US 12,122,148 B2
Inkjet printer and inkjet printing method using the same
Shota Fujii, Chiba (JP); and Tatsuo Shigeta, Chiba (JP)
Assigned to THINK LABORATORY CO., LTD., Chiba (JP)
Filed by THINK LABORATORY CO., LTD., Chiba (JP)
Filed on Nov. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/983,498.
Application 17/983,498 is a continuation of application No. 16/064,740, abandoned, previously published as PCT/JP2016/086125, filed on Dec. 6, 2016.
Claims priority of application No. 2015-254090 (JP), filed on Dec. 25, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2023/0102600 A1, Mar. 30, 2023
Int. Cl. B41J 11/00 (2006.01); B41J 2/145 (2006.01); B41J 2/21 (2006.01); B41J 15/04 (2006.01); B41M 5/00 (2006.01); B41J 2/14 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 11/0022 (2021.01) [B41J 2/145 (2013.01); B41J 2/2107 (2013.01); B41J 11/002 (2013.01); B41J 15/04 (2013.01); B41M 5/0011 (2013.01); B41J 2002/14475 (2013.01); B41J 2202/02 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An inkjet printer for aqueous ink which is configured to perform image formation by discharging aqueous ink to a web-shaped printing base material, the inkjet printer comprising:
a conveyance mechanism configured to continuously convey the web-shaped printing base material, the conveyance mechanism comprising a first roller and a second roller, wherein a portion of the web-shaped printing base material extends between the first roller and the second roller, the portion of the web-shaped printing base material extending linearly between the first roller and the second roller;
a surface post heating unit;
a single-pass system inkjet head configured to discharge, by a single-pass system, the aqueous ink to a surface of the portion of the web-shaped printing base material conveyed by the conveyance mechanism, the surface post heating unit being located adjacent to the single-pass system inkjet head on a downstream side of the single-pass system inkjet head; and
a surface pre-heating unit arranged on an upstream side of conveyance from the single-pass system inkjet head and the surface pre-heating unit being configured to heat at least the surface of the portion of the web-shaped printing base material, wherein image formation through use of the single-pass system inkjet head is performed on the web-shaped printing base material heated by the surface pre-heating unit, wherein heating by the surface pre-heating unit is performed via a hot air blowing means for applying hot air to the surface of the portion of the web-shaped printing base material, wherein the hot air blowing means comprises:
a nozzle group main body having a plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles arranged to form gaps therebetween, each of the plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles having a slit-shaped hot air outlet port extending in a width direction of the web-shaped printing base material, at least one of the slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles being configured to deliver the hot air in a first direction to the surface of the portion of the web-shaped printing base material, each of the plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles comprising a first interior surface portion and a second interior surface portion, the first interior surface portion and the second interior surface portion being parallel to the first direction, the first interior surface portion and the second interior surface portion defining at least a portion of an outlet of the slit-shaped hot air outlet port; and
a suction mechanism configured to suck an atmosphere of the gaps formed in the nozzle group main body such that fluid in at least one of the gaps moves in a second direction, the second direction being opposite the first direction.