Conveyance device and printer

Abstract

To provide a conveyance device and a printer which can facilitate reduction in the size of a conveyance unit and restoration from the reduced size.SOLUTION: A conveyance device 20 includes a conveyance unit 21 for conveying a recording medium P in a conveyance direction, wherein the conveyance unit 21 includes a main part 211, and a sub part 212 which is connected to the main part 211 so as to be relatively movable in the conveyance direction, and the length in the conveyance direction of the conveyance unit 21 can be changed by moving the main part 211 and / or the sub part 212 in the conveyance direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device and a printing device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a printing apparatus that includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, and a transport unit that transports the recording medium through the image forming unit.

[0003] In order to accommodate large-sized recording media, such a printing device must have a large transport unit, but the transportation costs increase when transporting a printing device equipped with a large transport unit.

[0004] In view of this, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a printing device in which a transport unit is made up of a plurality of separable blocks, and the blocks can be separated for transportation, enabling transportation in small portions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-001263 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the invention of Patent Document 1 requires that the blocks be separated during transportation and then that the separated blocks be combined when installed, which makes it time-consuming to reduce the size of the transport unit and to restore it from the reduced size.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a transport device and a printing apparatus that can easily reduce the size of a transport unit and return to a smaller size. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a conveying device, comprising: A conveying unit that conveys the recording medium in a conveying direction, The transport unit includes a main part and a sub part connected to the main part so as to be movable along the transport direction, The length of the transport unit in the transport direction can be changed by moving the main part and / or the sub part along the transport direction.

[0009] The invention described in claim 2 is the conveying device described in claim 1, The sub-part slides in the transport direction.

[0010] The invention described in claim 3 is the conveying device described in claim 2, The transport unit includes a guide member that guides the sliding movement of the sub-part.

[0011] The invention described in claim 4 is the conveying device described in claim 3, The guide member includes a guide rail arranged along the transport direction, and a sliding member that supports the guide rail so as to be slidable in the transport direction.

[0012] The invention described in claim 5 is the conveying device described in claim 4, One of the main part and the sub part includes the guide rail, and the other includes the sliding member.

[0013] The invention described in claim 6 is the conveying device described in claim 5, The sliding member is a rotating body.

[0014] The invention described in claim 7 is the conveying device described in claim 6, The sliding member is a metal bearing.

[0015] The invention described in claim 8 is the conveying device described in claim 7, The main part or the sub part includes at least three or more of the sliding members for one of the guide rails, The sliding members are disposed so as to support the guide rail from both sides in a height direction at different positions in the conveying direction.

[0016] The invention described in claim 9 is the conveying device described in claim 4, The transport unit includes the sub-portions on the upstream side and downstream side of the main portion in the transport direction.

[0017] The invention described in claim 10 is the conveying device described in claim 9, The two sub-sections each have the guide rail at a different position in the height direction.

[0018] The invention described in claim 11 is the conveying device described in claim 1, The sub-part is pivotable relative to the main part.

[0019] The invention described in claim 12 is the conveying device described in claim 1, At least one of the main part and the sub part includes a frame.

[0020] The invention described in claim 13 is the conveying device described in claim 1, a conveyor belt for conveying a recording medium placed on a placement surface; and a plurality of transport rollers that suspend and drive the transport belt.

[0021] The invention described in claim 14 is the conveying device described in claim 13, The sub-unit includes at least one of the transport rollers, The transport belt is stretched around the transport rollers when the length of the transport unit in the transport direction is expanded, and is bent when the length of the transport unit in the transport direction is reduced.

[0022] The invention described in claim 15 is the conveying device described in claim 14, the transport unit includes the sub-portions on the upstream side and downstream side of the main portion in the transport direction, The two sub-units each include the transport roller, The transport belt is stretched around the transport rollers when the length of the transport unit in the transport direction is expanded.

[0023] The invention described in claim 16 is the conveying device described in claim 15, At least one of the two sub-units includes at least one of a pressure roller that pressurizes the recording medium, a belt cleaning unit that cleans the conveyor belt, and a backup plate that supports the conveyor belt from the inner circumferential surface of the conveyor belt.

[0024] The invention described in claim 17 is the conveying device described in claim 16, The pressure roller, the belt cleaning portion and the backup plate are movable relative to the sub-portion.

[0025] The invention described in claim 18 is the conveying device described in claim 14, The transport unit includes a support member that supports the transport belt when the length of the transport unit in the transport direction is reduced.

[0026] The invention described in claim 19 is the conveying device described in claim 18, The support member includes a platen bar provided on the inner circumferential side of the conveyor belt.

[0027] The invention described in claim 20 is the conveying device described in claim 1, The sub-part has a roller at its lower end that can move the sub-part in the transport direction.

[0028] The invention described in claim 21 is the conveying device described in claim 20, The main part includes a pull-out rail on which the sub part is placed, The pull-out rail is provided with an adjuster bolt that can adjust the height of the sub-section.

[0029] The invention described in claim 22 is a printing device, A conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 21, and an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium. Effect of the Invention

[0030] According to the present invention, the transport unit can be easily downsized and restored from the downsized state. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is an external view of a printing apparatus. [Figure 1B] FIG. [Figure 2A] FIG. 13 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the transport device during expansion. [Figure 2B] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the transport device during expansion. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the downstream sub-section. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the upstream sub-portion. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the transport device in a contracted state. [Figure 6A] 11 is a top view showing a printing device with an expanded transport device and a storage device for the printing device. FIG. [Figure 6B] 1 is a top view showing a printing device with a transport device contracted and a storage device for the printing device; [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a conveyor belt in the conveyor device during contraction. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an enlarged side view of a sub-part including a roller. [Figure 9] An enlarged side view of the sub-part placed on the pull-out rail. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a side view of a transport device with only one sub-part. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a side view of a conveying device in which the sub-part is rotatable. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] A printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the illustrated examples. In the following description, parts having the same functions and configurations are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0033] [Overall configuration of the printing device] Fig. 1 is an external view of an inkjet recording apparatus 1, which is an embodiment of a printing apparatus of the present invention that includes a conveying device. Fig. 1B is a top view of the inkjet recording apparatus 1. The inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes an image forming device 10 and a conveying device 20.

[0034] (Image forming device) The image forming apparatus 10 performs printing and image formation on a recording medium P. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the image forming apparatus 10 is long in the width direction of the recording medium P, and includes an inkjet head 11 and a control unit 12.

[0035] {Inkjet head} Inkjet head 11 has a plurality of nozzles on its bottom surface. Inkjet head 11 ejects ink from the nozzles based on image data included in print job data received from, for example, an external device under the control of control unit 12. The recording medium P is not particularly limited, but is, for example, a fabric.

[0036] {Control Unit} The control unit 12 centrally controls the overall operation of the inkjet recording apparatus 1. Specifically, the control unit 12 operates the conveying device 20 to convey the recording medium P. The control unit 12 also causes the image forming apparatus 10 to eject ink based on print data received from an external device or the like to form an image on the recording medium P. The control unit 12 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a storage unit, and the like.

[0037] (Transportation device) Fig. 2A is a schematic side view of the transport device 20. Fig. 2B is a schematic perspective view of the transport device 20. The transport device 20 is a device that transports the recording medium P in the transport direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1B under the control of the control unit 12. The transport device 20 includes a transport unit 21 and a transport belt 22. Note that Fig. 2B shows the configuration excluding the transport belt 22 in order to explain the internal structure of the transport unit 21.

[0038] {Transport unit} The transport unit 21 is a member that constitutes the outer shape of the transport device 20. The transport unit 21 includes at least one main part 211 and one sub part 212, which are integrally connected. The transport unit 21 is configured such that the main part 211 and / or the sub part 212 can move in the transport direction.

[0039] <Main section> The main portion 211 includes a main frame 2111 , a platen bar 2112 , and a sliding member 2113 .

[0040] <Mainframe> The main frame 2111 is a metal plate-like member that constitutes both side surfaces of the main part 211 in the width direction.

[0041] <Platen bar> The platen bar 2112 is a rod-shaped member that is stretched across both main frames 2111, and supports the conveyor belt 22 in the area between a drive roller 21212 and a driven roller 21222, which will be described later.

[0042] 2B illustrates an example in which the platen bar 2112 is a cylindrical (roller-shaped) member, but the platen bar 2112 may be a rod-shaped member and is not limited to this. In other words, the platen bar 2112 may be angular.

[0043] Moreover, it is preferable that the platen bar 2112 is movable upward in the height direction. With this configuration, when the size of the transport device 20 is reduced as described below, the transport belt 22 can be folded while reducing the burden. Moreover, although two platen bars 2112 are provided in Fig. 2B, any number of platen bars 2112 may be provided depending on the length between the drive roller 21212 and the driven roller 21222, the strength of the transport belt 22, and the like.

[0044] <Sliding parts> 2A, the sliding members 2113 are provided in housings on the inner surfaces at the conveying direction ends of both main frames 2111. The sliding members 2113 are guide rollers that roll while supporting a downstream guide rail 21215 or an upstream guide rail 21225, which will be described later. The sliding members 2113 allow the downstream sub-part 2121 and the upstream sub-part 2122, whose guide rails are supported, to slide freely in the conveying direction.

[0045] The sliding member 2113 is a rotating body such as a roller. The sliding member 2113 is preferably a metal bearing, but is not limited to this and may be resin, urethane, or the like. As shown in FIG. 2A, at least three sliding members 2113 are provided for supporting and sliding the downstream guide rail 21215 or the upstream guide rail 21225, and preferably support the guide rail from both sides in the height direction at different positions in the conveying direction. With this configuration, the sub-part 212 can be slid with stable movement.

[0046] By such a guide member consisting of the guide rails (the downstream guide rail 21215 and the upstream guide rail 21225) and the sliding member 2113, the main part 211 and / or the sub part 212 are guided so as to slide appropriately.

[0047] <<Sub-department>> The sub-part 212 is a member attached to the end of the main part 211 in the conveying direction. The sub-part 212 includes, for example, a downstream sub-part (first sub-part) 2121 and an upstream sub-part (second sub-part) 2122, respectively, at both ends of the main part 211 in the conveying direction.

[0048] <Downstream sub-section> Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the downstream sub-part 2121. The downstream sub-part 2121 is a sub-part 212 attached to the downstream side of the main part 211 in the conveying direction. The downstream sub-part 2121 includes two downstream side frames 21211 (see Fig. 2), a drive roller 21212, a belt cleaning part 21213, a downstream backup plate 21214, and a downstream guide rail 21215 (see Fig. 2). Note that in Fig. 3, the downstream side frame 21211 on the viewpoint side is shown in perspective for the sake of convenience. Also in Fig. 3, the configuration is shown excluding the conveyor belt 22 for the sake of convenience.

[0049] <Downstream side frame> The downstream side frames 21211 are metal plates that form both side surfaces of the downstream sub-part 2121 in the width direction.

[0050] Driving roller The driving roller 21212 has both ends rotatably supported by both downstream side frames 21211. The driving roller 21212 is connected to a motor (not shown) and is driven to rotate in the transport direction with the width direction as the axial direction. When the driving roller 21212 is driven to rotate, the driven roller 21222 and the transport belt 22 rotate, and the recording medium P is transported.

[0051] <Belt cleaning section> The belt cleaning unit 21213 is provided vertically below the drive roller 21212 across both downstream side frames 21211. The belt cleaning unit 21213 is configured to be movable downward. The belt cleaning unit 21213 removes foreign matter, such as solidified ink and lint, attached to the placement surface of the conveyor belt 22 by cleaning processing. The belt cleaning unit 21213 includes, for example, a collection unit 21213a, a water sprinkling unit 21213b, a brush roller 21213c, and a scraping unit 21213d.

[0052] <Collection Department> The collection unit 21213a is a bucket-shaped member that is open on the side of the conveyor belt 22. The collection unit 21213a collects cleaning liquid dripping from the conveyor belt 22, the water sprinkler unit 21213b, the brush roller 21213c, the scraper unit 21213d, etc. In the collection unit 21213a, for example, the water sprinkler unit 21213b, the brush roller 21213c, and the scraper unit 21213d are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 22.

[0053] <Water Sprinkler Section> The water sprinkler 21213b includes a nozzle. The nozzle of the water sprinkler 21213b sprays cleaning liquid onto the placement surface of the conveyor belt 22. The cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the area between the brush roller 21213c and the conveyor belt 22, for example.

[0054] The water sprinkler unit 21213b sprays high-pressure cleaning liquid to remove foreign matter adhering to the conveyor belt 22. In addition, spraying the cleaning liquid onto the conveyor belt 22 enhances the cleaning effect of the following brush roller 21213c on the conveyor belt 22. The cleaning liquid sprayed from the water sprinkler unit 21213b is collected by the collection unit 21213a.

[0055] <Brush roller> The brush roller 21213c is a roller-shaped brush with a brush bundle attached to a rotating shaft that is suspended across the entire width of the conveyor belt 22 in the width direction. The brush roller 21213c is disposed so that the tip of the brush bundle contacts the support surface of the conveyor belt 22. Due to this arrangement, the brush roller 21213c rotates while always in contact with the support surface of the conveyor belt 22.

[0056] The brush roller 21213c is configured to rotate in a direction opposite to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 22 at a contact position with the conveyor belt 22. The brush roller 21213c rubs the support surface of the conveyor belt 22 with a brush bundle by rotating at a predetermined speed. By this rubbing, the brush roller 21213c removes foreign matter cleaned by the spraying of cleaning liquid by the water sprinkler unit 21213b from the support surface of the conveyor belt 22. The foreign matter and cleaning liquid removed by the brush roller 21213c are collected by the collection unit 21213a.

[0057] <Scraping section> The scraping portion 21213d is a flat plate-like member made of, for example, an elastic member such as rubber or a PET sheet. The scraping portion 21213d is stretched across the entire width of the conveyor belt 22 in the width direction. The tip of the scraping portion 21213d is disposed so as to contact the placement surface of the conveyor belt 22. This arrangement enables the scraping portion 21213d to scrape off foreign matter and cleaning liquid remaining on the conveyor belt 22. The foreign matter and cleaning liquid scraped off by the scraping portion 21213d are collected by the collection portion 21213a.

[0058] <Downstream backup plate> The downstream backup plate 21214 is bridged across the entire width of the conveyor belt 22 in the width direction at a position facing the scraping portion 21213d on the inner peripheral surface of the conveyor belt 22. The downstream backup plate 21214 is a member that supports the conveyor belt 22 pressed by the scraping portion 21213d. By providing the downstream backup plate 21214, the scraping portion 21213d can sufficiently pressurize the conveyor belt 22, and scrape off foreign matter and cleaning liquid on the placement surface.

[0059] <Downstream guide rail> 2A and 2B, the downstream guide rails 21215 are convex portions provided on the outer surfaces of both downstream side frames 21211 so as to extend in the conveying direction. The downstream guide rails 21215 slide along the sliding members 2113 to guide the sliding of the downstream sub-part 2121 (or the main part 211) in the conveying direction. Positioning pins (not shown) are provided on both ends of the downstream guide rails 21215 in the conveying direction to prevent positional deviation when the conveying device 20 is downsized and when it is restored from the downsized state.

[0060] <Upstream sub-section> 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the upstream sub-part 2122. The upstream sub-part 2122 is a sub-part 212 attached to the upstream side in the conveying direction of the main part 211. The upstream sub-part 2122 includes an upstream side frame 21221, a driven roller 21222, a pressure roller 21223, an upstream backup plate 21224 (see FIG. 7), and an upstream guide rail 21225.

[0061] <Upstream side frame> The upstream side frame 21221, similar to the downstream side frame 21211, is a metal plate that constitutes both side surfaces of the upstream sub-portion 2122 in the width direction.

[0062] <<Driven Roller>> The driven roller 21222 has both ends rotatably supported by both upstream side frames 21221. The driven roller 21222 is a roller that rotates about a rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis of the driving roller 21212 in association with the rotation of the conveyor belt 22. As shown in Fig. 2B, the driven roller 21222 is arranged to be aligned in the conveying direction with a predetermined interval between them.

[0063] <Pressure roller> The pressure roller 21223 is a columnar or cylindrical member that is provided so as to be able to apply pressure to the entire width of the conveyor belt 22. The pressure roller 21223 is movable in the height direction, and by pressing the placement surface of the conveyor belt 22, the conveyor belt 22 is stretched and lifting such as wrinkles is removed. In addition, the pressure roller 21223 presses the recording medium P against the placement surface of the conveyor belt 22, thereby adhering the recording medium P to the adhesive layer. This allows the distance between the recording medium P and the image forming apparatus 10 to be always constant, enabling high-precision image formation.

[0064] <Upstream backup plate> The upstream backup plate 21224 is suspended across the entire width of the conveyor belt 22 in the width direction at a position facing the pressure roller 21223 on the inner circumferential surface of the conveyor belt 22. The upstream backup plate 21224 is a member that supports the conveyor belt 22 pressed by the pressure roller 21223. By providing the upstream backup plate 21224, when the pressure roller 21223 applies pressure, the conveyor belt 22 does not bend and the floating can be removed.

[0065] <Upstream guide rail> The upstream guide rail 21225 has a configuration substantially similar to that of the downstream guide rail 21215. That is, the upstream guide rail 21225 is a convex portion provided on the outer surface of each of the upstream side frames 21221 so as to extend in the conveying direction. The upstream guide rail 21225 slides along the sliding member 2113 to guide the sliding of the upstream sub-part 2122 (or the main part 211) in the conveying direction. Positioning pins (not shown) are provided on both ends of the upstream guide rail 21225 in the conveying direction to prevent positional deviation when the conveying device 20 is downsized and when it is returned from the downsized state.

[0066] 2A, the downstream guide rail 21215 and the upstream guide rail 21225 are provided at different height positions. This configuration can prevent the downstream guide rail 21215 and the upstream guide rail 21225 from colliding with each other when they are slid together, and the transport device 20 can be made smaller in size.

[0067] {Conveyor belt} The conveyor belt 22 is an endless belt whose inner circumferential surface is supported by the driving roller 21212, the platen bar 2112, the driven roller 21222, etc. The conveyor belt 22 is made of a material that can flex flexibly at the contact surface with the driving roller 21212 and the driven roller 21222 and can reliably support the recording medium P. Specifically, the conveyor belt 22 can be made of a structure in which a resin such as polyurethane is laminated on the surface of a base material such as glass wool.

[0068] The conveyor belt 22 is held in a state where a predetermined tension is applied when the main part 211 and the sub part 212 are moved relative to each other so as to be farthest apart. In this state, the conveyor belt 22 has a recording medium P placed on its placement surface, and moves in a circular motion in response to the rotation of the drive roller 21212 and the driven roller 21222, thereby conveying the recording medium P in the conveying direction.

[0069] [On downsizing of transport equipment and its recovery from downsizing] The operation of the transport device 20 relating to the reduction in size and the return from the reduction in size will be described. As described above, the transport device 20 is configured such that the main part 211 and / or the sub part 212 can slide by the guide member consisting of the guide rail and the sliding member 2113. Therefore, for example, by pushing the sub part 212 toward the main part 211 in the transport direction, the sub part 212 slides and moves into the main part 211 as shown in FIG. 5, and the width of the transport device 20 in the transport direction can be reduced. When the transport device 20 reduced in size is to be used again after transportation, for example, by pulling the sub part 212 away from the main part 211, the width of the transport device 20 in the transport direction can be returned to the original size as shown in FIG. 2A.

[0070] The conventional conveying device has a width of about 4 m in the conveying direction, whereas when a container is used as a storage device for the inkjet recording device, the inside dimension of the container is about 2.4 m. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, the inkjet recording device cannot be stored in the container C as it is, and it is necessary to separate the image forming unit and the conveying device into multiple containers for transportation, which increases the transportation cost. In contrast, in the present embodiment, when the width of the conveying device 20 in the conveying direction is about 4 m as in the conventional conveying device, this can be reduced to about 2.1 m by the above-mentioned size reduction operation. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6B, the inkjet recording device 1 can be stored in the container C as it is, and can be transported at a lower cost than the conventional inkjet recording device 1.

[0071] [Effects of the embodiment] As described above, the conveying device 20 according to this embodiment is configured to be able to move the main part 211 and / or the sub part 212 in the conveying direction in the conveying unit 21. With this configuration, the conveying device 20 can be easily reduced in size and restored from the reduced size by simply moving the main part 211 and / or the sub part 212 in the conveying direction without dividing the conveying device 20.

[0072] [Other configurations] As described above, in the present invention, when the conveyor device 20 is restored from the reduced size, the conveyor belt 22 is held in a state in which a predetermined tension is applied. On the other hand, when the conveyor device 20 is reduced in size, the conveyor belt 22 loses tension and sags. At this time, there is a risk that the conveyor belt 22 is bent at a steep angle and a load is applied.

[0073] Therefore, when the size of the conveying device 20 is reduced, it is preferable to bend the conveying belt 22 so as to reduce the load. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 7, it is preferable to move the platen bar 2112 in the height direction so that the conveying belt 22 can be stretched by the amount of bending. In addition, the belt cleaning unit 21213 (collection unit 21213a), which is movable in the height direction, the pressure roller 21223, and the backup plate (the downstream backup plate 21214 and the upstream backup plate 21224) may be moved in the height direction. In addition to these, it is preferable to provide a support member capable of supporting the conveying belt 22 in the conveying unit 21.

[0074] Depending on the configuration, the sub-part 212 may weigh several hundred kg, which may make it difficult to slide it manually. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a roller R at the lower end of the sub-part 212, as shown in Fig. 8. By providing the roller R, the sub-part 212 can be slid easily.

[0075] If the roller R cannot be used at the installation location of the inkjet recording apparatus 1, a pull-out rail 23 may be provided as a rail structure that supports the sub-part 212 so that it can be pulled out from the main part 211, as shown in Fig. 9. In this configuration, it is preferable to provide an adjuster bolt 231 at the lower end of the pull-out rail 23, which can be rotated around an axis to adjust the height in the height direction.

[0076] In addition, in this configuration, the roller R is not limited to a single caster as shown in FIG. 8, but may be a plurality of rollers as shown in FIG.

[0077] [Variations] Although the present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Of course, the present invention can be modified in various ways within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0078] For example, in the above, the main part 211 and the sub part 212 are both configured with side frames (the main frame 2111, the downstream side frame 21211, and the upstream side frame 21221), but this is not limiting. However, it is particularly preferable for the sub part 212 to be configured with a side frame, since this allows the transport unit 21 to have both strength and ease of movement.

[0079] In the above, a configuration including two sub-sections 212, the downstream sub-section 2121 and the upstream sub-section 2122, has been exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in Fig. 10, the transport unit 21 may be configured to include only either the downstream sub-section 2121 or the upstream sub-section 2122. In this configuration, the components included in the other sub-section 212 are provided in the main section 211.

[0080] In the above, the main part 211 includes the sliding member 2113, and the sub part 212 includes the guide rails (the downstream guide rail 21215 and the upstream guide rail 21225), but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the main part 211 may be provided with guide rails, and the downstream sub part 2121 and the upstream sub part 2122 may be provided with the sliding member 2113, respectively.

[0081] In addition, although the above describes an example of a configuration in which both the downstream sub-part 2121 and the upstream sub-part 2122 slide on the inside in the width direction of the main part 211, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, one of the downstream sub-part 2121 and the upstream sub-part 2122 may slide on the inside in the width direction of the main part 211, and the other may slide on the outside in the width direction of the main part 211. In this configuration, there is no risk of the downstream sub-part 2121 and the upstream sub-part 2122 colliding with each other, and there is no need to provide the downstream guide rail 21215 and the upstream guide rail 21225 at different height positions from each other.

[0082] However, it is preferable to configure both the downstream sub-part 2121 and the upstream sub-part 2122 to slide inside the main part 211 so that the widths of the downstream sub-part 2121 and the upstream sub-part 2122 are the same. This is because such a configuration allows the conveyor belt 22 to be uniformly pressurized. Similarly, both the downstream sub-part 2121 and the upstream sub-part 2122 may be configured to slide outside the main part 211 in the width direction.

[0083] In addition, in the above, a configuration in which the downstream sub-part 2121 and the upstream sub-part 2122 are moved by sliding to reduce the size of the transport device 20 has been exemplified, but this is not limited to the above. That is, as shown in Fig. 11, the sub-part 212 may be an arm rotatably connected to the main part 211, rather than a frame, and the sub-part 212 may be moved by pivoting to reduce the size of the transport device 20. Note that Fig. 11 illustrates a configuration in which the sub-part 212 pivots upward, but this is not limited to the above, and the sub-part 212 may be pivotable downward.

[0084] In the above, the downstream sub-part 2121 on the downstream side in the conveying direction includes the driving roller 21212, and the upstream sub-part 2122 on the upstream side in the conveying direction includes the driven roller 21222, but the present invention is not limited to this. However, it is preferable that at least one of the driving roller 21212 and the driven roller 21222, which are conveying rollers that drive the suspended conveying belt 22, is provided in the sub-part 212.

[0085] In the above, the printing device is the inkjet recording device 1, and the image forming device 10 forms an image by the inkjet head, but the present invention is not limited to this. The conveying device 20 is also not limited to the printing device, and can be used in other devices.

[0086] In addition, in the above, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is exemplified as an image forming apparatus 10 including the control unit 12 that controls the image forming apparatus 10 and the conveying apparatus 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 may be an apparatus separate from the image forming apparatus 10 and the conveying apparatus 20 that functions as the control unit 12. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1 Inkjet recording device (printing device) 10 Image forming device 20. Conveyor 21 Transport unit 211 Main Section 2112 Platen bar 2113 Sliding members 212 Sub-division 21212 Drive roller (transport roller) 21213 Belt cleaning section 21214 Downstream backup plate (backup plate) 21215 Downstream guide rail (guide rail) 21222 Driven roller (conveyor roller) 21223 Pressure roller 21224 Upstream backup plate (backup plate) 21225 Upstream guide rail (guide rail) 22 Conveyor belt 23 Drawer rail 231 Adjuster bolt P Recording medium R Roller

Claims

1. A transport unit that transports the recording medium in a transport direction, The transport unit includes a main part and a sub part connected to the main part so as to be movable along the transport direction, A conveying device in which the length of the conveying unit in the conveying direction can be changed by moving the main part and / or the sub part along the conveying direction.

2. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the sub-part slides in the transport direction.

3. The transport device according to claim 2 , wherein the transport unit includes a guide member that guides the sliding movement of the sub-part.

4. The transport device according to claim 3 , wherein the guide member comprises: a guide rail arranged along the transport direction; and a sliding member supporting the guide rail so as to be slidable in the transport direction.

5. The conveying device according to claim 4 , wherein one of the main portion and the sub portion includes the guide rail, and the other includes the sliding member.

6. 6. The transport device according to claim 5, wherein the sliding member is a rotating body.

7. 7. The transport device according to claim 6, wherein the sliding member is a metal bearing.

8. The main part or the sub part includes at least three or more of the sliding members for one of the guide rails, The conveying device according to claim 7 , wherein the sliding members are disposed so as to support the guide rail from both sides in a height direction at different positions in the conveying direction.

9. The transport device according to claim 4 , wherein the transport unit includes the sub-portions on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the main portion in the transport direction.

10. The conveying device according to claim 9 , wherein the two sub-sections each include the guide rail at a different position in the height direction.

11. The conveying device of claim 1 , wherein the sub-section is rotatable relative to the main section.

12. The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the main portion and the sub portion includes a frame.

13. a conveyor belt for conveying a recording medium placed on a placement surface; The conveying device according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of conveying rollers that suspend and drive the conveying belt.

14. The sub-section includes at least one of the transport rollers, The transport device according to claim 13 , wherein the transport belt is stretched across the transport rollers when the length of the transport unit in the transport direction is expanded, and is deflected when the length of the transport unit in the transport direction is reduced.

15. the transport unit includes the sub-portions on the upstream side and downstream side of the main portion in the transport direction, The two sub-parts each include the transport roller, The transport device according to claim 14 , wherein the transport belt is stretched around the transport rollers when the length of the transport unit in the transport direction is expanded.

16. The conveying device according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the two sub-units includes at least one of a pressure roller that pressurizes the recording medium, a belt cleaning unit that cleans the conveying belt, and a backup plate that supports the conveying belt from the inner surface of the conveying belt.

17. 17. The transport apparatus of claim 16, wherein the pressure roller, the belt cleaning portion, and the backup plate are movable relative to the sub-portion.

18. The conveying device according to claim 14 , further comprising a support member that supports the conveying belt when the length of the conveying unit in the conveying direction is reduced.

19. The conveying device according to claim 18 , wherein the support member includes a platen bar provided on an inner circumferential side of the conveying belt.

20. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the sub-part includes a roller at a lower end thereof that is capable of moving the sub-part in the transport direction.

21. The main part includes a pull-out rail on which the sub part is placed, The transport device according to claim 20 , wherein the pull-out rail is provided with an adjuster bolt capable of adjusting the height of the sub-section.

22. A conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 21, A printing apparatus comprising: an image forming device that forms an image on a recording medium.

Images