Patent Publication Number: US-8529052-B2

Title: Paper seasoning apparatus, paper seasoning method, inkjet recording apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-146594 filed on Jun. 28, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a paper seasoning apparatus, a paper seasoning method and an inkjet recording apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to a paper seasoning apparatus for blowing air onto a side face of a stack of paper, a paper seasoning method employing such a paper seasoning apparatus, and an inkjet recording apparatus including the paper seasoning apparatus. 
     2. Related Art 
     Sometimes expansion and contraction of paper occurs just after the paper has been recorded with an image by an inkjet recording apparatus. This expansion and contraction of paper are due to the presence of portions within a single sheet of paper, where there is a lot of ink (moisture content) and portions where there is little thereof. 
     Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2008-290800 discloses a paper handling apparatus that includes a pair of pressing members that sandwich plural sheets of paper that have been stacked on each other from the front and back, and air supply devices and air supply nozzles that blow air onto the sandwiched plural sheets of paper. 
     Humidity conditioning (called seasoning) of the paper, namely acclimatization of the paper to the peripheral environment, in particular to the humidity, can be performed by supplying air onto the plural sheets of paper (paper stack), thereby suppressing expansion and contraction of the paper. 
     However, a mounting plate may have a curve with a specific radius of curvature in order to correct paper curl, when paper is collected and stacked in the vertical direction and the stack of paper sheets mounted on a mounting plate. When a mounting plate has a curve in such a manner and air is blown between sheets of paper similarly to in JP-A No. 2008-290800, sufficient separation between the sheets of paper cannot be secured. This is due to concentration of the load of the paper, for example, in the vicinity of a peak of the mounting plate (a location of locally raised height). Accordingly, there is a need for more efficient humidity conditioning (seasoning). 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides a paper seasoning apparatus, a paper seasoning method employing the paper seasoning apparatus, and an inkjet recording apparatus including the paper seasoning apparatus, that may improve effectiveness of seasoning by blowing air against a stack of paper. 
     A first aspect of the present invention is a paper seasoning apparatus including: a mounting plate including a curved mounting face on which a paper stack is mounted; a plurality of first air blowing sections that blow air against a side face of the paper stack mounted on the mounting face from a direction orthogonal to the curved direction of the mounting face; and a plurality of second air blowing sections that have an air blowing range shorter in the height direction than the first air blowing sections, and that blow air to the vicinity of maximum height position(s) of the mounting face. 
     In this paper seasoning apparatus, the mounting face of the mounting plate on which the paper stack is mounted is curved, to configure a maximum height position where the local height is raised. Due to the plural first air blowing sections being provided and blowing air against the side face of the paper stack in a direction orthogonal to the curved direction of the mounting plate, air may be blown between the sheets of paper, and humidity conditioning may be performed while curl is corrected, even when there is a curl initially present in the paper. 
     More specifically, the plural second air blowing sections are provided in this paper seasoning apparatus with an air blowing range that is shorter in the height direction than an air blowing range of the first air blowing sections. The second air blowing sections also blow air at vicinity of the maximum height position of the mounting face. A tight separation may arise between sheets of paper at the maximum height position of the mounting face and in its vicinity. However the separation between the sheets of paper can be suppressed from becoming uneven by blowing air to this area with the second air blowing sections. Accordingly, sufficient air may be blown between the sheets of paper, suppressing unevenness of moisture content from arising in the paper, and may enable an improved humidity conditioning effect to be exhibited. The paper may also be suppressed from thrashing around, since air passes between the sheets of paper in a state in which unevenness of separation between the sheets is suppressed. Note that a single second air blowing section or plural second air blowing sections may be provided as long as such an effect can be exhibited. 
     “The vicinity” of the maximum height position obviously includes the position of the maximum height position itself, and also includes locations where in practice the separation between the sheets of paper mounted on the mounting face becomes tightly packed due to the presence of the maximum height position, lowering the through flow of air fed from the first air blowing section. 
     A second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the air blowing range of the second air blowing section may include the mounting face. 
     Accordingly, the second aspect of the present invention may ensure that air is blown onto the side face of the paper stack mounted on the mounting face. 
     A third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the mounting face may be configured with a curved shape when viewed along the air blowing direction from the first air blowing sections having a central portion protruding upwards, and dropping downwards on progression towards both edge portions, to give the maximum height position at the center of the mounting plate. 
     A fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the mounting face may be configured with a curved shape when viewed along the air blowing direction from the first air blowing sections having a central portion protruding downwards, and rising upwards on progression towards both edge portions, to give the maximum height positions at both edges of the mounting plate. 
     The curved shape of the mounting face may be formed with a shape that protrudes upwards at the central portion (referred to below simply as an upwards protruding shape), or with a shape that protrudes downwards at the central portion (referred to below simply as a downwards protruding shape). However, with either shape, the volume of air blown from the first air blowing sections may be made symmetrical by adopting a fifth aspect of the present invention in which the plurality of first air blowing sections are disposed symmetrically about the central portion of the mounting face as the center. Accordingly, in the fifth aspect, a nearly uniform volume of air flow between the sheets of paper across the width direction may be obtained. Similarly, the volume of air blown from the second air blowing section can be made symmetrical by adopting a sixth aspect of the present invention in which the plurality of second air blowing sections are disposed symmetrically about the central portion of the mounting face as the center. Accordingly, in the sixth aspect, a nearly uniform volume of air flow between the sheets of paper across the width direction may be obtained. Note that when only a single second air blowing section is provided, the above symmetrical distribution can be achieved by placing the second air blowing section in the center of the mounting face. 
     A seventh aspect of the present invention, in the third to the sixth aspects, may further include a top plate including a top face that faces the mounting face and has a curved shape similar to the mounting face. 
     The paper can accordingly be suppressed from unintentionally rising up and thrashing about, due to the top face of the top plate being positioned above the paper stack mounted on the mounting face. More specifically, the top face is configured with a curved shape similar to that of the mounting face. “A curved shape similar to” means that the top face is formed with an upward protruding shape when the mounting face is formed in an upward protruding shape. Further, “A curved shape similar to” means that the top face is formed with a downward protruding shape when the mounting face is formed in a downward protruding shape. Consequently, a substantially constant separation to the mounting face can be maintained compared to configurations with a top face having downward protruding shape for an upward protruding shaped mounting face, or a top face having an upward protruding shape for a downward protruding shaped mounting face, enabling the shape of the paper to be corrected. 
     An eighth aspect of the present invention, in the first to the seventh aspects, volume of air blown by the first air blowing section disposed at the vicinity of the maximum height position of the mounting face may be greater than the volume of air blown by the other first air blowing sections. 
     Since the separation between sheets of paper become tight at the maximum height position of the mounting face or in the vicinity thereof, due to the volume of air blown by the first air blowing sections in this area being greater than the volume of air blown by the other first air blowing sections, this raises the ability to suppress unevenness in separation between the sheets. Accordingly, in the above aspect, unevenness in moisture content in the paper may be suppressed, enabling an improved humidity conditioning effect to be exhibited. Moreover, in the above aspect, the paper may be suppressed from thrashing around since air is blown between the sheets of paper in a state in which unevenness of separation between the sheets is suppressed. 
     A ninth aspect of the present invention is a paper seasoning method that utilizes the paper seasoning apparatus of the above aspects to blow air onto a side face of a paper stack mounted on the mounting plate, wherein volume of air blown by the first air blowing section disposed in the vicinity of the maximum height position of the mounting face is set greater than the volume of air blown by the other first air blowing sections. 
     Since the above aspects is employed as the paper seasoning apparatus, air can be blown between the sheets of paper, and humidity conditioning may be performed while curl is corrected, even when the paper is initially curled. Since the second air blowing sections blow air at the vicinity of the peak of the mounting plate, the separation between sheets of paper may be suppressed from becoming uneven. 
     Furthermore, since the volume of air of the first air blowing sections disposed at the vicinity of the maximum height position of the mounting face are greater than the volume of air of the other first air blowing sections, suppression of unevenness between the sheets of paper may be performed. Accordingly, unevenness in moisture content of the paper may be suppressed, enabling an improved humidity conditioning effect to be exhibited. 
     A tenth aspect of the present invention is a paper seasoning method that utilizes the paper seasoning apparatus the above aspects to blow air onto a side face of a paper stack mounted on the mounting plate, wherein air starts to be blown from the first air blowing section after air blowing from the second air blowing section(s) has started. 
     The second air blowing sections include air blowing ranges that are shorter in the height direction that the first air blowing sections. The second air blowing sections also blow air at vicinity of the maximum height position of the mounting face. Namely, due to blowing air from a low position onto the side face of the paper stack at the vicinity of the maximum height position of the mounting face, the paper may be suppressed from curling over on itself. 
     In the vicinity of the maximum height position of the mounting face where there is a tendency for the separation between sheets of paper to become tight, the separation between the sheets of paper may be effectively suppressed from becoming uneven, by first blowing air onto the side face of the paper stack with the second air blowing sections. 
     An eleventh aspect of the invention is an inkjet recording apparatus including: an inkjet recording apparatus main body that jets ink droplets onto paper and records an image; and the paper seasoning apparatus of the above aspects provided at a discharge section for paper on which an image has been recorded by the inkjet recording apparatus main body. 
     Images can be recorded on the paper using the inkjet recording apparatus main body. By providing the paper seasoning apparatus of one of the above aspects at the discharge section of the inkjet recording apparatus main body, unevenness in moisture content of the paper may be suppressed, and may enable an improved humidity conditioning effect to be exhibited. 
     Accordingly, in the above aspects, the present invention may provide an improved humidity conditioning effect to be exhibited by blowing air onto a paper stack. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view illustrating a paper seasoning apparatus of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating a partial enlargement of a stacking shelf unit of a paper seasoning apparatus of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view illustrating a partial enlargement of a stacking shelf unit of a paper seasoning apparatus of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4A  is a side view of a first air blowing device employed in a paper seasoning apparatus of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4B  is a front view of a first air blowing device employed in a paper seasoning apparatus of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5A  is a side view of a second air blowing device employed in a paper seasoning apparatus of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5B  is a front view of a second air blowing device employed in a paper seasoning apparatus of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view illustrating a schematic configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus equipped with a paper seasoning apparatus of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view illustrating a partial enlargement of a stacking shelf unit of a paper seasoning apparatus of a comparative example; 
         FIG. 8A  is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state of paper during steady air blowing in a paper seasoning apparatus of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8B  is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state of paper at the start of air blowing in a paper seasoning apparatus of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9A  is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state of paper during steady air blowing in a paper seasoning apparatus of a comparative example; 
         FIG. 9B  is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state of paper at the start of air blowing in a paper seasoning apparatus of a comparative example; and 
         FIG. 10  is a front view illustrating a partial enlargement of a stacking shelf unit of a paper seasoning apparatus of a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Explanation follows regarding a paper seasoning apparatus  12  of a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and an inkjet recording apparatus  112  equipped with the paper seasoning apparatus  12 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the paper seasoning apparatus  12  of the present exemplary embodiment has a box shaped housing  14 . The housing  14  can be opened and closed from the paper seasoning apparatus  12  front side (near side) by utilizing a front cover  18  supported by a hinge  16 .  FIG. 1  shows the front cover  18  in its open position, enabling inspection inside the housing  14 . There is a touch panel  20  for an operator to operate the paper seasoning apparatus  12  provided at the opposite side to the hinge  16  side. 
     Plural (four in the present exemplary embodiment) stacking shelf units  22  are disposed in the housing  14 . While four of the stacking shelf units  22  are illustrated in  FIG. 1  along the vertical direction, configuration may be made with a single stacking shelf unit  22  supported by a raising and lowering support member (not shown) so as to be movable in the vertical direction. 
     The stacking shelf units  22  are supported by the housing  14  such that they can be pulled out by sliding towards the front when the front cover  18  is in the open state. Reference below simply to the “width direction” this means the width direction of the stacking shelf units  22  (the direction shown by arrow W 1  in  FIG. 1 ). 
     As shown in detail in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , each of the stacking shelf units  22  has a mounting plate  24 . The top face of the mounting plate  24  configures a mounting surface  26  on which a paper stack  152  of plural stacked sheets of paper  154  is mounted (see  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 8A  and  FIG. 8B ). In the present exemplary embodiment, as an example, the number of sheets of the paper  154  stackable in a single stacking shelf unit  22  is 125 sheets. Namely, the paper stack  152  is configured by up to 125 sheets of the paper  154 . 
     The mounting surface  26  is shaped such that, when viewed from the arrow A 1  direction, the width direction central portion of the mounting surface  26  is raised, and both the width direction edge portions are lowered, namely a shape protruding upwards. Curving the mounting surface  26  in this manner enables, for example, curl correction to be performed by bending the paper in a direction orthogonal to a curl direction, when the paper  154  has been recorded with an image in the inkjet recording apparatus  112  adopted a curl in a particular direction. 
     The radius of curvature of the mounting surface  26  is not necessarily constant across the width direction of the stacking shelf unit  22  (the arrow W 1  direction), and may include a different radius of curvature at each location on the mounting surface  26 . In the present exemplary embodiment, the mounting surface  26  is configured to include a constant radius of curvature at the width direction centre of the mounting surface  26 , curving in an upwards protruding shape, with the height reaching a maximum height at maximum height position  26 T at the width direction central portion. Both width direction sides of the maximum height position  26 T are configured with sloping sections  26 S that slope in substantially flat plane shapes. The maximum height position  26 T is positioned at the width direction center of the mounting plate  24 , with the mounting plate  24  shaped to exhibit left-right symmetry about the maximum height position  26 T (shown by a center line CL) of the mounting plate  24  as the center. 
     A single front plate  28  and a pair of side plates  30  are provided protruding up from the mounting plate  24 , enabling the edges of plural sheets of paper mounted on the mounting surface  26  of the mounting plate  24  to be aligned with each other. More specifically, the front plate  28  is movable in the arrow A 1  direction and the opposite direction to the arrow A 1  direction, and the side plates  30  are movable in the arrow W 1  directions enabling different sizes of the paper  154  to be accommodated. 
     A top plate  32 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , is disposed above the mounting plate  24  in each of the respective stacking shelf units  22 . The bottom face of the top plate  32  is curved in a shape similar to the mounting surface  26  when viewed in the same direction as the arrow A 1  direction of  FIG. 2 . Accordingly, the bottom face of the top plate  32  configures a top face  32 H that faces the paper mounted on the mounting surface  26 . The region surrounded by the mounting surface  26 , the top face  32 H, the front plate  28  and the side plates  30  configures a paper stack housing space  34 . 
     Plural air discharge holes  28 H are formed in the front plate  28  such that air that has passed between the sheets of paper  154  from a first air blowing device  36  and a second air blowing device  38  can then be let out from the paper stack housing space  34 . 
     As shown in detail in  FIG. 3 , plural (five in the present exemplary embodiment) of the first air blowing devices  36  and plural (two in the present exemplary embodiment) of the second air blowing devices  38  are disposed at the far side of the mounting plate  24  (the side not disposed with either the front plate  28  or the side plates  30 ). The first air blowing devices  36  and the second air blowing devices  38  operate to acclimatize the paper  154  configuring the paper stack  152  to the environment around (to season) by blowing air similar to the peripheral atmosphere (in temperature and humidity) onto one of the side faces of the paper stack  152  mounted on the mounting surface  26 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B , each of the first air blowing devices  36  includes two air blowers  40  disposed one above the other, and a ducting section  42  for guiding the air flow generated by the air blowers  40 . An opening  44  of the ducting section  42  has substantially the same height H 1  as separation D 1  between the mounting surface  26  and the top face  32 H. This configuration provides blowing air in the paper stack housing space  34  across the height range from the mounting surface  26  to the top face  32 H. More specifically, a vertical direction intermediate portion of the opening  44  of the present exemplary embodiment is shaped with a small neck portion  44 S having a smaller opening cross-sectional area than that of an upper air outlet  44 A and a lower air outlet  44 B. This configuration provides effective blowing air from the upper air outlet  44 A and the lower air outlet  44 B. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B , each of the second air blowing devices  38  include a single air blower  46 , and include a ducting section  48  for guiding air flow generated by the air blower  46 . An air outlet  50  of the ducting section  48  has a lower height than the ducting section  42  of the first air blowing device  36 , and the range over which air is blown by the second air blowing devices  38  is also lower in the height direction than that of the first air blowing devices  36 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the second air blowing devices  38  are disposed such that air can be blown in the paper stack housing space  34  including in the vicinity of the maximum height position  26 T. The air outlet  50  of each of the second air blowing devices  38  is disposed at a height enabling air to be blown at the paper stack  152  at a position including the mounting surface  26 . 
     As can be seen from  FIG. 3 , the plural first air blowing devices  36  and the plural second air blowing devices  38  are disposed in the present exemplary embodiment with symmetry about the center line CL. More specifically, the second air blowing devices  38  are disposed in the vicinity of the maximum height position  26 T, with the air outlets  50  also disposed symmetrically in the vicinity of the maximum height position  26 T. The present exemplary embodiment is disposed with an odd number of the first air blowing devices  36 , with one device disposed at the width direction center (on the center line CL). 
     In the following explanation, when differing between the air outlets  44 A,  44 B and  50  of the first air blowing devices  36  and the second air blowing devices  38  is required, they will be identified by appending the reference numbers Ch1 to Ch7 in sequence along the mounting surface  26  side and then along the top face  32 H side, working out from the width direction center of the mounting surface  26  side to the two edges (see  FIG. 3 ). 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the inkjet recording apparatus  112  as an example of an application of the paper seasoning apparatus  12  of the present invention. The inkjet recording apparatus  112  includes a paper feeder  114 , a processing liquid coating section  116 , an image recording section  118 , a drying section  120 , a fixing section  122 , and a paper discharge section  124 . The inkjet recording apparatus  112  records an image on the paper  154  as the paper  154  is being conveyed along to the position of each of the above. 
     The paper  154  is stacked in the paper feeder  114  and the paper feeder  114  feeds out the paper  154  one sheet at a time. The paper  154  that has been fed out is conveyed via a paper feed tray  125  and a paper feed drum  126  to the processing liquid coating section  116 . A processing liquid drum  128  is rotatably disposed in the processing liquid coating section  116 , and the paper  154  is conveyed downstream by rotation of the processing liquid drum  128 , with the leading edge of the paper  154  in a retained state by a retaining member  130 . Processing liquid is coated onto the paper  154  by a processing liquid coating device  132  disposed above the processing liquid drum  128 . Configuration may, as required, include a processing liquid drying apparatus to actively dry the processing liquid. The processing liquid reacts with ink, thereby acting to aggregate coloring matter (pigment) and promote separation of coloring matter (pigment) from the liquid medium. 
     The paper  154  is then fed via a conveying drum  134  to the image recording section  118 . In the image recording section  118 , the paper  154  is conveyed while retained on an image recording drum  136 , and an image is recorded on a face of the paper  154  by impacting ink droplets ejected from an inkjet recording head  138  disposed above the image recording drum  136 . More precisely, there are four colors of inkjet recording heads  138  in the present exemplary embodiment, for the basic colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) and black (K), disposed along the circumferential direction of the image recording drum  136 . Each of the inkjet recording heads  138  has an ink ejecting range corresponding to the maximum width of the paper  154 , namely they are full-line heads. 
     The paper  154  is then conveyed via a conveying drum  140  to the drying section  120 . The paper  154  is conveyed in the drying section  120  while retained on a drying drum  142 . Halogen heaters  144  and warm air nozzle  146  are disposed above the drying drum  142 . The ink on the paper  154  dried by heat from the halogen heaters  144  and warm air from the warm air nozzles  146  as being conveyed by the drying drum  142 . 
     The paper  154  is then fed via a conveying drum  148  to a fixing section  122 . In the fixing section  122 , the image (ink) is fixed by being heated by a halogen heater  162  (preparatory heating) and pressed by a fixing roller  164 , as the paper  154  is being conveyed while retained on a fixing drum  150 . A check pattern on the paper  154  and the moisture content, surface temperature and glossiness are then measured by an in-line sensor  166 . 
     The paper  154  that has been recorded with an image in the manner described above is then conveyed by a discharge roller  168 , and is discharged from the inkjet recording apparatus  112  via the paper discharge section  124 . The image recorded paper is then seasoned in the paper seasoning apparatus  12 . 
     Configuration may be made such that the paper  154  is fed one sheet at a time into the paper stack housing space  34  of the paper seasoning apparatus  12 , with the paper stack  152  formed by stacking the plural sheets of the paper  154  when they are in the paper stack housing space  34 . Alternatively, the paper stack  152  may be formed from plural sheets of the paper  154  further upstream than the paper seasoning apparatus  12 , for example, in the paper discharge section  124 , and then the paper stack  152  fed as a single unit into the paper stack housing space  34  of the paper seasoning apparatus  12 . Configuration may also be made such that a stack of paper is formed by hand, and the stack then set in the paper stack housing space  34  of the paper seasoning apparatus  12 . 
     Explanation now follows regarding a method of seasoning the paper  154  by blowing air in from the side face of the paper stack  152  using the paper seasoning apparatus  12  of the present exemplary embodiment, and regarding operation of the paper seasoning apparatus  12 . 
     For the paper stack  152  housed in the paper stack housing space  34  in the paper seasoning apparatus  12  of the present exemplary embodiment, air is blown from plural first air blowing devices  36  against a side face of the paper stack  152 . Air is accordingly made to pass through between plural sheets of the paper  154  configuring the paper stack  152 , enabling the paper  154  to be acclimatized to the peripheral environment (seasoned). In particular, when image recording is performed with water based ink on ordinary paper, expansion and contraction of the paper  154  readily occurs due to differences in the moisture content due to the lightness-darkness of the image (ink amount dependency) in the region over which the image is recorded (the ink ejected region). However, in the paper seasoning apparatus  12  of the present exemplary embodiment, expansion and contraction of the paper  154  may be suppressed by the effective seasoning of the paper  154 . For example, when double-sided image recording is performed on the paper  154 , image recording is performed on one face (the front face) and then image recording is performed on the other face (the back face). However, image recording is performed to the back face in a state in which any expansion or contraction has been eliminated (or in a state in which any expansion or contraction has been reduced) even if the paper  154  expands or shrinks immediately after performing image recording to the front face. Consequently, size mismatch and positional mismatch of the recorded image between the front face and the back face is suppressed. Even when only single sided image recording is performed on the paper  154 , an improvement in the quality of recorded images may be achieved due to suppressing waviness (called curl) that occurs with such expansion or contraction of the paper  154 . This also results in excellent productivity when further processing is performed after image recording, such as book binding. 
     In the paper seasoning apparatus  12  of the present exemplary embodiment, due to the mounting surface  26  on which the paper stack  152  is mounted being curved, even if the paper  154  were to curl, it is possible to correct the shape of the paper to make the paper  154  parallel to the air blowing direction. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates, as a first comparative example, a paper seasoning apparatus  212  that lacks the second air blowing device  38 , and is equipped with six of the first air blowing devices  36  alone. Configuration is also made in the paper seasoning apparatus  212  of the first comparative example with the maximum height position  26 T at the width direction center of the mounting surface  26 . Since air is only blown onto the paper stack  152  from the first air blowing devices  36  in the paper seasoning apparatus  212 , during steady air blowing (a state in which there is a steady volume of air blown), the separation distance between the sheets of paper  154  tends to become narrower at a portion in the width direction of the paper stack  152  compared to other portions, as shown in  FIG. 9A . Consequently, this leads to poor air flow between the sheets of paper  154 , with this potentially leading to the paper  154  thrashing around and damage being incurred at the edges of the paper  154 . 
     In contrast thereto, in the paper seasoning apparatus  12  of the present exemplary embodiment, the second air blowing devices  38  are provide in addition to the first air blowing devices  36 , and the second air blowing devices  38  are disposed in the vicinity of the maximum height position  26 T, at a height enabling air to be blown against the paper stack  152  at a position including the mounting surface  26 . Consequently, as shown in  FIG. 8A , the separation between the sheets of paper  154  configuring the paper stack  152  is made more even along the width direction during steady air blowing than in the first comparative example. Namely, sufficient volume of air can be sent to the width direction central portion, thereby enabling unevenness in moisture content remaining in the paper  154  to be suppressed. The paper  154  may also be suppressed from thrashing around. 
     There is no particular limitation to the timing with which to start blowing air from each of the channels, and configuration may be made such that air blowing is started from all of the channels at the same time. However, when air is first blown from the first air blowing devices  36  and there is a wide separation between the paper stack  152  and the top face  32 H, as shown in  FIG. 9B , this potentially leads to the edge portion of the uppermost sheets of paper  154  curling over on itself. 
     However, timing may be set such that air blowing is started from the second air blowing devices  38  (Ch 2), and then air blowing is started the other channels (for example, starting air blowing may be in the sequence Ch2, Ch1, Ch3, Ch5, Ch6, to Ch7). In such as case, as shown in  FIG. 8B , due to configuration with the maximum height position  26 T, a greater volume of air flow can be fed at the start of air blowing to the width direction central section that is susceptible to narrowing of the separation between the sheets of paper  154 . Accordingly, not only may the spacing between the sheets of paper  154  be widened in the vicinity of the maximum height position  26 T, but the paper  154  may also be maintained in a good shape, and paper curl may be suppressed. 
     In the paper seasoning apparatus  12  of the first exemplary embodiment, while configuration may be made such that there is a uniform volume of air blown from each of the channels, configuration may also be made such that the volume of air at the channels on the width direction edges is less than the volume of air of the channels at the width direction center. Table 1 illustrates examples of airflow volume patterns from each of the channels in the paper seasoning apparatus  12 . In the first pattern, the volume of air flowing in the channels at the width direction edges is set less than the volume of air flowing in the channels at the width direction center, as described above. In the second pattern the volume of air flowing in the upper channel (Ch 5 to Ch 7) is set at less than the volume of air flowing in the lower channels (Ch 1 to Ch 4). 
     In the second pattern, since air is also blown in the vicinity of the maximum height position  26 T by the second air blowing device  38 , an effect is achieved of evening out the separation between the sheets of paper  154  along the width direction. The volume of air blown in the vicinity of the maximum height position  26 T (the width direction center) through the channels (Ch 1, 2, 3 and 5) is greater than that in the other channels (Ch 4, 6, 7) in the first pattern. Due thereto, the first pattern achieves even greater uniformity in separation between the sheets of paper  154 , suppresses unevenness in moisture content, and raises the effectiveness with which the paper  154  is suppressed from thrashing about. 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Ch 1 
                 Ch 2 
                 Ch 3 
                 Ch 4 
                 Ch 5 
                 Ch 6 
                 Ch 7 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 First Pattern 
                 100 
                 100 
                 100 
                 60 
                 100 
                 80 
                 30 
               
               
                 Second Pattern 
                 90 
                 90 
                 90 
                 90 
                 70 
                 70 
                 70 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
       FIG. 10  illustrates a paper seasoning apparatus  72  of a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Portions that differ from the first exemplary embodiment will be explained below, with configuration elements the same as those of the first exemplary embodiment allocated the same reference numbers, and therefore detailed explanation will be omitted. Further explanation regarding an inkjet recording apparatus applied with the paper seasoning apparatus  72  of the second exemplary embodiment will be omitted, since the overall configuration is similar to that of the first exemplary embodiment. 
     In the paper seasoning apparatus  72  of the second exemplary embodiment, a mounting face  74  on top of the mounting plate  24  is shaped in an opposite manner to that of the first exemplary embodiment, to have a lowered width direction central portion and be raised at both width direction edges, in a downwards facing protruding shape. Accordingly, maximum height positions  74 T are configured at both edges in the width direction of the mounting face  74 . 
     In the second exemplary embodiment, the second air blowing devices  38  is aligned with the shape of the mounting face  74  and disposed at either width direction edge portion so as to be disposed in the vicinity of the maximum height positions  74 T. 
     Similar operation and effect to that of the paper seasoning apparatus  12  of the first exemplary embodiment is exhibited by the paper seasoning apparatus  72  of the second exemplary embodiment configured as described above. More specifically, since air is blown against the side face of the paper stack  152  by the second air blowing devices  38  in the vicinity of the maximum height positions  74 T, it is possible to achieve more uniformity in the separation between the sheets of paper  154  configuring the paper stack  152 . Unevenness in moisture content remaining in the paper  154  and thrashing about of the paper  154  can be suppressed by also feeding sufficient volume of air to both width direction edges. 
     In both the paper seasoning apparatus  12  of the first exemplary embodiment and the paper seasoning apparatus  72  of the second exemplary embodiment, the first air blowing devices  36  are disposed with left-right symmetry about the center line CL at the center, and the second air blowing devices  38  are also disposed with left-right symmetry. Accordingly, it is possible to make the separation between the sheets of paper  154  more uniform along the width direction than configurations with the first air blowing devices  36  or the second air blowing devices  38  disposed asymmetrically in the left-right direction. In particular, due to the first air blowing device  36  being provided with the height of the opening  44  spanning from the mounting plate  24  to the top plate  32 , action to make the separation between the sheets of paper  154  more even in the width direction can be efficiently exhibited even for high heights of the paper stack  152  (paper stack  152  configured from a large number of sheets of paper  154 ). The second air blowing devices  38  are set with the height of the air outlets  50  at positions including the mounting surface  26 , and so action to make the separation between the sheets of paper  154  more even in the width direction may be efficiently exhibited on the sheets of paper  154  configuring the bottom of the paper stack  152 .