JP2007190849A - Printer and print head - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer downsized in a simple constitution, and allowing a nozzle surface to be surely maintained. <P>SOLUTION: A capping mechanism 141 constituting the printer of the present invention has a cap 142 and a cap holder 143. In the cap holder 143, provided are stoppers 145a and 145b which abut on protrusions 142b formed on opposite end sides of the cap 142 and regulate their actions. The stopper 145a on one end side is arranged with a greater distance from a nozzle surface of a print head than the stopper 145b on the other end side. The cap 142 is moved relatively in a direction to come into contact with and separate from the nozzle surface of the print head according to movement of the print head by a vertical moving means. The cap 142 is tilted to the nozzle surface since the protrusion 142b on the one end side abuts on the stopper 145a earlier than the stopper 142b on the other end side, and its action is regulated, when the cap 142 separates from the nozzle surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer and a print head device, and more particularly to an ink jet printer and a print head device used in the ink jet printer.

  In the conventional inkjet printer, after the printing operation is finished, the cap is brought into close contact with the nozzle surface of the print head in which the plurality of nozzle holes are formed by the capping mechanism, thereby preventing the nozzle holes from drying. Normally, the capping mechanism is included in a maintenance mechanism for maintaining the print head.

  At this time, the cap is pressed against the print head so that the entire lip (edge) is in close contact with the nozzle surface. Therefore, when the cap is removed from the print head, the entire lip is separated from the nozzle surface at substantially the same time.

  In this case, the ink adhering to the nozzle surface and the lip of the cap solidifies or becomes sticky, so that the nozzle surface and the cap are firmly bonded and cannot be detached. If it does so, it will cause a crack of a cap and failure of the capping mechanism itself. Even when separated from the nozzle surface, the impact force at the time of separation may act on the print head, causing ink droplets to scatter around and contaminating the apparatus.

  In order to avoid the above problems, a removing mechanism for removing ink attached to the nozzle surface and the cap is necessary. Therefore, there is a problem that the maintenance mechanism is complicated and large.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a printer and a print head device that can be downsized with a simple configuration and can reliably maintain a nozzle surface.

In order to achieve the above object, a printer according to the first aspect of the present invention provides:
A platen that supports the print medium;
A print head that is disposed to face the platen, has a nozzle surface on which a plurality of nozzle holes are disposed, and discharges ink from the plurality of nozzle holes to print on the print medium;
A capping mechanism that holds a cap that closely contacts the nozzle surface of the print head and covers the nozzle surface;
Moving means for moving the print head;
With
The cap moves in a direction of contacting and separating from the nozzle surface with the movement of the print head by the moving means;
The capping mechanism has a restricting means for restricting movement of at least one end of the cap and tilting the cap with respect to the nozzle surface when the cap is detached from the nozzle surface of the print head.
It is characterized by that.

  The restricting means abuts against a protrusion provided on one end of the cap and restricts the movement of one end, and a protrusion provided on the other end of the cap and moves the other end. One stopper and the other stopper are disposed so as to abut on the protrusion on one end and the protrusion on the other end, respectively, at different positions from the nozzle surface. It is desirable that

  It is desirable that the capping mechanism has a holding member that holds the cap, and that the holding member is formed with a guide groove that guides the protrusion along the direction of contacting and separating the protrusion from the nozzle surface.

  The holding member desirably has an elastic member that urges the cap against the nozzle surface of the print head. Furthermore, it is desirable that the elastic member is composed of a spring member arranged along a direction in which the elastic member is in contact with or away from the nozzle surface.

In order to achieve the above object, a print head device according to a second aspect of the present invention provides:
A print head disposed opposite to the platen and having a nozzle surface on which a plurality of nozzle holes are disposed;
A housing for accommodating the print head;
A capping mechanism that holds a cap that closely contacts the nozzle surface of the print head and covers the nozzle surface;
Moving means for moving the print head;
With
The cap moves in a direction of contacting and separating from the nozzle surface with the movement of the print head by the moving means;
The capping mechanism has a restricting means for restricting movement of at least one end of the cap and tilting the cap with respect to the nozzle surface when the cap is detached from the nozzle surface of the print head.
It is characterized by that.

  The restricting means abuts against a protrusion provided on one end of the cap and restricts the movement of one end, and a protrusion provided on the other end of the cap and moves the other end. One stopper and the other stopper are disposed so as to abut on the protrusion on one end and the protrusion on the other end, respectively, at different positions from the nozzle surface. It is desirable that

  It is desirable that the capping mechanism has a holding member that holds the cap, and that the holding member is formed with a guide groove that guides the protrusion along the direction of contacting and separating the protrusion from the nozzle surface.

  The holding member desirably has an elastic member that urges the cap against the nozzle surface of the print head. Furthermore, it is desirable that the elastic member is composed of a spring member arranged along a direction in which the elastic member is in contact with or away from the nozzle surface.

  A capping mechanism may be accommodated in the housing.

  A moving means may be accommodated in the housing.

  According to the present invention, when the cap is detached from the nozzle surface, the movement of at least one end is regulated by the regulating means, and the cap is inclined with respect to the nozzle surface. Therefore, the cap can be easily obtained without adding another mechanism. Can be detached from the nozzle surface, the apparatus can be simplified and miniaturized, and the nozzle surface can be reliably maintained.

  A printer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the printer 1.

  1 and 2, the printer 1 includes a printing unit 10, a transport device 20, and a heating unit 30.

  The printing unit 10 includes a print head device 11, a holder 16, and a holder guide 17.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the print head device 11 includes a print head 111, a head carrier 112, a horizontal moving unit 121, a vertical moving unit 131, a capping mechanism 141, and a housing unit 151. 3A shows the internal structure of the print head device 11 as seen through the housing 151 from the X direction shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B shows the housing 151 in the Y direction shown in FIG. The internal structure of the print head device 11 is shown through. The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction shown in FIG. 1 are also used in the following description.

  The print head 111 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped head portion 111a. On the lower surface (nozzle surface) 111b of the head portion 111a, a plurality of nozzle holes (not shown) for discharging ink supplied from an ink cartridge (not shown) are formed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the nozzle surface 111b. ing.

  The head carrier 112 is a plate-like member in which an opening 112a is formed. The head carrier 112 holds the print head 111 facing the platen roller 22 with the nozzle surface 111b of the print head 111 facing downward.

  The horizontal moving unit 121 includes a horizontal guide shaft 122, a timing belt 123, and a motor 124.

  The horizontal guide shaft 122 is a bar member arranged in the Y direction (horizontal direction).

  The timing belt 123 is a belt-like member that does not expand and contract. The timing belt 123 is suspended on a pair of pulleys 125.

  The motor 124 is a stepping motor. The motor 124 drives the timing belt 123 by rotationally driving one pulley 125 of the pair of pulleys 125.

  The vertical moving unit 131 includes a frame body 132, a vertical guide shaft 133, a cam 134, a belt gripping part 135, and a motor 136.

  The frame body 132 is slidably inserted into the horizontal guide shaft 122 of the horizontal moving means 121. The frame body 132 holds the head carrier 112.

  The vertical guide shaft 133 is a bar member disposed on the frame body 132 in the Z direction (vertical direction (direction in which the print head 111 is brought into contact with and separated from the cap of the capping mechanism)).

  One end of the cam 134 is provided with a protruding portion 134 a that is in sliding contact with the opening 112 a of the head carrier 112. The cam 134 is fixed to the rotating plate 137.

  The belt grip portion 135 is fixed to the frame body 132. The belt gripping part 135 grips a part of the timing belt 123 of the horizontal moving means 121 from both sides, and is fixed to a part of the timing belt 123. Thereby, the motor 124 is driven and the timing belt 123 is rotationally driven, so that the vertical moving means 131 is moved in the Y direction along the horizontal guide shaft 122 together with the print head 111.

  The motor 136 is a stepping motor. The motor 136 rotates the rotating plate 137.

  The capping mechanism 141 is disposed adjacent to the print head 111 in the Y direction. As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the capping mechanism 141 has a cap 142 and a cap holder 143 that holds the cap 142.

  The cap 142 is disposed at the peripheral edge so that a lip 142a that is in close contact with the nozzle surface 111b of the head portion 111a and covers the nozzle surface 111b faces the nozzle surface 111b. Cylindrical protrusions 142b are integrally provided at one end and the other end of the cap 142, respectively.

  In the cap holder 143, a guide groove 143a is formed along a direction in which the cap holder 143 contacts and separates from the nozzle surface 111b. The protrusion 142b of the cap 142 is attached to the guide groove 143a. When the cap 142 moves relative to the nozzle surface 111b and is pressed against the nozzle surface 111b as the print head 111 is moved by the vertical moving means 131, the guide groove 143a caps the cap 142 to its lower end. The guide is movably moved in the holder 143.

  An elastic member 144 is disposed on the cap holder 143. The elastic member 144 is configured by a coil spring disposed along the direction in which the cap 142 is in contact with and away from the nozzle surface 111b. A protruding portion 142c of the cap 142 is inserted from the upper end of the coil spring constituting the elastic member 144, and a protruding portion 143c of the cap holder 143 is inserted from the lower end thereof. The elastic member 144 biases the cap 142 toward the nozzle surface 111b. In addition, the cap 142 is provided with a pipe 142d for extracting air from the cap 142 when the cap 142 is attached to the nozzle surface 111b. Although not shown, the pipe 142d is a pipe communicating with the pump. Are connected. The cap holder 143 is provided with holes 143d through which these pipes pass.

  The cap holder 143 is formed with stoppers 145a and 145b that abut against the upper ends of the projections 142b at one end and the other end of the cap 142 and restrict the movement of the one end and the other end of the cap 142. The stopper 145a on the one end side and the stopper 145b on the other end side are disposed so as to abut on the protrusion 142b on one end of the cap 142 and the protrusion 142b on the other end, respectively, at different positions from the nozzle surface 111b ( (See FIG. 6). Therefore, in a state where the cap 142 is not pressed against the nozzle surface 111b, the cap 142 is urged toward the nozzle surface 111b by the elastic member 144, and the upper end of the protrusion 142b contacts the stoppers 145a and 145b. Inclined with respect to 111b.

  The casing 151 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped member that houses the print head 111, the horizontal moving unit 121, the vertical moving unit 131, and the capping mechanism 141. The casing 151 has an opening (not shown) that exposes the nozzle surface 111b of the print head 111 on the lower surface.

  The holder 16 detachably holds the print head device 11. The holder 16 is connected to a belt (not shown) driven by a motor (not shown) and is configured to be movable in the X direction along a guide rail 17 a formed on the holder guide 17.

  The holder guide 17 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped member extending in the X direction. A guide rail 17a is formed on the upper surface (Z direction) of the holder guide 17 along the longitudinal direction (X direction). The holder guide 17 passes through the window 24 a of the base plate 24, and both ends thereof are fixed to the base plate 23 and the support plate 25.

  The transport device 20 includes a feed roller 21 and a platen roller 22.

  The feed roller 21 has a shaft 21a and a cylindrical rotating portion 21b. The shaft 21a is disposed substantially horizontally in the X direction, and both ends thereof are fixed to the main plates 23 and 24, respectively. The rotating part 21b is rotatably arranged around the fixed shaft 21a.

  The platen roller 22 has a shaft 22a and a cylindrical rotating portion 22b. The shaft 22a is disposed substantially horizontally in the X direction, and both ends thereof are rotatably supported by the main plates 23 and 24, respectively. One end of the shaft 22 a is connected to the motor 26.

  A transport path P1 on the delivery side of the print medium 50 is formed by the platen roller 22 and a take-off mechanism (not shown). The transport surface of the transport path P1 is formed to be inclined so as to form an angle α with the nozzle surface 111b of the head portion 111a of the print head device 11.

  The ground planes 23 and 24 are arranged in parallel to each other so as to be orthogonal to the axes 21a and 22a.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the heating unit 30 includes a case 31, a front panel 32, a heater 33, and a fan 34.

  The case 31 is combined with the front panel 32 to accommodate the heater 33 and the fan 34. An opening 31 a for sucking air is formed on the side of the case 31 where the fan 34 is disposed.

  The front panel 32 is formed with a plurality of holes 32 a for blowing out heated air heated by the heater 33.

  The heater 33 is composed of an electric heater coated with insulation. Fins 33a are arranged on the outer periphery of the heater 33 in order to increase the heat dissipation area and increase the heat transfer efficiency. The heater 33 heats the air supplied by the fan 34.

  The fan 34 is disposed on the side of the heater 33 that is separated from the front panel 32. The fan 34 sucks air from the opening 31 a of the case 31 and supplies it to the heater 33.

  Referring again to FIG. 2, the heating unit 30 is disposed along the delivery-side conveyance path P <b> 1 that is inclined so as to form an angle α with the nozzle surface 111 b of the head unit 111 a of the print head device 11. At this time, the front panel 32 is disposed so as to face the print medium 50 positioned in the transport path P1 on the sending side in parallel with a predetermined distance. Therefore, the air sucked by the fan 34 is heated by the heater 33 and supplied from the hole 32a of the front panel 32 to the print surface 50a of the print medium 50 located in the transport path P1 on the delivery side substantially perpendicularly. .

  The control unit 40 includes an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), various memories, and the like. At the time of printing, the control unit 40 drives a motor (not shown) to move the print head device 11 in the X direction (the extending direction of the platen roller 22) to stop at a predetermined position, and then drives the motor 26. Then, the print head 111 is driven while rotating the platen roller 22 to eject ink from the nozzles. The control unit 40 drives the motor 124 of the horizontal moving unit 121 and the motor 136 of the vertical moving unit 131 of the print head device 11 to print the print head 111 held by the head carrier 112 on the print medium 50. The position is moved to the position of the head cap by which the nozzle surface 111b of the head portion 111a is maintained cleanly by the capping mechanism 141. At the head cap position, the cap 142 of the capping mechanism 141 is pressed against the nozzle surface 111b, and the lip 142a is in close contact with the nozzle surface 111b, preventing the nozzle hole from drying and preventing ejection failure due to an increase in ink viscosity. .

  The print medium 50 includes a base material and a fixing layer.

  The substrate is made of paper, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film, or PP (polypropylene).

  The fixing layer is made of a material that can absorb and fix the ejected ink, such as urethane resin. The fixing layer is laminated on the front side of the substrate. When the fixing layer is heated, the absorbed ink is dried and sublimated to fix the dye.

  Next, the printing operation of the printer 1 will be described.

In the standby state before printing by the printer 1, a cap 142 is attached to the nozzle surface 111b of the print head 111 as shown in FIG.
Then, when printing is instructed by a button (not shown), the control unit 40 drives the motor 136 of the vertical moving unit 131.

  Referring to FIG. 3, motor 136 rotates rotating plate 137 in the clockwise direction. The cam 134 also rotates clockwise as the rotating plate 137 rotates. At this time, since the protrusion 134a of the cam 134 is in sliding contact with the edge of the opening 112a of the head carrier 112, the head carrier 112 moves in the Z direction along the vertical guide shaft 133 as the cam 134 rotates. Move vertically. As a result, the print head 111 at the head cap position shown in FIG. 9A rises in the Z direction, and the cap 142 is detached from the nozzle surface 111b of the head portion 111a.

  Referring to FIG. 9 in more detail, when the cap 142 is attached to the nozzle surface 111b of the head portion 111a, the cap 142 is uniformly pressed against the nozzle surface 111b by the urging force of the elastic member 144. Yes. At this time, the cap 142 is held by the cap holder 143 parallel to the nozzle surface 111b with the upper ends of the protrusions 142b at both ends being separated from the stoppers 145a and 145b (FIG. 9A).

  As the print head 111 is raised, the cap 142 is relatively moved in the direction away from the nozzle surface 111b. The stopper 145a on one end side is disposed so as to contact the protrusion 142b on one end of the cap 142 at a position where the distance from the nozzle surface 111b becomes larger than the stopper 145b on the other end side. Therefore, the projection 142b at one end is guided by the guide groove 143a by the urging force of the elastic member 144 and is moved in the cap holder 143, and comes into contact with the stopper 145a before the projection 142b at the other end. The movement of one end of the cap 142 is regulated by the stopper 145a, while the other end of the cap 142 moves in the cap holder 143 with the projection 142b guided by the guide groove 143a. That is, the cap 142 starts to be inclined with respect to the nozzle surface 111b, and one end side of the cap 142 is separated from the nozzle surface 111b before the other end side (FIG. 9B).

  Further, when the print head is raised, the projection 142b at the other end is guided by the guide groove 143a and moves in the cap holder 143 until the protrusion 142b at the other end comes into contact with the stopper 145b by the urging force of the elastic member 144. When contacting the stopper 145b, the movement of the other end of the cap 142 is restricted. Therefore, the cap 142 is inclined with respect to the nozzle surface 111b in accordance with the difference in position between the stopper 145a on one end side and the protrusion 142b on the stopper 145b on the other end side, and is detached from the nozzle surface 111b in the inclined state. (FIG. 9 (c)).

  Next, the control unit 40 drives the motor 124 of the horizontal moving unit 121 and rotates the timing belt 123 counterclockwise, thereby moving the print head 111 to the retracted position facing the platen roller 22.

  Subsequently, the motor 136 of the vertical moving means 131 rotates the rotating plate 137 counterclockwise. The cam 134 also rotates counterclockwise as the rotating plate 137 rotates. As the cam 134 rotates, the head carrier 112 moves vertically along the vertical guide shaft 133 (in the direction in which the print head 111 approaches the platen roller 22). As a result, the print head 111 is moved vertically to the print position facing the platen roller 22.

  After moving the print head 111 to the print position, the control unit 40 drives a motor (not shown) to rotate the platen roller 22 to drive the print head 111 while discharging the print medium 50 to eject ink from the nozzles. Let Thereby, desired characters and the like are printed on the printing surface 50a of the printing medium 50 at a predetermined pitch.

  When the printing surface 50 a on which ink has been ejected reaches a position facing the heating unit 30, the printing surface 50 a on which ink has been ejected is heated by the heating unit 30.

  At this time, the control unit 40 controls the heating unit 30 to supply heated air from the holes 32a formed in the front panel 32 to the printing surface 50a of the printing medium 50 located in the transport path P1 on the delivery side substantially perpendicularly. Then, the printing surface 50a on which the ink is ejected is heated to a predetermined temperature. Thereby, the ink discharged to the printing surface 50a of the printing medium 50 can be dried and fixed.

  When the printing operation is completed, the control unit 40 activates the motor 136 of the vertical moving unit 131.

  The motor 136 of the vertical moving means 131 rotates the rotating plate 137 in the clockwise direction. The cam 134 also rotates clockwise as the rotating plate 137 rotates. As the cam 134 rotates, the head carrier 112 moves vertically upward (in the direction in which the print head 111 moves away from the platen roller 22). As a result, the print head 111 is moved vertically from the printing position to the retracted position. In the retracted position, the print head 111 is positioned above the upper end of the capping mechanism 141, and subsequent horizontal movement is not hindered by the capping mechanism 141.

  Subsequently, the control unit 40 activates the motor 124 of the horizontal moving means 121.

  The motor 124 of the horizontal moving means 121 drives the timing belt 123 in the clockwise direction in FIG. As the timing belt 123 is driven, the frame 132 of the vertical moving means 131 moves horizontally to the left in FIG. As a result, the print head 111 is moved from the retracted position to a position facing the capping mechanism 141.

  Next, the motor 136 of the vertical moving means 131 rotates the rotating plate 137 counterclockwise. The cam 134 also rotates counterclockwise as the rotating plate 137 rotates. As the cam 134 rotates, the head carrier 112 moves vertically downward. As a result, the print head 111 moves vertically downward to the head cap position shown in FIG. 9A, contacts the cap 142 held by the cap holder 143, and the cap 142 covers the nozzle surface 111b of the head portion 111a. Worn.

  More specifically, with the downward movement of the head portion 111a, the cap 142 remains in an inclined state with respect to the nozzle surface 111b, and the other end contacts the nozzle surface 111b (FIG. 9B). Further, when the head portion 111a moves, the projection 142b on the other end side is separated from the stopper 145b by the force pushing downward from the head portion 111a, and is guided to the lower end by the guide groove 143a to move downward in the cap holder 143. Move to. When the cap 142 is parallel to the nozzle surface 111b, the protrusion 142b on one end side is also separated from the stopper 145a with the movement of the print head 111, and is guided to the lower end by the guide groove 143a to move downward in the cap holder 143. Move to. Thus, the cap 142 is uniformly pressed against the nozzle surface 111b by the urging force of the elastic member 144 in a state parallel to the nozzle surface 111b, and is attached to the nozzle surface 111b (FIG. 9A). )).

  Here, as shown in FIG. 9A, when maintenance is instructed by a button (not shown) in the standby state of the printer 1 in which the cap 142 of the capping mechanism 141 is attached to the nozzle surface 111b of the head portion 111a. The control unit 40 drives a pump (not shown) of the capping mechanism 141 to release air from the cap 142 of the capping mechanism 141, thereby creating a vacuum pressure, sucking ink of the head unit 111a, and nozzles of the head unit 111a. Remove clogs. The maintenance instruction is not limited to a button operation, and may be set as appropriate, for example, every time a predetermined number of standby states are set.

As described above, when the cap 142 of the capping mechanism 141 is detached from the nozzle surface 111b, the movement of at least one end is restricted by the stoppers 145a and 145b as restricting means, and the cap 142 is inclined with respect to the nozzle surface 111b. . Therefore, even if the ink adhering to the nozzle surface 111b of the print head 111 and the lip 142a of the cap 142 is solidified or sticked during capping, it can be easily detached from the nozzle surface 111b. Therefore, it is not necessary to clean the ink adhering to the nozzle surface 111b and the cap 142 by adding another mechanism, it is possible to reduce the size with a simple configuration, and to reliably maintain the nozzle surface 111b of the head portion 111a. Can do.
In addition, one end side of the cap 142 is first separated from the nozzle surface 111b, then the other end side is separated from the nozzle surface 111b, and the entire cap 142 is detached from the nozzle surface 111b. Therefore, since the impact applied to the print head 111 when the cap 142 is detached can be reduced, the ink is prevented from being scattered around the print head 111 to contaminate the apparatus.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and its application and modification are arbitrary.

  In the above embodiment, the stoppers 145a and 145b on one end side and the other end side that respectively contact the protrusion 142b of the cap 142 and restrict the movement thereof are arranged. However, if at least the movement of one end of the cap 142 is restricted, the cap 142 can be inclined with respect to the nozzle surface 111b when the cap 142 is detached from the nozzle surface 111b. Therefore, one of the stoppers 145a and 145b on one end side or the other end side may be omitted.

  In the above embodiment, the capping mechanism 141 is accommodated in the casing 151 of the print head device 11. However, the arrangement of the capping mechanism 141 is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be arranged adjacent to the print head device 11, for example. In other words, the capping mechanism 141 may be arranged side by side with the print head 111 in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the platen roller 22.

  In the above embodiment, the maintenance operation is started based on the button instruction. However, the printing state may be inspected using an inspection apparatus, and the maintenance operation may be started when the inspection result is defective.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the inspection device 60 has a sensor unit 63 composed of a CCD camera or a CMOS sensor. The sensor unit 63 receives light reflected by the printing surface 50 a of the printing medium 50. The sensor unit 63 converts the received light into an electrical signal. The inspection device 60 uses a processing device (not shown) connected to the sensor unit 63 to analyze and process the electrical signal, thereby inspecting the print density, missing dots, print position, and the like.

  The inspection device 60 determines the print state based on the inspected print density and the like. When the inspection device 60 determines that the printing state is defective, it sends an error signal to the control unit 40. When receiving the error signal, the control unit 40 starts the above-described maintenance operation.

  In the above embodiment, the capping mechanism 141 is mounted on the print head device 11, but the capping mechanism 141 may be mounted on a printer frame.

  In the above-described embodiment, the print head 111 is moved in the vertical direction by the vertical moving unit 131 and the print head 111 is moved in the horizontal direction by the horizontal moving unit 131, but the direction in which the print head 111 contacts and separates from the platen roller 22. In other words, any configuration may be used as long as it moves in a first direction that contacts and separates from the capping mechanism 141 and a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction and that is separated from the capping mechanism 141 and faces the platen roller 22, For example, the print head 111 may be moved obliquely in the vertical direction so as to contact and separate from the platen roller 22, and the print head 111 may be moved in a direction orthogonal to the movement direction. In this case, the capping mechanism 141 is appropriately arranged according to the moving direction of the print head 111 so as to be positioned alongside the print head 111 in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the platen roller 22.

  In the above-described embodiment, the head portion 111a is moved relative to the cap 142 of the capping mechanism 141 by the vertical moving means 131 of the print head device 11, and the cap 142 is attached to the nozzle surface 111b. However, the capping mechanism 141 may have a vertical moving means, and the cap 142 may be moved in a direction in which the cap 142 moves toward and away from the nozzle surface 111b relative to the nozzle surface 111b of the head portion 111a. In this case, the vertical moving means 131 of the print head device 11 can be omitted by setting the retracted position of the print head 111 on the path that moves horizontally from the print position to the head cap position.

  In the above embodiment, the platen roller 22 is used as the platen. However, the platen roller 22 is not limited to this, and a flat platen having a rectangular flat plate shape fixed to the frame of the printer may be used. In this case, the capping mechanism is arranged side by side with the print head in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the flat platen on the print head arrangement side with the conveyance path of the print medium as a boundary.

  In the above embodiment, the print head device 11 is stopped at a predetermined printing position, the platen roller 22 is continuously rotated, and the print head 111 is driven while the print medium 50 is conveyed to print the print medium 50. Although the present invention is applied to a printer that prints desired characters on the surface 50a, the present invention is not limited to this, and the print head 111 is driven while the print head device 11 is moved in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the print medium 50 to print the print medium The present invention can be applied even to a serial printer that prints on the printer.

  In the above embodiment, the print medium 50 is composed of a base material and a fixing layer. However, the configuration of the print medium 50 is not limited to this. For example, when the substrate is made of a material capable of fixing ink, the fixing layer can be omitted. The print medium 50 may be composed of a base material, a fixing layer, and a resin layer laminated on the fixing layer. In this case, the resin layer is composed of thermoplastic polymer fine particles or porous polymer so that the ink passes through the resin layer and is held by the fixing layer. When the resin layer is heated, it melts to form a resin film, and the ink pigment retained in the fixing layer is protected by coating.

  The print medium 50 may be composed of a substrate, a fixing layer, and a surface layer laminated on the fixing layer. In this case, the surface layer is composed of a porous polymer that is not limited to thermoplasticity. At the time of printing, the surface layer is infiltrated with ink and held in the fixing layer, and is heated to fix the ink on the fixing layer, and then peeled off from the fixing layer.

1 is a partial perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the printer of FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a print head device of the printer of FIG. 1. (A) is the perspective view seen from the side. (B) is the perspective view seen from the front. It is an external view of the capping mechanism of the printer of FIG. (A) is a front view. (B) is a bottom view. (C) is a side view. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the capping mechanism of FIG. (A) is AA sectional drawing. (B) is DD sectional drawing. It is the elements on larger scale of FIG. (A) is an enlarged view of the other end side. (B) is an enlarged view of one end side. It is a schematic external view of a heating part. (A) is a perspective view. (B) is a top view. (C) is a bottom view. It is a schematic external view and sectional drawing of a heating part. (A) is a side view. (B) is sectional drawing of an AA direction. (C) is sectional drawing of a BB direction. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the capping mechanism which shows operation | movement when it detaches | leaves from the nozzle surface of a print head apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 10 Printing part 11 Print head apparatus 16 Holder 17 Holder guide 20 Conveyance apparatus 21 Feed roller 22 Platen roller 26 Motor 30 Heating part 31 Case 32 Front panel 33 Heater 34 Fan 40 Control part 50 Print medium 111 Print head 111b Nozzle surface 141 Capping mechanism 142 Cap 142a Lip 142b Protrusion 143 Cap holder 143a Guide groove 144 Elastic member 145 Stopper

Claims (12)

A platen that supports the print medium;
A print head that is disposed to face the platen, has a nozzle surface on which a plurality of nozzle holes are disposed, and discharges ink from the plurality of nozzle holes to print on the print medium;
A capping mechanism that holds a cap that closely contacts the nozzle surface of the print head and covers the nozzle surface;
Moving means for moving the print head;
With
The cap moves in a direction of contacting and separating from the nozzle surface with the movement of the print head by the moving means;
The capping mechanism has a restricting means for restricting movement of at least one end of the cap and tilting the cap with respect to the nozzle surface when the cap is detached from the nozzle surface of the print head.
A printer characterized by that. The restricting means is in contact with a protrusion provided on the one end side of the cap, and is in contact with one stopper for restricting movement of the one end and a protrusion provided on the other end side of the cap. Having the other stopper for regulating the movement of the other end,
The one stopper and the other stopper are disposed so as to abut on the one end-side projection and the other end-side projection, respectively, at positions where the distance from the nozzle surface is different. The printer according to claim 1. The capping mechanism has a holding member for holding the cap;
3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the holding member is formed with a guide groove that guides the protrusion along a direction in which the protrusion is in contact with or separated from the nozzle surface.   The printer according to claim 3, wherein the holding member includes an elastic member that urges the cap against the nozzle surface of the print head.   The printer according to claim 4, wherein the elastic member includes a spring member disposed along a direction in which the elastic member is in contact with and away from the nozzle surface. A print head disposed opposite to the platen and having a nozzle surface on which a plurality of nozzle holes are disposed;
A housing for accommodating the print head;
A capping mechanism that holds a cap that closely contacts the nozzle surface of the print head and covers the nozzle surface;
Moving means for moving the print head;
With
The cap moves in a direction of contacting and separating from the nozzle surface with the movement of the print head by the moving means;
The capping mechanism has a restricting means for restricting movement of at least one end of the cap and tilting the cap with respect to the nozzle surface when the cap is detached from the nozzle surface of the print head.
A print head device. The restricting means is in contact with a protrusion provided on the one end side of the cap, and is in contact with one stopper for restricting movement of the one end and a protrusion provided on the other end side of the cap. Having the other stopper for regulating the movement of the other end,
The one stopper and the other stopper are disposed so as to abut on the one end-side projection and the other end-side projection, respectively, at positions where the distance from the nozzle surface is different. The print head device according to claim 6. The capping mechanism has a holding member for holding the cap;
8. The print head device according to claim 6, wherein the holding member is formed with a guide groove that guides the protrusion along a direction in which the protrusion is in contact with or separated from the nozzle surface. 9.   The print head device according to claim 8, wherein the holding member includes an elastic member that urges the cap against the nozzle surface of the print head.   The print head device according to claim 9, wherein the elastic member is configured by a spring member disposed along a direction in which the elastic member is in contact with or separated from the nozzle surface.   The print head device according to claim 6, wherein the capping mechanism is disposed in the housing.   The print head device according to claim 6, wherein the moving unit is disposed in the housing.

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