Mimaki Engineering Company, Ltd.

Toshihiro Sanuki

Masashi Hirano

Akihiro Onodera

An ink jet printer that performs printing on the three-dimensional object using an ink jet scheme is provided, the printer includes an ink jet head, and a print object retaining section, the print object retaining section includes a first shaft, a second shaft, a third shaft, and a rotation driving section, a distance between the first shaft and the second shaft is larger than a distance between the first shaft and the third shaft, and in a case of performing printing on a three-dimensional object having a cylindrically shaped portion, the print object retaining section retains the three-dimensional object by mounting the cylindrically shaped portion on the first shaft and the second shaft, or on the first shaft and the third shaft, and the rotation driving section causes the three-dimensional object to rotate by causing at least the first shaft to rotate.

Ink jet printer and print method

When printing on 3-dimensional objects such as covers for handheld terminals, generation of stray light may be adequately suppressed. There is provided an ink jet printer including an ink jet head, an ultraviolet irradiating portions, and an object-to-be-printed holding member, wherein the object-to-be-printed holding member includes a 3-dimensional object holding portion configured to hold a 3-dimensional object, and a light-shielding portion, the 3-dimensional object holding portion changes an orientation of the 3-dimensional object to bring a first surface to be printed and a second surface to be printed respectively to oppose the ink jet head, the light-shielding portion is provided so as to be capable of advancing and retracting in a direction of discharge at least at some position, and changes a shielding area that shields ultraviolet rays in a direction orthogonal to the direction of discharge.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Toshihiro Sanuki