric for transporting a fabric drawn from a fabric original winding by driving a transport belt or a transport roller, and printing the fabric by ejecting ink from a recording head. Although the present invention relates to an ink jet printer, the following description will be made by taking an example of an ink jet printer for fabric that conveys the fabric by a conveyance belt.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ink jet printer 1 for fabric uses a recording head 2 for discharging ink from nozzles to perform printing, and a transporting direction of the fabric by mounting the recording head 2 and scanning means (not shown). A carriage 4 which scans the recording head 2 at right angles to the carriage 4, and a conveyor belt 5 and conveying rollers 6, 7 provided below the recording head 2 as conveying means for the cloth.
A wrinkle stretching mechanism 9A, which is provided upstream of the recording head 2 in the fabric transport direction and near the transport roller 6, is a wrinkle stretching mechanism for fabric, and supplies fabric 3 to be printed on these components. And a fabric roll 8. As shown in the front view of FIG. 3B, the wrinkle removing mechanism 9 </ b> A is formed of a plate-like member, and is formed in a convex shape from a central portion thereof. It has a large width.

As described above, the wrinkle straightening mechanism 9A shown in FIG. 3 (b) is formed of a plate-like member, and is bent from the center and formed into a convex shape. As described above, the term “bending at the specified position” means that the sheet metal member is bent into a convex shape as a whole, and the bending position and the number are not limited as long as this is satisfied.

Hereinafter, the process of printing the fabric 3 will be specifically described. A fabric roll 8, which is the original roll of the fabric 3, is rotatably attached to the inkjet printer 1 at a position upstream of the recording head 2 in the transport direction of the fabric 3. The fabric base roll 8 is disposed, for example, near the floor on which the inkjet printer 1 is installed, and is detachably attached to a frame or the like of the ink jet printer 1 that can sufficiently withstand the pivot of the fabric base roll 8.

As described in the first embodiment, the cloth 3 pulled out from the cloth roll 8 by driving the conveyor belt 5 is located downstream of the cloth roll 3 and the cloth 3 in the conveying direction. The cloth 3 is conveyed to the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9A, which is a means for smoothing wrinkles, provided between the transport rollers 6.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the cloth 3 conveyed from the cloth roll 8 is applied to the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9A.
To the wrinkles 3a generated in the fabric 3.
Is transported from the center of the fabric to the outside along the inclination of the upper surface of the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9A, and is driven out from the end face of the fabric 3 (following the arrow shown in FIG. 4). At this time, a tension Th is generated in the cloth 3 from the center to the outside in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and a tension Tv is generated in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction due to frictional resistance with the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9A. The wrinkle stretching mechanism 9A plays a role of a so-called tensioner, whereby the cloth 3 after passing through the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9A is formed.
Is transported to the next transport belt 5 in a state where tension is uniformly applied in the transport direction and a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and without wrinkles.

The wrinkle-stretching mechanism 9B shown in FIG. 5 is formed by forming a C-shaped rib on the upper surface of the wrinkle-stretching mechanism 9A, and can be used in place of the wrinkle-stretching mechanism 9A. For the same reason as in the case of the first embodiment], the wrinkles of the cloth 3 can be removed.

The cloth 3 conveyed to the conveying belt 5 is further conveyed to a position below the recording head 2 while maintaining a wrinkle-free state for the above-described reason. Printing is performed by jetting ink from the head 2.

Therefore, it is possible to print a high-quality image without distortion on a cloth.

As described above, the ink jet printer 1 for fabric according to the present invention has a simple structure and control for preventing wrinkles and distortion of the fabric, and does not require a high precision in the structure. In addition, the printing apparatus does not become expensive, and there is no need for frequent maintenance. Therefore, a high-quality image can be printed, and the printing cost can be reduced.

[Third Embodiment] FIG. 6 is a schematic structural view showing an ink jet printer for fabric according to claim 5 of the present invention. As described in claim 5, the present invention is directed to a fabric for transporting a fabric drawn from a fabric original winding by driving a transport belt or a transport roller, and printing the fabric by ejecting ink from a recording head. Although the present invention relates to an ink jet printer, the following description will be made by taking an example of an ink jet printer for fabric that conveys the fabric by a conveyance belt.

As shown in FIG. 6, an ink-jet printer 1 for fabric uses a recording head 2 for discharging ink from nozzles to perform printing, and a scanning means (not shown) on which the recording head 2 is mounted and a conveying direction of the fabric for conveying the fabric. A carriage 4 which scans the recording head 2 at right angles to the carriage 4, and a conveyor belt 5 and conveying rollers 6, 7 provided below the recording head 2 as conveying means for the cloth.
And a wrinkle removing mechanism 9C, which is provided upstream of the recording head 2 in the direction of transport of the fabric and in the vicinity of the transport roller 6 and is a means for smoothing wrinkles of the fabric, and supplies the fabric 3 to be printed on these components. And a fabric roll 8. As shown in the front view of FIG. 6B, the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9C has a cylindrical columnar body 9Ca with a surface in which ribs 9Cb are formed in a spiral shape from the center to the outside. Yes, and has a width slightly larger than the width of the fabric 3.

As described above, the wrinkle straightening mechanism 9C shown in FIG. 6B has a structure in which the spiral ribs 9Cb are formed on the surface of the cylindrical body 9Ca. Rotation is performed in the opposite direction (counterclockwise in the figure). Here, the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9C is attached in a direction in which the rib 9Cb formed on the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9C spreads downstream (upward in the drawing) in the transport direction of the fabric 3.

Hereinafter, the process of printing the fabric 3 will be specifically described. A fabric roll 8, which is the original roll of the fabric 3, is rotatably attached to the inkjet printer 1 at a position upstream of the recording head 2 in the transport direction of the fabric 3. The fabric base roll 8 is disposed, for example, near the floor on which the inkjet printer 1 is installed, and is detachably attached to a frame or the like of the ink jet printer 1 that can sufficiently withstand the pivot of the fabric base roll 8.

As described in the first embodiment, the fabric 3 pulled out from the main fabric roll 8 by driving the conveyor belt 5 is located downstream of the main fabric roll 8 and the fabric 3 in the conveyance direction. The fabric 3 is conveyed to the wrinkle-stretching mechanism 9C, which is a means for smoothing wrinkles, provided between the transport rollers 6.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cloth 3 conveyed from the main fabric roll 8 is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction in which the cloth 3 is conveyed (downward in the figure). 9C, the wrinkles 3a generated on the cloth 3 are conveyed from the center of the cloth to the outside along the C-shaped rib 9Cb formed on the upper surface of the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9C and driven to rotate. 3 is expelled to the outside from the end face (following the arrow shown in FIG. 7). At this time, a tension Th is applied to the cloth 3 from the center to the outside in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.
Is generated, a tension Tv is generated in the direction opposite to the transport direction due to frictional resistance with the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9C. The wrinkle stretching mechanism 9C plays a role of a so-called tensioner, whereby the cloth 3 after passing through the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9C is formed.
Is transported to the next transport belt 5 in a state where tension is uniformly applied in the transport direction and a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and without wrinkles.

It should be noted that the wrinkle removing mechanism 9C does not perform rotation driving, and can remove wrinkles of the cloth 3 for the same reason as in the first embodiment even when used in a fixed state on the spot. Can be.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the wrinkle-stretching mechanism 9C may be a roller having a spiral shape formed on a cylindrical roller, for example, or a pitch of the spiral-shaped rib. However, those having unequal intervals may be used.

The roller 9Ca, which is a component of the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9C, may have a so-called drum shape in which the center in the width direction of the roller is convex as shown in FIG.

Then, the cloth 3 conveyed to the conveyor belt 5 is further conveyed to a position below the recording head 2 while maintaining a wrinkle-free state for the above-described reason.
Printing is performed by ink ejection from the recording head 2 scanned by the carriage 4.

Therefore, it is possible to print a high-quality image without distortion on a cloth. As described above, the ink jet printer 1 for a fabric according to the present invention has a simple configuration and control for preventing wrinkles and distortions of the fabric, and does not require a high precision in the configuration. Is not expensive and does not require frequent maintenance. Therefore, a high-quality image can be printed, and the printing cost can be reduced.

[Fourth Embodiment] FIG. 11 is a schematic structural view showing an ink jet printer 1 for fabric according to claim 10 of the present invention. As described in claim 10, the present invention is directed to a fabric for conveying a fabric drawn from a fabric original winding by driving a conveyance belt or a conveyance roller, and printing the cloth by ejecting ink from a recording head. Although it relates to an ink jet printer, here,
A description will be given below by taking an example of an ink jet printer for fabric that conveys the fabric by a conveyance belt.

As shown in FIG. 11, an ink-jet printer 1 for fabric uses a recording head 2 for discharging ink from nozzles for printing, and a scanning direction (not shown) on which the recording head 2 is mounted and the conveying direction of the fabric. A carriage 4 that scans in a direction perpendicular to the recording head;
And a wrinkle stretching mechanism 9D, which is provided upstream of the recording head 2 in the fabric transport direction and in the vicinity of the transport roller 6 and is a means for stretching wrinkles of the fabric, and supplies the fabric 3 to be printed on these components. And a fabric roll 8. As shown in the front view of FIG. 11B, the wrinkle removing mechanism 9D is constituted by a pair of belt driving devices 9Da, and the pair of belt driving devices 9Da are respectively arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the fabric 3. Then, the cloth is rotationally driven outward from the center of the cloth.

Hereinafter, the process of printing the fabric 3 will be specifically described. A fabric roll 8, which is the original roll of the fabric 3, is rotatably attached to the inkjet printer 1 at a position upstream of the recording head 2 in the transport direction of the fabric 3. The fabric base roll 8 is disposed, for example, near the floor on which the inkjet printer 1 is installed, and is detachably attached to a frame or the like of the ink jet printer 1 that can sufficiently withstand the pivot of the fabric base roll 8.

As described in [First Embodiment], [Second Embodiment], and [Third Embodiment],
The fabric 3 pulled out from the fabric roll 8 by driving the transport belt 5 is a means for smoothing wrinkles of the fabric 3 provided between the fabric roll 8 and the transport roller 6 downstream of the fabric 3 in the transport direction. It is transported to the wrinkle removing mechanism 9D.

The fabric 3 conveyed from the fabric roll 8 is pressed by the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9D, and
As shown in the figure, the fabric is stretched outward from the center of the fabric by the belt driving device 9Da which is the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9D. At this time, a tension Th is applied to the cloth 3 from the center to the outside in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and the tension is applied in a direction opposite to the transport direction (downward in the drawing) due to the frictional resistance with the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9D. Tv occurs. Therefore, the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9D serves as a so-called tensioner, whereby the cloth 3 after passing through the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9D is uniformly tensioned in the transport direction and the direction perpendicular to the transport direction, The sheet is conveyed to the next conveyance belt 5 without wrinkles.

The cloth 3 conveyed to the conveying belt 5
Is transported further below the recording head 2 while maintaining a state without wrinkles for the above-described reason.
By printing by ink jetting from the recording head 2 scanned by the carriage 4, a high-quality image without distortion is printed on the cloth.

As shown in FIG. 13, the wrinkle-stretching mechanism 9D may be installed in, for example, a C-shape which spreads upstream (downward in the drawing) in the transport direction of the cloth 3.

As described above, the ink jet printer 1 for fabric according to the present invention has a simple structure and control for preventing wrinkles and distortion of the fabric, and does not require high accuracy in the structure. In addition, the printing apparatus does not become expensive, and there is no need for frequent maintenance. Therefore, a high quality image can be printed, and the printing cost can be reduced.

[Fifth Embodiment] FIG. 14 is a schematic structural view showing an ink jet printer 1 for fabric according to claim 12 of the present invention. The present invention relates to a fabric ink jet printer 1 in which the fabric transport means is constituted by a feed roller and a discharge roller. In the ink jet printer 1 for fabric, for example, the surface of a nip roller 9E which is a driven roller provided for following the fabric with the feed roller is provided as shown in FIG. By providing a spiral groove as shown in (b), it is intended to remove wrinkles of the fabric 3 during transport.

As shown in FIG. 14, the ink jet printer 1 for fabric uses a recording head 2 which discharges ink from nozzles and performs printing, and a conveying direction of the fabric which is mounted on the recording head 2 and is scanned by scanning means (not shown). A carriage 4 that scans in a direction perpendicular to the recording head 2, a feed roller 6 </ b> A and a discharge roller 7
A, which is provided upstream of the recording head 2 in the direction of transport of the fabric and in the vicinity of the feed roller 6A, is a means for causing the fabric 3 to follow the feed roller 6A, and is also a means for reducing wrinkles of the fabric. Mechanism (nip roller) 9E
And a fabric roll 8 for supplying the fabric 3 to be printed on these constituent elements. The wrinkle stretching mechanism 9E is shown in FIG.
As shown in the front view of FIG. 4B, the cylindrical columnar body 9E
A groove 9 </ b> Eb is formed on the surface of a from the center toward the outside, and has a width slightly larger than the width of the cloth 3.

Hereinafter, the process of printing the fabric 3 will be specifically described. First, the cloth 3 pulled out from the main fabric roll 8 by the rotation drive of the discharge roller 7A is located downstream of the main fabric roll 8 in the fabric conveyance direction and transports the cloth 3 together with the discharge roller 7A. The paper is conveyed to the gap of the wrinkle removing mechanism (nip roller) 9E which is the wrinkle removing means of No. 3.

Then, as shown in FIG. 15, the fabric 3 conveyed from the fabric roll 8 is fed by the feed roller 6A.
To the gap between the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9E and the cloth 3
The wrinkles 3a generated in the spiral groove 9a formed on the surface of the cylindrical body 9Ea constituting the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9E are formed.
It is conveyed from the center of the fabric to the outside along Eb, and is expelled from the end face of the fabric 3 to the outside.

Conventionally, the role of the nip roller is to make the cloth follow the feed roller and to fulfill the role of a so-called tensioner, and to generate a drag in the direction opposite to the direction in which the cloth is conveyed. By giving the tension, the effect of removing wrinkles in the transport direction of the fabric is obtained. Therefore, in the inkjet printer 1 for fabric according to the present invention, the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9E and the feed roller 6A are also provided.
After passing through the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9E, the fabric 3 receives the tension Tv along the transport direction of the fabric 3 and the wrinkles 3a generated on the surface are removed, and the fabric 3 is moved outward from the center of the fabric in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. , And receives the tension Th that is generated in the direction of. Therefore, after passing through the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9E, the cloth 3 is uniformly tensioned in the transport direction and the direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and is transported to the next transport belt 5 without wrinkles.

The wrinkle stretching mechanism 9E is made of a material such as metal, rubber material or sponge, and a combination thereof.

Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the wrinkle stretching mechanism 9E may be one having spirals formed on the surface thereof at irregular intervals.

The fabric 3 transported to the transport belt 5
Is transported further below the recording head 2 while maintaining a wrinkle-free state for the above-described reason, and is printed by ink ejection from the recording head 2 scanned by the carriage 4. Therefore, a high quality image without distortion can be printed on the fabric.

As described above, the ink jet printer 1 for fabric according to the present invention has a simple structure and control for preventing wrinkles and distortions of the fabric, and does not require high accuracy in the structure. In addition, the printing apparatus does not become expensive, and there is no need for frequent maintenance. Therefore, a high-quality image can be printed, and the printing cost can be reduced.

The ink jet printers for fabrics disclosed in the above-described first to fifth embodiments have different wrinkle removing mechanisms, respectively. It is assumed that the elongation can be suppressed within 1% as compared with the width of the original fabric.

[Sixth Embodiment] FIG. 17 is a schematic structural view showing an ink jet printer 1 for fabric according to claim 16 of the present invention. As described in claim 16, the present invention is directed to a fabric for conveying a fabric drawn from a main fabric roll by driving a conveyance belt or a conveyance roller, and printing the cloth by jetting ink from a recording head. Although it relates to an ink jet printer, here,
The following description will be made by taking an example of an ink jet printer for fabric that conveys the fabric by a conveyance belt.

FIG. 17 is a schematic structural view showing an ink jet printer for fabric according to claim 16 of the present invention. As shown in FIG.
Is to stably supply the fabric 3 by detecting and controlling the amount of the fabric 3 drawn out by the sensor 10 before the fabric 3 is conveyed to the printing unit, thereby making the load applied to the fabric 3 constant. It is intended to reduce the generation of wrinkles and realize stable printing.

As shown in FIG. 17, an ink jet printer 1 for fabric uses a recording head 2 which discharges ink from nozzles to perform printing, and a transporting direction of the fabric which is mounted on the recording head 2 and is scanned by scanning means (not shown). A carriage 4 which scans the recording head 2 at right angles to the carriage 4, and a conveyor belt 5 and conveying rollers 6, 7 provided below the recording head 2 as conveying means for the cloth.
And an unwinding mechanism 12 comprising a fabric base winding 8, a sensor 10 and a weight 11 for supplying the fabric 3 to be printed on these constituent elements.
It consists of.

Hereinafter, the process of supplying the fabric 3 stably will be specifically described. During printing of the fabric 3, when the fabric 3 is transported below the recording head by the transport belt 5 which is a fabric transporting means, the slack portion A of the fabric 3 is pulled upward accordingly, and the slack portion A is set in advance. Move above the specified position B. At this time, when this is detected by the sensor 10, the unwinding mechanism 12
Is rotated by rotation driving means (not shown), and the fabric 3 is hung down until the slack portion A reaches the specified position B again. When the slack portion A reaches the specified position B, it is detected again by the sensor 10, and the rotation of the fabric roll 8 stops. Therefore, by repeating the above process, the cloth 3 always hangs down from the cloth main winding 8 by a fixed amount, and the weight 11 acts to keep the load applied to the cloth 3 constant before printing. Therefore, the occurrence of wrinkles can be reduced and stable printing can be realized.

The specified position B can be changed at any time depending on the type of the cloth 3, and the specified position is printed on a cloth to be printed in advance by the ink jet printer 1 for the cloth and evaluated. In this way, the position that seems to be optimal is determined. The adjustment of the specified position is performed by manually adjusting the position of the sensor 10. However, by providing a mechanism for converting the prescribed position obtained by these operations into data and adjusting the sensor, printing can be performed for various fabrics only by inputting these data.

[0079]

As described above, according to the ink jet printer for fabrics according to claims 1 to 20 of the present invention, wrinkles and distortion of the fabric are prevented by the wrinkle stretching mechanism, and not only stable printing is realized. Since the structure and control of the wrinkle stretching mechanism are simple and the structure does not require high precision, the printing apparatus does not become expensive and frequent maintenance is not required. Therefore, wrinkles and distortion of the fabric can be prevented with a simple configuration, and a high-quality image can be printed at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a front view of the embodiment, and FIG. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing a process of removing wrinkles of a fabric in the wrinkle stretching mechanism of the present embodiment.

3A and 3B are views for explaining another embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 3A is a front view of the present embodiment, and FIG. 3B is a wrinkle removing mechanism of the present embodiment from the left side in the drawing. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing a process of removing wrinkles of the fabric in the wrinkle stretching mechanism of the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing another example of the wrinkle growth mechanism in the present embodiment.

6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining still another embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 6A is a front view of the embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a left side of the wrinkle removing mechanism in the embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view showing a process of removing wrinkles of the cloth in the wrinkle stretching mechanism of the present embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing another example of the wrinkle removing mechanism in the present embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a front view showing still another example of the wrinkle growth mechanism in the present embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a front view showing still another example of the wrinkle growth mechanism in the present embodiment.

11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining still another embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 11A is a front view of the present embodiment, and FIG.
Fig. 2 is a front view of the wrinkle growing mechanism according to the present embodiment as viewed from the left side in the figure.

FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged view showing a process of removing wrinkles of the cloth in the wrinkle stretching mechanism of the present embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a front view showing another example of the wrinkle growth mechanism in the present embodiment.

14A and 14B are views for explaining still another embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 14A is a front view of the present embodiment, and FIG.
Fig. 2 is a front view of the wrinkle growing mechanism according to the present embodiment as viewed from the left side in the figure.

FIG. 15 is a partially enlarged view showing a process of removing wrinkles of the fabric in the wrinkle stretching mechanism of the present embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a front view showing another example of the wrinkle growth mechanism in the present embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a front view for explaining still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a conventional fabric printer.

FIG. 19 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another embodiment of a conventional fabric printer.

FIG. 20 is a schematic configuration diagram showing still another embodiment of a conventional fabric printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink jet printer for fabric 2 Recording head 3 Fabric 4 Carriage 5 Conveying belt 6, 7 Conveying roller 8 Fabric original winding 9 Wrinkle extending mechanism 10 Sensor 11 Weight 12 Unwinding mechanism A Loose portion B Prescribed position

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Takayuki Kato 2970 Ishikawacho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo In-house (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Honda 2970 Ishikawacho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo In-house Konica Incorporated F-term (reference) 2C056 EB13 EB27 EC12 EC35 FA10 FB03 HA29 3B154 AB19 AB26 AB40 BA09 BA31 BA42 BA44 BB02 BB47 BB76 BC22 BC28 BC48 BD01 BD20 BE05 DA21 4H057 AA03 DA01 DA34 FA27 FA31 FA35 GA06

Claims (20)

[Claims] 1. A fabric ink jet printer which conveys a fabric drawn from a main fabric roll by driving a conveyance belt or a conveyance roller and prints the cloth by jetting ink from a recording head, wherein the cloth is more than the recording head. An ink jet for fabric, comprising, on the upstream side in the transport direction, a wrinkle removing mechanism for removing wrinkles of the fabric during printing, wherein the wrinkle removing mechanism is constituted by a plate-shaped member having a rib formed on a surface thereof. Printer. 2. The ink-jet printer for fabric according to claim 1, wherein said wrinkle-stretching mechanism is formed of a sheet metal with ribs in a C-shape. 3. An ink jet printer for fabric which conveys a fabric pulled out from a main winding of a fabric by driving a conveyance belt or a conveyance roller and prints the fabric by jetting ink from a recording head. A cloth characterized in that it has a wrinkle removing mechanism for removing wrinkles of the cloth at the time of printing on the upstream side in the transport direction, and the wrinkle removing mechanism is a sheet metal formed by bending from a center or a predetermined position. For inkjet printer. 4. The ink jet printer for fabric according to claim 3, wherein a C-shaped rib is formed on a surface of the sheet metal member as the wrinkle stretching mechanism. 5. An ink jet printer for fabric which conveys a fabric drawn from a main winding of a fabric by driving a conveyance belt or a conveyance roller and prints the fabric by jetting ink from a recording head. On the upstream side in the transport direction, in order to remove wrinkles of the fabric at the time of printing, it has a wrinkle stretching mechanism, the wrinkle stretching mechanism is configured by a roller having a rib formed on the surface, and the rotation direction is the same as the transport direction of the fabric. An ink jet printer for fabric, characterized in that the ink jet printer is turned in the opposite direction. 6. The ink jet printer for fabric according to claim 5, wherein the rib formed on the surface of the roller as the wrinkle stretching mechanism is formed in a spiral shape. 7. The ink jet printer for fabric according to claim 5, wherein the rib formed on the surface of the roller as the wrinkle stretching mechanism is formed in a spiral shape with an irregular pitch. 8. The ink jet printer for a fabric according to claim 5, wherein the roller as the wrinkle removing mechanism is formed in a crown shape. 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the roller as the wrinkle-removing mechanism has a mechanism capable of rotating forward and backward with respect to the cloth transport direction, and stopping the rotation if necessary. An ink jet printer for fabric according to any one of claims 5 to 8. 10. An ink jet printer for a fabric which conveys a fabric pulled out from a main winding of a fabric by driving a conveyance belt or a conveyance roller and prints the fabric by jetting ink from a recording head. On the upstream side in the transport direction, in order to remove wrinkles of the fabric at the time of printing, it has a wrinkle stretching mechanism, and the wrinkle stretching mechanism is
An ink jet printer for fabric, comprising a pair of belts rotating outward from each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the fabric is conveyed. 11. The ink jet printer for fabric according to claim 10, wherein the pair of belts, which are the wrinkle elongation mechanisms, are arranged so as to spread in a C-shape toward the upstream in the conveyance direction of the fabric. 12. A fabric ink jet printer which conveys a fabric drawn from a main roll of the fabric by rotation of a conveying roller and prints the fabric by jetting ink from a recording head, to remove wrinkles of the fabric during printing. A wrinkle removing mechanism for causing the driven roller for causing the cloth to follow the conveying roller has a spiral shape that radially spreads from the center of the roller or a predetermined position. Printer. 13. The ink jet printer for fabric according to claim 12, wherein the ribs formed on the surface of the driven roller serving as the wrinkle stretching mechanism are formed in a spiral shape with an irregular pitch. 14. The fabric according to claim 12, wherein the driven roller serving as the wrinkle stretching mechanism is a nip roller, and the nip roller is made of a metal or rubber material, a sponge, or a combination thereof. For inkjet printer. 15. The ink jet printer for fabric according to claim 1, wherein the elongation of the fabric by the wrinkle stretching mechanism is suppressed within 1%. 16. An ink jet printer for fabric which conveys the fabric drawn out from the original winding of the fabric by driving a conveying belt or rotating a conveying roller and prints the fabric by jetting ink from a recording head. On the upstream side in the fabric transport direction from the head, in order to remove wrinkles of the fabric at the time of printing, it has a wrinkle stretching mechanism, and the wrinkle stretching mechanism detects the length of the fabric pulled out from the fabric original winding by a sensor, It is characterized by being configured by an unwinding mechanism that constantly controls the load applied to the fabric by controlling the length to a specified length and applying a load to a slack portion of the fabric using a weight such as a round bar, for example. Inkjet printer for fabrics. 17. The ink jet printer for fabric according to claim 16, wherein said unwinding mechanism is constituted by a rotation driving means for unwinding a predetermined amount of the fabric and a sensor for detecting the unwinding amount. 18. A sensor for detecting a length of the cloth,
17. The ink jet printer for fabric according to claim 16, wherein the position can be adjusted in advance according to the type of fabric to be printed. 19. The ink-jet printer for fabric according to claim 16, wherein the adjustment of the position of the sensor is performed manually or by inputting data depending on the type of fabric to be printed in advance. 20. The ink jet for a fabric according to claim 16, wherein the position of the sensor is set to the best position by printing a test pattern on a fabric to be printed in advance and evaluating the test pattern. Printer.