Liquid discharge apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12466198-B2
Application number	US-202318368020-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2023
Priority date	Sep 15, 2022
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a holder, a pre-treatment head, a smoother, and a print head. The holder reciprocally moves while holding a recording medium. The pre-treatment head discharges a pre-treatment liquid onto a surface of the recording medium held by the holder. The smoother smooths the pre-treatment liquid, which is discharged onto the surface of the recording medium, along the surface of the recording medium by a movement of the holder. The print head discharges a printing liquid onto the surface of the recording medium with the pre-treatment liquid smoothed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a holder to reciprocally move while holding a recording medium, a pre-treatment head to discharge a pre-treatment liquid onto a surface of the recording medium held by the holder, a smoother to smooth the pre-treatment liquid, which is discharged onto the surface of the recording medium, along the surface of the recording medium by a movement of the holder, a print head to discharge a printing liquid onto the surface of the recording medium with the pre-treatment liquid smoothed, a lifter to vertically move the holder between a lifted position at which the pre-treatment liquid or the printing liquid is discharged onto the surface of the recording medium and a lowered position at which the pre-treatment liquid or the printing liquid is not discharged onto the surface of the recording medium, an interlock switch for the lifter, and wherein when the smoother is lifted by the lifter with an object caught between the holder and the smoother, the smoother is pushed up by the object to operate the interlock switch to stop the holder.

2 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second lifter to vertically move the smoother between a smoothing position at which the smoother contacts the pre-treatment liquid on the surface of the recording medium and a non-smoothing position at which the smoother does not contact the pre-treatment liquid.

3 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein;
the smoother is disposed such that longitudinal ends of the smoother are vertically movable by the second lifter.

4 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a lift sensor above the smoother, wherein the interlock switch operates via the lift sensor when the smoother is pushed up by the object to be caught.

5 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the holder is disposed to reciprocally move in a first direction, and the smoother extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the lift sensor includes a plurality of sensing portions at longitudinal ends of the lift sensor, to contact upper surfaces of the smoother at longitudinal ends of the smoother, and the lift sensor extends in the second direction.

6 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the lift sensor is rotatably supported by rotation shafts at longitudinal ends of the lift sensor, and the lift sensor rotates to cause the interlock switch to operate when the smoother is pushed up by an object caught between the holder and the smoother.

7 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the holder is disposed to reciprocally move in a first direction, and the smoother extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

8 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the holder is disposed to reciprocally move in a first direction, and the smoother extends in a second direction inclined with respect to the first direction.

9 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the holder is disposed to reciprocally move in a first direction, and the smoother extends in a second direction parallel to the first direction and is disposed to reciprocally move in a direction perpendicular to the first direction.

10 . A liquid discharge apparatus, comprising:
a holder to reciprocally move while holding a recording medium, a pre-treatment head to discharge a pre-treatment liquid onto a surface of the recording medium held by the holder, a smoother to smooth the pre-treatment liquid, which is discharged onto the surface of the recording medium, along the surface of the recording medium by a movement of the holder, and a print head to discharge a printing liquid onto the surface of the recording medium with the pre-treatment liquid smoothed, wherein the smoother, the print head, and the pre-treatment head are sequentially disposed in an order of the smoother, the print head, and the pre-treatment head from an upstream side to a downstream side in a direction in which the holder moves toward a rear side of the liquid discharge apparatus.

11 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a height sensor to detect a height of the surface of the recording medium, wherein the height sensor is disposed between the smoother and the print head.

12 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a lifter to vertically move the smoother between a smoothing position at which the smoother contacts the pre-treatment liquid on the surface of the recording medium and a non-smoothing position at which the smoother does not contact the pre-treatment liquid.

13 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein:
the smoother is disposed such that longitudinal ends of the smoother are vertically movable by the second lifter.

14 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:
the holder is disposed to reciprocally move in a first direction, and the smoother extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

15 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:
the holder is disposed to reciprocally move in a first direction, and the smoother extends in a second direction inclined with respect to the first direction.

16 . A liquid discharge apparatus, comprising:
a holder to reciprocally move while holding a recording medium, a pre-treatment head to discharge a pre-treatment liquid onto a surface of the recording medium held by the holder, a smoother to smooth the pre-treatment liquid, which is discharged onto the surface of the recording medium, along the surface of the recording medium by a movement of the holder, and a print head to discharge a printing liquid onto the surface of the recording medium with the pre-treatment liquid smoothed, wherein the print head, the smoother, and the pre-treatment head are sequentially disposed in an order of the print head, the smoother, and the pre-treatment head from an upstream side to a downstream side in a direction in which the holder moves toward a rear side of the liquid discharge apparatus.

17 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising:
a height sensor to detect a height of the surface of the recording medium, wherein the height sensor is disposed upstream from the print head in the direction in which the holder moves toward the rear side of the liquid discharge apparatus.

18 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising:
a lifter to vertically move the smoother between a smoothing position at which the smoother contacts the pre-treatment liquid on the surface of the recording medium and a non-smoothing position at which the smoother does not contact the pre-treatment liquid.

19 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein:
the smoother is disposed such that longitudinal ends of the smoother are vertically movable by the second lifter.

20 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein:
the holder is disposed to reciprocally move in a first direction, and the smoother extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Assignees

• Ueno Satoshi
• Okeguchi Muneyuki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ueno Satoshi
• Okeguchi Muneyuki

Classifications

• B41J2/2114

  Ejecting specialized liquids, e.g. transparent or processing liquids (B41J2/211 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41M5/0017

  Application of ink-fixing material, e.g. mordant, precipitating agent, on the substrate prior to printing, e.g. by ink-jet printing, coating or spraying · CPC title

• D06P5/30

  Ink jet printing · CPC title

• B41J29/387

  Automatic cut-off devices · CPC title

• B41J11/20

  Platen adjustments for varying the strength of impression, for a varying number of papers, for wear or for alignment {, or for print gap adjustment} · CPC title