Reciprocating apparatus, and printer including reciprocating apparatus

Abstract

A reciprocating apparatus includes a pair of guide members which extend in parallel with each other and in a first direction; a carriage which is reciprocateable in the first direction, supported and guided by the pair of guide members; and a carriage movement detector including (a) a sensor which is fixed to the carriage and (b) an encoder strip which extends in the first direction and which has sensible portions arranged in a lengthwise direction thereof and sensible by the sensor, such that a reciprocating movement of the carriage is detected based on sensing of the sensible portions by the sensor. The encoder strip is located between the pair of guide members in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The pair of the guide members are located on one of opposite sides of the carriage in a third direction perpendicular to the first and the second directions. The encoder strip is located on the other of said opposite sides of the carriage in the third direction.

Description

[0001]The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-364503 filed on Dec. 19, 2005, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to a reciprocating apparatus and a printer including the reciprocating apparatus.[0004]2. Discussion of Related Art[0005]There is known an image recording apparatus which records an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink to the recording medium based on an input signal, in particular, by introducing the ink to a recording head including an actuator such as a piezoelectric element, an electrostriction element and a heating element, so as to give pressure the ink to eject by utilizing a deformation of the piezoelectric element or the electrostriction element based on the input signal or a partial boiling of the ink by the heating element.[0006]For example, the image recording apparatus called a “serial printer” includes t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]In the present reciprocating apparatus, the encoder strip is located between the pair of guide members in the second direction, and the pair of the guide members are located on one of opposite sides of the carriage in the third direction and the encoder strip is located on the other of said opposite sides of the carriage in said third direction. Since the encoder strip is prevented from contacting the guide members, the encoder strip can be accurately detected by the sensor and the reciprocating movement of the carriage is controlled with high stability.

[0016]The printer in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention enjoys the same advantages as those of the reciprocating apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention.

Problems solved by technology

On the other hand, the carriage can be easily rotated about an axis parallel to a vertical direction, causing the recorded image to be poor in quality or defective.

The ink mist sticks to the encoder strip of the linear encoder and thereby influences the sensing of the sensible portions by the optical sensor, causing to lower the accuracy of a position detection of the carriage by the linear encoder.

Accordingly, the encoder strip contacts the slide surfaces of the guide rails and the guide portion, causing that the lubricant on the slide surfaces is stuck to the encoder strip.

Some lubricant is transparent, but dust is easily stuck to the lubricant because of its viscosity.

The encoder strip becomes dirty with the dust stuck thereto via the lubricant, causing the sensible portions (of the encoder strip) to be undetectable by the optical sensor, and accordingly lower the accuracy of the position detection of the carriage.

At the time, the ink tube is shaken so as to contact the slide surfaces of the guide rails, the guide portion and the encoder strip, so that the lubricant applied on the guide rails could be stuck to the encoder strip, possibly reducing the accuracy in detecting the position of the carriage.