Printing apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides a printing apparatus which can be made compact. The printing apparatus includes: a table having a placement surface on which food is placed; and a carriage on which a head for ejecting edible ink toward the food and an ink supply unit for supplying the ink to the head are mounted, the carriage being movable in a main scanning direction along the placement surface.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a printing device. BACKGROUND

[0002] As a device that forms characters, patterns, and the like on foods such as snacks, for example, a printing device of an inkjet system that ejects edible ink onto a food is known (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENT

[0004] PATENT DOCUMENT

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6888719 SUMMARY

[0006] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] In the printing device, it is required to make the device compact.

[0008] The present application was made in view of the circumstances, and aims to provide a printing device that can make the device compact.

[0009] TECHNICAL MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0010] The printing device of the present application includes a table having a placement surface on which a food is placed, and a carriage that carries a head that ejects edible ink toward the food, and an ink supply portion that supplies ink to the head, and is movable in a main scanning direction along the placement surface.

[0011] Further, the printing device of the present application includes a table having a placement surface on which a food is placed, a carriage that carries a head that ejects edible ink toward the food, and is movable in a main scanning direction with respect to the table, a guide rod that is disposed along the main scanning direction and guides the carriage, and a carriage drive portion that is disposed on a back surface side of the guide rod when the device is viewed from the front surface, is provided within a range that does not protrude from the guide rod in the main scanning direction, and drives the carriage.

[0012] In addition, the printing device of the present application includes a table having a placement surface on which a medium is placed, capable of moving in a sub-scanning direction along the placement surface; a carriage on which a head that ejects ink toward the medium is mounted, capable of moving in a main scanning direction along a direction of the placement surface and intersecting the sub-scanning direction; and a control section that controls the operation of the table, the operation of the carriage, and the operation of the head, the head being configured to have a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged in the sub-scanning direction, the nozzle row being provided with a plurality of rows in the main scanning direction, when the head starts to eject the ink on a print target region on the medium, the control section arranges the head and the table in such a manner that the end portions of the nozzle row and the print target region on the sub-scanning direction side of the moving direction of the table face each other, and moves the head in the main scanning direction while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the table and the head in the sub-scanning direction, and simultaneously ejects the ink from the nozzles facing the print target region to the print target region.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the present application, the device can be compacted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 is a view showing an example of the printing device of the present embodiment.

[0016] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 is a view showing an example of the printing device of the present embodiment.

[0017] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 is a view showing an example of the printing device of the present embodiment.

[0018] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the table section.

[0019] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the cover member.

[0020] [ Figure 6 ] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a structure of a part of the image forming section.

[0021] [ Figure 7 ] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the carriage viewed from the front side below.

[0022] [ Figure 8 ] Figure 8This is a view of the carriage from the front side.

[0023] [ Figure 9 ] Figure 9 This is a perspective view showing an example of an ink cartridge.

[0024] [ Figure 10 ] Figure 10 This is a view of the carriage from the rear side.

[0025] [ Figure 11 ] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing an example of the rear side of the carriage.

[0026] [ Figure 12 ] Figure 12 This is a diagram showing an example of a carriage drive unit.

[0027] [ Figure 13 ] Figure 13 This is a diagram showing an example of a carriage drive unit.

[0028] [ Figure 14 ] Figure 14 This is a diagram showing an example of a carriage drive unit.

[0029] [ Figure 15 ] Figure 15 This is a diagram showing an example of a carriage drive unit.

[0030] [ Figure 16 ] Figure 16 This is a diagram illustrating an example of printing action in a printing apparatus.

[0031] [ Figure 17 ] Figure 17 This is a diagram illustrating an example of printing action in a printing apparatus.

[0032] [ Figure 18 ] Figure 18 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the printing apparatus of this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0033] Hereinafter, embodiments of the printing apparatus 100 of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to these embodiments. Additionally, the components in the following embodiments include components that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art, or substantially the same components.

[0034] In the present embodiment, directions in the drawing are explained using an XYZ coordinate system. In the XYZ coordinate system, a plane parallel to the floor on which the printing device 100 is placed is set as an XY plane. In the XY plane, a main scanning direction that is a direction of movement of the head is expressed as the Y direction, and a direction orthogonal to the X direction on the XY plane is expressed as the X direction. In addition, a direction (height direction) orthogonal to the XY plane is expressed as the Z direction. With respect to each of the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction, the direction of the arrow in the drawing is the + direction, and the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow is the - direction. In the present embodiment, the +X direction is sometimes expressed as the front direction (front side), the -X direction is expressed as the back direction (back side), the +Y direction is expressed as the left direction (left side), the -Y direction is expressed as the right direction (right side), the +Z direction is expressed as the upward direction (upper side), and the -Z direction is expressed as the downward direction (lower side).

[0035] Figures 1 to 3 is a drawing representing an example of the printing device 100 of the present embodiment. Figure 1 is a perspective view, Figure 2 is a drawing of a state in which the frame 10 is detached, Figure 3 is a front view. In addition, in Figure 2 , a state in which the carriage 31 is disposed at the standby position PI and a state in which the carriage 31 is disposed at the moving end position P3 are shown together.

[0036] The printing device 100 includes a frame 10, a table section 20, an image forming section 30, a maintenance section 50, and a control section CONT. The printing device 100 exemplified in the present embodiment is a device that forms characters, patterns, and the like on a food such as a snack, and is, for example, an inkjet-type printing device that ejects edible ink onto a food. The control section CONT uniformly controls the operation of each section of the table section 20, the image forming section 30, and the maintenance section 50.

[0037] The frame 10 forms the outer package of the printing device 100. An operation section 11 is provided to the frame 10. An operator performs various operations on the printing device 100 through the operation section 11. An operation member 12, a slot 13, and the like are provided to the operation section 11. As the operation member 12, for example, a button, a dial, and the like can be listed. The operation member 12 is formed so that a gap between the operation member 12 and the frame 10 is small. The slot 13 is provided with a storage medium that stores data such as the number of prints in the printing device 100 in a detachable manner. In addition, the frame 10 has a cover section 14. By opening the cover section 14, the standby position PI described later can be reached. In addition, the frame 10 can also be provided with a window section for cleaning on at least one side surface in the Y direction, for example.

[0038] The table section 20 has a base 21, a table 22, and a table driving section 23. Figure 4 is a perspective view representing an example of the table section 20 of the present embodiment.

[0039] The base 21 supports the table 22 and a table drive section 23. The base 21 has a guide section 24 that guides the table 22. The guide section 24 is formed along the X direction.

[0040] The table 22 has a top plate section 25 and a top plate support section 26. The top plate section 25 is detachable with respect to the top plate support section 26. The top plate section 25 is, for example, a flat plate, and includes a placement surface 25a. The placement surface 25a is horizontally arranged when the top plate section 25 is attached to the top plate support section 26, and a medium M is placed thereon. The medium M is, for example, a food such as a snack. The placement surface 25a is formed flat to easily remove foreign matter.

[0041] The top plate support section 26 supports the top plate section 25. The top plate support section 26 has a plate-shaped section 26a and a columnar section 26b. The top plate section 25 is arranged on the upper surface of the plate-shaped section 26a.

[0042] The plate-shaped section 26a has positioning sections 26c on the upper surface. As the positioning sections 26c, a convex section or a concave section formed on the upper surface of the plate-shaped section 26a can be used. As the convex section, for example, a head of a screw section provided on the upper surface of the plate-shaped section 26a can be cited. The positioning sections 26c are provided at four corner portions of the plate-shaped section 26a. The top plate section 25 is formed with cutout sections 25c at portions corresponding to the four corner portions. By arranging the four cutout sections 25c at positions corresponding to the four positioning sections 26c, movement of the top plate section 25 in the horizontal direction is restricted.

[0043] The columnar section 26b is connected to a cover member 29 that covers the table drive section 23. The table 22 is connected to the cover member 29 through the columnar section 26b, and moves along with the table drive section 23 and the cover member 29 in the X direction along the guide section 24.

[0044] The table drive section 23 moves the table 22 in the X direction and the Z direction. The table drive section 23 has an X drive system 23a that moves the table 22 in the X direction, and a Y drive system 23b that moves the table 22 in the Y direction. The X drive system 23a and the Y drive system 23b have a drive source such as a motor, and a transmission mechanism that transmits a driving force of the drive source to the table 22. As the transmission mechanism of the X drive system 23a, a belt mechanism or the like can be cited, for example. As the transmission mechanism of the Y drive system 23b, a cam mechanism or the like can be cited, for example. The structures of the X drive system 23a and the Y drive system 23b are not limited to the structures described above, and can be other structures.

[0045] The cover member 29 is formed in a box shape to house the table drive section 23. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the cover member 29. As shown in Figure 5As shown, the cover member 29 has a frame portion 29a and a cover portion 29b. The frame portion 29a is formed in a rectangular frame shape to surround the side directions (front, back, left, right) of the table driving portion 23. The cover portion 29b is disposed so as to cover the frame portion 29a from above. The cover portion 29b is disposed so as to cover the outer peripheral side and the upper side of the frame portion 29a. With the cover portion 29b, entry of foreign matter into the inside of the cover member 29 can be prevented. The upper surface of the cover portion 29b is formed flat.

[0046] A bottom bent piece 29c bent inward from the lower end portion is provided on the front and back of the frame portion 29a. With the bottom bent piece 29c, entry of foreign matter into the inside of the cover member 29 can be more reliably prevented.

[0047] Further, the structure of the cover member is not limited to the cover member 29, and for example, a corrugated structure that is disposed above the table driving portion 23 and can be provided so as to extend in the moving direction (X direction) of the table driving portion 23 can be used.

[0048] The image forming portion 30 has a carriage 31, a guide rod 32, and a carriage driving portion 33. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the structure of a part of the image forming portion 30. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the carriage 31 viewed from the lower side of the front side. Figure 8 is a view of the carriage 31 viewed from the front side.

[0049] The carriage 31 is formed in a box shape and is supported on the guide rod 32. The carriage 31 is movable in the Y direction along the guide rod 32. The carriage 31 has mounted thereon a head 34 and an ink supply portion. A carriage cover 31a is provided on the front of the carriage 31. The carriage cover 31a covers the portion from the retainer 37 to the lower side, that is, the portion provided with the head 34, in the front side of the carriage 31.

[0050] A plurality of heads 34 are provided on the bottom surface of the carriage 31. The plurality of heads 34 are arranged in the Y direction that is the main scanning direction. In the present embodiment, for example, two heads 34 are arranged at intervals in the Y direction. The two heads 34 are arranged at positions offset in the X direction.

[0051] Each head 34 has a plurality of nozzles 34N. The plurality of nozzles 34N are arranged in a state of being aligned in the X direction, forming a nozzle row 34L. The nozzle rows 34L are arranged in a plurality of rows in the Y direction, for example, corresponding to the number of the holders 37. Each head 34 ejects ink for image formation from the nozzles 34N toward the placement surface 25a of the table 22. The head 34 ejects, for example, edible ink as the ink toward the placement surface 25a. As such edible ink, for example, a black edible ink, a color edible ink, or the like can be appropriately used depending on the color of the image. The carriage 31 performs scanning in the Y direction on the placement surface 25a by moving in the Y direction as a main scanning direction on the placement surface 25a.

[0052] The ink supply section supplies ink to the head 34. The ink supply section has an ink cartridge 36, a holder 37, a flow passage mechanism 38, and a guide member 39.

[0053] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing an example of the ink cartridge 36. As shown in Figure 9 , the ink cartridge 36 has a cartridge main body 36a, an ink storage bag 36b, and an ink level detection plate 36c.

[0054] The cartridge main body 36a has a storage portion 36d and a cover portion 36e. The storage portion 36d stores the ink storage bag 36b. A positioning portion 36g that positions a supply port 36f of the ink storage bag 36b is provided in the storage portion 36d. The cover portion 36e opens and closes the storage portion 36d.

[0055] The ink storage bag 36b is provided in the cartridge main body 36a in a detachable manner. The ink storage bag 36b stores ink and deforms depending on the ink storage capacity.

[0056] The ink level detection plate 36c is supported in the cartridge main body 36a, for example, in the cover portion 36e. The ink level detection plate 36c is urged toward the bottom surface of the storage portion 36d by an elastic member 36i. When the cover portion 36e is closed in a state where the ink storage bag 36b is stored in the cartridge main body 36a, the ink storage bag 36b is sandwiched between the bottom surface of the storage portion 36d and the ink level detection plate 36c due to the elastic force of the elastic member 36i. When the ink storage capacity in the ink storage bag 36b decreases due to the use of ink, the ink level detection plate 36c moves toward the bottom surface side of the storage portion 36d depending on the deformation (contraction) of the ink storage bag 36b. A part of the ink level detection plate 36c protrudes outward from the cartridge main body 36a. Thus, in a state where the ink cartridge 36 is attached to the holder 37, the position of the ink level detection plate 36c can be detected from the outside of the ink cartridge 36.

[0057] The ink cartridge 36 is attached to the holder 37. The ink cartridge 36 is detachable with respect to the holder 37. The holder 37 of this example allows the attachment and detachment of the ink cartridge 36 from the front side thereof. The ink cartridge 36a has a protrusion 36h at the upper portion of the front side thereof when attached to the holder 37. The protrusion 36h is formed to protrude upward from the upper portion of the cartridge main body 36a. The protrusion 36h is a portion for a finger to hook when the user takes out the ink cartridge 36 attached to the holder 37.

[0058] The flow mechanism 38 allows the ink to flow from the ink cartridge 36 attached to the holder 37 to the head 34. Figure 10 FIG. 7 is a view of the carriage 31 as viewed from the back side. The flow mechanism 38 has a valve 38a, a pipe 38b, and a damper 38c. The valve 38a is disposed at the back side of each holder 37. The valve 38a is rectangular in shape as viewed from the back side and is long in one direction. As viewed from the back side, the valve 38a is disposed in a state inclined with respect to the vertical direction. By this disposition, the valve 38a can be disposed compactly in the left-right direction.

[0059] The pipe 38b extends downward from the valve 38a. The pipe 38b internally flows the ink. The damper 38c is connected to the lower end of the pipe 38b. The damper 38c supplies the ink passing through the pipe 38b to the head 34.

[0060] Figure 11 FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of the back side of the carriage 31. In FIG. 8, the carriage 31 is omitted and is shown. As shown in FIG. 8, a guide member 39 is disposed from the back side of the carriage 31 to the valve 38a (see FIG. 7). Figure 11 Figure 11 As shown in FIG. 8, the guide member 39 is disposed from the back side of the carriage 31 to the valve 38a (see FIG. 7). Figure 8 Figure 10 ​​The guide member 39 has a locking portion 39a, a first flat portion 39b, a step portion 39c, a second flat portion 39d, and a support portion 39e. The locking portion 39a is locked to a frame of the airflow generating portion 54 described later. The first flat portion 39b is disposed downward from an end portion of the locking portion 39a on the front side. The first flat portion 39b is disposed along the YZ plane. The step portion 39c extends from a lower end portion of the first flat portion 39b toward the front side. The step portion 39c is disposed along the XY plane. The second flat portion 39d is disposed downward from an end portion of the step portion 39c on the front side. The second flat portion 39d is disposed along the YZ plane. The support portion 39e extends from a lower end portion of the second flat portion 39d toward the front side. The guide member 39 guides the ink leaked from the flow-through mechanism 38 to a prescribed position P4. An ink-absorbing member 40 that absorbs the ink is provided at the prescribed position P4. The ink-absorbing member 40 is, for example, a rectangular plate and is supported at the support portion 39e of the guide member 39. The ink-absorbing member 40 is disposed above the damper 38c. The ink-absorbing member 40 is disposed along the XY plane. The ink-absorbing member 40 has a slit 40a. The slit 40a is formed in the ink-absorbing member 40 along the X direction from the end portion on the front side to the central portion. A plurality of slits 40a are disposed in the Y direction. As the ink-absorbing member 40, for example, a porous member such as a sponge can be used. In addition, the prescribed position P4 is disposed above a maintenance portion 50 at which the standby position PI of the carriage 31 is disposed. Further, the maintenance portion 50 has a wiper 51 that wipes the nozzle face of the head 34, a suction device 52 that suctions the nozzle face of the head 34, an ink-absorbing member 53 that suctions the ink removed from the head 34 by performing maintenance of the head 34 (see Figure 6 ), and the like. Further, the ink-absorbing member 53 of the maintenance portion 50 can be used as the ink-absorbing member 40. That is, the guide member 39 can guide the ink to the ink-absorbing member 53. In addition, the wiper 51 can be provided in a replaceable manner in contact with the head 34. In addition, the wiper 51 can be configured to be disassembled.

[0061] In addition, the carriage 31 has an airflow generating portion 54 that generates an airflow in the main scanning direction. As the airflow generating portion 54, for example, a fan or the like can be cited. By the airflow generating portion 54 generating an airflow in the main scanning direction, the airflow generated in the movement of the carriage 31 can be made to coincide with the direction of the airflow generated by the airflow generating portion 54, and the carriage 31 can be efficiently cooled. In addition, by generating an airflow in the main scanning direction, foreign matter such as dust generated along with the movement of the carriage 31 can be suppressed from falling to the table 22 side.

[0062] A guide rod 32 is provided on the upper side of the table section 20. The guide rod 32 is provided in a linear shape along the main scanning direction parallel to the Y-axis direction. The guide rod 32 guides the reciprocating movement of the carriage 31 along the main scanning direction. By being guided by the guide rod 32, the carriage 31 moves from the left side to the right side of the main scanning direction across the respective positions of the standby position PI, the printing / cleaning position P2, and the moving end position P3. The standby position PI is a position where the carriage 31 stands by (so-called home position). The printing / cleaning position P2 is a position above the table 22, and is a position where the ink is ejected from the head 34 to perform printing. In addition, at the printing / cleaning position P2, cleaning of the respective sections of the carriage 31 can also be performed. The moving end position P3 is a position of the end of the moving direction when the carriage 31 moves to the opposite side of the standby position PI. That is, the carriage 31 does not move to the further side (right side) than the moving end position P3.

[0063] The guide rod 32 is arranged in a state of protruding to both sides of the table 22 along the main scanning direction. The amount of protrusion of the guide rod 32 from the table 22 in the main scanning direction (right side: moving end position P3 side) is shorter than the size of the carriage 31 in the main scanning direction (refer to FIG. 6). Figure 3 That is, the position at which the head 34 just comes off the placement surface 25a of the table 22 is set as the moving end position P3 of the carriage 31. Thereby, the size in the Y direction of the printing device 100 is suppressed.

[0064] The carriage drive section 33 moves the carriage 31 in the main scanning direction with respect to the guide rod 32 (scanning). Figures 12 to 15 FIG. 7 is a view that shows an example of the carriage drive section 33. Figure 12 FIG. 8 is a view as viewed from the front left side, Figure 13 FIG. 9 is a view as viewed from the back left side, Figure 14 FIG. 10 is a view as viewed from the front, Figure 15 FIG. 11 is a view as viewed from the left side. The carriage drive section 33 moves the head 34 in the main scanning direction by moving the carriage 31 in the main scanning direction. The carriage drive section 33 is arranged on the back side of the guide rod 32. The carriage drive section 33 is provided in the range that does not protrude from the guide rod 32 in the main scanning direction, and drives the carriage 31.

[0065] The carriage drive section 33 has a belt member 41, a rotation drive source 42, a guide member 43, a movable section 44, and a cable chain 45. The carriage drive section 33 is arranged on the back side of the guide rod 32, and when viewed from the front, the carriage drive section 33 is provided in the range that does not protrude from the guide rod 32 in the main scanning direction.

[0066] The belt member 41 is annular. The belt member 41 is provided in a manner of being straddled between the pulleys 46 arranged on both sides in the left-right direction. The belt member 41 is detachably connected to the carriage 31 at the connection section.

[0067] The rotation drive source 42 generates a rotation drive force that rotates the belt member 41. The rotation drive source 42 has an output shaft 42a in the front-rear direction. The center of the output shaft 42a is the rotation axis AX. The rotation axis AX is parallel to the front-rear direction.

[0068] The guide member 43 is attached to the front surface of the guide rod 32. The guide member 43 can be formed of a metal such as aluminum, for example. The guide member 43 is arranged so as to extend linearly in the main scanning direction.

[0069] The movable sections 44 are supported by the guide member 43 of the guide rod 32. The movable sections 44 are fixed to the belt member 41. The movable sections 44 are provided in the Y direction, for example, two of them. In addition, the movable sections 44 are connected to the carriage 31. The movable sections 44 are movable along the guide member 43 in the main scanning direction. The carriage 31 is detachably provided to the movable sections 44. For example, the carriage 31 is attached to the movable sections 44 using a screw member or the like. In this case, by detaching the screw member, the carriage 31 can be detached from the movable sections 44. The work of attaching and detaching the carriage 31 with respect to the movable sections 44 can be performed at the print cleaning position P2, for example. In addition, a portion to which the detached carriage 31 is hooked can be provided at the print cleaning position P2.

[0070] The present embodiment is configured so that the belt member 41 and the movable sections 44 are arranged on both sides of the front-rear direction with respect to the guide rod 32. According to the above-described structure, at the time of acceleration and deceleration of the carriage 31, the force acting on the movable sections 44 becomes uniform in the two movable sections 44. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the wear between the guide member 43 and the movable sections 44, and it is possible to achieve the long life of the guide member 43.

[0071] Regarding the cable chain 45, one end thereof in the longitudinal direction is connected to the carriage 31, and the other end thereof is connected to the guide rod 32. The cable chain 45 holds a cable that extends from the carriage 31. The cable chain 45 is deformed according to the movement of the carriage 31. The end portion on the other side (right side) in the main scanning direction of the cable chain 45 opposite to the one side (left side) is bent and folded back in the up-down direction. The cable chain 45 is provided in a state in which the other side thereof in the longitudinal direction is open.

[0072] A receiving member 55 is provided at the bottom of the guide rod 32. The receiving member 55 is arranged to protrude from the bottom of the guide rod 32 toward the front side. The receiving member 55 receives, for example, foreign objects such as dust generated by the rotation of the belt member 41 from the carriage drive unit 33, thereby preventing the foreign objects from falling toward the worktable 22. The receiving member 55 is provided in the guide rod 32 within the range of movement of at least the carriage 31 in the main scanning direction, that is, from the inner end (right side in the Y direction) of the standby position P1 to the inner end (left side in the Y direction) of the moving end position P3. In addition, the receiving member 55 may also be provided across the entire range of the main scanning direction of the guide rod 32. The receiving member 55 may also be provided in a detachable manner. For example, it may be configured to have a strip-shaped plate member disposed on the receiving member 55 and the plate member replaceable.

[0073] Additionally, a region sensor 60 is provided inside the frame 10. The region sensor 60 emits detection light in the main scanning direction and detects the medium M placed on the mounting surface 25a of the worktable 22 based on the detection result of the detection light. The region sensor 60 can detect, for example, the height of the medium M relative to the mounting surface 25a by emitting detection light. The region sensor 60 can be disposed inside the frame 10, for example, on the back side of the carriage 31. In this embodiment, the region sensor 60 has a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part for the detection light disposed at the left end inside the frame 10, and emits the detection light towards the right side, i.e., the mounting surface 25a of the worktable 22, in a horizontal direction. In addition, a reflective part (not shown) is disposed on the right side of the worktable 22 to reflect the detection light. When the detection light emitted from the light-emitting part does not illuminate the medium M on the mounting surface 25a, the detection light passes through the mounting surface 25a and is reflected by the reflective part, and is received by the light-receiving part. On the other hand, when the detection light emitted from the light-emitting part illuminates the medium M on the mounting surface 25a, the light-receiving part does not receive light because the detection light does not reach the reflective part. Therefore, by calculating the light-receiving result of the light-receiving part for each emission position (height) of the light-emitting part, the height of the medium M can be determined.

[0074] Next, an example of the operation of the printing apparatus 100 configured as described above will be explained. Figure 16 and Figure 17 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the printing operation of the printing apparatus 100. Figure 16 and Figure 17 This illustrates an example of the action of initiating ink ejection onto the printing target area on the mounting surface 25a of the worktable 22. For example... Figure 16 As shown in (A), the medium (food) M is placed on the placement surface 25a of the worktable 22. Furthermore, the upper surface Ma of the medium M includes an object area R, which serves as the printing object area in this embodiment.

[0075] When the medium M is placed on the placement surface 25a, the control section CONT aligns the back surface side end portion of the head 34 with the back surface side end portion of the medium M. When the ink ejection onto the target region R on the medium M is started, as shown in (A), the control section CONT arranges the head 34 and the table 22 so that the end portions of the table 22 on the moving direction side in the sub-scanning direction face each other with respect to the nozzle row 34L and the target region R. Figure 16

[0076] Next, the control section CONT moves the head 34 in the main scanning direction while ejecting the ink from the nozzles 34N facing the target region R, in a state where the relative positional relationship between the table 22 and the head 34 in the sub-scanning direction is maintained (B). The control section CONT does not change the relative positional relationship between the table 22 and the head 34 in the sub-scanning direction, but performs the ink ejection operation from the nozzles 34N. By this operation, the ejection pattern Q1 is formed from the back surface side end portion of the target region R toward the front surface side. Figure 16

[0077] After the ejection pattern Q1 is formed on the target region, the control section CONT moves the table 22 in the sub-scanning direction by a prescribed amount. Also, in a state where the relative positional relationship between the table 22 and the head 34 in the sub-scanning direction is maintained, the head 34 is moved in the main scanning direction while the ink is ejected from the nozzles 34N toward the target region R (C). The control section CONT moves the table 22 in stages by a prescribed amount, and every time the table 22 is moved, the ink is ejected from the nozzles 34N facing the target region R toward the target region R. By this operation, the ejection pattern Q2 is formed from the back surface side end portion of the target region R toward the front surface side. Figure 16

[0078] After the front surface side end portion of the head 34 reaches the front surface side end portion of the medium M by the movement of the table 22, the control section CONT moves the head 34 in the main scanning direction while ejecting the ink from the nozzles 34N toward the target region R, in a state where the relative positional relationship between the table 22 and the head 34 in the sub-scanning direction is maintained (A). The control section CONT does not change the relative positional relationship between the table 22 and the head 34 in the sub-scanning direction, but performs the ejection operation by controlling the nozzles 34N. By this operation, the ejection pattern Q3 is formed in a prescribed range from the back surface side end portion of the target region R across the front surface side end portion (B). Figure 17 Figure 17

[0079] ​​​​​As described above, the printing device 100 of the present embodiment includes the table 22 having the placement surface 25a on which the food is placed, and the carriage 31 that mounts the head 34 that ejects the edible ink toward the placement surface 25a and the ink supply portion that supplies the ink to the head 34, and is movable in the main scanning direction along the placement surface 25a.

[0080] In the printing device 100 that forms the characters and the patterns on the food, by mounting the head 34 and the ink supply portion in the carriage 31, the carriage 31 can be compacted.

[0081] In addition, in the printing device 100 of the present embodiment, the ink supply portion is disposed above the head 34.

[0082] According to the structure, the ink can be efficiently supplied from the ink supply portion to the head 34.

[0083] In addition, in the printing device 100 of the present embodiment, the ink supply portion has the ink cartridge 36 that houses the ink, the holder 37 that allows the ink cartridge 36 to be attached and detached from the front side thereof, and the flow mechanism 38 that causes the ink to flow from the ink cartridge 36 attached to the holder 37 to the head 34.

[0084] According to the structure, the ink can be efficiently supplied from the ink supply portion to the head 34 via the ink cartridge 36, the holder 37, and the flow mechanism 38.

[0085] In addition, in the printing device 100 of the present embodiment, the flow mechanism 38 has the valve 38a disposed on the back side with respect to the holder 37, the ink cartridge 36 and the holder 37 are disposed in a state in which a plurality of them are arranged in the left-right direction, the valve 38a is provided for each holder 37, and when viewed from the back side, each of the valves 38a is a rectangular shape extending in one direction and is disposed in a state inclined with respect to the up-down direction.

[0086] By the valve 38a being a rectangular shape extending in one direction and being disposed in a state inclined with respect to the up-down direction, the ink cartridge 36 and the holder 37 can be closely disposed in the main scanning direction.

[0087] In addition, in the printing device 100 of the present embodiment, the ink cartridge 36 has a protruding portion 36h protruding upward in an upper portion of the front side in a state of being attached to the holder 37.

[0088] With the structure, the operator can hang the fingers or the like on the protruding portion 36h to detach the ink cartridge 36, and thus the ink cartridges 36 can be closely arranged in the left-right direction.

[0089] Further, in the printing device 100 of the present embodiment, the ink cartridge 36 has a cartridge main body 36a, an ink storage bag 36b provided to the cartridge main body 36a in a detachable manner, which stores ink and deforms according to the ink storage amount, and an ink level detection plate 36c supported to the cartridge main body 36a, which is pressed by the ink storage bag 36b and moves according to the deformation of the ink storage bag 36b.

[0090] By providing a structure in which the ink storage bag 36b is replaced with respect to the cartridge main body 36a, the cost of parts to be replaced can be reduced.

[0091] Further, the printing device 100 of the present embodiment includes a table 22 having a placement surface 25a on which a food is placed, a carriage 31 on which a head 34 that ejects edible ink toward the placement surface 25a is mounted, which is movable in a main scanning direction with respect to the table 22, a guide rod 32 that is arranged along the main scanning direction and guides the carriage 31, and a carriage drive section 33 that is arranged on a back surface side of the guide rod 32, is provided within a range that does not protrude from the guide rod 32 in the main scanning direction, and drives the carriage 31.

[0092] In the structure, since the carriage drive section 33 is provided within a range that does not protrude from the guide rod 32 in the main scanning direction, the size of the device in the main scanning direction can be reduced. Thus, the device can be made compact.

[0093] Further, in the printing device 100 of the present embodiment, the carriage drive section 33 is annular, is provided within a range that is housed on the back surface side of the guide rod 32 when viewed from the front, has a portion that extends along the main scanning direction, and has a belt member 41 that is connected to the carriage 31 and a rotation drive source 42 that rotates the belt member 41, the rotation drive source 42 having a rotation shaft AX that is arranged along the front-back direction.

[0094] According to the structure, the belt member 41 and the rotation drive source 42 can be efficiently arranged in a limited space.

[0095] Further, in the printing device 100 of the present embodiment, the carriage 31 has an air flow generation section 54 that generates an air flow in the main scanning direction.

[0096] By generating an air flow in the main scanning direction by the air flow generation section 54, the direction of the air flow generated in the movement of the carriage 31 can be made to coincide with the direction of the air flow generated by the air flow generation section 54. Thus, even if the size of the air flow generation section 54 is not increased, the carriage 31 can be efficiently cooled.

[0097] Further, the printing device 100 of the present embodiment further includes a maintenance section 50 that is disposed at a standby position Pl on the one side of the main scanning direction further than the position of the table 22, and performs maintenance of the head 34, and a cable chain 45 that is connected to the carriage 31 on the one side in the main scanning direction and is connected to the guide rod 32 on the other side, holds a cable extending from the carriage 31, and deforms according to the movement of the carriage 31, and the end portion on the other side in the main scanning direction opposite to the one side of the cable chain 45 is bent and folded back in the up-and-down direction.

[0098] According to the structure, the cable chain 45 can be efficiently disposed in accordance with the structure of the carriage 31.

[0099] Further, the guide rod 32 of the printing device 100 of the present embodiment is disposed in a state of protruding to both sides of the table 22 in the main scanning direction, and the protruding amount of the guide rod 32 from the table 22 is longer on the one side than on the other side, and the protruding amount on the other side is shorter than the size of the carriage 31 in the main scanning direction.

[0100] According to the structure, the size of the printing device 100 in the main scanning direction can be reduced.

[0101] Further, the printing device 100 of the present embodiment includes a table 22 that has a placement surface 25a on which a medium M is placed, and is movable in a sub-scanning direction along the placement surface 25a, a carriage 31 that mounts a head 34 that ejects ink toward the placement surface 25a side, and is movable in a main scanning direction that is a direction along the placement surface 25a and is orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction, and a control section CONT that controls the operation of the table 22, the operation of the carriage 31, and the operation of the head 34, the head 34 has a nozzle row 34L in which a plurality of nozzles 34N are arranged in the sub-scanning direction, and a plurality of rows of the nozzle row 34L are provided in the main scanning direction, and when the ejection of ink onto an object region R on the medium M is started, the control section CONT configures the head 34 and the table 22 in such a manner that the end portions on the side of the moving direction of the table 22 in the sub-scanning direction of these are directed toward each other, in relation to the nozzle row 34L and the object region R, in a state in which the relative positional relationship between the table 22 and the head 34 in the sub-scanning direction is maintained, and moves the head 34 in the main scanning direction while ejecting ink from the nozzles 34N directed toward the placement surface 25a side from the nozzles 34N directed toward the object region R.

[0102] According to the structure, ink can be ejected to the end portion of the object region R without disposing the head 34 at a position further forward than the end portion on the moving direction side of the object region R, and the size of the printing device 100 in the sub-scanning direction can be reduced. Thus, the device can be made compact.

[0103] Further, in the printing device 100 of the present embodiment, the control section CONT causes the stage 22 to move in the moving direction in a prescribed amount unit by unit after the ink is ejected from the nozzle 34N on the last side in the moving direction, and causes the head 34 to move in the main scanning direction while the ink is ejected from the nozzle 34N facing the target region R toward the placement surface 25a side each time the stage 22 moves.

[0104] After the ink is ejected to the end of the target region R, the stage 22 is caused to move in the moving direction in a prescribed amount unit by unit, and the head 34 is caused to move in the main scanning direction while the ink is ejected from the nozzle 34N facing the target region R toward the placement surface 25a each time the stage 22 moves, whereby the ejection operation can be performed efficiently.

[0105] In the printing device 100 of the present embodiment, the control section CONT causes the head 34 and the stage 22 to be arranged so that the end of the moving direction of the target region R faces the end of the same direction of the nozzle row 34L, and causes the head 34 to move in the main scanning direction while the ink is ejected from the nozzle 34N facing the target region R toward the placement surface 25a side in a state where the relative positional relationship between the stage 22 and the head 34 in the sub scanning direction is maintained.

[0106] According to the structure, at the end of the ejection operation, the ink can be ejected to the end of the target region R without arranging the head 34 further forward than the end of the moving direction of the target region R, and the size of the printing device 100 in the sub scanning direction can be reduced. Thus, the device can be made compact.

[0107] Further, the printing device 100 of the present embodiment includes a region sensor 60 that emits a detection light in the main scanning direction and detects the medium M placed on the stage 22 based on the detection result of the detection light, and the region sensor 60 is arranged on the back surface side of the carriage 31.

[0108] According to the structure, even if the ejection operation is started from a state where the head 34 and the stage 22 are arranged so that the end of the moving direction of the stage 22 in the sub scanning direction of the nozzle row 34L and the target region R face each other, the medium M can be detected by the region sensor 60.

[0109] Further, in the printing device 100 of the present embodiment, the medium M is a food, and the ink is an edible ink.

[0110] According to the present embodiment, the device that ejects the edible ink to the food can be made compact.

[0111] In addition, the printing device 100 of the present embodiment includes a table 22 having a placement surface 25a on which a food product is placed, a carriage 31 on which a head 34 that ejects edible ink toward the placement surface 25a side is mounted, which is movable with respect to the table 22 in a main scanning direction, a guide rod 32 that is disposed along the main scanning direction and guides the carriage 31, and a carriage drive unit 33 that has a movable portion 44 that is movable along the guide rod 32 and is connected to the carriage 31, and a rotary drive source 42 that moves the movable portion 44 in the main scanning direction, and the carriage 31 is detachable with respect to the movable portion 44.

[0112] According to the above-described structure, since the carriage 31 is detachable with respect to the movable portion 44, maintenance of the carriage 31 and the head 34 mounted on the carriage 31 can be easily performed.

[0113] In addition, in the printing device 100 of the present embodiment, the carriage 31 has mounted thereon, above the head 34, an ink supply unit that supplies ink to the head 34, and the ink supply unit has an ink cartridge 36 that houses the ink, a holder 37 that is detachable from the front side with respect to the ink cartridge 36, and a flow mechanism 38 that causes the ink to flow from the ink cartridge 36 mounted in the holder 37 to the head 34.

[0114] According to the above-described structure, by mounting the ink supply unit above the head 34 in the carriage 31, maintenance of the ink cartridge 36, the holder 37, and the flow mechanism 38 can be easily performed.

[0115] In addition, in the printing device 100 of the present embodiment, the flow mechanism 38 has a valve 38a disposed on the back side of the holder 37, a pipe 38b that extends downward from the valve 38a, and a buffer 38c that is connected to the lower end of the pipe 38b and supplies the ink that has passed through the pipe 38b to the head 34, and the printing device 100 further includes a guide member 39 that guides the ink that leaks from the flow mechanism 38 to a predetermined position.

[0116] According to the above-described structure, the ink that leaks from the flow mechanism 38 can be guided to the predetermined position by the guide member 39, and thus cleaning work can be easily performed.

[0117] In addition, an absorption member 40 that absorbs the ink is provided at the predetermined position of the printing device 100 of the present embodiment.

[0118] According to the above-described structure, the cleaning of the predetermined position can be performed by replacing the absorption member 40, and thus the cleaning can be efficiently performed.

[0119] In addition, the printing device 100 of the present embodiment further includes a receiving member 55 that is disposed in a manner that protrudes from the bottom of the guide rod 32 toward the front side, and receives foreign matter from the carriage drive unit 33.

[0120] According to the structure, since the falling of foreign matter from the carriage 31 toward the table 22 can be prevented by the receiving member 55, the effort of cleaning the table 22 can be reduced.

[0121] Further, in the printing device 100 of the present embodiment, the receiving member 55 is provided so as to cover at least the range in which the carriage 31 moves in the main scanning direction.

[0122] According to the structure, the falling of foreign matter in the range in which the carriage 31 moves can be efficiently prevented.

[0123] Further, the receiving member 55 of the printing device 100 of the present embodiment is provided in a detachable manner.

[0124] According to the structure, by replacing the receiving member 55, the cleaning of the receiving member 55 can be easily performed.

[0125] Further, the printing device 100 of the present embodiment includes a table 22 having a placement surface 25a on which a medium is placed, and a carriage 31 which mounts a head 34 which ejects edible ink toward the placement surface 25a side, and which is movable with respect to the table 22 in a main scanning direction, the table 22 having a top plate portion 25 which includes the placement surface 25a, and a top plate support portion 26 which supports the top plate portion 25, the top plate portion 25 being provided in a detachable manner with respect to the top plate support portion 26.

[0126] According to the structure, by replacing the top plate portion 25, the cleaning and the like of the top plate portion 25 can be easily performed.

[0127] Further, the top plate support portion 26 of the printing device 100 of the present embodiment has a positioning portion 26c which determines the arrangement of the top plate portion 25 in the horizontal direction.

[0128] According to the structure, the top plate portion 25 can be arranged with good precision with respect to the top plate support portion 26.

[0129] Further, the printing device 100 of the present embodiment further includes a table drive portion 23 which is arranged below the table 22 and which moves the table 22 in a sub scanning direction which intersects the main scanning direction, and a cover member 29 which is arranged between the table 22 and the table drive portion 23 and which covers the table drive portion 23.

[0130] According to the structure, by the table drive portion 23 being covered by the cover member 29, the entry of foreign matter into the table drive portion 23 side can be suppressed.

[0131] Further, in the printing device 100 of the present embodiment, the cover member 29 is formed in a box shape which houses the table drive portion 23.

[0132] According to the structure, it is possible to more reliably suppress entry of foreign matter into the table driving section 23.

[0133] Further, the upper surface of the cover member 29 of the present embodiment is formed flat.

[0134] According to the structure, it is possible to easily perform cleaning of the upper surface of the cover member 29.

[0135] Further, the cover member 29 can also be a member that is disposed above the table driving section 23 and extends in the moving direction thereof in conjunction with movement of the table 22.

[0136] According to the structure, it is also possible to more reliably suppress entry of foreign matter into the table driving section 23.

[0137] The technical scope of the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the outer shape, size, and the like of the printing device 100 can be modified as appropriate. Figure 18 is a front view showing the structure of a printing device according to a modification. Figure 18 The printing device 100A shown includes a frame 10A, a table section 20A, an image forming section 30A, a maintenance section 50A, and a control section CONT. As with the printing device 100A as exemplified in the present modification, the main scanning direction (left-right direction, Y direction) can also be the same as the size of the table 22.

[0138] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0139] M: Medium

[0140] P1: Standby Position

[0141] P2: Print / Cleaning Position

[0142] R: Target Region

[0143] Q1, Q2, Q3: Ejection Pattern

[0144] P3: Moving End Position

[0145] P4: Specified Position

[0146] AX: Rotation Axis

[0147] Ma, 29d: Upper Surface

[0148] CONT: Control Section

[0149] 10, 10A: Frame

[0150] 11: Operation Section

[0151] 12: Operation Member

[0152] 13: slot

[0153] 14, 29b, 36e: cover portion

[0154] 20, 20A: table portion

[0155] 21: base

[0156] 22: table

[0157] 23: table drive portion

[0158] 23a: X drive system

[0159] 23b: Y drive system

[0160] 24: guide portion

[0161] 25: top plate portion

[0162] 25a: placement surface

[0163] 25c: cutout portion

[0164] 26: top plate support portion

[0165] 26a: plate-shaped portion

[0166] 26b: columnar portion

[0167] 26c, 36g: positioning portion

[0168] 29: cover member

[0169] 29a: frame portion

[0170] 29c: bottom bent piece

[0171] 30, 30A: image forming portion

[0172] 31: carriage

[0173] 31a: carriage cover

[0174] 32: guide rod

[0175] 33: carriage drive portion

[0176] 34: head

[0177] 34L: nozzle row

[0178] 34N: nozzle

[0179] 36: ink cartridge

[0180] 36a: cartridge main body

[0181] 36b: ink storage bag

[0182] 36c: ink remaining amount detection plate

[0183] 36d: housing portion

[0184] 36f: supply port

[0185] 36h: protruding portion

[0186] 36i: elastic member

[0187] 37: holder

[0188] 38: flow-through mechanism

[0189] 38a: valve

[0190] 38b: pipe

[0191] 38c: damper

[0192] 39: guide member

[0193] 39a: locking portion

[0194] 39b: first flat portion

[0195] 39c: step portion

[0196] 39d: second flat portion

[0197] 39e: support portion

[0198] 40, 53: absorbent member

[0199] 40a: slit

[0200] 41: belt member

[0201] 42: rotary drive source

[0202] 42a: output shaft

[0203] 43: guide member

[0204] 44: movable portion

[0205] 45: cable

[0206] 46: pulley

[0207] 50, 50A: maintenance portion

[0208] 51: wiping device

[0209] 51a: wiper

[0210] 52: suction device

[0211] 54: airflow generation portion

[0212] 55: receiving member

[0213] 60: area sensor

[0214] 100, 100A: printing device

Claims

1. A printing apparatus comprising: a table having a placement surface on which a food product is placed; and a carriage that carries a head that ejects edible ink toward the food product and an ink supply portion that supplies the ink to the head, and is movable in a main scanning direction along the placement surface.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink supply portion is disposed above the head.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ink supply portion has: an ink cartridge that houses the ink; a holder that allows the ink cartridge to be attached to and detached from a front side of the apparatus; and a flow mechanism that causes the ink to flow from the ink cartridge attached to the holder to the head.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the flow mechanism has a valve disposed on a back side of the holder, the ink cartridges and the holders are disposed in a state in which a plurality of them are arranged in a left-right direction, the valve is provided for each of the holders and is rectangular in shape when viewed from the back side of the holder, extends in one direction, and is disposed in a state in which it is inclined with respect to an up-down direction.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the ink cartridge has a protruding portion that protrudes upward on an upper portion of a front side thereof in a state in which it is attached to the holder.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the ink cartridge has: a cartridge main body; an ink housing bag that is provided in a detachable manner to the cartridge main body, houses the ink, and deforms according to an ink housing amount; and an ink level detection plate that is supported by the cartridge main body, is pressed by the ink housing bag, and moves according to a deformation of the ink housing bag.

7. A printing apparatus comprising: a table having a placement surface on which a food product is placed; a carriage that carries a head that ejects edible ink toward the food product, and is movable in a main scanning direction with respect to the table; a guide rod that is disposed along the main scanning direction and guides the carriage; and a carriage drive portion that is disposed on a back side of the guide rod when the apparatus is viewed from a front side, is disposed within a range that does not protrude from the guide rod in the main scanning direction, and drives the carriage.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the carriage drive portion has: a belt member that is annular, is disposed within a range that is housed on the back side of the guide rod when the apparatus is viewed from the front side, has a portion that extends in the main scanning direction, and is connected to the carriage; and a rotation drive source that rotates the belt member, the rotation drive source has a rotation shaft that is disposed along a front-back direction.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the carriage has an air flow generation portion that generates an air flow in the main scanning direction.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a maintenance portion that is disposed at a standby position that is farther than a position of the table in the main scanning direction, and performs maintenance of the head; and ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ a cable chain having one end connected to the carriage in the longitudinal direction and the other end connected to the guide rod, holding the cable extending from the carriage, and deforming according to the movement of the carriage, an end portion on the other side opposite to the one side in the main scanning direction of the cable chain is bent to be folded back in the up-down direction.

11. The printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the guide rod is disposed in a state of protruding to both sides of the table in the main scanning direction, a protruding amount of the guide rod from the table to the other side is shorter than a dimension of the carriage in the main scanning direction.

12. A printing apparatus comprising: a table having a placement surface on which a medium is placed, and capable of moving in a sub-scanning direction along the placement surface; a carriage on which a head that ejects ink toward the medium is mounted, and capable of moving in a main scanning direction that is a direction along the placement surface and intersects the sub-scanning direction; and a control section that controls an operation of the table, an operation of the carriage, and an operation of the head, the head is configured to have a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged in the sub-scanning direction, and the nozzle row is provided in a plurality of rows in the main scanning direction, when starting to eject the ink on a print target region on the medium, the control section arranges the head and the table in such a manner that end portions of the nozzle row and the print target region on the side of a moving direction of the table in the sub-scanning direction face each other, moves the head in the main scanning direction while ejecting the ink from the nozzles facing the print target region to the print target region, in a state of maintaining a relative positional relationship of the table and the head in the sub-scanning direction.

13. The printing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the control section moves the table in the moving direction in stages by a prescribed amount after ejecting the ink from the nozzles on the last side in the moving direction, and moves the head in the main scanning direction while ejecting the ink from the nozzles facing the print target region to the print target region each time the table moves.

14. The printing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control section arranges the head and the table in such a manner that end portions of the nozzle row on the rear side in the moving direction and end portions of the print target region on the rear side in the moving direction face each other, and moves the head in the main scanning direction while ejecting the ink from the nozzles facing the print target region to the print target region, in a state of maintaining a relative positional relationship of the table and the head in the sub-scanning direction.

15. The printing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a region sensor that emits detection light to the main scanning direction and detects the medium placed on the table based on a detection result of the detection light, the region sensor is arranged on a back side of the carriage when the apparatus is viewed from the front.

16. The printing apparatus of any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein, the medium is a food, the ink is an edible ink.

Images