Printer

Abstract

To provide a printer that exhibits excellent appearance and design without affecting the impression of the product design in terms of appearance.SOLUTION: A printer (10) comprises: a stop switch (40) that stops operation of a carriage (12); a case (20) that forms a contour; and an opening / closing cover (30) that covers openably / closably an opening (21) formed in the case (20). Therein the stop switch (40) is disposed inside the case (20).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer having a stop switch for stopping the operation of the device. [Background technology]

[0002] In a printer, it is sometimes necessary to check the internal operation of the device or perform maintenance by looking inside through a transparent window in the case that serves as the housing, or by opening an access cover that covers the opening to see inside.

[0003] When it becomes necessary to stop the operation of the device for some reason, such as when checking the internal operation of the device or performing maintenance, the stop switch is pressed to stop the operation of the device. Patent Document 1 discloses a printer equipped with a stop switch.

[0004] The printer disclosed in Patent Document 1 comprises a head unit which records an image on a recording medium, a transport unit which supports the head unit so that it can move in a scanning direction, a scanning motor which drives the transport unit to scan the head unit, a motor control unit which outputs a drive current to the scanning motor to control its drive, a casing which covers the head unit and the transport unit, a door provided in the casing which is opened to expose the head unit to the outside, a detection unit which detects when the door is opened, an interlock unit which cuts off the power supplied to the motor control unit in conjunction with the detection of door opening by the detection unit, and an opening / closing means which is located inside the casing and which manually opens and closes an electrical path through which drive current is supplied from the motor control unit to the scanning motor.

[0005] Furthermore, the printer disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with an emergency stop switch on the outside of the casing for emergency stopping of the device operation. In the event of some kind of emergency, the emergency stop switch can be pressed from outside the printer to stop the device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5051073 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the printer of Patent Document 1, an emergency stop switch is provided on the outside of the casing, and the device is stopped by pressing the emergency stop switch from outside the printer. However, since the emergency stop switch is configured as a relatively large red button so that it is easy to understand and stand out, providing an emergency stop switch on the outside of the casing as in the printer of Patent Document 1 affects the product design and impairs its appearance.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a printer that is excellent in appearance and design, without affecting the impression of the product design in terms of appearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, a printer includes a rail extending in a main scanning direction, a carriage movable on the rail, an ink head provided on the carriage, a UV lamp provided on the carriage beside the ink head for irradiating ultraviolet light, and a stop switch for stopping the operation of the carriage, The device includes a case that defines an outer shape, and an opening / closing main cover that opens and closes an opening formed in the case, The printer is characterized in that the stop switch is disposed within the case. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a printer with excellent appearance and design without affecting the impression of the product design in terms of appearance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view of the printer shown in FIG. 1 with the access cover open. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the printer shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views of the cover member according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the printer's cross-sectional direction. [Diagram 5] 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the cover member according to the embodiment as viewed from the front of the printer. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cover member according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the cover member according to the embodiment is attached to the printer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG.

[0013] <Example> (Printer) Please refer to Figures 1 to 3. The printer 10 is a UV type printer (UV printer) capable of forming a color image on a medium such as paper, etc. The UV printer uses UV ink that hardens when irradiated with ultraviolet light.

[0014] The printer 10 includes a case 20 that defines the exterior of the printer, and an opening / closing main cover 30 that covers an opening 21 formed in the case 20 in an openable / closable manner.

[0015] The printer 10 also includes a table 15 on which media can be placed, rails 11 extending in the left-right width direction above the table 15, a front wall 22 extending in the left-right direction above the rails 11, a carriage 12 that can move on the rails 11, ink cartridges 13 filled with ink of different colors, ink tubes connected to enable ink to be delivered from the ink cartridges 13, an ink head 16 that is connected to these ink tubes and is housed in the carriage 12, a UV lamp 14 that irradiates ultraviolet light and is provided on the carriage 12, a maintenance device that performs maintenance on the ink head 16, and a control device that controls the carriage 12, etc.

[0016] The maintenance device includes a wiping device that wipes the nozzle surface of the ink head 16, and a capping device that protects the ink ejection surface side.

[0017] The printer 10 prints on the medium that passes under the ink head 16 while moving the carriage 12. Note that a UV printer prints by irradiating UV ink with ultraviolet light from a UV lamp 14 to harden the ink, and can print on a variety of materials, from hard materials such as resin, wood, and leather to soft materials.

[0018] (media) The media may be, for example, cylindrical parts such as smartphone cases, nameplates, signs, key chains, book covers, and bottles, parts with curved surfaces such as balls, papers such as plain paper, resins such as polyvinyl chloride and polyester, and metals such as aluminum and iron, and parts made from a variety of materials are possible.

[0019] (Head, ink cartridge, and ink) The ink cartridges include a cyan cartridge filled with cyan ink, a magenta cartridge filled with magenta ink, a yellow cartridge filled with yellow ink, a black cartridge filled with black ink, etc. The number and colors of cartridges constituting the ink cartridge 13 can be selected arbitrarily.

[0020] (case) The case 20 comprises legs 23 that come into contact with a desk or table, a bottom 24 provided on these legs 23, left and right side sections 25 formed to rise from each of the left and right widthwise edges of the bottom 24, a back section 26 formed to rise from the rear edge of the bottom 24, a top panel section 27 that covers the upper sides of the back section 26 and the left and right side sections 25, a lower front section 28 formed to rise from the front edge of the bottom 24 to partway along the height of the printer 20, and an upper front section 29 formed between the upper side of the lower front section 28 and the top panel section 27, sloping downward from the rear to the front.

[0021] An opening 21 is formed by side edges extending in the up-down direction at the front sides of the left and right side portions 25, a front edge extending in the left-right direction at the front side of the top plate portion 27, and an upper edge extending in the left-right direction at the top side of the lower front surface portion 28. This opening 21 can be opened and closed by an opening / closing main cover 30. The upper front surface portion 29 extends from the left and right side edges extending in the up-down direction at the front sides of the left and right side portions 25 to the outside of the opening 21. A pair of shaft portions is provided at the upper end of the left and right side surfaces at the upper end of the opening / closing main cover 30 that covers the opening 21 in an openable / closable manner. The pair of shaft portions is rotatably supported by the left and right side portions 25 at the left and right upper end positions of the opening 21.

[0022] In the embodiment, the opening / closing main cover 30 is a colored material that blocks ultraviolet rays, but as long as it can block ultraviolet rays, the opening / closing main cover 30 may be either translucent or substantially transparent.

[0023] (Stop switch) The printer 10 has a stop switch 40 disposed inside the case 20, which stops the operation of the device. More specifically, the stop switch 40 is disposed at the upper corner when viewed from the direction facing the front of the printer 10. The stop switch 40 is, for example, red, and formed in the shape of a button sized to be pressed by the palm of the user's hand.

[0024] A front wall 22 is provided at the top of the case 20 with its surface facing the front of the printer. The front wall 22 is provided in the case 20 above the rail 11 with a predetermined length vertically from one side surface 25 to the other side surface 25, and covers various devices and wiring. A stop switch 40 is fixed to the front wall 22. When viewed from the direction facing the front of the printer 10, the stop switch 40 is disposed on the right side of the front wall 22 in the left-right direction, and an insertion port for the ink cartridge 13 is formed on the left side. Below the front wall 22, the rail 11, the carriage 12 (ink head 16, maintenance device, etc.) that moves in the left-right direction along the rail 11, and the UV lamp 14 are disposed.

[0025] (Cover material) 4 to 7, the stop switch 40 is partially covered by a cover member 50 that blocks ultraviolet light. The cover member 50 has a lower cover portion 51 that covers the lower part of the stop switch 40, and a side cover portion 52 that covers the sides of the stop switch 40. The cover member 50 is fixed to the front wall 22.

[0026] (Hole for fixing the cover member) Furthermore, holes 22a, 22b, and 22c for fixing the cover member 50 are formed in the front wall 22. The cover member 50 has locking portions 53a, 53b, and 53c that can be locked in the holes 22a, 22b, and 22c.

[0027] The hole 22a for fixing the cover member 50 is formed as a vertically long slit extending in the up-down direction. The hole 22b for fixing the cover member 50 is formed as a horizontally long slit extending in the left-right direction below the hole 22a. The hole 22c for fixing the cover member 50 is formed as a horizontally long slit extending in the left-right direction on the side at the same height as the hole 22b.

[0028] The cover member 50 is formed in an L-shape in a front view by a side cover portion 52 extending vertically and a lower cover portion 51 extending horizontally and continuing from a lower portion of the side cover portion 52. In other words, the cover member 50 is open at the top and right side.

[0029] The locking portion 53a is formed in a claw shape extending downward on the rear side of the upper part of the side cover portion 52. The locking portion 53b is formed in a plate shape extending toward the rear side near the bent portion of the cover member 50 of the lower cover portion 52. The locking portion 53c is formed in a claw shape extending leftward on the rear right side of the lower cover portion 52.

[0030] (Cover material) The cover member 50 is deformable by an external force (force applied by an operator when assembling the printer 10) and is made of, for example, resin or rubber. When fixing the cover member 50 to the front wall 22, the claw-shaped portions of the locking portions 53a of the side cover parts 52 are locked into the holes 22a. Next, the locking portions 53b of the lower cover part 52 are inserted into the holes 22b, and the cover member 50 is deflected while the claw-shaped portions of the locking portions 53c of the lower cover part 52 are locked into the holes 23c.

[0031] In this manner, the cover member 50 can be attached to the front wall 22 by deforming the cover member 50 and hooking the locking portions 53a, 53b, and 53c into the holes 22a, 22b, and 22c, respectively.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 5 in addition to Figure 4. In the printer 10, when printing, ultraviolet light from the UV lamp 14 is reflected toward the stop switch as shown by the arrow (1), but the ultraviolet light is blocked by the cover member 50, preventing the ultraviolet light from reaching the stop switch 40 and preventing the stop switch 40 from deteriorating due to the ultraviolet light.

[0033] The UV lamp 14 moves left and right inside the printer 10 as the carriage 12 moves, and the ultraviolet light from the UV lamp 14 toward the stop switch 40 is irradiated not only from below the stop switch 40 but also from the left side. However, the bottom cover part 51 and the side cover part 52 of the cover member 50 can block both the ultraviolet light from below and from the left side of the stop switch 40. This makes it possible to prevent the stop switch 40 from being deteriorated by the ultraviolet light from the UV lamp 14.

[0034] Furthermore, since the cover member 50 is open at the top and right side, when pressing the stop switch 40, the hand or finger is unlikely to hit the cover member 50, and the stop switch 40 can be pressed easily.

[0035] (First effect) Please refer to Figures 1 to 3. First, printer 10 includes rails 11 extending in the main scanning direction (left-right direction, width direction of printer 10), carriage 12 movable on rails 11, ink head 16 provided on the carriage, UV lamp 14 provided on carriage 12 beside ink head 16 for irradiating ultraviolet light, and stop switch 40 for stopping the operation of carriage 12. Printer 10 includes case 20 forming an outer shape, and openable main cover 30 for opening and closing and covering opening 21 formed in case 20, and stop switch 40 is disposed inside case 20.

[0036] Since the stop switch 40 is disposed inside the case 20, the stop switch 40 is not exposed to the outside and does not affect the impression of the product design in terms of appearance, making it possible to provide a printer 10 with excellent appearance and design.

[0037] (Second effect) 1 to 3. Secondly, a first printer 10 includes a front wall 22 extending in the main scanning direction above the rail 11, and a stop switch 40 is disposed at an end of the front wall 22 in the main scanning direction (the end on the right side in this embodiment, but it may be on the left side).

[0038] If stop switch 40 were located in front of carriage 12, which is located in the middle to lower part of printer 10, around table 15, or near maintenance devices (capping device, wiping device), which are locations where users usually work, there is a risk of it being pressed by mistake; however, stop switch 40 is located in the upper corner of printer 10, so that it is possible to prevent the user from pressing the stop switch by mistake during normal work.

[0039] Furthermore, by providing the stop switch 40 on the front wall 22, the stop switch 40 can be disposed inside the case 20 without increasing the number of parts.

[0040] (Third Effect) 1 to 5. Thirdly, in the first or second printer 10, the stop switch 40 is partially covered by a cover member 50 that blocks ultraviolet rays, and the cover member 50 is fixed to the front wall 22.

[0041] The cover member 50 can block ultraviolet rays. Similar to the stop switch 40, the cover member 50 is also fixed to the front wall 22, and the cover member 50 can be disposed in the case 20 without increasing the number of parts.

[0042] (Fourth Effect) 4 to 7. Fourth, in any of the first to third printers 10, the cover member 50 has a lower cover portion 51 that covers the lower side of the stop switch 40 and a side cover portion 52 that covers the side of the stop switch 40.

[0043] It is possible to block ultraviolet rays from the UV lamp 14 that moves below the stop switch 40. Since the stop switch 40 is disposed at the right end of the front wall 22, the cover member 50 does not need to have a portion that covers the right side and upper part.

[0044] (Fifth Effect) Please refer to Figures 4 to 7. Fifth, in a fourth printer 10, holes 22a, 22b, and 22c for fixing a cover member 50 are formed in a front wall 22, and the cover member 50 is deformable by an external force and has locking portions 53a, 53b, and 53c that can be locked in the holes 22a, 22b, and 22c.

[0045] The cover member 50 can be easily attached to the front wall 22 by deforming the cover member 50 so as to bend and inserting or hooking the locking portions 53a, 53b, and 53c into the holes 22a, 22b, and 22c. This eliminates the need for attachment using fasteners such as screws. Furthermore, since the cover member 50 is flexible, once one end of the cover member 50 is attached to the front wall 22, the locking portions 53a, 53b, and 53c will not come off the holes 22a, 22b, and 22c unless an external force is applied. In this way, the hook shape eliminates the need for fasteners such as screws, thereby reducing assembly costs.

[0046] Furthermore, the cover member 50 is deformable by an external force. Even if the cover member 50 comes into contact with the palm of the hand when the switch is stopped, the cover member 50 deforms, so that the stop switch 40 can be easily pressed.

[0047] In the embodiment, the stop switch 40 is disposed in the upper right part of the printer 10, but this is not limiting, and the stop switch 40 may be disposed in the upper center or upper left part of the printer 10. The location of the cover member 50 can also be changed as appropriate according to the location of the stop switch 40.

[0048] In addition, in the embodiment, the cover member 50 is L-shaped with a lower cover portion 51 that covers the lower side of the stop switch 40 and a side cover portion 52 that covers the side of the stop switch 40, but is not limited to this and may be U-shaped or arc-shaped as long as it can cover the lower side and the side of the stop switch. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10. Printer 11... Rail 12… Carriage 14...UV lamp 16... Ink head 20… Case 21…Opening 22… Front wall 22a, 22b, 22c...hole 28… Lower front part (maintenance cover) 30… Opening and closing main cover 40… Stop switch 50… Cover member 51… Lower cover part 52… Side cover part 53a, 53b, 53c... Locking part

Claims

1. A printer comprising: a rail extending in a main scanning direction; a carriage movable on said rail; an ink head provided on said carriage; a UV lamp provided on the carriage beside said ink head for irradiating ultraviolet light; and a stop switch for stopping the operation of said carriage, The device includes a case that defines an outer shape, and an opening / closing main cover that opens and closes an opening formed in the case, The printer is characterized in that the stop switch is disposed inside the case.

2. a front wall extending in a main scanning direction above the rail; The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the stop switch is disposed at an end of the front wall in the main scanning direction.

3. The stop switch is partially covered by a cover member that blocks ultraviolet light, The printer according to claim 2 , wherein the cover member is fixed to the front wall.

4. The printer according to claim 3 , wherein the cover member has a lower cover portion that covers a lower portion of the stop switch, and a side cover portion that covers a side of the stop switch.

5. The front wall is formed with a hole for fixing the cover member, 5. The printer according to claim 4, wherein the cover member is deformable by an external force and has a locking portion that can be locked in the hole.

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