Printing apparatus, printing system and printing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345174-B2
Application number	US-202117192435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2021
Priority date	Mar 23, 2020
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

The printing medium M after color printing is performed on the front surface M 1 (recording surface) by the color printing unit 32 can be conveyed while the front surface M 1 and the back surface M 2 of the printing medium M are inverted twice by the only rollers 471 to 478 (rotary bodies) in contact with the back surface M 2 (non-recording surface) of the printing medium M (inverting conveying part 47 ). In this way, without providing air turn bars, a time to convey the printing medium M from the color printing unit 32 to the white printing unit 33 can be secured while the printing medium M is firmly supported by the rollers 471 to 478 in contact with the back surface M 2 of the printing medium M.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus which prints an image on a recording surface of a printing medium by discharging an ink while conveying the printing medium in the form of an elongated belt having the recording surface and a non-recording surface opposite to the recording surface, comprising:
a conveyor which conveys the printing medium;
a color printing unit which discharges a color ink from above to the recording surface of the printing medium being conveyed; and
a white printing unit which discharges a white ink from above to the recording surface of the printing medium being conveyed,
wherein:
the conveyor includes:
a first conveying part which conveys the printing medium toward one side along the recording surface with the recording surface of the printing medium facing up below the color printing unit;
an inverting conveying part which vertically inverts the recording surface and the non-recording surface of the printing medium by conveying the printing medium conveyed from the first conveying part downward and further conveying the printing medium with changing a moving direction of the printing medium to another side opposite to the one side, subsequently conveying the printing medium upward and further changing a moving direction of the printing medium to the one side, and conveys the printing medium from another side to the one side,
a second conveying part which conveys the printing medium conveyed from the inverting conveying part toward the one side along the recording surface with the recording surface of the printing medium facing up below the white printing unit, and

the inverting conveying part includes a plurality of rotary bodies configured to rotate while being in contact with only the non-recording surface of the printing medium and having the non-recording surface wound thereon.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the white printing unit is arranged above the color printing unit.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a third conveying part which is arranged above the color printing unit and conveys the printing medium conveyed from the second conveying part toward the one side up to a carry-out port of the printing apparatus with the recording surface of the printing medium facing up.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising an upper dryer which is arranged above the third conveying part and blows a gas from above to the recording surface of the printing medium conveyed by the third conveying part.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a pre-dryer which blows a gas to the recording surface of the printing medium conveyed by the inverting conveying part.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyor includes a tension adjuster to adjust a tension of the printing medium.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the conveyor includes a fourth conveying part to convey the printing medium from another side toward the one side at a position below the inverting conveying part, a fifth conveying part to convey the printing medium conveyed from the fourth conveying part upward at a position outside the inverting conveying part, a sixth conveying part to convey the printing medium conveyed from the fifth conveying part toward another side at a position above the color printing unit and below the third conveying part, and a seventh conveying part to convey the printing medium conveyed from the sixth conveying part from a side above the color printing unit to a side below the color printing unit at a position outside the color printing unit.

8. A printing system, comprising:
the printing apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
a drying apparatus which dries a printing medium having a color ink and a white ink adhered thereto by the printing apparatus.

9. A printing method for printing an image on a recording surface of a printing medium by discharging an ink while conveying the printing medium in the form of an elongated belt having the recording surface and a non-recording surface opposite to the recording surface, comprising:
a conveying step of conveying the printing medium;
a color printing step of discharging a color ink from above to the recording surface of the printing medium being conveyed;
a white printing step of discharging a white ink from above to the recording surface of the printing medium being conveyed,
wherein:
the conveying step includes:
a first conveying step of conveying the printing medium toward one side along the recording surface with the recording surface of the printing medium facing up in performing the color printing step;
an inverting conveying step of vertically inverts the recording surface and the non-recording surface of the printing medium by conveying the printing medium downward after the first conveying step and further conveying the printing medium with changing a moving direction of the printing medium to another side opposite to the one side, subsequently conveying the printing medium upward and further changing a moving direction of the printing medium to the one side, and conveys the printing medium from another side to the one side, and;
a second conveying step of conveying the printing medium toward the one side along the recording surface with the recording surface of the printing medium facing up in performing the white printing step after the inverting conveying step, and

the inverting conveying step is performed using a plurality of rotary bodies configured to rotate while being in contact with only the non-recording surface of the printing medium and having the non-recording surface wound thereon.

Assignees

• Screen Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamashita Shinsuke
• Hirai Keisuke
• Asada Kazuhiko
• Uemura Ryota

Classifications

• F26B21/50

  Ducting arrangements from the source of air or other gases to the materials or objects being dried · CPC title

• B41J11/0022

  using convection means, e.g. by using a fan for blowing or sucking air · CPC title

• B41J15/048 Primary

  Conveyor belts or like feeding devices (B41J11/007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41J2/2103

  Features not dealing with the colouring process per se, e.g. construction of printers or heads, driving circuit adaptations · CPC title

• B41J2/2117

  Ejecting white liquids · CPC title