Printing apparatus

Abstract

To allow continuous paper to be printed a plurality of times with a time difference by ink jet printer equipment and dried each time of printing while preventing condensation from occurring on an ink discharge surface of print head at and after the second time of printing, there is provided a printing apparatus comprising: a plurality of trains of printing units each of which has print heads arranged along a direction in which a continuous sheet of paper travels and which are arranged parallel to one another as shifted mutually in position in a direction of width of the continuous sheet of paper; a dryer section in which a plurality of continuous sheets of paper from the plural printing unit trains can travel as mutually shifted in position in a direction of width of the continuous sheet of paper; a cooling roller unit disposed downstream of the dryer section and having a cooling roller on which the plurality of continuous sheets of paper from the dryer section can be wound as mutually shifted in position in a direction of width of the continuous sheet of paper; and a turnover unit disposed between the cooling roller unit and a train of printing units for shifting the continuous sheet of paper in position into a direction of its width while reversing the direction in which it travels.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating a printing apparatus representing a form of implementation of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating essential parts of the printing head shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is cross sectional view, in part broken, illustrating an exemplary cooling roller in the printing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of the turnover means in the printing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus, characterized in that it comprises: a plurality of trains of printing units each of which has print heads arranged along a direction in which a continuous sheet of paper travels and which are arranged parallel to one another as mutually shifted in position in a direction of width of the continuous sheet of paper;a dryer section in which a plurality of continuous sheets of paper from said plural printing unit trains can travel as mutually shifted in position in a direction of width of the continuous sheet of paper;a cooling roller means disposed downstream of said dryer section and having a cooling roller on which the plurality of continuous sheets of paper from said dryer section can be wound as mutually shifted in position in a direction of width of the continuous sheet of paper; anda turnover means disposed between said cooling roller means and said printing unit trains for shifting the continuous sheet of paper in position into a direction of its width while reversing the direction in which it travels.

2. The printing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said turnover mean is adapted to keep the front and back faces of the continuous sheet of paper not inverted.

3. The printing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said turnover mean is adapted to invert the front and back faces of the continuous sheet of paper.

4. The printing apparatus as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that it is so adapted that the continuous sheet of paper past the downstream-most unit trains of a plurality of trains of printing units and then past said dryer section is discharged into its outside without passing through said cooling roller means.

5. The printing apparatus as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that it is so adapted that the continuous sheet of paper past the downstream-most unit trains of a plurality of trains of printing units and then past said dryer section is discharged into its outside without passing through said cooling roller means.

6. The printing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that it is so adapted that the continuous sheet of paper past the downstream-most unit trains of a plurality of trains of printing units and then past said dryer section is discharged into its outside without passing through said cooling roller means.