Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7681978?dq=6,163,776
Timestamp: 2014-09-23 11:28:42
Document Index: 508076777

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 10', 'art 20', 'art 70', 'art 70', 'art 20', 'art 10', 'art 20', 'art 20', 'art 10', 'art 20', 'art 70', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 10', 'art 20', 'art 70', 'art 20', 'art 70', 'art 22', 'art 20', 'art 22', 'art 20', 'art 70', 'art 70']

Patent US7681978 - Inkjet recording apparatus - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsAn inkjet recording apparatus includes: a full-line inkjet head that includes ejection nozzles arrayed in the width direction of a recording medium, and that ejects a liquid functional material on the recording medium; a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium at a position opposite to the full-line...http://www.google.com/patents/US7681978?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7681978 - Inkjet recording apparatusAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7681978 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/776,154Publication dateMar 23, 2010Filing dateJul 11, 2007Priority dateJul 11, 2006Fee statusPaidAlso published asDE602007008986D1, EP1878582A1, EP1878582B1, EP2172344A1, EP2172344B1, US8201914, US20080024541, US20100020123Publication number11776154, 776154, US 7681978 B2, US 7681978B2, US-B2-7681978, US7681978 B2, US7681978B2InventorsKatsuyuki HiratoOriginal AssigneeFujifilm CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (8), Referenced by (5), Classifications (6), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetInkjet recording apparatusUS 7681978 B2Abstract An inkjet recording apparatus includes: a full-line inkjet head that includes ejection nozzles arrayed in the width direction of a recording medium, and that ejects a liquid functional material on the recording medium; a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium at a position opposite to the full-line inkjet head; a test image formation sheet-feeding unit that contact-feeds a test image formation sheet on the recording medium in the upstream of the ejection position on the conveying unit; and a test image formation sheet-separating unit that separates the test image formation sheet from the recording medium in the downstream of the ejection position on the conveying unit.
a full-line inkjet head that includes ejection nozzles arrayed in the width direction of a recording medium, and that ejects a liquid functional material on the recording medium;
a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium at a position facing the full-line inkjet head;
a test image formation sheet-feeding unit that contact-feeds a test image formation sheet on the recording medium in the upstream of the ejection position on the conveying unit; and
a test image formation sheet-separating unit that separates the test image formation sheet from the recording medium in the downstream of the ejection position on the conveying unit.
2. The inkjet recording apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conveying unit comprises a recording medium-to-head distance-adjusting mechanism that moves at least one of the recording medium and the inkjet head in the horizontal direction with respect to the ejection direction of the full-line inkjet head so as to set distance between the test image formation sheet and the full-line inkjet head to an optimal value for ejection.
3. The inkjet recording apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an image analyzing unit that scan-reads and analyzes the test image on the test image formation sheet separated by the test image formation sheet-separating unit, and that feeds back the analysis results to an image recording.
4. The inkjet recording apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the test image formation sheet-feeding unit brings the test image formation sheet into close contact with the recording medium by electrostatic adsorption or by using a pressure-sensitive adhesive.
5. The inkjet recording apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the test image formation sheet-separating unit separates the test image formation sheet from the recording medium by electrostatic adsorption or by using a self-adhesive roller.
6. The inkjet recording apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the test image formation sheet-feeding unit feeds the test image formation sheet on the recording medium at predetermined time intervals at least one of in forming the image and in sleeping an image formation.
The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus for performing image evaluation of an image which is formed on a recording medium by an inkjet method using a liquid functional material (ink).
The engineering/industrial printing utilizing an inkjet system is advantageous to small-lot printing and its development is being increasingly promoted in recent years. Particularly, an active energy curing-type inkjet recording apparatus in which a liquid functional material (ink) capable of being cured by active energy such as electron beam and ultraviolet ray is fed, ejected on a recording medium by using an inkjet head and cured under energy irradiation, thereby performing image formation, is assured of characteristic features, in terms of the property of the ink itself, which can satisfy various requirements such as high-speed recording on a recording medium, less blurring and high-definition image, and environment-friendliness. Above all, as for the apparatus using an ink curable by an ultraviolet ray which is the active energy, several systems have been proposed in view of easy handling of the light source, compact fabrication and the like. Furthermore, when a full-line type inkjet head having a plurality of heads arranged to cover the entire width of the recording medium and an ultraviolet-curable ink requiring no drying step in many cases are combined, higher-speed recording can be achieved.
The inkjet recording apparatus using a full-line type inkjet head has many ejection nozzles and therefore, when ejection failure of the ejection nozzle occurs, this is visible as an image defect. In an inkjet recording apparatus required to process a large amount of image, a roll paper-feeding system of forming an image on a continuous recording medium is generally employed. In the roll paper-feeding system, the recording medium continues from before image drawing until take-up through processing and an arbitrary image of, for example, a recording medium having formed thereon a pattern for image evaluation is difficult to directly take out immediately after the image formation and confirm with an eye.
On the other hand, in order to keep constant the image quality, it is necessary to periodically or a periodically perform image evaluation, for example, at the exchange of inkjet head or after image formation on a large number of sheets, and feed back the evaluation results. Conventionally, the image evaluation of an image formed by a full-line type inkjet recording apparatus using such a continuous recording medium has been effected by stopping the image formation and observing the image on the recording medium or performing on-line scanning (see, for example, JP-A-2001-277673 (the term �JP-A� as used herein means an �unexamined published Japanese patent application�).
However, in the image evaluation on the recording medium, the image formation must be stopped, or a plurality of evaluation images cannot be compared and evaluated or can be hardly compared under a correct light source, making it difficult to perform image evaluation sufficient to keep constant the image quality.
In the inkjet recording apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2001-277673, a test pattern is printed in the state of a roll paper (continuous recording medium) being held between a pair of paper conveying/holding roller and paper discharging roller, and the image formed on the roll paper is read in an imaging part comprising an image pickup device such as CCD (on-line scanning) while again conveying the roll paper after once unrolling it or while conveying the roll paper in the direction opposite to that at the printing, whereby image evaluation is performed. However, there is a problem that reading of the image takes much time, making it mandatory to decrease the operation efficiency or sacrifice the evaluation accuracy by reducing the image resolution, and the image formed on the roll paper cannot be evaluated efficiently and properly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Under these circumstances, the present invention has been made and an object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording apparatus ensuring that image evaluation of an image formed on a continuous recording medium by a full-line type inkjet head can be efficiently and properly performed.
The object of the present invention can be attained by the following constructions.
(1) According to a first aspect of the present invention, an inkjet recording apparatus comprising: a full-line inkjet head that includes ejection nozzles arrayed in the width direction of the recording medium, and that ejects a liquid functional material on a continuous recording medium; a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium at a position opposite to the full-line inkjet head; a test image formation sheet-feeding unit that contact-feeds a test image formation sheet on the recording medium in the upstream of the ejection position on the conveying unit; and a test image formation sheet-separating unit that separates the test image formation sheet from the recording medium in the downstream of the ejection position on the conveying unit.
According to the thus-constructed inkjet recording apparatus, conveying means for conveying the recording medium at the ejection position of the inkjet head, test image formation sheet-feeding means for contact-feeding a test image formation sheet on the recording medium in the upstream of the ejection position on the conveying means, and test image formation sheet-separating means for separating the test image formation sheet from the recording medium in the downstream of the ejection position on the conveying means are provided, so that after forming a test image on the test image formation sheet fed on the recording medium by the test image formation sheet-feeding means, the test image formation sheet having formed thereon the test image can be separated from the recording medium by the test image formation sheet-separating means. This enables performing image evaluation by easily taking out the test image formation sheet alone separately from the recording medium on which a normal image is formed, as a result, an image always having a constant quality can be formed by performing image evaluation without affecting the image forming operation on the recording medium.
(2) According to a second aspect of the present invention, an inkjet recording apparatus comprising: a full-line inkjet head that includes ejection nozzles arrayed in the width direction of the recording medium, and that ejects a liquid functional material on a continuous recording medium; a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium at a position opposite to the full-line inkjet head; a die-cutting mechanism that die-cuts the recording medium at least partially as a test image formation sheet; and a test image formation sheet-separating unit that separates the test image formation sheet from the recording medium in the downstream of the ejection position on the conveying unit.
According to the thus-constructed inkjet recording apparatus, the recording medium can be die-cut as a test image formation sheet and the test image formation sheet contact-feeding mechanism can be dispensed with. Also, the height of the test image formation sheet and the height of the recording medium are equal and therefore, it is not necessary to adjust the recording medium-to-head distance.
Furthermore, when the recording medium is a recording medium for label printing having a structure that a self-adhesive sheet having coated on the back surface thereof a pressure-sensitive adhesive is superposed on a release paper working as a board, only the self-adhesive sheet part can be die-cut.
(3) The inkjet recording apparatus as described in the item (1) or (2), wherein the conveying unit comprises a recording medium-to-head distance-adjusting mechanism that moves at least one of the recording medium and the inkjet head in the horizontal direction with respect to the ejection direction of the full-line inkjet head so as to set distance between the test image formation sheet and the full-line inkjet head to an optimal value for ejection.
According to the thus-constructed inkjet recording apparatus, the conveying means comprises a recording medium-to-head distance-adjusting mechanism and can move at least either one of the recording medium and the inkjet head so as to set the distance between the test image formation sheet and the inkjet head to an optimal value for ejection and therefore, the same good image as that in the normal image recording can be formed by adjusting the distance between the test image formation sheet fed on the recording medium and the inkjet head to an optimal value for ejection. This enables properly performing the image evaluation.
(4) The inkjet recording apparatus as described in any one of the items (1) to (3), further comprising an image analyzing unit that scan-reads and analyzes the test image on the test image formation sheet separated by the test image formation sheet-separating unit, and that feeds back the analysis results to an image recording.
According to the thus-constructed inkjet recording apparatus, the image analyzing means is designed to scan-read and analyze the test image on the test image formation sheet after separation and feed back the analysis results to actual image recording, so that in addition to the evaluation with an eye, the image evaluation can be automatically performed by the image analyzing means and a good image can be formed by feeding back the evaluation results.
(5) The inkjet recording apparatus as described in any one of the items (1), (3) and (4), wherein the test image formation sheet-feeding unit brings the test image formation sheet into close contact with the recording medium by electrostatic adsorption or by using a pressure-sensitive adhesive.
According to the thus-constructed recording medium, the test image formation sheet-feeding means is designed to bring the test image formation sheet into close contact with the recording medium by electrostatic adsorption or by using a pressure-sensitive adhesive, so that image formation failure ascribable to, for example, lifting of the test image formation sheet from the recording medium can be prevented and image evaluation can be performed by forming a good test image.
(6) The inkjet recording apparatus as described in any one of the items (1) to (5), wherein the test image formation sheet-separating unit separates the test image formation sheet from the recording medium by electrostatic adsorption or by using a self-adhesive roller.
According to the thus-constructed inkjet recording apparatus, the test image formation sheet-separating means is designed to separate the test image formation sheet from the recording medium by electrostatic adsorption or by using a self-adhesive roller, so that the test image formation sheet can be unfailingly separated from the recording medium.
(7) The inkjet recording apparatus as described in any one of the items (1) to (6), wherein the test image formation sheet-feeding unit feeds the test image formation sheet on the recording medium at predetermined time intervals at least one of in forming the image and in sleeping an image formation.
According to the thus-constructed inkjet recording apparatus, the test image formation sheet-feeding means is designed to feed the test image formation sheet on the recording medium at predetermined time intervals despite progress of the image formation, so that image evaluation can be performed by feeding the test image formation sheet at predetermined time intervals without interrupting the image formation on the recording medium. This enables maintaining the reliability of the inkjet recording apparatus.
The predetermined time needs to be a time before occurrence of possible problems in the image formation and is set to, for example, 10 minutes before the time at which an ejection failure of the ejection nozzle is predicted to occur.
According to the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention, an inkjet recording apparatus capable of efficiently and properly performing the image evaluation of an image which is formed on a continuous recording medium by a full-line type inkjet head, can be provided.
FIG. 1 is a schematic constitutional view of the inkjet recording apparatus;
FIG. 2 is a schematic constitutional view showing the state of the recording medium-to-head distance adjusting mechanism working to control the distance between the inkjet head and the recording medium sheet for test image formation to an optimal value for ejection and the recording medium sheet for test image formation being then fed on the continuous recording medium;
FIG. 3 is a schematic constitutional view showing the state of a test image being formed on the recording medium sheet for test image formation;
FIG. 4 is a schematic constitutional view showing the state of the recording medium sheet for test image formation being separated from the continuous recording medium and recovered; and
FIG. 5 is a schematic constitutional view showing the state of the test image formed on the recording medium sheet for test image formation being analyzed by the image analyzing means and the analysis results being fed back.
FIG. 6 is a schematic constitutional view showing a first modification; and
FIG. 7 is a schematic constitutional view showing a second modification.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention is described in detail below by referring to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic constitutional view of the inkjet recording apparatus.
The inkjet recording apparatus 100 comprises a scan-conveying part 10 as the conveying means, an image forming part 20, a recording medium-to-head distance adjusting mechanism 30, test medium feeding means 40, test medium separating means 50, image analyzing means 60, a head drive control part 70, and recording apparatus control means (e.g., PC) between the image analyzing means 60 and the head driving control part 70.
In FIG. 1, within a casing 15 of the active energy curing-type inkjet recording apparatus 100, a continuous recording medium S wound around a delivery-side roll 16 is extracted by a conveying roller 42 and conveyed into the casing 15 through a flexible light-shielding door 13. The continuous recording medium S conveyed is delivered from a flexible light-shielding door 14 disposed on the opposite side of the casing 15 and taken up on a takeup-side roll 17. Depending on the use mode, the medium may be after-processed without being taken up or may be subjected to a surface treatment such as varnish coat before taking up.
The continuous recording medium S conveyed into the casing 15 is held by conveying/holding rollers 11 and delivered on a plurality of supporting/conveying rollers 31. Furthermore, the continuous recording medium S is held by conveying/holding rollers 12 disposed on the downstream side across the supporting/conveying rollers 31, scan-conveyed on the supporting/conveying rollers 31, and delivered from the light-shielding door 14. Above the supporting/conveying rollers 31, an image forming part 20 is disposed at the opposing position across the recording medium S. In this way, the scan-conveying part 10 is formed by a delivery-side roll 16, a takeup-side roll 17, conveying rollers 42 and 51, conveying/holding rollers 11 and 12, and supporting/conveying rollers 31. In the image forming part 20, inkjet image recording and fixing by irradiation of active energy (in this embodiment, ultraviolet light) are performed on the continuous recording medium S under scan-conveyance on the supporting/conveying rollers 31. An ink reservoir part for reserving ink and feeding the ink to the image forming part 20 through a feed line (not shown) is provided in the casing 15.
The scan-conveying part 10 comprises a recording medium-to-head distance adjusting mechanism 30 having conveying/holding rollers 11 and 12 and a plurality of supporting/conveying rollers 31. The recording medium-to-head distance adjusting mechanism 30 is driven by a driving mechanism (not shown) and can move the continuous recording medium S to the direction closer to or remoter from ejection nozzles (not shown) of inkjet heads 21, whereby the distance between the inkjet head 21 and a test image formation sheet TS and the distance between the inkjet head 21 and the continuous recording medium S are controlled to an optimal value for ejection.
In the image forming part 20, a plurality of full-line type inkjet heads 21 (in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, six inkjet heads) corresponding to respective colors are integrally disposed. Each full-line type inkjet head 21 is, for example, a piezo-type head, and many ejection nozzles are arrayed with high positional precision over the entire region in the width direction (direction perpendicular to the paper showing the drawing) of the continuous recording medium S while facing the continuous recording medium S. A head drive control part 70 is connected to the full-line type inkjet heads 21 and controls the ejection amount, ejection timing or the like of each color ink.
An ultraviolet irradiation part 22 of irradiating an ultraviolet ray is disposed on the downstream side of each inkjet head 21 and cures ink immediately after its landing on the continuous recording medium S by applying energy high enough to cure the ink. The arrangement of the ultraviolet irradiation part 22 is constituted to allow the irradiation only in the direction of ink landed on the recording medium S and not allow the irradiation on the ink ejection port of the inkjet head 21, whereby the curing of ink at the ejection port is prevented. The parts in the vicinity of the ultraviolet irradiation part 22 each is preferably subjected to a treatment for preventing light reflection (for example, a black matting treatment). In each ultraviolet irradiation part, the light amount or distance to the continuous recording medium S is controlled by an ultraviolet irradiation condition control part (not shown). A measuring meter for measuring the light amount or a counter for recording the operating time may be provided in the ultraviolet control part.
The test medium feeding means 40 is provided on the upstream side of the inkjet head 21 and feeds a test image formation sheet TS on the continuous recording medium S from the upstream of the inkjet head 21. By the test image formation sheet-feeding means 40, a test image formation sheet TS inserted from a stocker (not shown) stockpiling the test image formation sheet TS or manually inserted from the recording medium insertion port (not shown) is guided using a guide plate 41 and guide rollers 42 and fed on the continuous recording medium S under conveyance by the scan-conveying part 10. The test image formation sheet-feeding means 40 puts the test image formation sheet TS into close contact with the recording medium S by electrostatic adsorption or by using a pressure-sensitive adhesive.
The test image formation sheet-separating means 50 comprises an electrostatic adsorption roller or self-adhesive roller 51 using the same means as the adsorption means (electrostatic adsorption or a pressure-sensitive adhesive) of the test image formation sheet-feeding means 40 and a guide plate 52 and is provided on the downstream side of the inkjet head 21. By the test image formation sheet-separating means 50, the test image formation sheet TS on which an image is formed in the image forming part 20 and which is conveyed while lying on the continuous recording medium S, is separated from the recording medium S in close contact therewith and conveyed to the evaluation stage 61. The test image formation sheet-separating means 50 may be a separation claw provided on the downstream side of the inkjet head 21, and the distal end of the separation claw may also be designed to promote the separation of the test image formation sheet TS from the continuous recording medium S. In the case where the recording medium is in a seal form, the test image formation sheet-feeding means 40 may be replaced by a die-cut mechanism 40′ which is die-cutting only the seal portion. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the die-cut mechanism 40′ includes a die-cut portion 41 a and a platen 41 b. The die-cut portion 41 a includes an exchangeable blade, and can adjust a die-cutting depth. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the die-cut mechanism 40′ may be provided on the upstream side of the inkjet head 21. One the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, the die-cut mechanism 40′ may be provided on the downstream side of the inkjet head 21.
The image analyzing means 60 is, for example, a scanner which analyzes the resolution, color hue and the like of the image formed on the test image formation sheet TS, and is connected to the recording apparatus control part and the head drive control part 70 by a signal line 71. The image analysis results of the test image formation sheet TS are fed back, and the image forming conditions for the next image are corrected. The image analysis results may also be fed back to the ultraviolet control part.
The mode of operation of this embodiment is described by referring to FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG. 2 is a schematic constitutional view showing the state of the recording medium-to-head distance adjusting mechanism working to control the distance between the inkjet head and the test image formation sheet to an optimal value for ejection and the test image formation sheet being then fed on the continuous recording medium; FIG. 3 is a schematic constitutional view showing the state of a test image being formed on the test image formation sheet; FIG. 4 is a schematic constitutional view showing the state of the test image formation sheet being separated from the continuous recording medium and recovered; and FIG. 5 is a schematic constitutional view showing the state of the test image formed on the test image formation sheet being analyzed by the image analyzing means and the analysis results being fed back.
In the image formation on a continuous recording medium S, which is a normal image forming step, as shown in FIG. 1, the distance H1 between the continuous recording medium S and the inkjet head 21 is adjusted to an optimal distance for ejection on the continuous recording medium S by actuating the recording medium-to-head distance adjusting mechanism 30 and moving up the conveying/holding rollers 11 and 12 and a plurality of supporting/conveying rollers 31, each connected to synchronize with the movement of the recording medium-to-head distance adjusting mechanism 30, and the continuous recording medium S is then run out from the feed roll 16 while being held between conveying/holding rollers 11 or 12 and conveyed to the image forming part 20.
The full-line type inkjet head 21 controlled by the head drive control part 70 ejects each color ink from the ejection nozzle toward the continuous recording medium S, and the ultraviolet irradiation part 22 cures the ink by applying a strong energy thereto, whereby an image is formed on the continuous recording medium S. The continuous recording medium S on which an image is formed in the image forming part 20, is further conveyed and taken up on the take-up roll 17.
In performing image evaluation of the image formed by the inkjet recording apparatus 100, which is the object of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the distance H2 between the continuous recording medium S and the inkjet head 21 is widened, for example, to about 1 mm by actuating the recording medium-to-head distance adjusting mechanism 30 and moving down the conveying/holding rollers 11 and 12 and a plurality of supporting/conveying rollers 31, each connected to synchronize with the movement of the recording medium-to-head distance adjusting mechanism 30, and a space allowing for insertion of a test image formation sheet TS is thereby provided on the continuous recording medium S. By this operation, the distance between the test image formation sheet TS and the inkjet head 21 (ejection nozzle) is adjusted to an optimal value for the ejection on the test image formation sheet TS.
Subsequently, a test image formation sheet TS inserted from a stocker (not shown) stockpiling the test image formation sheet TS or manually inserted from the recording medium insertion port (not shown) is guided by the test image formation sheet-feeding means 40 using a guide plate 41 and guide rollers 42 and fed on the continuous recording medium S under conveyance.
The test image formation sheet-feeding means 40 puts the test image formation sheet TS into close contact with the recording medium S by electrostatic adsorption or by using a pressure-sensitive adhesive, so that lifting of the test image formation sheet TS from the recording medium S can be prevented at the image formation, the distance between the inkjet head 21 (ejection nozzle) and the test image formation sheet TS can be stably kept to an optimal value, and a good image can be formed.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3, an ink droplet is ejected from the ejection nozzle of the full-line type inkjet head 21 toward the test image formation sheet TS while conveying the continuous recording medium S put into close contact with the test image formation sheet TS in the arrow X direction, and the ink is cured by irradiating an ultraviolet ray from the ultraviolet irradiation part 22, whereby a test image is formed on the test image formation sheet TS.
The recording medium sheet TS for test image formation, on which a test image is formed in the image forming part 20, is further conveyed and, as shown in FIG. 4, the test medium-separating means 50 is allowed to separate the recording medium sheet TS for test image formation from the recording medium S in close contact therewith and convey the sheet to the evaluation stage 61 through guiding by the guide plate 52.
As shown in FIG. 5, the test image formation sheet TS placed on the evaluation stage 61 is analyzed for the resolution, color hue and the like of the image by the image analyzing means 60. The image analysis results of the test image formation sheet TS by the image analyzing means 60 are fed back to the head drive control part 70, and the printing conditions are corrected at the next image formation, whereby an image having a constant quality can be always formed.
Examples of the printing conditions which are corrected by the image analysis results fed back include head drive conditions (e.g., drive waveform, drive voltage, drive temperature), liquid functional material fixing conditions (in the case of an energy-curable liquid functional material, e.g., light source intensity, wavelength, irradiation timing, irradiation position, shutter drive condition), the recording medium S conveying speed, drawn image data correcting conditions (e.g., e.g., screening condition, ink ejection amount correcting condition), and maintenance conditions (e.g., pressure or suction purging, exchange of ultraviolet lamp).
As for the image evaluation of the image on the test image formation sheet TS, other than the above-described automatic evaluation by a scanner, that is, the on-line evaluation, the image evaluation may also be performed off-line by recovering the test image formation sheet TS from the evaluation stage 61, manually setting the sheet in the image analyzing means 60, and reading the image. Furthermore, the test image formation sheet TS recovered from the evaluation stage 61 may be visually compared with other sample images.
Irrespective of on-line evaluation, off-line evaluation and evaluation by visual comparison, the evaluation results are fed back to the head drive control part 70 and the printing conditions are corrected at the next image formation.
The feed and image evaluation of the test image formation sheet TS by the test medium feeding means 40 can be effected at any arbitrary timing without affecting the normal image forming operation on the recording medium S and therefore, can be performed not only periodically, for example, before start of operation, during operation or after end of operation, but also a periodically at arbitrary timing such as at the maintenance.
In the case where a recording medium for label printing having a structure that a self-adhesive sheet coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive on the back surface is overlaid on a release paper mount is used as the continuous recording medium S and taken up on a take-up roll through the steps of image formation, curing of ink, die-cutting and separation/removal of unnecessary portions, the sample image can be recovered after the die-cutting step and subjected to image evaluation.
As described above, according to the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of this embodiment, conveying means 10 for conveying the recording medium S at the ejection position of the inkjet head 21, test image formation sheet-feeding means 40 for contact-feeding a test image formation sheet TS on the recording medium S in the upstream of the ejection position, and test image formation sheet-separating means 50 for separating the test image formation sheet TS from the recording medium S in the downstream of the ejection position are provided, so that a test image can be formed on a test image formation sheet TS fed on a recording medium S by the test image formation sheet-feeding means 40 and the test image formation sheet TS having formed thereon the test image can be separated from the recording medium S by the test image formation sheet-separating means 50. By virtue of this construction, the test image formation sheet TS alone can be easily taken out separately from the recording medium S on which a normal image is formed, and subjected to image evaluation, and an image having a constant quality can be always formed by performing the image evaluation without affecting the image forming operation on the recording medium S.
Also, the conveying means 10 comprises a recording medium-to-head distance adjusting mechanism 30 and moves the recording medium S to set the distance between the test image formation sheet TS and the inkjet head 21 to an optimal value for ejection, so that the distance between the test image formation sheet TS fed on the recording medium S and the inkjet head 21 can be adjusted to an optimal value for ejection and a good image can be formed. By virtue of this construction, the image evaluation can be properly performed.
Also, the image analyzing means 60 is made to scan-read and analyze the test image on the test image formation sheet TS after separation and feedback the analysis results to the image recording, so that a good image assured of a constant quality can be always formed by automatically performing the image evaluation by the image analyzing means 60 in addition to the evaluation with an eye and feeding back the evaluation results.
Also, the test image formation sheet-feeding means 40 is made to bring the test image formation sheet TS into close contact with the recording medium S by electrostatic adsorption or by using a pressure-sensitive adhesive, so that an image formation failure due to lifting of the test image formation sheet TS from the recording medium S can be prevented and a good test image can be formed.
Also, the test image formation sheet-separating means 50 is made to separate the test image formation sheet TS from the recording medium S by electrostatic adsorption or by using a self-adhesive roller 51, so that the test image formation sheet TS can be unfailingly separated from the recording medium S.
Also, the test image formation sheet-feeding means 40 is made to feed the test image formation sheet TS on the recording medium S at predetermined time intervals despite progress of the image formation, so that the test image formation sheet TS can be fed at predetermined time intervals and subjected to image evaluation without interrupting the image formation on the recording medium S and the reliability of the inkjet recording apparatus 100 can be thereby maintained.
Accordingly, an inkjet recording apparatus 100 capable of efficiently and properly performing image evaluation of an image formed on a continuous recording medium S by a full-line type inkjet head 21 can be provided.
The inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes, modifications and the like can be appropriately made therein.
The active energy-curable inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to those embodiments described above, and various changes, modifications and the like can be appropriately made therein.
The �active energy� as used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as its irradiation can impart energy capable of generating an initiation species in the ink composition, and widely includes α-ray, γ-ray, X-ray, ultraviolet ray, visible ray, electron beam and the like. Among these, in view of curing sensitivity and easy availability of the apparatus, ultraviolet ray and electron beam are preferred, and ultraviolet ray is more preferred. Accordingly, the ink composition for use in the present invention is preferably an ink composition which can be cured by the irradiation of ultraviolet ray.
Examples of the polyfunctional epoxy compound include bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, bisphenol F diglycidyl ether, bisphenol S diglycidyl ether, brominated bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, brominated bisphenol F diglycidyl ether, brominated bisphenol S diglycidyl ether, epoxy novolak resin, hydrogenated bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, hydrogenated bisphenol F diglycidyl ether, hydrogenated bisphenol S diglycidyl ether, 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl-3′,4′-epoxycyclohexane carboxylate, 2-(3,4-epoxy-cyclohexyl-5,5-spiro-3,4-epoxy)cyclohexane-meta-dioxane, bis(3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl) adipate, vinylcyclohexene oxide, 4-vinylepoxycyclohexane, bis(3,4-epoxy-6-methyl-cyclohexylmethyl) adipate, 3,4-epoxy-6-methylcyclohexyl-3′,4′-epoxy-6′-methylcyclohexane carboxylate, methylenebis(3,4-epoxycyclohexane), dicyclopentadiene diepoxide, di(3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl) ether of ethylene glycol, ethylene-bis(3,4-epoxycyclohexane carboxylate), dioctyl epoxyhexahydrophthalate, di-2-ethylhexyl epoxyhexahydrophthalate, 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether, 1,6-hexanediol diglycidyl ether, glycerin triglycidyl ether, trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether, polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether, polypropylene glycol diglycidyl ethers, 1,1,3-tetradecadiene dioxide, limonene dioxide, 1,2,7,8-diepoxyoctane and 1,2,5,6-diepoxycyclooctane.
(b) (Compound Capable of Generating an Acid upon Irradiation with Active Energy) The ink composition of the present invention contains a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with active energy (hereinafter appropriately referred to as a �photoacid generator�).
Examples of such a photoacid generator include an onium salt which decomposes upon irradiation with active energy to generate an acid, such as diazonium salt, ammonium salt, phosphonium salt, iodonium salt, sulfonium salt, selenonium salt and arsonium salt; an organic halogen compound; an organic metal/organic halide; an o-nitrobenzyl type protective group-containing photoacid generator; a compound capable of undergoing photo decomposition to generate a sulfonic acid, as represented by imino sulfonate; a disulfone compound; a diazoketosulfone; and a diazodisulfone compound.
Examples of the pigment which provides a red or magenta color include a monoazo-based pigment such as C.I. Pigment Red 3 (e.g., Toluidine Red); a disazo pigment such as C.I. Pigment Red 38 (e.g., Pyrazolone Red B); an azo lake pigment such as C.I. Pigment Red 53:1 (e.g., Lake Red C) and C.I. Pigment Red 57:1 (Brilliant Carmine 6B); a condensed azo pigment such as C.I. Pigment Red 144 (e.g., Condensed Azo Red BR); an acidic dye lake pigment such as C.I. Pigment Red 174 (e.g., Phloxine B Lake); a basic dye lake pigment such as C.I. Pigment Red 81 (e.g., Rhodamine 6G′ Lake); an anthraquinone-based pigment such as C.I. Pigment Red 177 (e.g., Dianthraquinonyl Red); a thioindigo pigment such as C.I. Pigment Red 88 (e.g., Thioindigo Bordeaux); a perinone pigment such as C.I. Pigment Red 194 (e.g., Perinone Red); a perylene pigment such as C.I. Pigment Red 149 (e.g., Perylene Scarlet); a quinacridone pigment such as C. I. Pigment Violet 19 (unsubstituted quinacridone) and C.I. Pigment Red 122 (e.g., Quinacridone Magenta); an isoindolinone pigment such as C.I. Pigment Red 180 (e.g., Isoindolinone Red 2BLT); and an alizarin lake pigment such as C.I. Pigment Red 83 (e.g., Madder Lake).
The pigment may be dispersed by using a dispersing device such as ballmill, sandmill, attritor, rollmill, jetmill, homogenizer, paint shaker, kneader, agitator, Henschel mixer, colloid mill, ultrasonic homogenizer, pearl mill and wet jet mill.
Examples of the ultraviolet absorbent include benzotriazole-based compounds described in JP-A-58-185677, JP-A-61-190537, JP-A-2-782, JP-A-5-197075 and JP-A-9-34057; benzophenone-based compounds described in JP-A-46-2784, JP-A-5-194483 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,214,463; cinnamic acid-based compounds described in JP-B-48-30492 (the term �JP-B� as used herein means an �examined Japanese patent application�), JP-B-56-21141 and JP-A-10-88106; triazine-based compounds described in JP-A-4-298503, JP-A-8-53427, JP-A-8-239368, JP-A-10-182621 and JP-T-8-501291 (the term (the term �JP-T� as used herein means a �published Japanese translation of a PCT patent application�); compounds described in Research Disclosure, No. 24239; and compounds capable of absorbing ultraviolet ray to emit fluorescence, so-called fluorescent brightening agent, as represented by a stilbene-based compound and a benzoxazole-based compound.
An antioxidant may be added for the purpose of enhancing the stability of the ink composition. Examples of the antioxidant include those described in EP-A-223739, EP-A-309401, EP-A-309402, EP-A-310551, EP-A-310552, EP-A-459416, German Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3435443, JP-A-54-48535, JP-A-62-262047, JP-A-63-113536, JP-A-63-163351, JP-A-2-262654, JP-A-2-71262, JP-A-3-121449, JP-A-5-61166, JP-A-5-119449, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,814,262 and 4,980,275.
Specific examples of the ester monomer of an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol compound and an unsaturated carboxylic acid include the followings. Examples of the acrylic ester include ethylene glycol diacrylate, triethylene glycol diacrylate, 1,3-butanediol diacrylate, tetramethylene glycol diacrylate, propylene glycol diacrylate, neopentyl glycol diacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, trimethylolpropane tri(acryloyloxypropyl) ether, trimethylolethane triacrylate, hexanediol diacrylate, 1,4-cyclohexanediol diacrylate, tetraethylene glycol diacrylate, pentaerythritol diacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, dipentaerythritol diacrylate, dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate, sorbitol triacrylate, sorbitol tetraacrylate, sorbitol pentaacrylate, sorbitol hexaacrylate, tri(acryloyloxyethyl) isocyanurate, and polyester acrylate oligomer.
Other examples include a vinyl urethane compound containing two or more polymerizable vinyl groups within one molecule, which is obtained by adding a hydroxyl group-containing vinyl monomer represented by the following formula (A) to a polyisocyanate compound containing two or more isocyanate groups within one molecule, described in JP-B-48-41708. CH2=C(R)COOCH2CH(R′)OH (A) (wherein R and R′ each represents H or CH3).
Examples of the acrylate monomer include a phenoxyethyl acrylate, an octyldecyl acrylate, a tetrahydrofuryl acrylate, an isobornyl acrylate, a hexanediol diacrylate, a trimethylolpropane triacrylate, a pentaerythritol triacrylate, a polyethylene glycol diacrylate (e.g., tetraethylene glycol diacrylate), a dipropylene glycol diacrylate, a tri (propylene glycol) triacrylate, a neopentyl glycol diacrylate, a bis(pentaerythritol) hexaacrylate, an acrylate of ethoxylated or propoxylated glycol and polyol (e.g., propoxylated neopentyl glycol diacrylate, ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate), and a mixture thereof.
The polymerization initiator which can be used in the ink composition of the present invention is described below. As one example, a photopolymerization initiator up to a wavelength of around 400 nm may be used. Examples of such a photopolymerization initiator include photopolymerization initiators represented by the following formulae, which are a substance having functionality in a long wavelength region, namely, sensitivity of producing a radical when irradiated with ultraviolet rays (hereinafter simply referred to as a �TX system�). In the present invention, particularly, a photopolymerization initiator appropriately selected from these is preferably used.
In formulae TX-1 to TX-3, R2 represents �(CH2)x� (wherein x is 0 or 1), �O�(CH2)y� (wherein y is 1 or 2), or a substituted or unsubstituted phenylene group. When R2 is a phenylene group, at least one of the hydrogen atoms in the benzene ring may be substituted by one group or atom or two or more groups or atoms selected from, for example, a carboxyl group or a salt thereof, a sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, a linear or branched alkyl group having a carbon number of 1 to 4, a halogen atom (e.g., fluorine, chlorine, bromine), an alkoxyl group having a carbon number of 1 to 4, and an aryloxy group such as phenoxy group. M represents a hydrogen atom or an alkali metal (e.g., Li, Na, K). R3 and R4 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group. Examples of the alkyl group include a linear or branched alkyl group having a carbon number of approximately from 1 to 10, particularly, a carbon number of approximately from 1 to 3. Examples of the substituent for this alkyl group include a halogen atom (e.g., fluorine, chlorine, bromine), a hydroxyl group, and an alkoxyl group (having a carbon number of approximately from 1 to 3). m represents an integer of 1 to 10.
In the present invention, a water-soluble derivative of a photopolymerization initiator, Irgacure 2959 (trade name, produced by Ciba Specialty Chemicals), represented by the following formula (hereinafter simply referred to as an �IC system�) may be used. Specifically, IC-1 to IC-3 of the following formulae may be used.
The present application claims foreign priority based on Japanese Patent Application (JP 2006-190446) filed Jul. 11, 2006, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
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