Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Medium and processing means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-14
2003-10-21
Gordon, Raquel Yvette (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Medium and processing means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06634744
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink-jet printer and particularly to an ink-jet printer which is suitable for ink jet printing onto fabrics.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In regard to recording systems, printers are generally divided into a thermal system, a wire-dot system, and an ink-jet system. Of these, in ink-jet systems (ink-jet printers) while a recording medium (for example, representatively a paper sheet) is conveyed employing a conveying roller and a pressure roller, images are formed on the recording medium by ejecting ink droplets from the recording head. Heretofore, ink-jet printers have been employed as printing devices for paper sheets, but have been employed for printing images onto fabrics other than paper.
Fabrics employed for printing are comprised of various materials including natural fibers such as silk, wool, and cotton and synthetic fibers such as polyester, acryl, and nylon. Features of the fabrics differ depending upon fiber thickness, different weaving, the presence of hair-shaped napping, fiber knitting, and the like. Accordingly, different handling is required compared to the case in which paper is printed.
For example, a fabric does not exhibit sufficient stiffness capable of realizing stable conveyance, compared to paper and film sheet. As a result, when the fabric is conveyed employing only the aforethe conveyance roller and pressure roller so that the fabric is conveyed to the position facing a recording head, problems occur in which wrinkles tend to form. Further, the fabric is subjected to greater elongation as well as greater shrinkage (specifically, woven fabrics such as a knitted fabric are so) than paper and film sheet. As a result, the dimensions tend to be distorted. Incidentally, such wrinkles and distortion tend to occur along with an increase in width of the fabric.
When the wrinkles and distortion are formed, images formed on the fabric results in undesired deformation. For example, the amount of ink, which is to be uniform all over a fabric, may vary locally, and ink may not be ejected onto the target position. Due to such problems, images result in undesired deformation. As a result, generally, it is difficult to maintain high level quality images formed on a fabric.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
From the viewpoint of the foregoing, the present invention was achieved. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink-jet printer capable of forming a high quality image by decreasing elongation and shrinkage of the recording medium as well as by retarding deformation of the recording medium at at least the position facing a recording head during the formation of images.
The aforethe object was achieved employing the structures described below.
Structure 1
An ink-jet printer which is provided with a recording head ejecting ink through nozzles, as well as with a conveying means which is arranged at the position facing the recording head and conveys a recording medium, and which is capable of forming an image on the recording medium by attaching ink ejected from the recording head while conveying the recording medium by the conveying means, the ink-jet printer is characterized in that a recording medium expansion and contraction-preventing means is provided at the contact position where the conveying means contacts the recording medium.
Structure 2
An ink-jet printer which is provided with a recording head which ejects ink through nozzles, as well as with a conveying means which is arranged at the position facing the recording head, and conveys a recording medium, and which is capable of forming an image on the recording medium by attaching ink ejected from the recording head while conveying the recording medium by the conveying means, the ink-jet printer is characterized in that the conveying means is an endless belt and the surface of the endless belt has raised portions.
Structure 3
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the raised portions are projections installed on the surface of the endless belt.
Structure 4
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the projections are installed on the entire surface of the endless belt.
Structure 5
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the projections are installed along the both edges of the surface of the endless belt in the perpendicular direction to the moving direction of the endless belt.
Structure 6
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the nozzle is formed in a nozzle plate and the recording head is arranged so as to be movable in the crossed direction of the conveying direction of the recording medium conveyed by the conveying means; and the projections are located to keep in noncontact with at least the nozzle surface of the nozzle plate where the nozzle is provided when the recording head moves in the crossed direction to the conveying direction of the recording medium and passes above the position facing the projections.
Structure 7
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the nozzle is formed in a nozzle plate; a guard member is provided so as to be near the nozzle and to nip the nozzle plate with respect to the moving direction of the recording head, and the guard member located so as to be projected than a nozzle surface, in which the nozzle is provided, of the nozzle plate; the projections are fixed onto the endless belt so as to enable to rise and fall; and when the recording head moves and then passes above the projections, the projections is brought down by the guard member so as to keep in noncontact with the nozzle surface.
Structure 8
In structure 3, it is preferable that the both edges of the surface of the endless belt are at least out of the region in which the image is recorded by the recording head; the nozzle is formed in the nozzle plate; the recording head is movable in the crossed direction to the conveying direction of the recording medium; and when passing above the projections, at least the nozzle surface of the nozzle plate, in which the nozzle is formed, is displaceable so that the nozzle surface keeps in noncontact the projections, when the recording head passes above the projections.
Structure 9
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the projections are needle-shaped members.
Structure 10
In Structure 9, it is preferable the needle-shaped members have bent form toward the downstream side in the conveying direction of the recording medium, or inclined form toward the downstream side in the conveying direction of the recording medium.
Structure 11
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the projections are installed with comprising a solid material.
Structure 12
In structure 11, it is preferable that the solid material is metallic particles, ceramic particles, or hard plastic particles.
Structure 13
In Structure 12, it is preferable that a medium into which the metallic particles, ceramic particles, or hard plastic particles are kneaded is coated onto the endless belt.
Structure 14
In Structure 12, it is preferable that a medium into which the metallic particles, ceramic particles, or hard plastic particles are kneaded is adhibited onto the endless belt.
Structure 15
In Structures 12 through 14, it is preferable that the metallic particles, ceramic particles, or hard plastic particles have a shape with a corner.
Structure 16
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the projections are hairs comprised of fibers.
Structure 17
In Structure 16, it is preferable that the hairs are implanted onto the surface of the endless belt.
Structure 18
In Structures 16 and 17, it is preferable that the recording medium is a fabric, and the number of the implanted hairs per unit area is more than the number of fine lines of the fabric per the unit area.
Structure 19
In Structures 16 through 18, it is preferable that the hairs are implanted so as to be erect.
Structure 20
In Structures 2 through 19, it is preferable that the endless belt is arranged so as to have a curvature radius of not less than 20 mm.
Structure 21
In Structures 2 through 20, it is preferable that the ink-jet printer comprises a re-adhesion preventing means to prevent re-adhesion of ink, which a
Honda Hiroyuki
Katoh Takayuki
Kimoto Hiroya
Negishi Kenji
Yamamoto Nobuya
Gordon Raquel Yvette
Konica Corporation
Squire Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P.
LandOfFree
Ink-jet printer does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Ink-jet printer, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Ink-jet printer will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3120164