Recording device

Abstract

To provide a technique that enables a recording head to be positioned more accurately.SOLUTION: A recording device is provided with: a recording head that discharges ink to a sheet conveyed in a conveying direction; a supporting / moving part that supports the recording head in a width direction of the sheet crossing the conveying direction and moves the recording head between a positioning position and a non-positioning position; and a positioning part that contacts the recording head at the positioning position. The supporting / moving part has, at one end in the width direction, a first supporting portion that supports the recording head at the non-positioning position and has, at the other end in the width direction, a second supporting portion that supports the recording head at the non-positioning position, where the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion do not support the recording head at the positioning position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that ejects ink onto a recording material to record. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a recording device that discharges droplets of a recording liquid such as ink onto a recording material such as a recording paper or a resin sheet to record characters, images, etc. In such a recording device, when performing maintenance by capping the recording head after a recording operation, it is necessary to position the maintenance unit and the recording head with high precision in order to reliably seal the discharge port. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which the capping means has a mechanism for equalizing the recording head. Specifically, when the capping means moves from the uncapping position to the capping position, the equalizing mechanism of the capping means is restricted, and in the capping state, the restriction of the equalizing mechanism is released. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 06-336019 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, in positioning the recording head, in order to record high-quality characters and images on the recording material with high precision, it is necessary to position the recording head and the conveying unit that conveys the recording material with even higher precision, in addition to positioning with the maintenance unit. The technology described in Patent Document 1 configures the positioning target structure to follow the recording head. In positioning the recording head and the conveying unit, since the conveying unit conveys the recording material, there is a possibility that it will affect the conveying performance and conveying state, and it is difficult to provide an equalizing mechanism that moves the conveying unit itself. Furthermore, since the equalizing mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 keeps the center of rotation constrained, there is a limit to the ability of the recording head to follow the opposing unit, making it difficult to perform positioning with higher precision.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables a print head to be positioned with higher accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the recording device of the present invention comprises: a recording head that ejects ink onto a sheet conveyed in a conveying direction; a support and movement unit that supports the recording head in a width direction of the sheet intersecting the conveying direction and moves the recording head between a positioning position and a non-positioning position; a positioning portion that comes into contact with the recording head at the positioning position; In a recording device comprising: The support and movement unit includes: a first support portion that supports the recording head at one end in the width direction when the recording head is in the non-positioning position; a second support portion that supports the recording head at the non-positioning position at the other end in the width direction; having The first support portion and the second support portion do not support the recording head when the recording head is in the positioning position. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the recording head can be positioned with higher accuracy. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] Control configuration diagram of the recording apparatus of the first embodiment [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a housing of a sheet conveying unit of a recording unit according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recording head lifting mechanism according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] An explanatory diagram of the operation of the recording head of the first embodiment [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a retracted position of a recording head according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the retracted position of the recording head in the first embodiment, viewed from the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a recording head and a biasing member according to a first embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining movement of a recording head to a printing position in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the movement of the recording head to the printing position in the first embodiment, viewed from the downstream side in the sheet transport direction. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the printing position of a recording head according to a first embodiment; [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the print position of the recording head of the first embodiment as viewed from the downstream side in the sheet transport direction. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a retraction operation of a recording head according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the retraction operation of the recording head in the first embodiment, viewed from the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a recording head and a maintenance unit according to a first embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state before the recording head of the first embodiment is mounted on the main body of the apparatus; [Figure 17] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the inclination state of the recording head in the first embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 shows the inclination state of the recording head and the electrical connector connection portion of the first embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state after the recording head of the first embodiment is installed in the apparatus main body. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a recording head support structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing details of a recording head support portion according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, the mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail by way of example. The dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the embodiments should be appropriately changed depending on the configuration of the device to which the invention is applied and various conditions. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. The components described in the embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to only those.

[0010] Example 1 1 is defined as the top, right to left as the longitudinal direction, and the sheet width direction from the front to the back of the paper perpendicular to the sheet transport direction, with the front side of the paper being the front side of the device and the back side being the rear side of the device. The recording device 1 of this embodiment is a high-speed line printer that uses a continuous sheet wound in a roll.

[0011] (Recording device) FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a recording device 1 according to this embodiment. The recording device 1 according to this embodiment includes various units therein. That is, the recording device 1 includes an unwinding roll section 2, a first dancer section 3, a first main conveyor section 4, a meandering correction section 5, a conveyor detection section 6, a mark sensor section 7, and a recording section 8. The recording device 1 further includes a first scanner section 9, a first drying section 10, a second drying section 11, a cooling section 12, a second scanner section 13, a second main conveyor section 14, a second dancer section 15, a take-up roll section 16, and a maintenance section 17. A sheet S as a recording material is conveyed along a sheet conveying path indicated by a solid line in the figure, and is processed in each unit.

[0012] The unwinding roll unit 2 is a unit for holding and supplying a continuous sheet wound in a roll shape. The unwinding roll unit 2 is configured to store an unwinding roll and pull out and supply the sheet S. The number of rolls that can be stored is not limited to one, and the unwinding roll unit 2 may store two or three or more rolls and selectively pull out and supply the sheet S.

[0013] The first dancer section 3 is a unit for applying a constant sheet tension between the unwinding roll section 2 and the first main conveyor section 4. The first dancer section 3 applies sheet tension by a tension applying means (not shown). The first main conveyor section 4 is a unit for feeding the sheet S to the meandering correction section 5, the conveyor detection section 6, the mark sensor section 7, the recording section 8, the first scanner section 9, the first drying section 10, the second drying section 11, the cooling section 12, and the second scanner section 13, which are arranged in the following order along the sheet conveying path (sheet S), and for applying sheet tension between the first dancer section 3 and the second main conveyor section 4. The first main conveyor section 4 rotates by driving a motor (not shown) and conveys the sheet S under tension.

[0014] The meandering correction section (meandering correction section) 5 is a unit for correcting meandering in the sheet width direction when the sheet S is conveyed under tension. The meandering correction section 5 is configured to include a meandering correction roller 5a and a meandering detection sensor (not shown) that detects meandering of the sheet S. The meandering correction roller 5a can change the inclination with respect to the sheet S by a motor (not shown), and corrects the meandering of the sheet S based on the measurement by the meandering detection sensor. At this time, the sheet S is wrapped around the meandering correction roller 5a, thereby improving the meandering correction function.

[0015] The transport detection unit 6 is a unit for detecting tension when the sheet S is transported under tension between the first main transport unit 4 and the second main transport unit 14. The transport detection unit 6 is also a unit for detecting the speed of the sheet S in order to control the image formation timing of the recording unit 8.

[0016] The mark sensor section 7 is a unit for detecting a mark printed on the sheet S in advance in order to control the image formation timing of the recording section 8.

[0017] The recording unit 8 is a sheet processing unit that performs recording processing on the sheet S by ejecting ink as a recording liquid from above using a recording head 22 onto the sheet S being transported to form an image or the like. The transport path in the recording unit 8 is formed by guide rollers 23 arranged in an arc shape that is convex upward, and a certain tension is applied to the sheet S to ensure a clearance with the recording head 22. The recording heads 22 are arranged in a line along the transport direction. In this example, in addition to the four colors of ink, Bk (black), Y (yellow), M (magenta), and C (cyan), there are a total of eight line-type recording heads corresponding to the reaction liquid and three special color inks. Note that the number of colors and the number of recording heads 22 are not limited to eight. The inkjet method can employ a method using a heating element, a method using a piezoelectric element, a method using an electrostatic element, a method using a MEMS element, or the like. The ink of each color is supplied to the recording head 22 from an ink tank (not shown) via an ink tube.

[0018] The first scanner unit 9 is a unit that reads the image formed on the sheet S by the recording unit 8 during printing, detects the misalignment and density of the image, and corrects the printing.

[0019] The first drying section 10 and the second drying section 11 are units that reduce the liquid content contained in the ink applied to the sheet S in the recording section 8, and increase the fixability of the ink to the sheet S. The second drying section 11 is disposed downstream of the first drying section 10 in the sheet transport direction. The first drying section 10 and the second drying section 11 heat the recorded sheet S to dry the applied ink. Inside the first drying section 10 and the second drying section 11, at least Hot air is applied to the ink-applied surface (recorded surface) of the sheet S to dry the ink-applied surface. Note that the drying method may be a combination of a method of applying hot air, a method of irradiating the surface of the sheet S with electromagnetic waves (ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, etc.), and a conductive heat transfer method using contact with a heating element.

[0020] The winding guide roller 31 is required to block the effect of the hot air from the first drying section 10 on the recording section 8, so that the surface of the sheet S on the downstream side of the recording section 8 opposite to the surface on which the ink is applied is rotated at a constant In this embodiment, two winding guide rollers 31 are disposed between the first scanner unit 9 and the first drying unit 10, and the sheet S is folded back approximately parallel to the top and bottom of the device. The first drying unit 10 is disposed below the recording unit 8, and the second drying unit 11 is disposed below the transport detection unit 6 and the mark sensor unit 7 described above.

[0021] The cooling section 12 cools the sheet S fixed in the first drying section 10 and the second drying section 11, solidifies the softened ink, and suppresses the amount of temperature change of the sheet S in downstream processes of the recording apparatus. Inside the cooling section 12, air having a lower temperature than the sheet S is applied to at least the ink application surface side of the passing sheet S, thereby cooling the ink application surface of the sheet S. Note that the cooling method is not limited to the method of applying air, and may be a conductive heat transfer method by contact with a heat dissipation member, or a combination of these.

[0022] The second scanner unit 13 is a unit that reads a test image formed on the sheet S by the recording unit 8 before printing, detects image misalignment and density, and performs corrections for the actual printing.

[0023] The second main conveyor 14 is a unit that conveys the sheet S together with the first main conveyor 4 while applying tension to the sheet S, and adjusts the tension of the sheet S. The second main conveyor 14 has a clutch (not shown) that rotates by being driven by a motor (not shown), and the tension of the sheet S is adjusted by controlling the torque drivingly connected to the clutch according to the tension value detected by the conveyor detection unit 6. Note that, as an additional configuration for adjusting the tension of the sheet S, a configuration for controlling the speed of the second main conveyor 14 by the conveyor detection unit 6 may be added. In this case, there are two tension control methods: a torque control method for controlling the torque value transmitted from the clutch, and a speed control method for controlling the roller speed of the second main conveyor 14. The tension control methods can be switched or both can be used simultaneously according to the purpose.

[0024] The second dancer section 15 is a unit for applying a constant sheet tension between the second main conveyor section 14 and the winding roll section 16. The second dancer section 15 applies sheet tension by a tension applying means (not shown).

[0025] The winding roll unit 16 is a unit for winding the sheet S after the recording process onto a core. The number of collectable rolls is not limited to one, and the roll may have two or three or more cores and may be configured to selectively switch between them to collect the sheet S. Depending on the content of the post-recording processing, the continuous sheet may be cut using a cutter and the cut sheets S may be stacked, instead of being wound onto a core.

[0026] The maintenance unit 17 is a unit equipped with a mechanism for recovering the ejection performance of the recording head 22. Examples of such mechanisms include a cap mechanism for protecting the ink ejection surface of the recording head 22, a wiper mechanism for wiping the ink ejection surface, and a suction mechanism for negatively sucking ink from the ink ejection surface inside the recording head 22. The maintenance unit 17 also includes a drive mechanism and rails (not shown) and is capable of reciprocating horizontally along the rails, moving directly below the recording head 22 when maintenance is performed on the recording head 22, and moving to a position retracted from directly below the recording head 22 when maintenance is not performed.

[0027] The control unit 21 is a unit that controls each part of the entire recording device. The control unit 21 has a CPU, a storage device, a controller equipped with various control units, an external interface, and an operation unit 24 where the user performs input and output. The operation of the recording device 1 is controlled based on commands from the controller or a host device 25 such as a host computer connected to the controller via an external interface.

[0028] 2 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the recording apparatus 1. The control configuration of the control unit 21 is mainly composed of a print engine unit 400 that controls the recording apparatus 1, and a controller unit 300 that controls the entire recording apparatus 1. A print controller 402 controls various mechanisms of the print engine unit 400 according to instructions from a main controller 301 of the controller unit 300. The control configuration will be described in detail below.

[0029] In the controller unit 300, a main controller 301 constituted by a CPU controls the entire recording device 1 using a RAM 305 as a work area in accordance with programs and various parameters stored in a ROM 306. For example, when a print job is input from the host device 25 via a host I / F 302, an image processing unit 307 performs predetermined image processing on the received image data in accordance with instructions from the main controller 301. The main controller 301 then transmits the image data that has been subjected to the image processing to a print engine unit 400 via a print engine I / F 304.

[0030] The recording device 1 may obtain image data from the host device 25 via wireless communication or wired communication, or may obtain image data from an external storage device (such as a USB memory) connected to the recording device 1. There are no limitations on the communication method used for wireless communication or wired communication. For example, Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used as communication methods used for wireless communication. Furthermore, USB (Universal Serial Bus) or the like can be used as a communication method used for wired communication.

[0031] The operation unit 24 is a mechanism for a user to perform input and output to the recording device 1. The user can set a print mode and recognize information about the recording device 1 via the operation unit 24.

[0032] In the print engine unit 400, a print controller 402 constituted by a CPU controls various mechanisms of the recording device 1 according to programs and various parameters stored in a ROM 403, using a RAM 404 as a work area. When various commands and image data are received via a controller I / F 401, the print controller 402 temporarily stores them in the RAM 404. The print controller 402 causes an image processing controller 405 to convert the stored image data into recording data so that the recording head 22 can use the data for a recording operation. When the recording data is generated, the print controller 402 causes the recording head 22 to execute a recording operation based on the recording data via a head I / F 406. At this time, the print controller 402 drives various units shown in FIG. 1 via a conveyance control unit 407 to convey the sheet S. That is, the print controller 402 drives the unwinding roll unit 2, the first dancer unit 3, the first main transport unit 4, the meandering correction unit 5, the transport detection unit 6, the mark sensor unit 7, the recording unit 8, the first scanner unit 9, the first drying unit 10, the second drying unit 11, the cooling unit 12, the second scanner unit 13, the second main transport unit 14, the second dancer unit 15, and the take-up roll unit 16. According to instructions from the print controller 402, a recording operation is performed by the recording head 22 in conjunction with the transport operation of the sheet S, and printing processing is performed.

[0033] The printhead moving means control unit 408 changes the position of the printhead 22 depending on the operating state of the printing apparatus 1, such as the maintenance state or the printing state. The ink supply control unit 409 controls an ink supply unit (not shown) so that the pressure of the ink supplied to the printhead 22 falls within an appropriate range. The maintenance control unit 410 controls the operation of the maintenance unit 17 when performing a maintenance operation on the printhead 22.

[0034] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sheet conveying unit housing 81 of the recording unit 8. As shown in Fig. 3, the sheet conveying unit housing 81 of the recording unit 8 is provided with a plurality of first positioning members 811a, second positioning members 811b, and third positioning members 811c for positioning the recording heads 22 at the printing position (recording position). For one recording head 22, the first positioning member 811a is provided on the front side (the front side of the device) across the sheet S in the sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, and the second positioning member 811b and the third positioning member 811c are provided on the back side (the rear side of the device).

[0035] The first positioning member 811a, the second positioning member 811b, and the third positioning member 811c are spherical members having the same diameter. The first positioning member 811a, the second positioning member 811b, and the third positioning member 811c are fitted and attached to a recess 812 provided in a positioning support portion 810 of the sheet conveying unit housing 81. The first positioning member 811a, the second positioning member 811b, and the third positioning member 811c each have a substantially lower (lower hemisphere) portion embedded in the recess 812, and a substantially upper (upper hemisphere) portion exposed from the recess 812 to form a substantially hemispherical convex positioning portion protruding upward. The positioning support portion 810 includes a front side positioning support portion 810L arranged on the front side in the sheet width direction with respect to the sheet conveying path, and a rear side positioning support portion 810R arranged on the rear side. The first positioning member 811a is attached to a first recess 812a provided in the front positioning support portion 810L. The second positioning member 811b is attached to a second recess 812b provided in the rear positioning support portion 810R, and the third positioning member 811c is attached to a third recess 812c provided in the rear positioning support portion 810R. The second recess 812b is provided upstream of the third recess 812c in the sheet conveying direction.

[0036] The first positioning member 811a and the second positioning member 811b are arranged so that a straight line passing through the center of the first positioning member 811a and the center of the second positioning member 811b is parallel to the rotation axis of the guide roller 23. The third positioning member 811c is arranged downstream of the first positioning member 811a and the second positioning member 811b in the sheet conveying direction. In the vertical movement direction between the retreat position and the printing position of the recording head 22, the third positioning member 811c is arranged at a predetermined height relative to the first positioning member 811a and the second positioning member 811b. The arrangement of the third positioning member 811c relative to the first positioning member 811a and the second positioning member 811b is set so that the nozzle plate (not shown) of the recording head 22 at the printing position can be positioned parallel to the sheet S supported by the multiple guide rollers 23. That is, the installation position of the third positioning member 811c is set so that the recording head 22 at the printing position is positioned in an attitude tilted at a predetermined angle at a predetermined recording position. Here, the predetermined angle is an angle at which the nozzles (discharge ports) of the nozzle plate face perpendicularly (the nozzle surface (discharge port surface) where the nozzles open is parallel to the recorded surface) to the recorded surface of the sheet S. As described above, the first positioning member 811a, the second positioning member 811b, and the third positioning member 811c are spheres of the same diameter, and the centers of each are the centers of the respective spheres.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 4, the recording head 22 is held by a head holder 26 as a supporting and moving part, and is configured to move up and down by the movement of the head holder 26. The recording head 22 is provided with a first pin 27a (see Fig. 6, etc.), a second pin 27b, and a third pin 27c as supported parts. The first pin 27a is arranged to determine the direction in which the recording head 22 moves up and down and the direction in which the sheet is transported. The first pin 27a, the second pin 27b, and the third pin 27c are protrusions that protrude in the width direction from one end (the rear side of the device) of the recording head 22 in the longitudinal direction (width direction) of the recording head 22 that intersects with each of the feed directions. The second pin 27b and the third pin 27c are protrusions that protrude in the longitudinal direction from the other end (the front side of the device) of the recording head 22 in the longitudinal direction. The recording head 22 is journaled relative to the head holder 26 such that the first pin 27a, the second pin 27b, and the third pin 27c are supported from below by a first hole 261, a second hole 262, and a third hole 263 provided in the head holder 26, respectively.

[0038] Furthermore, the recording head 22 is supported by the head holder 26 in a state where it is urged downward by a first urging member 51a, a second urging member 51b, and a third urging member 51c provided in the head holder 26. The configurations of the first urging member 51a, the second urging member 51b, and the third urging member 51c will be described later. The head holder 26 moves up and down along an elevation rail 29 provided in the recording head elevation frame 28 by a drive mechanism (not shown) provided inside.

[0039] (Example of recording head operation) The operation of the recording head 22 in the recording apparatus according to this embodiment will be briefly described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the recording head 22.

[0040] Figure 5(a) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the recording head 22 is in a retracted position, which is a non-positioning position, retracted upward relative to the sheet transport unit housing 81, and the maintenance unit 17 is in a non-maintenance position, retracted approximately horizontally in the longitudinal direction (sheet transport direction) from the recording head 22.

[0041] 5B is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the recording head 22 is in a printing position (recording position) as a positioning position for recording an image on the sheet S. When the recording head 22 moves from an upper retracted position (second position) to the printing position for recording an image on the sheet S, the recording head 22 The recording head 22 is moved substantially vertically downward from an upper retracted position by the recording head lifting mechanism described above. The movement of the recording head 22 is completed when the positioned portion 221 comes into contact with a recording head positioning member 811 provided in the sheet transport unit housing 81, and the recording head 22 is lowered to a printing position where it is positioned with its orientation tilted at a predetermined angle. That is, as shown in Fig. 5(b), the abutment portion (positioning portion 221) provided at the bottom of the recording head 22 and the positioning portion (positioning member 811) provided in the transport unit, which is an example of an opposing unit, are positioned to become the printing position (an example of a first position).

[0042] Fig. 5(c) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the recording head 22 is in the retracted position and the maintenance unit 17 has moved to the maintenance position. When the recording head 22 is capped after printing is completed, or when the nozzles of the recording head 22 are clogged and ink ejection is poor, the maintenance unit 17, which is an example of an opposing unit, may perform a recovery operation on the recording head 22. To move to the maintenance position, first, the recording head 22 and the maintenance unit 17 are moved to their respective retracted positions as shown in Fig. 5(a). Then, as shown in Fig. 5(c), the maintenance unit 17 first moves to the maintenance position directly below the recording head 22.

[0043] Fig. 5(d) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the recording head 22 has moved to a maintenance position where the maintenance operation is performed by the maintenance unit 17 as a positioning position. The recording head 22 moves substantially vertically downward from the position shown in Fig. 5(c), and as shown in Fig. 5(d), the positioning portion 221 of the recording head 22 is positioned with the recording head positioning member 171 provided in the maintenance unit 17. This completes the movement operation of the recording head 22 to the maintenance position (an example of the first position). In this state, the recording head 22 has A maintenance unit 17 performs various maintenance operations on the device.

[0044] (Support structure and positioning of recording head) The supporting structure and operation of the recording head 22 in this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0045] Figures 6 and 7 show the state in which the recording head 22 is in a retracted position in an upward direction, with Figure 6(a) being a view from the rear side of the device, Figure 6(b) being a view from the front side of the device, and Figure 7 being a view from the downstream side in the sheet transport direction.

[0046] The recording head 22 is provided with an ink ejection section 223, in which a nozzle plate (not shown) having a plurality of nozzles (ejection ports) for ejecting ink is aligned in the longitudinal direction of the recording head (sheet width direction), so as to face the transport area of ​​the sheet S. In addition, the recording head 22 is provided with positioned sections 221L and 221R at both ends in the longitudinal direction (direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction). Specifically, the positioned section 221L on the front side of the head longitudinal direction (the front side of the device) is provided with a first contact section 221a consisting of a concave section having a conical slope. In addition, the positioned section 221R on the rear side of the head longitudinal direction (the rear side of the device) is provided with a second contact section 221b consisting of a groove-shaped section extending in the longitudinal direction of the head having two substantially V-shaped flat surfaces, and a third contact section 221c consisting of a flat surface, so as to be aligned in the sheet transport direction.

[0047] In the longitudinal direction of the recording head 22, the first contact portion 221a and the second contact portion 221b are precisely positioned so that a straight line passing through the center of the first contact portion 221a and the center of the second contact portion 221b is parallel to the arrangement of the nozzle plates in the ink ejection portion 223 of the recording head 22. Here, the respective centers of the first contact portion 221a and the second contact portion 221b are the respective centers of imaginary spheres of the same diameter inscribed therein. The third contact portion 221c is positioned away from the second contact portion 221b in the sheet conveying direction (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the recording head 22).

[0048] As described above, the recording head 22 is provided with the first pin 27a, which is a first protrusion protruding from one end in the sheet width direction, the second pin 27b, which is a second protrusion protruding from the other end in the sheet width direction, and the third pin 27c, which is a third protrusion. Correspondingly, the head holder 26 supporting the recording head 22 is provided with a first hole 261, a second hole 262, and a third hole 263. The first hole 261 is a hole portion having a surface facing the first pin 27a, the second hole 262 is a hole portion facing the second pin 27b, and the third hole 263 is a hole portion having a surface facing the third pin 27c in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the recording head 22. The first hole 261, the second hole 262, and the third hole 263 each have a width that is wide open to the pin on the upper side, and a portion having a narrow width in the shape of a groove into which the pin fits on the lower side.

[0049] The first hole 261 has a first groove 261a which is a first support portion for supporting the first pin 27a, a first inclined portion 261b for guiding the first pin 27a into the first groove 261a, and a first opening portion 261d which widens the movable range of the first pin 27a with respect to the first hole 261. The first groove 261a includes a support surface 261a1 which is a groove bottom surface, and a pair of restriction surfaces 261a2 which are groove side surfaces facing the first pin 27a so as to sandwich the first pin 27a placed on the support surface 261a1 from both sides. The first inclined portion 261b is connected to the first groove 261a and is a guide portion for guiding the first pin 27a into the first groove 261a. The first inclined portion 261b has a pair of inclined surfaces (guide surfaces) that are inclined so that the opposing width in directions that intersect with the advance / retract direction of the head holder 26 and the width direction (sheet width direction) of the recording head 22 gradually narrows as it approaches the regulating surface 261a2.

[0050] The second hole 262 is provided with a second groove portion 262a which is a second support portion for supporting the second pin 27b, a second inclined portion 262b which is a second support portion for guiding the second pin 27b into the second groove portion 262a, and a second The second groove 262a includes a support surface 262a1, which is a groove bottom surface, and a pair of regulating surfaces 262a2, which are groove side surfaces facing the second pin 27b so as to sandwich the second pin 27b placed on the support surface 262a1 from both sides. The second inclined portion 262b is a guide portion that is connected to the second groove 262a and guides the second pin 27b to the second groove 262a. The second inclined portion 262b has a pair of inclined surfaces (guide surfaces) that are inclined so that the opposing width in the directions that intersect with the advancement / retraction direction of the head holder 26 and the width direction (sheet width direction) of the recording head 22 gradually narrows as the second groove 262 approaches the regulating surface 262a2. The second hole 262 further includes a second cutout portion 262c for introducing the second pin 27b so as to be insertable into the second hole 262.

[0051] The third hole 263 has a third groove portion 263a for supporting the third pin 27c, a third inclined portion 263b for guiding the third pin 27c into the third groove portion 263a, and a third opening portion 263d for widening the movable range of the third pin 27c with respect to the third hole 263. The third groove portion 263a includes a support surface 263a1 which is a groove bottom surface, and a pair of restriction surfaces 263a2 which are groove side surfaces facing the third pin 27c so as to sandwich the third pin 27c placed on the support surface 263a1 from both sides. The third inclined portion 263b is a guide portion which is connected to the third groove portion 263a and guides the third pin 27c into the third groove portion 263a. The third inclined portion 263b has a pair of inclined surfaces (guide surfaces) inclined such that the opposing width in the directions intersecting the advance / retract direction of the head holder 26 and the width direction (sheet width direction) of the recording head 22 gradually narrows toward the regulating surface 263a2. The third hole 263 is further provided with a third cutout portion 263c for introducing the third pin 27c so that it can be inserted into the third hole 263, and a fourth groove portion 263e used when replacing the recording head.

[0052] As a configuration for assembling the recording head 22 to the head holder 26, the first hole 261 is a closed hole, whereas the second hole 262 and the third hole 263 are holes that open to the side at openings 262d, 263d. That is, the second hole 262 is provided with a second cutout portion 262c, and the second hole 262 is opened in the same direction so that the second pin 27b can be introduced into the second hole 262 from a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the recording head 22. Similarly, the third hole 263 is provided with a third cutout portion 263c, and the third hole 263 is opened in the same direction so that the third pin 27c can be introduced into the third hole 263 from a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the recording head 22.

[0053] The fourth groove 263e provided in the third hole 263 is an engagement groove with which the third pin 27c can be engaged, and is used to hold the recording head 22 in an inclined position in order to facilitate the work of electrically connecting the recording head 22 to the recording device 1 when replacing the recording head 22. This engagement groove may be provided in the second hole 262 instead of the third hole 263. Alternatively, it may be provided in both the third hole 263 and the second hole 262.

[0054] The head holder 26 is further provided with a first biasing member 51a including a compression spring (not shown), a second biasing member 51b (positioned at the position shown in FIG. 4, and not shown in FIG. 7 because it overlaps with the third biasing member 51c), and a third biasing member 51c.

[0055] The first biasing member 51a is disposed so as to apply a biasing force to the recording head 22 on a side closer to the first contact portion 221a or the second contact portion 221b than the third contact portion 221c in a direction intersecting with the lifting direction (advancement / retraction direction) of the recording head 22 or in the sheet transport direction. Preferably, the first biasing member 51a is disposed above the first contact portion 221a, that is, at a position at least partially overlapping with the first contact portion 221a when viewed in the lifting direction of the recording head 22. The second biasing member 51b is disposed so as to apply a biasing force to the recording head 22 on a side closer to the first contact portion 221a or the second contact portion 221b than the third contact portion 221c in a direction intersecting with the lifting direction (advancement / retraction direction) of the recording head 22 or in the sheet transport direction. Preferably, the second urging member 51b is disposed above the second contact portion 221b, i.e., at a position at which it at least partially overlaps with the second contact portion 221b when viewed in the ascending / descending direction of the recording head 22. The third urging member 51c is disposed so as to apply a urging force to the recording head 22 on the side closer to the third contact portion 221c than the first contact portion 221a or the second contact portion 221b in a direction intersecting with the ascending / descending direction (advancement / retraction direction) of the recording head 22 or in the sheet conveying direction. Preferably, the third urging member 51c is disposed above the third contact portion 221c, i.e., at a position at which it at least partially overlaps with the third contact portion 221c when viewed in the ascending / descending direction of the recording head 22.

[0056] 8(a) to 8(c), the biasing members 51a, 51b, and 51c are respectively composed of base portions 511a, 511b, and 511c, sliding portions 512a, 512b, and 512c, and compression springs 514a, 514b, and 514c. The sliding portions 512a, 512b, and 513c are configured to be movable forward and backward in the direction in which they bias the recording head 22 relative to the base portions 511a, 511b, and 511c.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 8(c), the base portion 511 (511a, 511b, 511c) is a generally cylindrical member, and the sliding portion 512 (sliding portions 512a, 512b, 512c) is partially inserted therein. The sliding portion 512 is configured so that the tip portion on the side exposed from the base portion 511 abuts against the plate 52 provided on the recording head 22, and the rear end portion on the side inserted into the insertion hole of the base portion 511 receives the biasing force of the compression spring 514 (514a, 514b, 514c). The compression spring 514 is assembled on the inner side of the insertion hole of the base portion 511 relative to the sliding portion 512, and presses the rear end of the sliding portion 512 so as to move the sliding portion 512 from the inner side of the insertion hole toward the outlet side along the ascending and descending direction of the recording head 22. An engaged portion that protrudes in a direction intersecting the insertion direction is provided at the portion of the sliding portion 512 that is inserted into the insertion hole of the base portion 511, and an inward flange portion for preventing the sliding portion 512 from coming off is provided at the opening of the insertion hole of the base portion 511. The engaged portion and the flange portion come into contact with and engage with each other, thereby defining a movable range of the sliding portion 512 relative to the base portion 511 in the direction in which the recording head 22 is biased.

[0058] The tip of the sliding part 512 is configured with a convex part having a convex partial spherical surface at the portion that abuts against the plate 52. The plate 52 with which the tip of the sliding part 512 abuts changes in angle with respect to the advancing / retreating direction of the sliding part 512 as the attitude of the recording head 22 changes. With the above-mentioned convex shape configuration, when the angle of the plate 52 changes, the sliding part 512 can maintain a state of biasing the recording head 22 by sliding against the plate 52 while moving forward / backward relative to the base part 511 and changing the contact position. Note that the shape of the tip of the sliding part 512 is not limited to the above-mentioned convex partial spherical shape, and other shapes and configurations may be appropriately adopted as long as they are configured to slide while maintaining a biasing state.

[0059] 6 and 7, in the retracted position, the first pin 27a, the second pin 27b, and the third pin 27c of the recording head 22 are supported by the first groove portion 261a, the second groove portion 262a, and the third groove portion 263a of the head holder 26, respectively. Furthermore, the recording head 22 is supported in a state in which it is biased against the head holder 26 by the biasing forces of the first biasing member 51a, the second biasing member 51b (disposed at the position shown in FIG. 4, and not shown in FIG. 7 because it overlaps with the third biasing member 51c), and the third biasing member 51c. The pins 27a to 27c are pressed against the support surfaces 261a1 to 263a1, which are the groove bottom surfaces of the groove portions 261a to 263a, by the biasing forces of the biasing members 51a, 51b, and 51c. A pair of regulating surfaces 261a2-263a2 are opposed to the pins 27a-27c pressed against the support surfaces 261a1-263a1 so as to be able to come into contact with the pins 27a-27c in a direction intersecting the advancing and retreating direction of the recording head 22, and regulate the movement of the pins 27a-27c in the intersecting direction. As a result, the recording head 22 is supported by the head holder 26 in a first supporting state in which the angular change that changes the direction of the ejection surface, that is, the relative rotation with respect to the head holder 26 about the rotation axis along the sheet width direction (width direction of the recording head 22), is restricted.

[0060] However, the present invention is not limited to the configuration that applies the urging force as described above, and if the weight of the recording head 22 is sufficiently heavy, the urging forces of the first urging member 51a, the second urging member 51b, and the third urging member 51c may not be required. In addition, in this embodiment, the diameter of the first pin 27a is 5.90 to 6.00 mm, and the width of the first groove portion 261a is 6.00 to 6.10 mm, but this is not limited to this, and there is no problem as long as the dimensional difference between the pin diameter and the groove width is about 1 mm. The same applies to the second pin 27b and the second groove portion 262a, and the third pin 27c and the third groove portion 263a.

[0061] The first pin 27a, the second pin 27b, and the third pin 27c provided on the recording head 22 are supported by the first groove portion 261a, the second groove portion 262a, and the third groove portion 263a provided on the head holder 26, so that two of the three pins become references and the remaining one becomes a rotation stopper. That is, in relation to the present invention, the first pin 27a becomes the first supported portion, and the first groove portion 261a becomes the first supporting portion. In addition, one of the second pin 27b and the third pin 27c is the second supported portion and at the same time becomes a rotation restricted portion in relation to the other pin. Correspondingly, one of the second groove portion 262a and the third groove portion 263a is the second supporting portion and at the same time becomes a rotation restricting portion in relation to the other groove portion. In addition, a pair of groove side surfaces of this groove portion become rotation restricting surfaces. Similarly, the other of the second and third pins 27b and 27c is the second support portion and also the rotation-restricted portion in relation to the other of the grooves. Correspondingly, the other of the second and third grooves 262a and 263a is the second support portion and also the rotation-restricted portion in relation to the other of the grooves. In addition, a pair of groove side surfaces of this groove are rotation-restricted surfaces. This allows the recording head 22 in the retracted position to be supported by the head holder 26 in a stable position. In addition, in this embodiment, the first and second pins 27a and 27b are provided at approximately the same height, but they may be provided at different heights.

[0062] In this embodiment, the three pins are supported and the three grooves are supporting, but only one of the second pin 27b and the third pin 27c may be supported and the other may function only as a rotation-restricted portion. That is, the other of the second pin 27b and the third pin 27c may not contact the bottom of the groove into which it fits. In this case, the groove functions only as a rotation-restricting portion, and a pair of groove side surfaces of the groove function as rotation-restricting surfaces. Even with this configuration, the recording head 22 can be supported in a stable position, as in this embodiment, and highly accurate positioning with respect to the opposing unit, which will be described later, is possible.

[0063] Also, for example, depending on the manufacturing accuracy of the installation positions of the second pin 27b and the third pin 27c, or the second groove portion 262a and the third groove portion 263a, one of the second pin 27b and the third pin 27c may not be able to fully contact the groove bottom surface of the groove portion. Even in such a case, as in this embodiment, it is possible to support the recording head 22 in a stable position and to position it with high accuracy relative to the opposing unit.

[0064] 9 and 10 are views showing the state when the head holder 26 supporting the recording head 22 descends from the retracted position toward the printing position, and the first contact portion 221a, the second contact portion 221b, and the third contact portion 221c of the recording head 22 come into contact with the positioning member 811 of the conveying section. Fig. 9(a) is a view from the rear side of the device, Fig. 9(b) is a view from the front side of the device, and Fig. 10 is a view from the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction. At this time, because the first contact portion 221a, the second contact portion 221b, and the third contact portion 221c of the recording head 22 come into contact with the positioning member 811, the head holder 26 Further downward movement will not result in the recording head 22 descending any further.

[0065] 11 and 12 are diagrams showing a state (printing position) in which the head holder 26 is further lowered and the positioning of the recording head 22 and the conveying section is completed. FIG. 11(a) is a diagram seen from the rear side of the device, FIG. 11(b) is a diagram seen from the front side of the device, and FIG. 12 is a diagram seen from the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction. As the head holder 26 is further lowered from the abutting state in FIGS. 9 and 10, the first to third abutting portions 221a to 221c of the recording head 22 are urged against the positioning member 811 by the first to third urging members 51a to 51c provided on the head holder 26, and the second urging member 51b is not shown in FIG. 12 because it is disposed at the position shown in FIG. 4 and overlaps with the third urging member 51c. At this time, the first to third pins 27a to 27c are separated from the support surfaces 261a1 to 263a1, deviate from the opposing region of the pair of regulating surfaces 261a2, and are released from the first to third groove portions 261a to 263a. At the same time, the first to third contact portions 221a to 221c are brought into complete conformity with the positioning member 811.

[0066] 9 and 10 to the state shown in FIG. 11 and 12, the pins 27a to 27c are disengaged from the grooves 261a to 263a and move to the openings 261d to 263d as the widened hole portions in which the movable range is enlarged in the holes 261 to 263. In this state, the pins 27a to 27c can move relative to the holes 261 to 263 over a wide range. Therefore, the recording head 22 is supported by the head holder 26 in a second supporting manner in which the positioning member 811 can change its position by balancing the force acting on the contact portion from the positioning member and the biasing force acting on the plate 52 from the biasing member. The above-mentioned position change includes, for example, a relative rotation about a rotation axis along the sheet width direction (the width direction of the recording head 22) with respect to the head holder 26, and a relative movement in a direction (sheet conveying direction) intersecting each of the moving direction of the head holder 26 and the sheet width direction.

[0067] In this way, the recording head 22 finally comes to a state where it completely follows the positioning member 811 of the transport section, so that the recording head 22 and the transport section can be positioned with high accuracy. However, the biasing force of the first to third biasing members 51a to 51c is not necessarily required, and the recording head 22 may be biased and positioned only by its own weight.

[0068] 13 and 14 are explanatory diagrams when the head holder 26 rises from the printing position and starts to retract the recording head 22 upward. FIG. 13(a) is a view from the rear side of the device, FIG. 13(b) is a view from the front side of the device, and FIG. 14 is a view from the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction. FIG. 13 shows a state in which the head holder 26 and the positioning member 811 are misaligned in the longitudinal direction (a direction intersecting the moving direction of the head holder 26 and the sheet width direction, and a direction along the sheet conveying direction) due to the variation in accuracy of related parts of the device body. At this time, the first pin 27a and the first groove portion 261a, the second pin 27b and the second groove portion 262a, and the third pin 27c and the third groove portion 263a are also misaligned in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, when the recording head 22 is lifted by the rise of the head holder 26, any or all of the first pin 27a and the first inclined portion 261b, the second pin 27b and the second inclined portion 262b, and the third pin 27c and the third inclined portion 263b come into contact with each other, resulting in the state shown in Figure 13.

[0069] When the head holder 26 is further raised from this state, the first pin 27a is guided to the first inclined portion 261b by either or both of the biasing forces of the first to third biasing members 51a to 51c and the weight of the recording head 22, and enters the first groove portion 261a. The second biasing member 51b is disposed at the position shown in FIG. 4, and is not shown in FIG. 14 because it overlaps with the third biasing member 51c. The same is true for the second pin 27b and the third pin 27c. That is, the supporting manner of the recording head 22 by the head holder 26 changes from the second supporting manner in which the change in the attitude of the recording head 22 following the positioning member 811 is permitted to change, to the first supporting manner in which the change in the attitude of the recording head 22 is restricted. As a result, the recording head 22 is moved from the second supporting manner in which the change in the attitude of the recording head 22 following the positioning member 811 is permitted to change, to the first supporting manner in which the change in the attitude of the recording head 22 is restricted. 2 can move from the printing position to the retracted position in a stable posture in which rotation with respect to the head holder 26 is restricted.

[0070] In this embodiment, the inclination angle of the inclined surface of the first inclined portion 261b (the angle with respect to the direction perpendicular to each of the moving direction of the head holder 26 and the width direction of the recording head 22 (sheet conveying direction)) is set to about 30°. However, the inclination angle is not limited to this, and a minimum necessary angle is determined depending on the weight and center of gravity position of the recording head 22, the biasing forces of the biasing members 51a to 51c, and the frictional force between the first pin 27a and the first inclined portion 261b. The second inclined portion 262b and the third inclined portion 263b are also similar to the first inclined portion 261b.

[0071] Next, the positioning of the recording head 22 and the maintenance unit 17 will be described with reference to FIG. 15. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a state in which the maintenance unit 17 has moved under the recording head 22 in the retracted position. From this state, the recording head 22 descends toward the maintenance position as a positioning position, similar to the positioning with respect to the transport unit. Then, first, the first contact portion 221a (not shown), the second contact portion 221b (not shown), and the third contact portion 221c of the recording head 22 abut against the positioning member 171 of the maintenance unit 17. Then, by further descending, the first contact portion 221a, the second contact portion 221b, and the third contact portion 221c of the recording head 22 are urged against the positioning member 171 by the first urging member 51a, the second urging member 51b, and the third urging member 51c provided on the head holder 26, and the recording head 22 is positioned. At this time, the first pin 27a (not shown), the second pin 27b, and the third pin 27c are released from the first groove portion 261a (not shown), the second groove portion 262a, and the third groove portion 263a of the head holder 26. As a result, the first abutment portion 221a (not shown), the second abutment portion 221b (not shown), and the third abutment portion 221c are brought into complete conformity with the positioning member 171 provided in the maintenance unit 17. This allows the recording head 22 and the maintenance unit 17 to be positioned with high accuracy.

[0072] (Easy installation of recording head) Next, the installation work for setting the recording head 22 in the recording device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing the state of the recording head 22 before it is installed in the device body of the recording device 1. As shown in Fig. 16, when setting the recording head 22 in the recording device 1, first, the head holder 26 is pulled out from the recording device 1 to the front side in the sheet width direction.

[0073] When attaching the recording head 22 to the head holder 26, first, the first pin 27a provided on the recording head 22 is inserted into the first hole 261 of the head holder 26. Thereafter, the second pin 27b is guided into the second hole 262 from the second cutout portion 262c of the head holder 26, and the third pin 27c is guided into the third hole 263 from the third cutout portion 263c. Furthermore, the first pin 27a, the second pin 27b, and the third pin 27c are supported by the first groove portion 261a, the second groove portion 262a, and the third groove portion 263a, respectively. In this way, the recording head 22 can be attached to the head holder 26 with the attitude of the recording head 22 relative to the head holder 26 being determined. 16, the first pin 27a and the first hole 261 are arranged on the rear side in the sheet width direction, and the second pin 27b, the third pin 27c, the second hole 262, and the third hole 263 are arranged on the front side in the sheet width direction. Therefore, at the rear side far from the operator's hand, it is only necessary to insert the first pin 27a into the first hole 261, and at the front side close to the operator's hand, the second pin 27b and the third pin 27c are introduced into the second hole 262 and the third hole 263, respectively. This makes it possible to easily set the recording head 22 in the head holder 26.

[0074] Next, the electrical connection between the recording head 22 and the recording device 1 will be described. As shown in Fig. 16, the upper surface of the recording head 22 is provided with electrical connector connecting portions 22a, 22b, and 22c. The head holder 26 is also provided with the electrical connector connecting portions 22a, 22b, and Electric connectors 26a, 26b, and 26c are disposed at positions facing 22c. By providing the electrical connection between the recording head 22 and the recording device 1 on the upper surface of the recording head 22 in this manner, the longitudinal width of the recording head 22 can be reduced, and the longitudinal width of the entire recording device 1 can be reduced.

[0075] 17 and 18, the third pin 27c of the recording head 22 supported by the head holder 26 is set in the fourth groove portion 263e, so that the recording head 22 can be held at an angle relative to the head holder 26. Fig. 17 is a front view of the device showing the state in which the recording head 22 is held at an angle relative to the head holder 26. Fig. 18 shows a perspective view of the recording head 22 held at an angle.

[0076] 18, by being able to hold the recording head 22 at an angle, the operator can easily check the electrical connector connecting parts 22a, 22b, and 22c provided on the upper surface of the recording head 22. In addition, since the electrical connector connecting parts 22a, 22b, and 22c are held in a state in which they are exposed at an angle toward the operator, it is possible to easily connect the electrical connectors 26a, 26b, and 26c provided on the recording device 1 side to them.

[0077] 19 shows the recording head 22 in a state where the electrical connectors 26a, 26b, and 26c are connected to the recording head 22 and the third pin 27c of the recording head 22 is moved from the fourth groove 263e to the third groove 263a, thereby returning the inclination of the recording head 22 to the normal state. By the above operations, the mounting of the recording head 22 to the recording device 1 and the electrical connection with the recording device 1 are completed.

[0078] 19, in this embodiment, the fourth groove portion 263e is provided so that the recording head 22 is held with the inclination angle of the ejection port surface (angle with respect to the direction (sheet conveying direction) perpendicular to each of the moving direction of the head holder 26 and the width direction of the recording head 22) tilted by approximately 30°. This is merely an example, and is not limited to this. In other words, it is sufficient that the third pin 27c is formed at a position sufficiently distant from the third groove portion 263a so that the third pin 27c does not fall into the fourth groove portion 263e when the recording head 22 moves from the printing position or maintenance position to the retracted position.

[0079] As described above, according to this embodiment, the recording head 22 is stably supported by the head holder 26 at the retracted position. Furthermore, at the printing position or maintenance position, the movable range of the recording head 22 relative to the head holder 26 is expanded, and the recording head 22 is positioned by completely following the transport unit or the maintenance unit 17. This allows the recording head 22 to be positioned with high accuracy relative to the transport unit or the maintenance unit 17. Furthermore, when the recording head 22 is set in the recording device 1, it can be easily set through the second and third cutouts provided in the head holder 26. Furthermore, since the recording head 22 can be held in an inclined state by hooking the third pin 27c into the fourth groove 263e, the connection work of the electric connectors 26a, 26b, and 26c can be easily performed.

[0080] According to this embodiment, a highly versatile guide mechanism capable of positioning the recording head 22 by making it follow the opposing unit can be realized. That is, the movement of the head holder 26 supporting the recording head 22 is a simple movement configuration in which the movement direction is only a linear direction. Then, when the recording head 22 abuts against the positioning member 811, the support state of the recording head 22 by the head holder 26 changes from a first state that restricts the rotation of the recording head 22 to a second state that allows the rotation. This configuration is realized by devising an engagement configuration between the pin 27 of the recording head 22 and the holes 261 to 263 of the head holder 26. That is, the holes 261 to 263 are configured to have grooves 261a to 263a that restrict the movement of the pin 27 in the lateral direction intersecting with the movement direction of the head holder 26, and openings 261d to 263d that allow the lateral movement of the pin 27 within a predetermined range. Then, when the recording head 22 abuts against the positioning member 811, the recording head 22 is supported by the head holder 26. The head 22 is configured to move relative to the head holder 26, thereby changing the engagement positions of the pins 27 with the holes 261 to 263, thereby making it possible to change the above-mentioned support mode.

[0081] In addition, in this embodiment, the positioning and abutment configuration is configured such that the abutment portion is concave and the positioning portion is convex, and positioning is performed by fitting the concave and convex portions together, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the abutment portion may be convex and the positioning portion may be concave, or some of the abutment portions may be concave and others may be convex, and correspondingly, some of the positioning portions may be convex and others may be concave.

[0082] In addition, the specific shape of the concave shape of the contact portion, that is, the combination of the arrangement of the cone and the groove, may be arranged differently from that in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the contact portion 221b as the first contact portion provided on the same side as the contact portion 221c as the second contact portion in the sheet width direction (recording head longitudinal direction) is a groove-shaped portion, and the contact portion 221a as the first contact portion provided on the opposite side is a concave cone-shaped portion. In contrast, for example, the contact portion 221a may be changed from the concave cone-shaped portion to a groove-shaped portion, and the contact portion 221b may be changed from the groove-shaped portion to a concave cone-shaped portion.

[0083] In this embodiment, the side where the cone-shaped contact portion 221a is provided is the reference point side during the recording operation of the recording head 22, and the side where the cone-shaped portion is provided is configured to be the same as the sheet transport reference side in the sheet width direction. That is, the positioning configuration that is the operation reference point side of the recording head 22 is configured to be an engagement configuration between the contact portion 221a, which is a cone-shaped recess, and the positioning member 811a, which is a partially spherical convex portion, and is configured to regulate the positions of the contact portions 221a and 811a in the sheet transport direction and the sheet width direction. On the other hand, the positioning configuration on the opposite side to the operation reference side of the recording head 22 is configured to absorb the influence of dimensional errors and the like (to allow dimensional errors to escape) by making the contact portions 221b and 221c in the groove shape that are open in the sheet width direction. In this way, it is desirable to align the reference point of the recording head 22 and the sheet transport reference on the same side from the viewpoint of the image quality of the recorded image, and it is possible to reduce the variation in the image position formed on the sheet. In addition, by placing the cone-shaped portion, which serves as the reference point for the recording head 22, as far away as possible from the heat source of the device, the influence of thermal deformation is reduced. In this embodiment, the cone-shaped portion is provided on the front side of the device, not on the rear side where there are many heat sources such as electric boards.

[0084] In addition, in this embodiment, the second contact portion 221c is arranged on the same side (back side of the device) as the contact portion 221b in the longitudinal direction (width direction) of the recording head 22, but it may be arranged on the same side (front side of the device) as the opposite contact portion 221a.

[0085] In this embodiment, the first contact portion is provided in pairs on both sides of the longitudinal direction (sheet width direction) of the recording head (contact portion 221a, 221b), and the second contact portion is provided only on one side of the longitudinal direction (contact portion 221c). That is, in this embodiment, the positioning contact is performed at three points, but it may be a four-point contact configuration with two points on each longitudinal side, for example. However, with a three-point contact configuration, it is possible to support the positioning while avoiding positional deviations due to component dimensional errors, etc., and to reduce the effects of individual product differences, etc., and to achieve highly accurate positioning.

[0086] Example 2 A recording device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Here, only configurations in the second embodiment that are different from the first embodiment will be described. Items in the configuration of the second embodiment that are not specifically described here are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0087] Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing a recording head support structure in the second embodiment. Fig. 21 is a diagram showing details of a recording head support unit in the second embodiment. Fig. 21(a) shows the recording head support structure on the rear side of the apparatus. FIG. 21(b) is a detailed view of the recording head support portion on the front side of the apparatus.

[0088] As shown in Figs. 20 and 21, in the second embodiment, a first hole 61 is provided at one end of the recording head 22 in the sheet width direction, and a second hole 62 and a third hole 63 are provided at the other end of the sheet width direction. In addition, a first pin 70a is provided at a position facing the first hole 61 of the recording head 22, and a second pin 70b and a third pin 70c are provided at positions facing the second hole 62 and the third hole 63 of the recording head 22 in the head holder 26. That is, in the first embodiment, a first pin 27a, a second pin 27b, and a third pin 27c are provided in the recording head 22, and a first hole 261, a second hole 262, and a third hole 263 are provided in the head holder 26. In contrast, in the second embodiment, a first hole 61, a second hole 62, and a third hole 63 are provided in the recording head 22, and a first pin 70a, a second pin 70b, and a third pin 70c are provided in the head holder 26.

[0089] Even with such a configuration, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. That is, in the recording device of the second embodiment, the recording head 22 is stably supported by the head holder 26 at the retracted position. Furthermore, the recording head 22 is allowed to change its posture with respect to the head holder 26 at the printing position or the maintenance position, and is positioned by completely following the conveying section or the maintenance section 17, so that it can be positioned with high accuracy in the conveying section or the maintenance section 17. Furthermore, when setting the recording head 22 in the recording device 1, it can be easily set by passing the second pin 70b and the third pin 70c provided on the head holder 26 through the second cutout portion 62c and the third cutout portion 63c provided on the recording head 22. Furthermore, since the recording head 22 can be held in an inclined state by hanging the third pin 70c on the fourth groove portion 63d, the connection work of the electric connectors 26a, 26b, and 26c can be easily performed.

[0090] The configuration of the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of embodiment 1 or embodiment 2, and may be, for example, a configuration in which embodiment 1 and embodiment 2 are combined. That is, for example, a configuration in which the recording head 22 is provided with a first pin 27a, a second hole 62, and a third hole 63, and the head holder 26 is provided with a first hole 261, a second pin 70b, and a third pin 70c may be used.

[0091] The disclosure of the embodiments of the present invention includes the following configurations. (Configuration 1) a recording head that ejects ink onto a sheet conveyed in a conveying direction; a support and movement unit that supports the recording head in a width direction of the sheet intersecting the conveying direction and moves the recording head between a positioning position and a non-positioning position; a positioning portion that comes into contact with the recording head at the positioning position; In a recording device comprising: The support and movement unit includes: a first support portion that supports the recording head at one end in the width direction when the recording head is in the non-positioning position; a second support portion that supports the recording head at the non-positioning position at the other end in the width direction; having a first support portion and a second support portion that do not support the recording head when the recording head is in the positioning position; (Configuration 2) 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supporting and moving portion has a rotation regulating portion that regulates rotation of the recording head at the non-positioning position about a rotation axis that extends along the width direction. (Configuration 3) The recording head includes: a first supported portion provided at one end of the recording head in the width direction and supported by the first supporting portion when the recording head is in the non-positioning position; a second supported portion provided at the other end of the recording head in the width direction and supported by the second supporting portion when the recording head is in the non-positioning position; a rotation restricted portion provided at another end of the recording head in the width direction at a position different from the second supported portion; 3. The recording device according to claim 2, further comprising: (Configuration 4) The first support portion includes: a first support surface that contacts the first supported portion to support the recording head when the recording head is in the non-positioning position and that is spaced apart from the first supported portion when the recording head is in the positioning position; a first restriction surface that can come into contact with the first supported portion in contact with the first support surface in a cross direction that crosses both the movement direction of the support movement portion and the width direction; having The second support portion includes: a second support surface that contacts the second supported portion to support the recording head when the recording head is in the non-positioning position and that is spaced apart from the second supported portion when the recording head is in the positioning position; a second restriction surface that can come into contact with the second supported portion in the intersecting direction in contact with the second support surface; The rotation restriction portion is The recording apparatus according to configuration 3, further comprising a rotation restriction surface capable of coming into contact with the rotation restricted portion in the intersecting direction when the recording head is in the non-positioning position. (Configuration 5) The recording head includes: a first protrusion protruding in the width direction from one end of the recording head in the width direction; a second protrusion protruding in the width direction from the other end of the recording head in the width direction; a third protrusion protruding in the width direction from a position that is different from the second protrusion and is at another end of the recording head in the width direction; having The support and movement unit includes: a first hole portion having a first surface facing the first protrusion portion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction; a second hole portion having a second surface facing the second protrusion portion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction; a third hole portion having a third surface facing the third protrusion portion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction; having the first protruding portion is the first supported portion, the second protruding portion is the second supported portion, the third protrusion is the rotation restricted portion, the first surface includes the first support surface and the first restriction surface, the second surface includes the second support surface and the second restriction surface, 5. The recording apparatus according to configuration 4, wherein the third surface includes the rotation restriction surface. (Configuration 6) the first hole portion has a first groove portion as the first support portion, the first support surface being a groove bottom surface, and a pair of the first restriction surfaces facing each other in the intersecting direction being groove side surfaces; the second hole portion has a second groove portion as the second support portion, the second support surface being a groove bottom surface, and a pair of the second restriction surfaces facing each other in the intersecting direction being groove side surfaces; The recording device according to configuration 5, wherein the third hole portion has a third groove portion as the rotation restricted portion, the third groove portion having a pair of the rotation restricting surfaces facing each other in the intersecting direction as groove side surfaces. (Configuration 7) The recording head includes: a first supported portion provided at one end of the recording head in the width direction and supported by the first supporting portion when the recording head is in the non-positioning position; a second supported portion provided at the other end of the recording head in the width direction and supported by the second supporting portion when the recording head is in the non-positioning position; 2. The recording device according to claim 1, further comprising: (Configuration 8) The first support portion includes: a first support surface that contacts the first supported portion to support the recording head when the recording head is in the non-positioning position and that is spaced apart from the first supported portion when the recording head is in the positioning position; a first restriction surface that can come into contact with the first supported portion in contact with the first support surface in a cross direction that crosses both the movement direction of the support movement portion and the width direction; having The second support portion includes: a second support surface that contacts the second supported portion to support the recording head when the recording head is in the non-positioning position and that is spaced apart from the second supported portion when the recording head is in the positioning position; a second restriction surface that can come into contact with the second supported portion in the intersecting direction when the second support surface is in contact with the second supported portion; 8. The recording device according to claim 7, further comprising: (Configuration 9) The recording head includes: a first protrusion protruding in the width direction from one end of the recording head in the width direction; a second protrusion protruding in the width direction from the other end of the recording head in the width direction; a third protrusion protruding in the width direction from a position that is different from the second protrusion and is at another end of the recording head in the width direction; having The support and movement unit includes: a first hole portion having a first surface facing the first protrusion portion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction; a second hole portion having a second surface facing the second protrusion portion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction; a third hole portion having a third surface facing the third protrusion portion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction; having the first protruding portion is the first supported portion, At least one of the second protrusion and the third protrusion is the second supported portion, the first surface includes the first support surface and the first restriction surface, 9. The recording device according to configuration 8, wherein at least one of the second surface and the third surface includes the second support surface and the second regulating surface. (Configuration 10) The first hole portion has a first groove portion, the second hole portion has a second groove portion, the third hole portion has a third groove portion, the first groove portion is a groove portion serving as the first support portion, in which a groove bottom surface serves as the first support surface, and a pair of groove side surfaces opposed to each other in the intersecting direction serve as a pair of the first control surfaces, The recording device described in configuration 9, characterized in that at least one of the second groove portion and the third groove portion is a groove portion serving as the second support portion, with a groove bottom surface serving as the second support surface and a pair of groove side surfaces facing each other in the intersecting direction serving as a pair of the second regulating surfaces. (Configuration 11) The first hole portion has a first widened hole portion that is connected to the first groove portion downstream in a direction in which the first protrusion portion is separated from the first groove portion and has a width in the intersecting direction wider than that of the first groove portion, The second hole portion is connected to the second groove portion downstream in a direction in which the second protrusion portion is separated from the second groove portion, and has a second widened hole portion having a width in the intersecting direction wider than that of the second groove portion, The recording device described in configuration 6 or 10, characterized in that the third hole portion is connected to the third groove portion downstream in the direction in which the third protrusion portion is separated from the third groove portion, and has a third widened hole portion whose width in the intersecting direction is wider than that of the third groove portion. (Configuration 12) the first widened hole portion has a first guide surface that guides the first protrusion portion to the first groove portion when the recording head is in the non-positioning position, the second widened hole portion has a second guide surface that guides the second protrusion portion to the second groove portion when the recording head is in the non-positioning position, The recording device described in configuration 11, wherein the third widened hole portion has a third guide surface that guides the third protrusion portion into the third groove portion when the recording head is in the non-positioning position. (Configuration 13) the first guide surface is a first inclined surface inclined with respect to the moving direction and connected to a first groove side surface of the first groove portion, the second guide surface is a second inclined surface inclined with respect to the moving direction and connected to a second groove side surface of the second groove portion, 13. The recording device according to configuration 12, wherein the third guide surface is a third inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the movement direction and is continuous with a third groove side surface of the third groove portion. (Configuration 14) the first inclined surfaces are provided in pairs to face each other in the intersecting direction in correspondence with a pair of the first groove side surfaces, and are configured such that an opposing width in the intersecting direction gradually narrows as the first inclined surfaces approach the first groove side surfaces; the second inclined surfaces are provided in pairs to face each other in the intersecting direction in correspondence with a pair of the second groove side surfaces, and are configured such that an opposing width in the intersecting direction gradually narrows as the second inclined surfaces approach the second groove side surfaces, The recording device described in configuration 13, characterized in that the third inclined surfaces are provided in pairs facing each other in the intersecting direction in correspondence with a pair of the third groove side surfaces, and the facing width in the intersecting direction is configured to gradually narrow as the third groove side surfaces are approached. (Configuration 15) The second hole portion has a second opening portion that opens the second widened hole portion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction, The third hole portion has a third opening portion that opens the third widened hole portion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction, the second protrusion is insertable into the second hole through the second opening, 15. The recording device according to configuration 14, wherein the third protrusion is insertable into the third hole through the third opening. (Configuration 16) the second hole portion has a second engagement groove portion that can be engaged with the second protrusion portion so that the recording head is held in an orientation different from the orientation when the recording head is in the non-positioning position; Or, The recording device described in configuration 15, characterized in that the third hole portion has a third engagement groove portion that can engage with the third protrusion portion so that the recording head is held in an orientation different from the orientation when the recording head is in the non-positioning position. (Configuration 17) 17. The recording apparatus according to configuration 16, wherein the second protrusion and the third protrusion are provided at different positions in the movement direction. (Configuration 18) 18. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 17, wherein the positioning position is a recording position where the recording head performs recording by ejecting ink onto a recording material. (Configuration 19) 18. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 17, wherein the positioning position is a maintenance position where maintenance of the recording head is performed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 22...recording head, 221...positioned portion, 221a...first contact portion, 221b...second contact portion, 221c...third contact portion, 26...head holder, 261...first hole, 261a...first groove portion, 261b...first inclined portion, 262...second hole, 262a...second groove portion, 262b...second inclined portion, 263...third hole, 263a...third groove portion, 263b...third inclined portion, 27a...first pin, 27b...second pin, 27c...third pin, 51a...first urging member, 51b...second urging member, 51c...third urging member, 81...sheet conveying portion housing, 811...positioning member, S...sheet

Claims

1. A recording head that discharges ink onto a sheet conveyed in a conveyance direction; a support moving unit that supports the recording head in a width direction of the sheet intersecting the conveyance direction and moves the recording head between a positioning position and a non-positioning position; a positioning unit that abuts against the recording head at the positioning position; In a recording apparatus comprising: the support moving unit at one end in the width direction, a first support unit that supports the recording head at the non-positioning position; at the other end in the width direction, a second support unit that supports the recording head at the non-positioning position; a rotation restricting unit that restricts rotation of the recording head at the non-positioning position about a rotation axis extending along the width direction; having a recording apparatus, wherein the first support unit and the second support unit do not support the recording head at the positioning position.

2. The recording head at one end in the width direction of the recording head, a first supported portion that is supported by the first support unit when the recording head is at the non-positioning position; at the other end in the width direction of the recording head, a second supported portion that is supported by the second support unit when the recording head is at the non-positioning position; a rotation-restricted portion provided at the other end in the width direction of the recording head and at a position different from the second supported portion; The recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by having

3. The first support unit when the recording head is at the non-positioning position, a first support surface that contacts the first supported portion to support the recording head and separates from the first supported portion when the recording head is at the positioning position; a first restricting surface that can abut against the first supported portion in contact with the first support surface in an intersecting direction intersecting each of the moving direction of the support moving unit and the width direction; having The second support unit when the recording head is at the non-positioning position, a second support surface that contacts the second supported portion to support the recording head and separates from the second supported portion when the recording head is at the positioning position; a second restricting surface that can abut against the second supported portion in contact with the second support surface in the intersecting direction; having, The rotation restricting unit The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the recording head is in the non-positioning position, the rotation restricting portion has a rotation restricting surface that can abut against the rotation-restricted portion in the intersecting direction.

4. The recording head has a first protrusion protruding in the width direction from one end in the width direction of the recording head, a second protrusion protruding in the width direction from the other end in the width direction of the recording head, and a third protrusion protruding in the width direction from a position different from the second protrusion at the other end in the width direction of the recording head, and the support moving portion has a first hole portion having a first surface facing the first protrusion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction, a second hole portion having a second surface facing the second protrusion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction, and a third hole portion having a third surface facing the third protrusion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction, and the first protrusion is the first supported portion, the second protrusion is the second supported portion, the third protrusion is the rotation-restricted portion, the first surface includes the first support surface and the first restricting surface, the second surface includes the second support surface and the second restricting surface, and the third surface includes the rotation restricting surface, the recording apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The first hole portion has a first groove portion as the first support portion having the first support surface as a groove bottom surface and a pair of the first restricting surfaces facing each other in the intersecting direction as groove side surfaces, the second hole portion has a second groove portion as the second support portion having the second support surface as a groove bottom surface and a pair of the second restricting surfaces facing each other in the intersecting direction as groove side surfaces, and the third hole portion has a third groove portion as the rotation-restricted portion having a pair of the rotation restricting surfaces facing each other in the intersecting direction as groove side surfaces, the recording apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The recording head has a first supported portion provided at one end in the width direction of the recording head and supported by the first support portion when the recording head is in the non-positioning position, and a second supported portion provided at the other end in the width direction of the recording head and supported by the second support portion when the recording head is in the non-positioning position, the recording apparatus according to claim 1.

7. The first support portion A first support surface that contacts the first supported portion to support the recording head when the recording head is in the non-positioning position and is spaced apart from the first supported portion when the recording head is in the positioning position; A first restricting surface that can abut against the first supported portion in contact with the first support surface in an intersecting direction that intersects each of the moving direction of the support moving portion and the width direction; It has, The second support portion, A second support surface that contacts the second supported portion to support the recording head when the recording head is in the non-positioning position and is spaced apart from the second supported portion when the recording head is in the positioning position; A second restricting surface that can abut against the second supported portion in contact with the second support surface in the intersecting direction; The recording apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that it has.

8. The recording head, A first protrusion protruding in the width direction from one end in the width direction of the recording head; A second protrusion protruding in the width direction from the other end in the width direction of the recording head; A third protrusion protruding in the width direction from a position different from the second protrusion at the other end in the width direction of the recording head; It has, The support moving portion, A first hole portion having a first surface facing the first protrusion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction; A second hole portion having a second surface facing the second protrusion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction; A third hole portion having a third surface facing the third protrusion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction; It has, The first protrusion is the first supported portion, At least one of the second protrusion and the third protrusion is the second supported portion, The first surface includes the first support surface and the first restricting surface, The recording apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one of the second surface and the third surface includes the second support surface and the second restricting surface.

9. The first hole portion has a first groove portion, The second hole portion has a second groove portion, The third hole portion has a third groove portion, The first groove portion is a groove portion as the first support portion, having a groove bottom surface as the first support surface and a pair of groove side surfaces facing each other in the intersecting direction as a pair of the first restricting surfaces. At least one of the second groove portion and the third groove portion has a groove bottom surface as the second support surface, and a pair of groove side surfaces facing each other in the intersecting direction as the pair of second restricting surfaces, and is a groove portion as the second support portion, The recording apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that.

10. The first hole portion is continuous with the first groove portion on the downstream side in the direction in which the first protrusion portion is separated from the first groove portion, and has a first widened hole portion whose width in the intersecting direction is wider than that of the first groove portion. The second hole portion is continuous with the second groove portion on the downstream side in the direction in which the second protrusion portion is separated from the second groove portion, and has a second widened hole portion whose width in the intersecting direction is wider than that of the second groove portion. The third hole portion is continuous with the third groove portion on the downstream side in the direction in which the third protrusion portion is separated from the third groove portion, and has a third widened hole portion whose width in the intersecting direction is wider than that of the third groove portion. The recording apparatus according to claim 5 or 9, characterized in that.

11. The first widened hole portion has a first guiding surface for guiding the first protrusion portion to the first groove portion when the recording head is in the non-positioning position. The second widened hole portion has a second guiding surface for guiding the second protrusion portion to the second groove portion when the recording head is in the non-positioning position. The third widened hole portion has a third guiding surface for guiding the third protrusion portion to the third groove portion when the recording head is in the non-positioning position. The recording apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that.

12. The first guiding surface is inclined with respect to the moving direction and is a first inclined surface continuous with the first groove side surface of the first groove portion. The second guiding surface is inclined with respect to the moving direction and is a second inclined surface continuous with the second groove side surface of the second groove portion. The third guiding surface is inclined with respect to the moving direction and is a third inclined surface continuous with the third groove side surface of the third groove portion. The recording apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that.

13. The first inclined surface is provided in a pair so as to face each other in the intersecting direction corresponding to the pair of first groove side surfaces, and the facing width in the intersecting direction is configured to gradually narrow as it approaches the first groove side surface. The second inclined surface is provided in a pair so as to face each other in the intersecting direction corresponding to the pair of second groove side surfaces, and the facing width in the intersecting direction is configured to gradually narrow as it approaches the second groove side surface. The recording apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the third inclined surface is provided in a pair so as to face each other in the intersecting direction corresponding to the pair of third groove side surfaces, and the facing width in the intersecting direction is configured to gradually narrow as it approaches the third groove side surface.

14. The second hole portion has a second opening portion that opens the second widened hole portion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction. The third hole portion has a third opening portion that opens the third widened hole portion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction. The second protrusion portion can be inserted into the second hole portion through the second opening portion. The recording apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the third protrusion portion can be inserted into the third hole portion through the third opening portion.

15. The second hole portion has a second engaging groove portion that can engage with the second protrusion portion so as to be held in a direction different from the direction when the recording head is in the non-positioning position. Or, The recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the third hole portion has a third engaging groove portion that can engage with the third protrusion portion so as to be held in a direction different from the direction when the recording head is in the non-positioning position.

16. The recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the second protrusion portion and the third protrusion portion are provided at different positions in the moving direction.

17. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning position is a recording position where the recording head discharges ink onto a recording material to perform recording.

18. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning position is a maintenance position where maintenance of the recording head is performed.

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