Liquid ejection device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus. When performing edgeless recording while conveying a recording medium by a conveyer belt, the end portion of the recording medium protrudes outward from the conveyer belt, and thus the end portion of the recording medium is not supported by the conveyer belt and droops, and there is a possibility that the recording medium is stained by coming into contact with an ink absorber. The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid toward a medium; a conveyer belt that adsorbs and conveys the medium at a position opposite to the liquid ejecting head; and a liquid receiving portion that is arranged outside the conveyer belt in a width direction, the liquid receiving portion forming a liquid receiving surface that receives a liquid ejected to a region outside the medium, the liquid receiving surface being downwardly inclined from a position adjacent to the conveyer belt toward the outside in the width direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a liquid ejection device for recording by ejecting liquid into a medium. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in an inkjet recording apparatus for performing edgeless recording at the end of the recording medium in the width direction while conveying the recording medium using a conveyor belt.

[0003] Specifically, the inkjet recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has four conveyor belts spaced at predetermined intervals along the width direction, and with the width direction end of the recording medium positioned between two adjacent conveyor belts, performs edge-free recording at the width direction end of the recording medium by spraying ink between the two adjacent conveyor belts.

[0004] An ink absorber is located opposite the recording head, separated by a conveyor belt. Ink that is ejected beyond the end of the recording medium, i.e. ink that does not fall onto the recording medium, is absorbed by the ink absorber.

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-252620

[0006] Since edgeless recording is achieved by ejecting ink to areas beyond the ends of the recording medium, it is known that ink ejected to these areas will become ink mist and disperse, leading to various defects. Therefore, it is preferable to position the ink absorber as close as possible to the recording medium in the height direction so that ink ejected to areas beyond the ends of the recording medium is directly absorbed by the ink absorber.

[0007] However, since the end of the recording medium protrudes outward from the conveyor belt, the protruding part is not supported by the conveyor belt and droops, which can lead to contact with the ink absorber and contamination of the recording medium. However, the inkjet recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1 does not take this adverse situation into account. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The recording apparatus of the present invention, which solves the above-mentioned technical problems, is characterized by comprising: a liquid ejector head for ejecting liquid into a medium; a conveyor belt for adsorbing and conveying the medium at a position opposite to the liquid ejector head; and a liquid receiving section disposed outside the conveyor belt in a width direction intersecting the conveying direction of the medium conveyed by the conveyor belt, the liquid receiving section forming a liquid receiving surface for receiving liquid ejected into a region outside the medium, the liquid receiving surface being inclined downward from a position adjacent to the conveyor belt toward the outside of the width direction. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1This is a diagram showing the overall media delivery path in the printer.

[0010] Figure 2 It is a side view with units.

[0011] Figure 3 It is a top view with units.

[0012] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 AA section view with elements.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the liquid receiving section.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a top view with units as described in other embodiments.

[0015] Figure 7 This is a top view with units as described in other embodiments.

[0016] Figure 8 This is a top view with units as described in other embodiments.

[0017] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0018] 1: Inkjet printer; 2: Main body of the device; 3: First paper tray; 4: Second paper tray; 5: Third paper tray; 6: Fourth paper tray; 8: Discharge tray; 9: Sealing unit; 9a: Cover; 10A, 10B: Ink collection section; 11: Waste liquid collection section; 12: Linear head; 19: Feed roller pair; 21, 22, 23, 24: Pick-up rollers; 25, 26, 27, 28: Feed roller pairs; 29-42: Conveyor roller pairs; 52 52A: Belt unit; 53: Conveyor belt; 54: First roller; 55: Second roller; 56: Support plate; 57: Electric roller; 60: Liquid receiving part; 60a: Liquid receiving surface; 60b: Auxiliary surface; 60c: Connecting part; 63: Liquid recovery tray; 64: Liquid absorbent material; 70: Base component; 70a: Rack and pinion part; 71: Pinion; 72: Motor; 74a, 74b: Limiting part; 76: Control part. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will now be described in general terms.

[0020] The liquid ejection device according to the first aspect is characterized by comprising: a liquid ejection head for ejecting liquid into a medium; a conveyor belt for adsorbing and conveying the medium at a position opposite to the liquid ejection head; and a liquid receiving section disposed on the outside of the conveyor belt in a width direction intersecting the conveying direction of the medium conveyed by the conveyor belt, the liquid receiving section forming a liquid receiving surface for receiving liquid ejected into a region outside the medium, the liquid receiving surface being inclined downward from a position adjacent to the conveyor belt toward the outside of the width direction.

[0021] According to this aspect, the liquid receiving portion is disposed on the outer side of the conveyor belt, and the liquid receiving surface formed by the liquid receiving portion slopes downward from a position adjacent to the conveyor belt toward the outer side in the width direction. Therefore, even if the medium droops off the outer side of the conveyor belt, the drooping portion is unlikely to come into contact with the liquid receiving surface. Thus, even if the liquid receiving surface is brought close to the medium, the portion of the medium protruding outward from the conveyor belt is unlikely to come into contact with the liquid receiving surface. Furthermore, by bringing the liquid receiving surface close to the medium, liquid sprayed into areas outside the medium quickly adheres to the liquid receiving surface, thereby suppressing the generation of ink mist.

[0022] As described above, it is possible to achieve both suppressing media contamination upon contact with the liquid receiving surface and suppressing ink haze generated during edgeless recording.

[0023] The second aspect is subordinate to the first aspect, characterized in that, in the normal direction relative to the adsorption surface of the adsorption medium of the conveyor belt, the position of the liquid receiving surface adjacent to the conveyor belt is located within the region of the conveyor belt.

[0024] According to this aspect, in the normal direction relative to the adsorption surface of the medium adsorbed by the conveyor belt, the position of the liquid receiving surface adjacent to the conveyor belt is located within the region of the conveyor belt. Therefore, the liquid receiving surface is close to the medium conveyed by the conveyor belt, thereby better suppressing the generation of ink mist.

[0025] The third aspect is a subordinate aspect of the second aspect, characterized in that the liquid receiving part has an auxiliary surface that is inclined upward toward the outer side of the width direction, starting from the end of the liquid receiving surface at the outer end of the width direction, and the connecting part of the liquid receiving surface and the auxiliary surface is inclined downward toward the upstream or downstream direction of the conveying direction.

[0026] According to this aspect, the liquid receiving section has an auxiliary surface that slopes upward toward the outer end of the liquid receiving surface in the width direction, starting from the outer end of the liquid receiving surface in the width direction. Therefore, liquid flowing toward the outer end of the liquid receiving surface in the width direction is blocked by the auxiliary surface.

[0027] Furthermore, the connection between the liquid receiving surface and the auxiliary surface is inclined downwards towards the upstream or downstream of the conveying direction, so the liquid blocked by the auxiliary surface flows upstream or downstream along the connection towards the conveying direction.

[0028] As described above, the liquid received by the liquid receiving surface can be collected in one place, and the liquid received by the liquid receiving surface can be recovered efficiently.

[0029] It should be noted that this aspect is not only subordinate to the second aspect mentioned above, but may also be subordinate to the first aspect mentioned above.

[0030] The fourth aspect is subordinate to the third aspect, characterized in that the liquid ejection device has a liquid recovery tray for recovering the liquid guided by the connection portion.

[0031] According to this aspect, liquid guided by the connecting part can be recovered via the liquid recovery tray. Furthermore, since the liquid is guided and collected upstream or downstream of the conveying direction by the connecting part, it is possible to prevent the liquid recovery tray from becoming too large along the conveying direction.

[0032] The fifth aspect is a subordinate aspect of the third aspect, characterized in that the outer end of the auxiliary surface in the width direction is located at a position higher than the height position of the head surface of the liquid ejector head.

[0033] According to this aspect, the outer end of the auxiliary surface in the width direction is located at a position higher than the height of the head surface of the liquid ejector head. Therefore, when the liquid ejected from the liquid ejector head becomes ink mist, the auxiliary surface can suppress the ink mist from flowing to the outer side in the width direction.

[0034] It should be noted that this aspect is not only subordinate to the third aspect mentioned above, but may also be subordinate to the fourth aspect mentioned above.

[0035] The sixth aspect is a aspect belonging to any one of the first to fifth aspects, characterized in that the liquid receiving part is disposed on both sides of the conveyor belt in the width direction.

[0036] According to this aspect, the liquid receiving part is disposed on both sides of the conveyor belt in the width direction, so that edgeless recording can be performed on both ends of the medium in the width direction. In addition, when performing the edgeless recording, any one of the effects of the first to fifth aspects described above can be obtained.

[0037] The seventh aspect is an aspect belonging to any one of the first to fifth aspects, characterized in that the belt unit including the conveyor belt is configured to receive power from a drive source and move in the width direction, and when conveying a first medium whose dimension in the width direction is smaller than the dimension of the conveyor belt, the control unit controlling the drive source controls the drive source to move the conveyor belt, such that one edge of the first medium in the width direction is located at a position further outward than the conveyor belt.

[0038] According to this aspect, when conveying a first medium whose width dimension is smaller than the size of the conveyor belt, the control unit that controls the drive source controls the drive source to move the conveyor belt, such that one edge of the first medium in the width direction is located at a position further outward than the conveyor belt, thus enabling edgeless recording to be performed on one side end region of the first medium in the width direction.

[0039] The eighth aspect is a subordinate aspect of the seventh aspect, characterized in that the liquid receiving part is disposed on both sides of the conveyor belt in the width direction, the conveyor belt being movable between a first moving position and a second moving position, the first moving position being a position where one edge of the first medium in the width direction is located further outward than the conveyor belt, and the second moving position being a position where the other edge of the first medium in the width direction is located further outward than the conveyor belt.

[0040] According to this aspect, since the liquid receiving part is disposed on both sides of the conveyor belt in the width direction, and the conveyor belt is movable between the first moving position and the second moving position, edgeless recording can be performed on one side end region or the other side end region of the first medium in the width direction.

[0041] The present invention will now be described in detail.

[0042] The following description will use an inkjet printer 1, which records data by ejecting ink, an example of a liquid, from recording paper, an example of a medium, as an example. Hereinafter, inkjet printer 1 will be simply referred to as printer 1.

[0043] The XYZ coordinate system shown in the figures is an orthogonal coordinate system. The Y-axis direction is the width direction that intersects the medium conveying direction, and it is also the depth direction of the device. In this embodiment, the side in the +Y direction among the sides surrounding the main body 2 of the device is the back side, and the side in the -Y direction is the front side.

[0044] The X-axis direction is the width of the device. From the operator's perspective (printer 1), the +X direction is to the left, and the -X direction is to the right. Additionally, the -X direction indicates the direction in which paper is fed from each of the paper trays, as described later.

[0045] The Z-axis direction is the vertical direction, i.e., the height direction of the device. The +Z direction is the upward direction, and the -Z direction is the downward direction.

[0046] Below, the direction in which the recording paper is conveyed is sometimes referred to as "downstream," and the opposite direction as "upstream." Figure 1 In the diagram, the paper transport path is shown as a dashed line. In printer 1, paper is transported along the paper transport path shown by the dashed line.

[0047] The printer 1 has multiple paper trays along the vertical direction at the lower part of the device body 2, which has a line head 12 described later. Specifically, it has a first paper tray 3, a second paper tray 4, a third paper tray 5, and a fourth paper tray 6. Reference numeral P indicates the recording paper stored in each paper tray.

[0048] Each paper tray is equipped with a pickup roller that feeds the collected recording paper in the -X direction. Reference numerals 21, 22, 23, and 24 show the pickup rollers provided in each paper tray.

[0049] In addition, each paper tray is provided with a pair of feed rollers to deliver the recording paper fed by the pickup roller to a further downstream location. Reference numerals 25, 26, 27, and 28 show the feed roller pairs provided for each paper tray.

[0050] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, "roller pair" in the following text refers to a pair consisting of a drive roller driven by a motor (not shown) and a driven roller that rotates in conjunction with the drive roller.

[0051] Reference numeral T1 indicates the transport path of recording paper from each paper tray to the transport roller pair 34. Recording paper from the first paper tray 3 is transported to the transport roller pair 34 by the transport roller pairs 29 and 33. Recording paper from the second paper tray 4 is transported to the transport roller pair 34 by the transport roller pairs 30, 29, and 33. Recording paper from the third paper tray 5 is transported to the transport roller pair 34 by the transport roller pairs 31, 30, 29, and 33. Recording paper from the fourth paper tray 6 is transported to the transport roller pair 34 by the transport roller pairs 32, 31, 30, 29, and 33.

[0052] The recording paper, which is subjected to the conveying force from the conveyor roller pair 34, is conveyed between the line head 12, which is an example of a liquid ejector head, and the conveyor belt 53, that is, the recording position opposite to the line head 12.

[0053] The line print head 12 performs recording by spraying ink, an example of a liquid, onto the surface of the recording paper. The line print head 12 is configured as an ink ejector head whose nozzles cover the entire width direction of the paper, and is configured as an ink ejector head that can record the entire width direction of the paper without moving in the width direction of the paper. However, the ink ejector head is not limited to this, and may also be a type that is mounted on a carriage and sprays ink while moving in the width direction of the paper.

[0054] The conveyor belt 53 is an annular belt wound around the first roller 54 and the second roller 55, and is driven by a motor (not shown) via the first roller 54. The edges of the recording paper are attracted by the adsorption surface 53a of the conveyor belt 53 and conveyed at a position opposite to the line head 12. In this embodiment, the adsorption of the recording paper relative to the conveyor belt 53 is achieved by electrostatic adsorption. The means of electrifying the conveyor belt 53 will be described later.

[0055] Recording paper, whose first side has been recorded by line head 12, is conveyed via conveyor roller pair 35 located downstream of conveyor belt 53 to either conveyor roller pair 36 or conveyor roller pair 40. A path switching wing (not shown) is provided downstream of conveyor roller pair 35, through which the recording paper subjected to conveying force from conveyor roller pair 35 is conveyed to either conveyor roller pair 36 or conveyor roller pair 40.

[0056] When neither the first side nor the opposite second side of the recording paper is recorded, i.e., when double-sided recording is not performed, the recording paper is conveyed from the conveyor roller pair 35 to the conveyor roller pair 36 and discharged to the discharge tray 8 via the discharge path T4. The discharge path T4 includes conveyor roller pairs 38 and 39.

[0057] When recording is performed on both the first side and the opposite second side of the recording paper, i.e., during double-sided recording, the recording paper is conveyed from the conveyor roller pair 35 to the conveyor roller pair 40 and enters the reversing path T2. Subsequently, the rotation direction of the conveyor roller pair 40 is switched, and the recording paper enters the reversing path T3, where it is conveyed to the conveyor roller pair 34 via the conveyor roller pairs 41, 42, and 43.

[0058] Reference numerals 10A and 10B in the attached drawings refer to ink collection sections that serve as liquid collection sections for collecting ink before it is ejected. The ink ejected from the print head 12 is supplied to the print head 12 via pipes (not shown) from the ink collection sections 10A and 10B.

[0059] Reference numeral 11 indicates a waste liquid collection unit for storing ink that is sprayed as waste liquid from the print head 12 into a cover (not shown) for maintenance purposes. The ink that is sprayed as waste liquid into the cover (not shown) for maintenance purposes is conveyed from the cover (not shown) to the waste liquid collection unit 11 via a tube (not shown).

[0060] Next, refer to Figure 2 The following figures describe the belt unit 52, which includes the conveyor belt 53. It should be noted that, in the following sections, the Y-axis direction, which is the paper width direction, will sometimes be simply referred to as the width direction. Additionally, the area further in the +Y direction from the end of the conveyor belt 53 in the +Y direction and further in the -Y direction from the end of the conveyor belt 53 in the -Y direction are sometimes referred to as the "outer side".

[0061] The belt unit 52 has a first roller 54 and a second roller 55 on which the conveyor belt 53 is wound. The first roller 54 is driven counterclockwise in the figure by a motor (not shown), thereby causing the conveyor belt 53 to wrap around it and the adsorption surface 53a to move in the +X direction.

[0062] A support plate 56 is provided on the inner side of the conveyor belt 53. The section of the conveyor belt 53 opposite to the row head 12 is supported by the support plate 56.

[0063] The conveyor belt unit 52 includes a charged roller 57. The charged roller 57 is a roller that contacts the outer surface of the conveyor belt 53 and rotates consequently as the conveyor belt 53 rotates. A DC voltage is applied to the charged roller 57 via a power supply device (not shown), thereby supplying charge to the portion of the conveyor belt 53 in contact with it. As a result, the outer surface of the conveyor belt 53 is positively charged, becoming the adsorption surface for adsorbing recording paper.

[0064] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the tape unit 52 adopts electrostatic adsorption, but it can also be other methods such as air attraction.

[0065] Liquid receiving portions 60 are provided on both sides of the support plate 56 in the width direction. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the liquid receiving portions 60 are provided on the support plate 56, but they may also be provided on other components.

[0066] like Figure 3 As shown, the liquid receiving section 60 is disposed on the outer side of the conveyor belt 53 in the width direction. The liquid receiving section 60 is a part that receives ink ejected outside the area of ​​the recording paper through the liquid receiving surface 60a when edgeless recording is performed on both ends of the recording paper.

[0067] The liquid receiving part 60a can be formed of various materials, but in this embodiment, as an example, it is formed of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) sheet.

[0068] It should be noted that the liquid receiving surface 60a may also have ink absorption properties. For example, an ink-absorbing sheet may be disposed on a PET sheet.

[0069] The liquid receiving unit 60 will now be described in further detail. In this embodiment, the liquid receiving unit 60 includes a liquid receiving unit 60-1 located outside the conveyor belt 53 in the +Y direction and a liquid receiving unit 60-2 located outside the conveyor belt 53 in the -Y direction. Hereinafter, without distinguishing between liquid receiving unit 60-1 and liquid receiving unit 60-2, they will be collectively referred to as the liquid receiving unit 60.

[0070] exist Figure 3 In the attached drawing, reference numeral P1 represents a recording sheet with a width dimension of W2, reference numeral Pe1 indicates the edge of the recording sheet P1 in the +Y direction, and reference numeral Pe2 indicates the edge in the -Y direction. The width dimension W2 of the recording sheet P1 is greater than the width dimension W1 of the conveyor belt 53. Additionally, reference numeral W3 represents the width dimension of the area that can be recorded by the line head 12, and dimension W3 is greater than the width dimension W2 of the recording sheet P1.

[0071] Under these conditions, in addition to the area of ​​the recording paper P1, ink is also sprayed onto the outer areas of the edges Pe1 and Pe2, thereby enabling edgeless recording at both ends in the width direction.

[0072] The edges Pe1 and Pe2 of the recording paper P1 are positioned close to the liquid receiving surface 60a according to the dimension W2. Furthermore, the liquid receiving surface 60a receives ink ejected onto the outer regions of the edges Pe1 and Pe2 of the recording paper P1.

[0073] The liquid receiving surface 60a includes the entire area of ​​the line head 12 in the X-axis direction, i.e., the paper conveying direction.

[0074] Liquid receiving surface 60a Figure 4 As shown in the enlarged view, the paper slopes downwards from position K1 adjacent to the conveyor belt 53 towards the outer side in the width direction. This downward slope angle is uniformly formed throughout the paper conveying direction. As a result, the gaps between the edges Pe1 and Pe2 and the liquid receiving surface 60a in the height direction are easily uniformized throughout the paper conveying direction.

[0075] The liquid receiving surface 60a is inclined downwards towards the outside in the width direction, so the ink received by the liquid receiving surface 60a flows outwards.

[0076] An auxiliary surface 60b is connected to the outer end of the liquid receiving surface 60a. The auxiliary surface 60b is formed to slope upwards outwards in the width direction, starting from the outer end of the liquid receiving surface 60a. Furthermore, the connecting portion 60c connecting the liquid receiving surface 60a and the auxiliary surface 60b is as follows... Figure 2As shown, the downstream section in the paper transport direction slopes downwards. Consequently, the ink flowing past the liquid receiving surface 60a in the width direction flows downstream along the slope of the connecting portion 60 in the paper transport direction, as shown by... Figure 2 The arrow f indicates that the flow drips downwards.

[0077] A liquid recovery tray 63 is provided below the connector 60 in the paper conveying direction where the ink flows and drips. As shown by arrow f, the flowing and dripping ink is recovered by the liquid recovery tray 63.

[0078] A liquid absorbent material 64 for absorbing ink is provided on the inner side of the liquid recovery tray 63, and the ink is retained by the liquid absorbent material 64.

[0079] Thus, a liquid receiving section 60 is arranged on the outer side of the conveyor belt 53. The liquid receiving surface 60a of the liquid receiving section 60 slopes downward from the position K1 adjacent to the conveyor belt 53 toward the outer side in the width direction. Therefore, even in the part of the recording paper that protrudes outward from the conveyor belt 53, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the ink droops downwards, making it difficult for the drooping portion to contact the liquid receiving surface 60a. Therefore, even when the liquid receiving surface 60a is brought close to the recording paper, the portion of the recording paper protruding outwards from the conveyor belt 53 is unlikely to contact the liquid receiving surface 60a. Furthermore, by bringing the liquid receiving surface 60a close to the recording paper, ink sprayed onto areas outside the recording paper quickly adheres to the liquid receiving surface 60a, thereby suppressing ink mist formation.

[0080] As described above, it is possible to achieve both suppressing the soiling of the recording paper as it comes into contact with the liquid receiving surface 60a and suppressing ink fogging as edgeless recording is performed.

[0081] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the normal direction (Z-axis direction) relative to the adsorption surface 53a of the conveyor belt 53 where the recording paper is adsorbed, as shown by... Figure 4 As shown in the enlarged view, the position K1 of the liquid receiving surface 60a adjacent to the conveyor belt 53 is located within the region Z1 of the conveyor belt 53.

[0082] In this way, the liquid receiving surface 60a is brought close to the recording paper conveyed by the conveyor belt 53, thereby better suppressing the generation of ink mist.

[0083] It should be noted that the upper ends of position K1 and region Z1 can also be at the same position in the Z-axis direction. Additionally, the lower ends of position K1 and region Z1 can also be at the same position in the Z-axis direction.

[0084] However, the position K1 of the liquid receiving surface 60a adjacent to the conveyor belt 53 can also be located further down than the area Z1 of the conveyor belt 53.

[0085] Furthermore, the liquid receiving section 60 has an auxiliary surface 60b that slopes upwards outwards in the width direction, starting from the outer end of the liquid receiving surface 60a in the width direction. As a result, ink flowing past the liquid receiving surface 60a in the width direction is blocked by the auxiliary surface 60b. Moreover, the connecting portion 60c between the liquid receiving surface 60a and the auxiliary surface 60b slopes downwards in the downstream direction of the conveying direction, thus allowing ink blocked by the auxiliary surface 60b to flow downstream in the conveying direction.

[0086] As described above, the ink received by the liquid receiving surface 60a can be collected in one place, and the ink received by the liquid receiving surface 60a can be recovered efficiently.

[0087] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the connecting part 60c is inclined downwards towards the downstream of the conveying direction, but it can also be inclined downwards towards the upstream of the conveying direction.

[0088] Alternatively, the auxiliary surface 60b can be omitted, and the ink flowing outward in the width direction over the liquid receiving surface 60a can drip from the outer end of the liquid receiving surface 60a. In this case, the liquid recovery tray 63 is preferably configured to cover the entire conveying direction of the liquid receiving surface 60a.

[0089] Furthermore, this allows the ink guided by the connecting part 60c to be recovered via the liquid recovery tray 63. Additionally, in a configuration where the connecting part 60c is inclined downwards towards the downstream or upstream direction of the conveying direction, the ink is guided by the connecting part 60c and collected at a position downstream or upstream of the conveying direction, thus preventing the liquid recovery tray 63 from becoming too large along the conveying direction.

[0090] In addition, in this embodiment, the liquid receiving part 60 is provided on both sides of the conveyor belt 53 in the width direction, so it is possible to perform edge-free recording on both ends of the recording paper in the width direction.

[0091] It should be noted that the auxiliary surface 60b is preferably configured as follows: Figure 5 As with the liquid receiving section 60A in other embodiments shown, the outer end K2 in the width direction is located at a position higher than the height of the head surface 12a of the print head 12. Therefore, when the ink ejected from the print head 12 becomes ink mist, the auxiliary surface 60b can be used to suppress the flow of ink mist towards the outer side in the width direction.

[0092] It should be noted that the end K2 of the auxiliary surface 60b preferably extends across the entire line head 12 in the paper transport direction and is located at a position higher than the height of the head surface 12a.

[0093] For another implementation method, refer to Figure 6 , Figure 7 Please provide an explanation.

[0094] Figure 6 , Figure 7 The belt unit 52A shown is disposed on the base member 70. The base member 70 is configured to be movable in the width direction along a guide portion (not shown). A rack portion 70a is formed in the base member 70 in the width direction. A pinion 71 meshes with the rack portion 70a, and the rack portion 70a and the pinion 71 constitute a rack and pinion mechanism.

[0095] The pinion 71 is driven to rotate by a motor 72, which serves as the drive source. The motor 72 is controlled by a control unit 76. The control unit 76 is a control device equipped with a CPU (not shown), non-volatile memory, etc., and performs various controls by executing programs stored in the non-volatile memory.

[0096] The belt unit 52A is configured to receive power from the motor 72 and move in the width direction.

[0097] A limiting part 74a is provided at a position in the +Y direction relative to the base component 70. By abutting the base component 70 against the limiting part 74a, the movement limit of the base component 70 in the +Y direction is restricted.

[0098] In addition, a limiting part 74b is provided at a position in the -Y direction relative to the base member 70. By abutting the base member 70 against the limiting part 74b, the movement limit of the base member 70 in the -Y direction is restricted.

[0099] The control unit 76 can determine the current position of the base component 70 by observing the increase in the drive current value of the motor 72 when the base component 70 comes into contact with the limiting part 74a or the limiting part 74b. Furthermore, an encoder (not shown) is provided on the motor 72, and the control unit 76 can position the base component 70, i.e., the belt unit 52A, at a desired position based on information sent from the encoder.

[0100] In the attached drawing, reference numeral P2 indicates a first recording sheet whose width dimension W2a is smaller than the dimension W1 of the conveyor belt 53. During the conveying of the first recording sheet P2, the control unit 76 controls the motor 72 to move the belt unit 52A (conveyor belt 53), causing one edge Pe1 of the first recording sheet P2 in the width direction to... Figure 7 It is located further outward than conveyor belt 53, as shown.

[0101] Therefore, edgeless recording can be performed on one side of the width region of the first recording paper P2.

[0102] It should be noted that it is able to Figure 7 The position of belt unit 52A (conveyor belt 53) shown is used as the first moving position of conveyor belt 53, so that belt unit 52A (conveyor belt 53) moves to Figure 8 The second moving position is shown. Therefore, the other edge Pe2 in the width direction of the first recording paper P2 can be positioned further outward than the conveyor belt 53, enabling edge-free recording to be performed on the other side region.

[0103] It should be noted that in the above configuration, edge-free recording can be performed only on one end region of the recording paper. Therefore, the option to perform edge-free recording on either the +Y or -Y end region of the recording paper can also be configured so that the user can set this via the operation unit (not shown) provided by the printer 1.

[0104] Alternatively, the control unit 76 can compare the recording duty cycles of the image data when recording in the end regions of the +Y and -Y directions, and perform edge-free recording on the side with the smaller recording duty cycle, instead of this configuration. This reduces the amount of ink ejected outside the recording paper and suppresses ink mist drift. Here, the recording duty cycle refers to the proportion of ink covering a unit area of ​​each recording surface; for example, a 50% recording duty cycle means that 50% of the unit area of ​​the recording surface is covered by ink.

[0105] Furthermore, during edge-free recording, some image data is discarded because it is not recorded. Therefore, if a portion of the image data on the side with the higher duty cycle is not recorded and is discarded, the loss of image data is obvious. Based on this viewpoint, the recording duty cycle of the image data in the +Y and -Y direction end regions can be compared, and edge-free recording can be performed on the side with the higher duty cycle.

[0106] Furthermore, while the conveyor belt 53 is moved relative to the recording paper in the above embodiment, the recording paper can also be moved relative to the conveyor belt 53. As an example, the edge guide (not shown) of any of the first paper tray 3, second paper tray 4, third paper tray 5, and fourth paper tray 6 can be configured to move in the width direction, thereby moving the recording paper relative to the conveyor belt 53. Alternatively, a displacement mechanism that moves the recording paper in the width direction along the paper transport path can also be used.

[0107] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims, and these modifications are undoubtedly included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid ejection device, characterized in that, have: A liquid nozzle sprays liquid into the medium; A conveyor belt, positioned opposite the liquid nozzle, absorbs and transports the medium; and A liquid receiving section is disposed on the outer side of the conveyor belt in a width direction intersecting the conveying direction of the medium conveyed by the conveyor belt. The liquid receiving section forms a liquid receiving surface for receiving liquid that sprays out into the area outside the medium. The liquid receiving surface slopes downwards from its position adjacent to the conveyor belt toward the outer side in the width direction. In the normal direction relative to the adsorption surface of the medium adsorbed by the conveyor belt, the position of the liquid receiving surface adjacent to the conveyor belt is located within the region of the conveyor belt. The liquid receiving section has an auxiliary surface that slopes upwards from the outer end of the liquid receiving surface in the width direction. The connection between the liquid receiving surface and the auxiliary surface is inclined downwards towards the upstream or downstream of the conveying direction. The outer end of the auxiliary surface in the width direction is located at a position higher than the height of the head surface of the liquid ejector head.

2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid ejection device has a liquid recovery tray for recovering the liquid guided by the connection.

3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The liquid receiving section is disposed on both sides of the conveyor belt in the width direction.

4. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The belt unit, including the conveyor belt, is configured to receive power from a drive source and move in the width direction. When conveying a first medium whose width dimension is smaller than the size of the conveyor belt, the control unit that controls the drive source controls the drive source to move the conveyor belt, such that one edge of the first medium in the width direction is located at a position further outward than the conveyor belt.

5. The liquid ejection device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The liquid receiving section is disposed on both sides of the conveyor belt in the width direction. The conveyor belt is capable of moving between a first moving position and a second moving position. The first moving position is when one edge of the first medium in the width direction is located further outward than the conveyor belt. The second moving position is when the other edge of the first medium in the width direction is located further outward than the conveyor belt.

Images