JP7517112B2 - Recording device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a recording device such as a printer.

Recording devices having a head unit with an ejection surface provided with nozzles that eject liquid onto a medium have been known for some time, and one example is shown in Patent Document 1.

JP 2019-081659 A

However, in the recording device described in Patent Document 1, the area occupied by the head unit and the maintenance unit that performs maintenance on the head unit increases, which may increase the installation area of the recording device.

The recording device includes a support section having a support surface for supporting a medium, a head section having an ejection surface arranged opposite the support surface and ejecting liquid from nozzles provided on the ejection surface to record on the medium supported on the support surface, a head moving section that moves the head section along a movement direction in which the head section moves toward and away from the support section to a recording position where recording on the medium is possible and a retreat position away from the support section from the recording position, and a cap section that is movable in a first direction intersecting the movement direction and is capable of covering the ejection surface at a position between the head section and the support section, and when placed on a horizontal plane, the movement direction intersects with the horizontal plane at an angle of 45 degrees or less, the first direction intersects with the horizontal plane at an angle of 45 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees, and the amount of movement of the cap section in the first direction is equal to or greater than the amount of movement of the head section in the movement direction.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a medium transport path of the printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a structure around a line head and a maintenance unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a peripheral structure of a line head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a line head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the line head and a main body frame according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the arrangement of a line head and a maintenance unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a maintenance unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a line head according to the first embodiment is located at a recording position. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the line head according to the first embodiment is located at a first position. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the line head according to the first embodiment is located at a second position. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the line head according to the first embodiment is located at a third position. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the line head according to the first embodiment is positioned at a head standby position before storage. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the line head according to the first embodiment is positioned at a head standby position before wiping. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the line head according to the first embodiment is located at a replacement position.

1. Embodiment 1
Hereinafter, a printer 1 according to a first embodiment will be described in detail as an example of a recording apparatus according to the present invention.
1 shows a printer 1 as an example of a recording device. The printer 1 is configured as an inkjet device that performs recording by ejecting ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium P, which is typified by recording paper.

The printer 1 is placed on a horizontal plane, and the X-Y-Z coordinate system shown in each figure is an orthogonal coordinate system with three mutually orthogonal spatial axes as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The directions along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction, respectively, the positive directions toward the + side along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are the +X-direction, +Y-direction, and +Z-direction, respectively, the negative directions toward the - side along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are the -X-direction, -Y-direction, and -Z-direction, respectively, the Z-direction is the vertical direction, the upward direction along the vertical direction is the +Z direction, and the downward direction along the vertical direction is the -Z direction. The X-Y plane including the X-axis and Y-axis is a horizontal plane. The A-B coordinate system is an orthogonal coordinate system with two mutually orthogonal spatial axes included in the X-Z plane including the X-axis and Z-axis, intersecting the X-axis and Z-axis, and being the A-axis and B-axis. Additionally, the direction along the A axis is the A direction, the upward direction along the A axis is the +A direction, the opposite direction of the +A direction is the -A direction, the direction along the B axis is the B direction, the downward direction along the B axis is the +B direction, and the opposite direction of the +B direction is the -B direction.

The Y direction is the width direction of the medium P and the device depth direction that intersects with the transport direction of the medium P, and is a horizontal direction. The Y direction is also an example of the device depth direction that intersects with both the A direction and the B direction described below. The +Y direction is the direction toward the front in the Y direction, and the -Y direction is the direction toward the back in the Y direction.
The X direction is the device width direction, and is horizontal. The +X direction is the direction toward the left in the X direction when viewed from the operator of the printer 1, and the -X direction is the direction toward the right in the X direction.
The Z direction is the height direction of the device.

In the printer 1, the medium P is transported through a transport path T indicated by a dashed line.
The AB coordinate system shown on the X-Z plane is an orthogonal coordinate system. The A direction is an example of the transport direction of the medium P in the area of the transport path T facing the line head 20 described later. The direction toward the upstream of the A direction is called the -A direction, and the direction toward the downstream is called the +A direction. In this embodiment, the A direction is a direction inclined so that the +A direction side is located closer to the +Z direction side than the -A direction side. The B direction is an example of a movement direction, and is a movement direction in which the line head 20 described later moves forward and backward relative to the transport unit 10 described later. The direction in the B direction in which the line head 20 approaches the transport path T is called the +B direction, and the direction in which it moves away from the transport path T is called the -B direction. In this embodiment, the B direction is a direction inclined so that the +B direction side is located closer to the +Z direction side than the -B direction side, and is perpendicular to the A direction.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, when viewed from the Y direction, if the angle between the B direction and the X direction is the first angle θ1, the first angle θ1 is greater than 0 degrees and equal to or less than 45 degrees, specifically greater than 10 degrees and equal to or less than 40 degrees, more specifically 30 degrees. Also, if the angle between the A direction and the X direction is the third angle θ3, the third angle θ3 is equal to or greater than 45 degrees and less than 90 degrees, specifically greater than 50 degrees and equal to or less than 80 degrees, more specifically 60 degrees. In this way, the movement direction in which the line head 20 moves forward and backward relative to the transport unit 10 described later is an inclined direction that intersects with both the horizontal and vertical directions. Also, the transport direction of the medium P in the area including the transport unit 10 where recording is performed by the line head 20 is an inclined direction that intersects with both the horizontal and vertical directions.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1 has a housing 2 as an example of a device main body. The housing 2 is placed on a horizontal plane. An ejection section 3 is formed in the +Z direction from the center of the housing 2 in the Z direction, forming a space into which the medium P on which information is recorded is ejected. In addition, a plurality of media cassettes 4 are provided in the -Z direction from the center of the housing 2 in the Z direction. The media cassettes 4 are an example of a media storage section. In addition, a manual feed tray 9 is provided in the center of the housing 2 in the Z direction so as to protrude from the housing 2 in the -X direction. In other words, the manual feed tray 9 is provided on the -X direction side of the transport path T. The manual feed tray 9, in which the medium P can be set, is used when recording on a medium P that cannot be set in the media cassette 4.

A plurality of media P are stacked and stored in the plurality of media cassettes 4. A pick roller 6 is provided in the media cassette 4 toward the -X direction from the center so that it can contact the top surface of the media P. The pick roller 6 is located below the discharge section 3. The media P stored in each media cassette 4 is sent from the media cassette 4 toward the transport path T in the -X direction by the pick roller 6. The media P sent by the pick roller 6 toward the transport path T is transported along the transport path T by the transport roller pair 7 and the transport roller pair 8. The transport path T includes a transport path T1 along which the media P is transported from an external device, and a transport path T2 that merges with the transport path T from the -X direction side. The transport path T2 can transport the media P set in the manual feed tray 9 to the transport path T. The manual feed tray 9 is located on the -X direction side of the position where the transport path T2 merges with the transport path T. This makes it easier to form the transport path T2 as a path with less curvature along the manual feed tray 9.

Also arranged on the transport path T are a transport unit 10 (described later), multiple transport roller pairs 11 that transport the medium P, a registration roller pair 11A that corrects the inclination of the medium P, a discharge roller pair 11B, multiple flaps 12 that switch the path along which the medium P is transported, and a medium width sensor 13 that detects the width of the medium P in the Y direction.

The transport path T is curved in the area facing the medium width sensor 13, and extends diagonally upward from the medium width sensor 13, i.e., in the +A direction. A pair of registration rollers 11A is provided upstream of the transport unit 10 on the transport path T. The pair of registration rollers 11A is disposed on the -A direction side of the transport unit 10. The pair of registration rollers 11A corrects the skew of the medium P being transported. Note that skew of the medium P refers to a state in which the posture of the medium P is tilted with respect to the transport direction.

Downstream of the transport unit 10 on the transport path T are transport paths T3 and T4 leading to the discharge section 3, and a reversing path T5 that reverses the front and back of the medium P. On the transport paths T3 and T4, a pair of discharge rollers 11B is arranged to discharge the medium P onto which ink has been discharged, towards the discharge section 3. The pair of discharge rollers 11B is provided at a position on the -X direction side of the discharge section 3. The pair of discharge rollers 11B discharges the medium P in the +X direction. The medium P onto which ink has been discharged is discharged to the discharge section 3 and stacked.

In addition, the housing 2 is provided with an ink storage section 23 that stores ink, a waste liquid storage section 16 that can store waste ink, and a control section 26 that controls the operation of each section of the printer 1. The ink storage section 23 supplies ink to the line head 20 via a tube (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2, the waste liquid storage section 16 is connected to a first maintenance unit 62 (described later) via a flexible waste liquid tube 16A. The waste liquid storage section 16 is located below the first maintenance unit 62. The waste liquid storage section 16 collects ink for maintenance discharged from the line head 20 via the waste liquid tube 16A toward the first maintenance unit 62 (described later) and stores it as waste liquid.

The control unit 26 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and storage (not shown), and controls the transport of the medium P in the printer 1 and the recording of information on the medium P by the line head 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge section 3 is provided with a discharge tray 21 aligned with the transport paths T3 and T4. The discharge tray 21, which constitutes the bottom of the discharge section 3, is a plate-shaped member as an example of a mounting member, and has a mounting surface 21A on which the discharged medium P is placed. The discharge tray 21 is also provided downstream of a transport unit 10 (described later) on the transport path T of the medium P, and in the +Z direction in the Z direction relative to a line head 20 (described later).

Specifically, the discharge tray 21 extends in an oblique direction so that the portion on the +X side is located further in the +Z direction than the portion on the -X side. In other words, in the transport direction of the medium P, the downstream end of the discharge tray 21 is located further in the +Z direction than the upstream end. The placement surface 21A has an inclination that slopes obliquely upward along the discharge direction of the medium P.

In FIG. 2, when viewed from the Y direction, the angle between the inclination direction of the mounting surface 21A and the X direction is defined as the second angle θ2. The second angle θ2 is expressed as the angle between the mounting surface 21A and a virtual plane K along the X direction. In this embodiment, the second angle θ2 is, for example, smaller than the first angle θ1.

The main components of the printer 1 are a transport unit 10 that transports the medium P, a line head 20 that records information on the medium P, and a head moving unit 30 that moves the line head 20 in direction B.

1 and 2, the transport unit 10 has two pulleys 14, an endless transport belt 15 wound around the two pulleys 14, and a motor (not shown) that drives the pulleys 14. The transport unit 10 is an example of a support unit. The support surface of the transport belt 15 that supports the medium P constitutes a part of the transport path T. As shown in FIG. 2, the outer dimension D1 in the X direction of the transport belt 15 wound around the two pulleys 14 is smaller than the dimension D2 in the A direction of the support surface of the transport belt 15 that supports the medium P. In other words, among the outer dimensions in the horizontal direction of the transport belt 15 wound around the two pulleys 14, the outer dimension D1 in the direction perpendicular to the width direction of the transport belt 15 is smaller than the dimension D2 in the A direction of the support surface of the transport belt 15 that supports the medium P. The medium P is transported to a position facing the line head 20 while being adsorbed to the support surface of the transport belt 15. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2, a charging roller 17 that charges the transport unit 10 and a charge-removing brush 18 that removes electricity from the medium P supported by the transport unit 10 are provided inside the housing 2.

The charging roller 17 is an example of a charging section. The charging roller 17 charges the conveyor belt 15 by contacting the conveyor belt 15. The charging roller 17 charges the conveyor belt 15, thereby adsorbing the medium P to the support surface of the conveyor belt 15. The charging roller 17 is provided at a position on the +B direction side of the endless conveyor belt 15 that is wound around two pulleys 14. The charging roller 17 may be provided at a position where the conveyor belt 15 is sandwiched between the charging roller 17 and the pulley 14 located on the -A direction side of the two pulleys 14.

The charging roller 17 is in contact with the support surface of the conveyor belt 15 and rotates in response to the operation of the conveyor belt 15. The charging roller 17 is connected to a power supply device (not shown) that applies a DC voltage to the charging roller 17, causing the charging roller 17 to supply charge to the portion in contact with the conveyor belt 15. The power supply device is controlled by the control unit 26, which switches the voltage application to the charging roller 17 on and off and switches the voltage applied to the charging roller 17. In this embodiment, the charging roller 17 supplies a positive charge to the conveyor belt 15, charging the support surface of the conveyor belt 15 to a positive polarity.

The static electricity removal brush 18 is an example of a static electricity removal section. The static electricity removal brush 18 removes static electricity from the medium P supported by the conveyor belt 15 by contacting the medium P. The static electricity removal brush 18 is provided at a position on the -B direction side of the endless conveyor belt 15 that is wound around two pulleys 14. The static electricity removal brush 18 is provided at a position on the -A direction side of the ejection surface NA of the line head 20. The static electricity removal brush 18 may be provided at a position where the conveyor belt 15 is sandwiched between the static electricity removal brush 18 and the pulley 14 located on the -A direction side of the two pulleys 14.

The static electricity removal brush 18 removes the charge from the recording surface of the medium P, which is the ejection surface NA side. Alternatively, the static electricity removal brush 18 may remove the charge from the support surface of the transport belt 15. More specifically, when a charge is applied to the support surface of the transport belt 15 by the charging roller 17, a charge of the opposite polarity is generated on the surface of the medium P in contact with the support surface, and a charge of the opposite polarity is also generated on the opposite surface of the medium P, i.e., the recording surface. The charge on the recording surface side is removed by the static electricity removal brush 18. As a result, only the charge on the side of the medium P in contact with the transport belt 15 remains, and as a result, the medium P is attracted to the support surface.

The static electricity removal brush 18 may be made of any material capable of removing electric charges from the medium P and the conveyor belt 15, and may be made of a resin material such as conductive nylon. The static electricity removal brush 18 is connected to a switching device (not shown), and the switching device is controlled by the control unit 26 to switch the static electricity removal brush 18 between a grounded state and a non-grounded state.

In this way, the conveying belt 15 supports the medium P while adsorbing it. The support surface of the conveying belt 15 that supports the medium P constitutes the area of the conveying path T that faces the line head 20. That is, the conveying unit 10 rotates when the pulley 14 is driven, and conveys the medium P supported on the support surface of the conveying belt 15 in the +A direction in the conveying direction. At this time, the downstream side in the conveying direction is higher than the upstream side in the conveying direction. The conveying unit 10 is also disposed opposite the line head 20 in the B direction. As a method for adsorbing the medium P to the conveying belt 15, an adsorption method such as an air suction method may be used.

The transport unit 10 may further include a driven roller 19 that suppresses the medium P from floating off the support surface of the transport belt 15. In this case, the driven roller 19 is provided at a position on the -B direction side of the endless transport belt 15 that is wound around two pulleys 14. The driven roller 19 is provided at a position between the discharge surface NA of the line head 20 and the charge removal brush 18 in the A direction. The driven roller 19 is provided at a position where the medium P is sandwiched between the driven roller 19 and the transport belt 15, and is rotated in response to the movement of the medium P supported by the transport belt 15. The driven roller 19 may be made of a conductive material such as metal, and may be grounded.

The line head 20 is an example of a head unit. The line head 20 has nozzles N that eject ink, which is an example of liquid. The line head 20 is arranged to face the transport unit 10 in the B direction at a recording position described later, and records information by ejecting ink from the nozzles N onto the medium P transported in the transport direction. The line head 20 is an ink ejection head configured so that the nozzles N that eject ink cover the entire area in the Y direction, which is the width direction of the medium P. The ejection surface NA on which the nozzles N are arranged is arranged along the A direction and the Y direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the ejection surface NA faces the +B direction. The dimension of the ejection surface NA in the Y direction is larger than the dimension of the ejection surface NA in the A direction. The ejection surface NA faces the +A direction side of the center of the support surface that supports the medium P on the transport belt 15 in the A direction. That is, the line head 20 is located on the +A direction side of the center of the support surface that supports the medium P on the transport belt 15 in the A direction.

The line head 20 is also configured as an ink ejection head capable of recording across the entire width of the medium P without moving the medium P in the width direction. However, the type of ink ejection head is not limited to this, and it may be a type that is mounted on a carriage and ejects ink while moving in the width direction of the medium P.

As shown in FIG. 4, the line head 20 extends in the Y direction. On the +A direction sides of both ends of the line head 20 in the Y direction, plate portions 20A protrude in the +A direction. In addition, support frames 22 are attached to both ends of the line head 20 in the Y direction. The second maintenance unit 72 shown in FIG. 4 will be described later.

The support frame 22 is configured as a side plate along the A-B surface, and extends in the -B direction relative to the line head 20. Cylindrical support pins 24 extending in the +Y and -Y directions are provided on both ends of the B direction on the Y direction outer surface of the support frame 22. An annular roller 25 is rotatably provided on the support pin 24.

In addition, a support pin 27, a rack 28, and a coil spring 29 are provided on the inner surface of the support frame 22 in the Y direction. The support pin 27 protrudes from the support frame 22 in the Y direction.

The rack 28 is a plate-shaped member whose thickness direction is in the Y direction, and extends in the B direction. A number of teeth 28A aligned in the B direction are formed at the end of the rack 28 in the -A direction. The rack 28 also has a long hole 28B that penetrates in the Y direction and is long in the B direction. A support pin 27 is inserted into the long hole 28B. This allows the rack 28 to move in the B direction relative to the support frame 22.

One end of the coil spring 29 is attached to the support frame 22. The other end of the coil spring 29 is attached to the rack 28. This causes the coil spring 29 to exert an elastic force on the rack 28 in the direction B.

The line head 20 can be detached from the head moving part 30 shown in FIG. 3 at the replacement position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1. The replacement position is the position furthest from the transport unit 10 in the -B direction in the movement direction of the line head 20. Specifically, the line head 20 is detached from the head moving part 30 by the support frame 22 being moved in the -B direction along the guide rail 37 described below, and then being pulled up in the +Z direction along the guide rail 38.

The head moving unit 30 moves the line head 20 along direction B to a recording position and a retracted position, which will be described later. In other words, the head moving unit 30 moves the line head 20 in direction B so that the moving direction of the line head 20 intersects both the vertical and horizontal directions. In addition, the moving direction is an inclined direction that intersects with the horizontal plane at an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 45 degrees, and specifically, the angle at which the moving direction intersects with the horizontal plane is 30 degrees.

As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the head moving unit 30 has a main body frame 32 constituting a main body portion, a guide member 36 that guides the line head 20 in direction B, and a drive unit 40 that drives the line head 20 in direction B, which will be described later. The head moving unit 30 moves the line head 20 to one or more retract positions, which will be described later, that are away from the transport unit 10 relative to a recording position, which will be described later. Specifically, the head moving unit 30 is provided so as to be able to move the line head 20 to a first position, a second position, and a third position. The first position, the second position, and the third position will be described later.

The main body frame 32 is included in the housing 2. In other words, the main body frame 32 is included in an example of the device main body. Specifically, the main body frame 32 has a side frame 33, a side frame 34, and a plurality of horizontal frames 35.

The side frames 33 and 34 are each configured as side plates along the A-B plane, and are arranged facing each other with a gap in the Y direction. The side frame 33 is arranged on the +Y direction side, and the side frame 34 is arranged on the -Y direction side. A through hole 34A is formed in the side frame 34 for movement of the second maintenance unit 72 described below. A number of horizontal frames 35 connect the side frames 33 and 34 in the Y direction. The line head 20 is arranged in the space surrounded by the multiple horizontal frames 35.

The guide members 36 are an example of a guide section, and one is provided on each of the side frames 33 and 34. The two guide members 36 are disposed approximately symmetrically with respect to the center of the main frame 32 in the Y direction. For this reason, only the guide member 36 in the -Y direction will be described, and a description of the guide member 36 in the +Y direction will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the guide member 36 is attached to the side surface of the side frame 34 in the +Y direction. The guide member 36 is formed with a guide rail 37 extending in the B direction, and a guide rail 38 branching off from a portion of the guide rail 37 and extending in the Z direction. Both the guide rail 37 and the guide rail 38 are grooves that open in the +Y direction. Furthermore, the guide rail 37 and the guide rail 38 guide the roller 25 in the B direction or the Z direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the side frame 34 is provided with a guide rail 71 that constitutes a cap moving section 80, which will be described later. The guide rail 71 is also provided on the side frame 33. That is, a set of guide rails 71 is provided between the side frame 33 and the side frame 34. The set of guide rails 71 is formed in a groove shape that opens toward the inside in the Y direction and extends along the A direction. The set of guide rails 71 also supports a plurality of rollers 73, which will be described later, so that they can move in the A direction. That is, the guide rails 71 guide the plurality of rollers 73 in the A direction, thereby allowing the first maintenance unit 62, which will be described later, to move in the A direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the drive unit 40 includes a motor 41, a gear portion (not shown), a shaft 42, and a pinion 43, and the drive is controlled by the control portion 26. The shaft 42 extends in the Y direction. Both ends of the shaft 42 are rotatably supported by the side frames 33 and 34 shown in FIG. 3. The pinion 43 is attached to both ends of the shaft 42 in the Y direction. The pinion 43 has teeth 43A formed on its outer periphery, which mesh with the teeth 28A.

The motor 41 rotates the shaft 42 and the pinion 43 in one direction or the other via a gear unit (not shown). In this way, the drive unit 40 drives the pinion 43 to rotate, thereby moving the line head 20 in the direction B.

As shown in FIG. 6, the printer 1 has a maintenance unit 60, a cap moving unit 80, a lid unit 90, and a rotation mechanism unit 100.

The maintenance unit 60 is an example of a storage section that stores the nozzle N and performs maintenance on the nozzle N. Specifically, the maintenance unit 60 has a first maintenance unit 62 that can cover the nozzle N, and a second maintenance unit 72 that cleans the ink ejection surface NA of the nozzle N by wiping it. The second maintenance unit 72 will be described later.

The first maintenance unit 62 is an example of a capping unit. The first maintenance unit 62 includes a capping unit main body 63, a cap 64 that covers the nozzle N, and a flushing unit 66 that faces the nozzle N and receives ink ejected from the nozzle N. The first maintenance unit 62 includes the cap 64 and the flushing unit 66 along the A direction, and by moving in the A direction, switches between a state in which the cap 64 faces the nozzle N and a state in which the flushing unit 66 faces the nozzle N. The first maintenance unit 62 has a standby position on the -A direction side of the line head 20, and has a standby position, an ejection position, and a capping position in that order toward the +A direction.

The standby position is away from the cap position in the -A direction in the A direction. That is, the standby position is away from the line head 20 relative to the cap position, and is located lower than the cap position. This makes it easier to position the waste liquid tube 16A connecting the first maintenance unit 62 and the waste liquid storage section 16 lower than the line head 20. Therefore, the waste liquid tube 16A is less likely to interfere with the line head 20 or the transport path T. Also, since the waste liquid tube 16A is less likely to be bent at the cap position, it is easier to collect waste liquid from the first maintenance unit 62 in the waste liquid storage section 16.

The ejection position is the position of the first maintenance unit 62 when the flushing section 66 faces the nozzle N. The ejection position is away from the standby position in the +A direction in the A direction. The cap position is the position of the first maintenance unit 62 when the cap 64 covers the ejection surface NA. The first maintenance unit 62 in the cap position is located between the line head 20 and the transport unit 10 in the B direction. The cap position is away from the ejection position in the -A direction in the A direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cap body 63 is formed in a box shape whose dimension in the Y direction is larger than its dimension in the A direction. The cap body 63 has an opening 65 that opens in the -B direction. A rack 69 extending in the A direction is provided on each of the side walls 63A of the cap body 63 in the +Y direction and the -Y direction. The rack 69 has a plurality of teeth 69A aligned in the A direction. In addition, both side walls 63A are provided with a plurality of rollers 73 that are rotatable about the Y direction as their axial direction. A partition wall 67 is provided on the inside of the cap body 63. The partition wall 67 divides the space within the cap body 63 into a space in the +A direction and a space in the -A direction. The cap 64 is disposed in the space in the -A direction of the partition wall 67, and the flushing part 66 is disposed in the space in the +A direction of the partition wall 67.

The cap 64 of the first maintenance unit 62 has a cap surface 64A that covers the ejection surface NA. The cap 64 has a recessed portion 64B that opens into the cap surface 64A. The size and shape of the cap surface 64A are such that they cover the ejection surface NA. Therefore, when the cap surface 64A in the cap position is viewed from the -B direction side, the dimension D3 of the cap surface 64A in the Y direction is larger than the dimension D4 of the cap surface 64A in the A direction. Also, when the first maintenance unit 62 in the cap position is viewed from the B direction, the dimension of the first maintenance unit 62 in the Y direction is larger than the dimension of the first maintenance unit 62 in the A direction. Here, the standby position of the first maintenance unit 62 is provided at a position spaced apart from the cap position in the A direction. This allows the distance between the standby position and the cap position to be narrower than when the standby position is provided at a position spaced apart from the cap position in the Y direction, making it easier to reduce the installation area of the printer 1.

The cap 64 covers the ejection surface NA by arranging the cap surface 64A facing the ejection surface NA in the B direction. That is, in the cap position, the first maintenance unit 62 covers the ejection surface NA, thereby suppressing drying of the nozzles N and suppressing an increase in the viscosity of the ink. The cap 64 is capable of covering the nozzles N when the line head 20 is positioned in the retracted position. That is, the first maintenance unit 62 does not cover the ejection surface NA in the standby position and the ejection position.

The flushing section 66 is an example of a receiving section, and is provided within the opening 65. The flushing section 66 is disposed on the +A direction side of the cap 64 in the A direction. In other words, when the first maintenance unit 62 is disposed in the standby position, the flushing section 66 is disposed at a position closer to the line head 20 in the A direction than the cap 64.

Flushing section 66 is configured as a flushing box that opens in the -B direction and has porous fibers such as felt. Flushing section 66 captures ink ejected from nozzle N. If the viscosity of the ink increases in nozzle N, ink is ejected toward flushing section 66, thereby maintaining the viscosity of the ink within a set range. This prevents poor ink ejection from nozzle N.

The second maintenance unit 72 is an example of a cleaning unit. The second maintenance unit 72 includes a main body 74 and a blade 76. The main body 74 is formed in a box shape that opens in the -B direction. The blade 76 is, as an example, made of a rectangular plate of rubber. The blade 76 is provided on the main body 74 with the portion that wipes the nozzle N protruding from the main body 74 in the -B direction and tilted with respect to the A direction and the Y direction.

The second maintenance unit 72 can be advanced and retreated in the Y direction between a retreat position in the -Y direction relative to the side frame 34 and a cleaning position where the ejection surface NA is cleaned by a blade movement part (not shown). The Y direction is an example of a second direction in which the blade movement part advances and retreats the second maintenance unit 72. The maximum movement amount D12 of the second maintenance unit 72 in the Y direction is the distance in the Y direction between the retreat position shown by the solid line in FIG. 4 and the position shown by the two-dot chain line that is the furthest from the retreat position. The second maintenance unit 72 in the cleaning position is located between the line head 20 and the transport unit 10 in the B direction. The drive unit (not shown), for example, is configured to include a motor and a belt to which the second maintenance unit 72 is attached, and the second maintenance unit 72 is moved in the Y direction by the rotation of the motor to move the belt around. In addition, the second maintenance unit 72 is retracted to the retracted position when the first maintenance unit 62 covers the line head 20 and when the line head 20 is performing recording.

The cap moving part 80 moves the first maintenance unit 62 in the A direction between the cap position and the standby position. The A direction is an example of a first direction in which the cap moving part 80 moves the first maintenance unit 62 forward and backward. The first direction is an inclined direction that intersects with the horizontal plane at an angle of 45 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees, and specifically, the angle at which the first direction intersects with the horizontal plane is 60 degrees. Therefore, the first direction is more inclined than the moving direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the cap moving part 80 moves the first maintenance unit 62 on the -B direction side with respect to the discharge brush 18. This makes it possible to narrow the gap in the A direction between the registration roller pair 11A and the line head 20. Therefore, recording can be performed by the line head 20 on the medium P with less skew after passing through the registration roller pair 11A. In addition, the cap moving part 80 moves the first maintenance unit 62 in the A direction on the -B direction side with respect to the registration roller pair 11A. The cap moving part 80 supports the first maintenance unit 62 with the cap surface 64A of the cap 64 facing the -B direction. The -B direction is an example of a direction between the X direction and the +Z direction. Specifically, the cap moving part 80 has a gear 82 having teeth 82A that mesh with teeth 69A of the rack 69, a motor 84 that rotates the gear 82, and a guide rail 71 shown in FIG. 6 that supports the roller 73 of the first maintenance unit 62. The drive control of the cap moving part 80 is performed by the control part 26.

When the line head 20 is positioned at the retracted position described below, the cap moving unit 80 advances the first maintenance unit 62 between the line head 20 at the retracted position and the transport unit 10. In addition, before the line head 20 is positioned at the recording position described below, the cap moving unit 80 retracts the first maintenance unit 62 in the -A direction from between the line head 20 at the retracted position and the transport unit 10.

The lid unit 90 is an example of a lid section. The lid unit 90 is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped that is long in the Y direction as a whole, and is rotatable around a rotation axis that extends in the Y direction. When the lid unit 90 is in the ejection position, it is located on the +A direction side of the line head 20 in the A direction. When the cap 64 covers the nozzle N, the lid unit 90 takes a closed position that covers the flushing section 66.

The rotation mechanism 100 is a mechanism that rotates the lid unit 90 around a rotation axis. When the head moving unit 30 moves the line head 20 from a recording position to a retracted position, which will be described later, the rotation mechanism 100 rotates the lid unit 90 so that the lid unit 90 assumes a closed position.

Next, we will explain the positions of the line head 20 in direction B when it is moved by the head moving unit 30, and the position of the maintenance unit 60, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 8, the recording position of the line head 20 means the stopping position of the line head 20 when the line head 20 is capable of recording information on the medium P. When the line head 20 is in the recording position, the first maintenance unit 62 is in the standby position, and the second maintenance unit 72 is in the retracted position.

The retracted position of the line head 20 refers to the stopping position of the line head 20 when the line head 20 moves away from the recording position in the -B direction from the transport unit 10. The retracted positions of the line head 20 include the first position, second position, third position, head standby position, and replacement position, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 9, the first position of the line head 20 refers to the position of the line head 20 in direction B when the first maintenance unit 62 covers the nozzles N. When the line head 20 is in the first position, the first maintenance unit 62 is in the cap position, and the second maintenance unit 72 is in the retracted position. The line head 20 in the first position and the first maintenance unit 62 in the cap position at least partially overlap when viewed from the Z direction. In addition, the first maintenance unit 62 in the cap position and the transport unit 10 at least partially overlap when viewed from the Z direction.

As shown in FIG. 10, the second position of the line head 20 refers to the position of the line head 20 when the flushing unit 66 faces the nozzle N at a greater distance in direction B than at the first position. Note that in the second position, the flushing unit 66 may be spaced apart from the nozzle N. When the line head 20 is in the second position, the first maintenance unit 62 is in the ejection position, and the second maintenance unit 72 is in the retracted position.

As shown in FIG. 11, the third position of the line head 20 refers to the position of the line head 20 in the direction B when the second maintenance unit 72 is able to clean the ejection surface NA of the nozzle N. When the line head 20 is in the third position, the first maintenance unit 62 is in the standby position, and the second maintenance unit 72 is able to move in the direction Y between the retracted position and the cleaning position.

As shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the head standby position of the line head 20 means a position in the B direction where the line head 20 is farther away from the transport unit 10 in the -B direction than the first position, the second position, and the third position. This is the position where the line head 20 waits until the first maintenance unit 62 and the second maintenance unit 72 complete their movement when they move. When the line head 20 is in the head standby position and the first maintenance unit 62 moves in the A direction, the second maintenance unit 72 is in the retreat position. Also, when the second maintenance unit 72 moves in the Y direction, the first maintenance unit 62 is in the standby position. Note that, as shown in FIG. 12, the movement amount D5 in the B direction by the head moving unit 30 to move the line head 20 from the recording position indicated by the ejection surface NA indicated by the two-dot chain line to the head standby position indicated by the solid line is set to be larger than the sum of the dimension D6 of the first maintenance unit 62 in the B direction and the dimension D7 of the static elimination brush 18 in the B direction.

As shown in FIG. 14, the replacement position of the line head 20 means a position in direction B where the line head 20 is further away from the transport unit 10 in the -B direction than the head standby position. In other words, the replacement position of the line head 20 is the position farthest from the transport unit 10 in direction B. When the line head 20 is attached to or detached from the head moving part 30 at the replacement position, the first maintenance unit 62 is in the standby position, and the second maintenance unit 72 is in the retracted position. At this time, the first maintenance unit 62 in the standby position is positioned vertically below the ejection surface NA of the line head 20 in the replacement position. This makes it possible to prevent, for example, the ink from falling from the ejection surface NA when attaching or detaching the line head 20 from adhering to the transport path T.

In this way, the head moving unit 30 is provided so as to be able to move the line head 20 to any one of the following positions: the recording position, the retracted position, the first position, the second position, the third position, the head standby position, and the replacement position, as an example. Furthermore, the head moving unit 30 is configured to position the line head 20 at the head standby position before positioning the line head 20 at any one of the first position, the second position, and the third position.

As shown in FIG. 14, the distance in direction B between the recording position indicated by the ejection surface NA of the line head 20 in a two-dot chain line and the replacement position indicated by a solid line is the maximum movement amount D9 of the line head 20 in direction B. The distance in direction A between the standby position indicated by the solid line of the first maintenance unit 62 and the cap position indicated by the end of the rack 69 in a two-dot chain line is the maximum movement amount D8 of the first maintenance unit 62 in direction A. In this embodiment, the maximum movement amount D8 of the first maintenance unit 62 in direction A is the same as or greater than the maximum movement amount D9 of the line head 20 in direction B.

The sum of the outer dimension D10 of the first maintenance unit 62 in the A direction shown in FIG. 12 and the maximum movement amount D8 of the first maintenance unit 62 in the A direction is greater than the sum of the outer dimension D11 of the line head 20 in the B direction shown in FIG. 12 and the maximum movement amount D9 of the line head 20 in the B direction. The maximum movement amount D12 of the second maintenance unit 72 in the Y direction is the same as or greater than the maximum movement amount D8 of the first maintenance unit 62 in the A direction. The mass of the first maintenance unit 62 is the same as or smaller than the mass of the line head 20. The mass of the second maintenance unit 72 is the same as or smaller than the mass of the first maintenance unit 62.

As described above, the printer 1 according to the first embodiment can provide the following advantages.

The printer 1 includes a transport unit 10 having a support surface that supports a medium P, a line head 20 having an ejection surface NA arranged opposite the support surface and that records on the medium P supported on the support surface by ejecting ink from nozzles N provided on the ejection surface NA, a head moving unit 30 that moves the line head 20 along a movement direction in which the line head 20 moves forward and backward relative to the transport unit 10 to a recording position where recording on the medium P is possible and a retracted position away from the transport unit 10 from the recording position, and a first maintenance unit 62 that is movable in a first direction that intersects with the movement direction and is capable of covering the ejection surface NA at a position between the line head 20 and the transport unit 10, and when placed on a horizontal surface, the movement direction intersects with the horizontal plane at an angle of 45 degrees or less, the first direction intersects with the horizontal plane at an angle of 45 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees, and the movement amount D8 of the first maintenance unit 62 in the first direction is equal to or greater than the movement amount D9 of the line head 20 in the movement direction. This makes it easier to reduce the footprint of the printer 1 because the movement direction of the line head 20 intersects with the horizontal plane at an angle of 45 degrees or less, and the first direction, which is the movement direction of the first maintenance unit 62, whose movement amount is equal to or greater than the movement amount of the line head 20, intersects with the horizontal plane at an angle of 45 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees.

The sum of the outer dimension D10 of the first maintenance unit 62 in the first direction and the movement amount D8 of the first maintenance unit 62 is greater than the sum of the outer dimension D11 of the line head 20 in the movement direction and the movement amount D9 of the line head 20. As a result, the first direction, which is the movement direction of the cap part whose dimension in the first direction is greater than the dimension occupied by the head part in the movement direction, intersects with the horizontal plane at an angle of 45 degrees or more, making it easier to make the installation area of the printer 1 smaller.

The transport unit 10 transports the medium P supported on the support surface in a transport direction along the first direction, and the first maintenance unit 62, which is in a cap position covering the ejection surface NA, at least partially overlaps with the support surface when viewed vertically. As a result, since the first maintenance unit 62 is close to the support surface, the horizontal dimension occupied by the first maintenance unit 62 and the transport unit 10 can be reduced, and the installation area of the printer 1 can be reduced.

The downstream side in the transport direction is higher than the upstream side in the transport direction, and the ejection surface NA is positioned opposite the support surface closer to the downstream side in the transport direction than the center. This allows the horizontal dimensions occupied by the first maintenance unit 62 and the transport unit 10 to be reduced, making it possible to further reduce the installation area of the printer 1.

The transport unit 10 includes a transport belt 15 having a support surface, and two pulleys 14 around which the transport belt 15 is wound. The horizontal outer dimensions of the transport belt 15 wound around the two pulleys 14, of which outer dimension D1 in the direction perpendicular to the width direction of the transport belt 15, are smaller than the dimension D2 of the support surface in the transport direction. This allows the horizontal dimension occupied by the transport unit 10 to be reduced, thereby reducing the installation area of the printer 1.

The mass of the first maintenance unit 62 is equal to or less than the mass of the line head 20. As a result, the mass of the first maintenance unit 62, whose movement amount is equal to or greater than the movement amount of the line head 20, is equal to or less than the mass of the line head 20, so the cap movement section 80 that moves the first maintenance unit 62 is unlikely to become large. Also, as the movement amount of the line head 20, whose mass is equal to or greater than the mass of the first maintenance unit 62, is equal to or less than the movement amount of the first maintenance unit 62, the head movement section 30 is unlikely to become large.

The printer 1 further includes a second maintenance unit 72 that is movable in a second direction that intersects both the movement direction and the first direction and that can clean the ejection surface NA at a position between the line head 20 and the transport unit 10, and the movement amount D12 of the second maintenance unit 72 in the second direction is equal to or greater than the movement amount D8 of the first maintenance unit 62 in the first direction, and the mass of the second maintenance unit 72 is equal to or less than the mass of the first maintenance unit 62. As a result, since the mass of the second maintenance unit 72, whose movement amount is equal to or greater than the movement amount of the first maintenance unit 62, is equal to or less than the mass of the first maintenance unit 62, the blade movement part that moves the second maintenance unit 72 is less likely to become large.

The first direction is perpendicular to the movement direction. This reduces the distance that the line head 20 moves from the recording position to the evacuation position.

The printer 1 further includes a pick roller 6 that sends the medium P stored in the media cassette 4 out of the media cassette 4 in the -X direction in the horizontal direction, and a pair of discharge rollers 11B that are positioned above the pick roller 6 and discharge the medium P in the +X direction, which is the opposite direction to the -X direction, toward the discharge section 3 that stacks the medium P onto which ink has been ejected. This allows the transport path T to be concentrated on one side in the horizontal direction from the center of the housing 2, making it easy to arrange the line head 20 and maintenance unit 60 inside the housing 2. This makes it easy to reduce the installation area of the printer 1.

The printer 1 further includes a transport path T along which the medium P sent to the pick roller 6 is transported via the transport unit 10 towards the discharge section 3, a manual feed tray 9 provided on the -X side of the transport path T, and a transport path T2 that merges with the transport path T from the -X side and is capable of transporting the medium P set in the manual feed tray 9 to the transport path T. This makes it easy to consolidate the transport path to the discharge section 3, including the transport of the medium P from the manual feed tray 9, on the -X side of the housing 2. This makes it easy to make the printer 1 more compact.

The printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is basically configured as described above, but it is of course possible to modify or omit parts of the configuration without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the above embodiment and the other embodiments described below can be combined with each other as long as they are not technically inconsistent. The other embodiments are described below.

The first angle θ1 may be the same as the second angle θ2, or may be smaller than the second angle θ2.

The printer 1 may not have the second maintenance unit 72. The printer 1 may not have the lid unit 90.

The printer 1 may be one in which the line head 20 can be attached and detached in the Y direction.

In the printer 1, the flushing section 66 of the first maintenance unit 62 may be positioned on the -A side of the A direction relative to the cap 64.

The head moving unit 30 may not position the line head 20 in a standby position before positioning the line head 20 in any one of the first position, the second position, and the third position.

In the printer 1, the direction in which the cap surface 64A faces may change as the first maintenance unit 62 moves in the A direction. In this case, the cap moving unit 80 may support the first maintenance unit 62 with the cap surface 64A facing in an inclined direction between the X direction and the +Z direction, and move it in the A direction.

In the printer 1, the first direction does not have to be perpendicular to the movement direction. For example, when the movement direction is direction B, and the first angle θ1 between direction B and direction X is 30 degrees, the angle between the first direction and direction X may be 70 degrees. In this case, the transport direction may be direction A, or may not be direction A. If the transport direction is not direction A, the transport direction may be along the first direction, and the angle between the transport direction and direction X may be 70 degrees.

In the printer 1, the transport direction does not have to be perpendicular to the +B direction in which the ejection surface NA faces. For example, the transport direction of the medium P in the area where the line head 20 and the transport unit 10 face each other may be the X direction.

1...printer, 2...housing, 3...discharge section, 4...media cassette, 6...pick roller, 7...pair of transport rollers, 8...pair of transport rollers, 9...manual feed tray, 10...transport unit, 11...pair of transport rollers, 11A...pair of registration rollers, 11B...pair of discharge rollers, 12...flap, 13...media width sensor, 14...pulley, 15...transport belt, 16...waste liquid storage section, 16A...waste liquid tube, 17...charging roller, 18...discharge brush, 19...driven roller, 20...line head, 20A...plate section, 21...discharge tray, 21A...mounting surface, 22...support frame, 23...ink storage section, 24...support pin, 25...roller, 26...control section, 27...support pin, 28...rack, 28A...tooth section, 28B...long hole, 29...coil spring, 30...head moving section, 32...main body frame, 33...side frame, 3 4...side frame, 34A...through hole, 35...horizontal frame, 36...guide member, 37...guide rail, 38...guide rail, 40...drive unit, 41...motor, 42...shaft, 43...pinion, 43A...tooth portion, 60...maintenance unit, 62...first maintenance unit, 63...cap portion main body, 63A...side wall, 64...cap, 64A...cap surface, 64B...recessed portion, 6 5...opening, 66...flushing section, 67...partition wall, 69...rack, 69A...tooth section, 71...guide rail, 72...second maintenance unit, 73...roller, 74...main body, 76...blade, 80...cap moving section, 82...gear, 82A...tooth section, 84...motor, 90...lid unit, 100...rotating mechanism, T1...transport path, T2...transport path, T3...transport path, T4...transport path, T5...reversal path.

Claims (15)

A support portion having a support surface for supporting a medium;
a head unit having a discharge surface disposed opposite to the support surface, the head unit discharging liquid from nozzles provided on the discharge surface to record on the medium supported by the support surface;
a head moving unit that moves the head unit along a moving direction in which the head unit advances and retreats relative to the support unit to a recording position where recording on the medium is possible and a retreat position that is farther away from the support unit than the recording position;
a cap portion that is movable in a first direction intersecting the movement direction and that is capable of covering the ejection surface at a position between the head portion and the support portion;
Equipped with
When the device is installed on a horizontal surface, the moving direction intersects with the horizontal surface at an angle of 45 degrees or less, and the first direction intersects with the horizontal surface at an angle of 45 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees,
A recording apparatus, characterized in that the amount of movement of the cap portion in the first direction is equal to or greater than the amount of movement of the head portion in the movement direction. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a sum of an outer dimension of the cap portion and the amount of movement of the cap portion in the first direction is greater than a sum of an outer dimension of the head portion and the amount of movement of the head portion in the movement direction. the support portion transports the medium supported on the support surface in a transport direction along the first direction,
3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cap portion in a capping position covering the ejection surface and the support surface at least partially overlap with each other when viewed in the vertical direction. the downstream side in the conveying direction is higher than the upstream side in the conveying direction,
4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the ejection surface is disposed opposite a portion of the support surface that is closer to a downstream side in the transport direction than a center of the support surface. The support portion includes a conveyor belt having the support surface and two conveyor belts around which the conveyor belt is wound.
and a pulley;
The outer dimensions of the conveyor belt wound around the two pulleys in the horizontal direction are:
5. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an outer dimension of the conveyor belt in a direction perpendicular to the width direction is smaller than a dimension of the support surface in the conveying direction. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mass of the cap portion is equal to or less than the mass of the head portion. The movable member is provided to be movable in a second direction intersecting both the moving direction and the first direction,
a cleaning unit capable of cleaning the ejection surface, the cleaning unit being disposed between the head unit and the support unit;
a movement amount of the cleaning part in the second direction is equal to or greater than a movement amount of the cap part in the first direction,
7. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the mass of the cleaning part is equal to or less than the mass of the cap part. The retracted position is a position where the cap portion covers the ejection surface and a position where the cleaning portion is in contact with the ejection surface.
8. The recording apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a cleaning position for cleaning the recording medium. the cleaning unit completes its movement when the head unit is waiting at the retracted position.
The recording apparatus according to claim 8. The retracted position includes a first position where the cap portion can cover the ejection surface, and a front position where the cap portion can cover the ejection surface.
a third position in which the cleaning unit is capable of cleaning the ejection surface;
The first position is closer to the support portion in the movement direction than the third position.
10. The recording apparatus according to claim 8 or 9. The retracted position includes a position where the cap portion covers the ejection surface.
8. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 . The cap unit completes the movement when the head unit is waiting at the retracted position.
The recording apparatus according to claim 11 . 13. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the movement direction. a pick roller that sends the medium accommodated in a medium accommodating section out of the medium accommodating section in one direction in a horizontal direction;
an ejection roller that is disposed above the pick roller and ejects the medium to the other side in the horizontal direction toward an ejection section that stacks the medium onto which the liquid has been ejected;
The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a conveying path along which the medium sent to the pick roller is conveyed toward the discharge section via the support section;
a manual feed tray provided on the one side of the transport path;
a conveying path that merges with the conveying path from the one side and is capable of conveying the medium set on the manual feed tray to the conveying path;
Further comprising:
15. The recording apparatus according to claim 14 .

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