Cover member and carriage device

Abstract

To prevent access to an adjustment screw with a simple structure, and facilitate access to the adjustment screw in maintenance.SOLUTION: A carriage mechanism comprises: a carriage moving on a guide rail; a motor for moving the carriage; a belt for transmitting drive force of the motor to the carriage; a transmission mechanism for transmitting drive force of the motor to the belt; and an adjustment screw for adjusting the belt. A cover member can cover the transmission mechanism of the carriage mechanism and can be attached and detached. An exterior member for storing the carriage, the motor, the belt, the transmission mechanism, and the adjustment screw, has a hole part which is overlapped with the adjustment screw and formed in a penetrating state. Access from outside of the exterior member to the adjustment screw is possible through the hole part. The cover member has: a cover part for covering the transmission mechanism; and a shield part for shielding the hole part from the cover member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cover member and a carriage device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an inkjet recording device equipped with a carriage that scans in a scanning direction, and describes how the carriage is connected to an endless belt and the carriage is scanned by running the belt. Patent Document 1 also describes how the belt is adjusted by an adjustment screw. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-241091 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is desirable for the adjustment screws to be inaccessible to users during normal operation, but desirable for the adjustment screws to be easily accessible to maintenance personnel during service maintenance.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to prevent access to an adjustment screw with a simple configuration, while facilitating access to the adjustment screw during maintenance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The main invention to achieve the above object is: A carriage mechanism includes a carriage that moves on a guide rail, a motor that moves the carriage, a belt that transmits the driving force of the motor to the carriage, a transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force of the motor to the belt, and an adjustment screw that adjusts the belt. A detachable cover member that covers the transmission mechanism, an exterior member that houses the carriage, the motor, the belt, the transmission mechanism, and the adjustment screw has a hole formed therethrough that overlaps with the adjustment screw, and the adjustment screw is accessible from outside the exterior member through the hole; The cover member is A cover portion that covers the transmission mechanism; a shielding portion that blocks the gap between the hole portion and the A cover member comprising:

[0007] Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent access to the adjustment screw with a simple configuration, while facilitating access to the adjustment screw during maintenance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a carriage device 1. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the carriage mechanism 10. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the carriage mechanism 10 as viewed from a different direction than that of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram of the carriage mechanism 10 in FIG. 2 as viewed from the right side (the inner side in the left-right direction). [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the cover member 50 in FIG. 2 is removed. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams of the cover member 50. FIG. [Figure 7]7A and 7B are explanatory diagrams of the function of the shielding portion 56. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the carriage mechanism 10 to which a cover member 50 of a modified example is attached. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram of the carriage mechanism 10 according to the modified example of FIG. 8, as viewed from the right side (the inner side in the left-right direction). [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of a cover member 50 according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] === Implementation form === Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a carriage device 1. Note that Fig. 1 also shows the carriage 11 inside an exterior member 70 through an opening / closing member 71.

[0011] The carriage device 1 is a device equipped with a moving carriage 11. The carriage device 1 is, for example, an inkjet printer, and moves the carriage 11 equipped with a head (not shown) that ejects ink. However, the carriage device 1 is not limited to an inkjet printer, and may be, for example, a 3D printer, or any device that moves the carriage 11 is not limited to a printer.

[0012] In the following description, each direction is defined as shown in FIG. 1. The direction in which the carriage 11 moves is the "left-right direction". The left-right direction is also called the "scanning direction", the "carriage movement direction", or the "width direction". When viewed from the operator operating the carriage device 1 from the front of the device, the right side is the "right" and the left side is the "left". The vertical direction is the "up-down direction". A direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and the up-down direction is the "front-rear direction". When viewed from the carriage device 1, the operator's side (the side where the opening / closing member 71 is provided) is the "front", and the opposite side is the "rear". The direction parallel to the rotation shaft of the motor 12 described later and the direction parallel to the rotation shaft of the pulley 22B that drives the belt 30 are the front-rear direction (see FIGS. 2 to 4).

[0013] The carriage device 1 includes a frame 3, a carriage mechanism 10, and an exterior member 70. The frame 3 is a member that supports the carriage mechanism 10. The frame 3 is provided with a guide rail 5 that guides the carriage 11. The carriage mechanism 10 is a mechanism for moving the carriage 11. The detailed structure of the carriage mechanism 10 will be described later. The exterior member 70 is a member that constitutes the exterior of the carriage device 1. The exterior member 70 houses the frame 3 and the carriage mechanism 10. The exterior member 70 is provided with an opening / closing member 71 (door). When the carriage device 1 is operated, the opening / closing member 71 is closed as shown in FIG. 1. When the opening / closing member 71 is closed, an operator cannot access the inside of the exterior member 70 and cannot access the carriage mechanism 10. When an operator accesses the carriage mechanism 10, the carriage device 1 is stopped and the opening / closing member 71 is opened. A hole 70A is provided on a side surface of the exterior member 70. The hole 70A is formed through the side surface of the exterior member 70 so as to overlap with an adjustment screw 41 (described later; see FIG. 7B), and the adjustment screw 41 can be accessed from the outside of the exterior member 70 through the hole 70A. The hole 70A (and the adjustment screw 41) will be described later.

[0014] 2 to 5 are explanatory diagrams of the carriage mechanism 10. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the carriage mechanism 10, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the carriage mechanism 10 viewed from a different direction than FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram of the carriage mechanism 10 of FIG. 2 viewed from the right side (inner side in the left-right direction). FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the state in FIG. 2 with the cover member 50 removed. Note that the carriage 11 (see FIG. 1) is not shown in FIGS. 2 to 5.

[0015] 1, the carriage mechanism 10 is a mechanism for moving a carriage 11. The carriage mechanism 10 has the carriage 11, a motor 12, a transmission mechanism 20, a belt 30, and an adjustment unit 40. In addition, the carriage mechanism 10 of this embodiment has a detachable cover member 50.

[0016] Carriage 11 (see FIG. 1) moves along guide rails 5 provided on frame 3. Carriage 11 is provided with a movable part 11A. Guide rail 5 and movable part 11A (see dotted line in FIG. 4) form a linear motion mechanism. For example, an inkjet printer head (not shown) is mounted on carriage 11.

[0017] The motor 12 (see FIG. 2) is a driving source of driving force for driving the carriage 11 in the left-right direction (scanning direction). The motor 12 is fixed to the rear plate portion 3A of the frame 3. The rotating shaft of the motor 12 is inserted through the rear plate portion 3A, and the main body portion 12A of the motor 12 is disposed rearward of the rear plate portion 3A. The front end of the rotating shaft of the motor 12 protrudes forward beyond the rear plate portion 3A. A drive gear 21 (see FIG. 5) is provided at the front end of the rotating shaft of the motor 12.

[0018] The transmission mechanism 20 (see FIG. 5) is a mechanism that transmits the driving force of the motor 12 to the belt 30. The transmission mechanism 20 is sometimes called a power transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism 20 has a drive gear 21 and a driven member 22. The drive gear 21 is a gear provided on the rotation shaft of the motor 12. The driven member 22 is a member that rotates by the power transmitted from the drive gear 21. Here, the driven member 22 is composed of one member having a driven gear 22A and a pulley 22B. The driven gear 22A is a gear that meshes with the drive gear 21 and rotates in a driven manner. The number of teeth of the driven gear 22A is configured to be greater than the number of teeth of the drive gear 21, and the rotation speed of the motor 12 is reduced by the driven gear 22A. The pulley 22B is a disk-shaped rotating body that transmits the power to the belt 30. A belt 30 is placed around the pulley 22B, and the outer circumferential surface of the pulley 22B is the contact surface with the belt 30. The belt 30 is driven by the rotation of the pulley 22B. Here, the driven member 22 is composed of one member, but the driven member 22 may be composed of two or more members (gears). Grease is applied to the transmission mechanism 20 (particularly the meshing portion between the drive gear 21 and the driven gear 22A).

[0019] The belt 30 is a member that transmits the driving force of the motor 12 to the carriage 11. The belt 30 is configured as an endless belt that is stretched between a pair of pulleys. The pair of pulleys is disposed at both ends in the left-right direction (scanning direction), one pulley is disposed at the left end as shown in FIG. 5 (pulley 22B), and the other pulley is disposed at the right end. The pair of pulleys is configured of a drive pulley and a driven pulley, and here, the left end pulley (pulley 22B in FIG. 5) is the drive pulley, and the right end pulley (not shown) is the driven pulley. The belt 30 is stretched between the drive pulley 22B (left end pulley) shown in FIG. 5 and a driven pulley (right end pulley) not shown. The belt 30 has a pair of straight parts that are formed between the pair of pulleys and arranged vertically, and a pair of curved parts that are formed on the outer circumferential surfaces of the left and right pulleys. A part of the belt 30 (a part of the upper straight portion) is fixed to the carriage 11, and the belt 30 is driven by the rotation of the pulley 22B, so that the carriage 11 moves in the left-right direction.

[0020] The adjustment unit 40 is an adjustment mechanism having an adjustment screw 41 for adjusting the belt 30. Here, the adjustment unit 40 has the adjustment screw 41 and an adjustment member 42. The adjustment screw 41 is a member for adjusting the belt 30. The adjustment member 42 is a member for adjusting the attitude of the pulley 22B, and is a member displaced in the left-right direction by the adjustment screw 41. The adjustment member 42 has a support portion 42A for supporting the front end of the rotation shaft of the pulley 22B (driven member 22). By rotating the adjustment screw 41, the support portion 42A provided on the adjustment member 42 is displaced (displaced in the left-right direction) together with the adjustment member 42, thereby adjusting the inclination of the rotation shaft of the pulley 22B, and thus the deviation of the position of the contact portion between the pulley 22B and the belt 30 (the deviation of the position in the front-rear direction) can be adjusted. Note that the adjustment unit 40 is not limited to the one that adjusts the deviation of the belt 30, and may be the one that adjusts the tension of the belt 30. Also, the adjustment unit 40 is not limited to this configuration. If the belt 30 can be adjusted by the adjustment screw 41, the adjustment member 42 does not need to be provided.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 3, the head of the adjustment screw 41 is disposed to the left (outside in the left-right direction) of the side surface of the frame 3. The gap between the side surface of the frame 3 and the side surface of the exterior member 70 is narrow, and it is difficult to insert a tool into the gap between the side surface of the frame 3 and the side surface of the exterior member 70 inside the exterior member 70 and turn the adjustment screw 41 with the tool (access the adjustment screw 41). Therefore, the worker inserts the tool through a hole 70A in the side surface of the exterior member 70 and turns the adjustment screw 41 with the tool from the outside of the exterior member 70 (described later; see Fig. 7B). For this reason, the adjustment screw 41 is disposed so as to overlap with the hole 70A in the exterior member 70.

[0022] 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams of the cover member 50. FIG. The cover member 50 is a detachable member that covers the transmission mechanism 20 (see FIG. 2). The cover member 50 is fixed to the frame 3 that constitutes the outer periphery of the transmission mechanism 20. By removing the cover member 50, as shown in FIG. 5, an operator can access the transmission mechanism 20, for example, to apply grease to the transmission mechanism 20 or to access the adjustment screw 41 to adjust the deviation of the position of the contact portion between the pulley 22B and the belt 30. As will be described later, the cover member 50 also has a function of preventing access to the adjustment screw 41.

[0023] The cover member 50 has a cover portion 51 , a front plate portion 52 , a side plate portion 53 , and a shielding portion 56 .

[0024] The cover portion 51 is a portion that covers the transmission mechanism 20 (particularly the drive gear 21 and the driven gear 22A). By covering the transmission mechanism 20 with the cover portion 51, it is possible to prevent grease applied to the transmission mechanism 20 from scattering. Furthermore, by covering the transmission mechanism 20 with the cover portion 51, it is possible to prevent foreign objects such as fingers or printing paper from getting caught in the transmission mechanism 20. Note that the cover portion 51 does not need to cover the entire outer periphery of the transmission mechanism 20 (particularly the drive gear 21 and the driven gear 22A). By covering at least a portion of the outer periphery of the transmission mechanism 20 with the cover portion 51, it is possible to prevent grease from scattering and to limit access to the transmission mechanism 20, compared to the case where the cover portion 51 is not present.

[0025] The cover portion 51 is configured in a flat plate shape. The flat cover portion 51 has a flat surface arranged parallel to the front-rear direction. In other words, the flat cover portion 51 has a flat surface arranged parallel to the rotation axis of the drive gear 21 and the driven gear 22A. This makes it easy for the cover portion 51 to catch grease scattered by the rotation of the drive gear 21 and the driven gear 22A. As shown in FIG. 4, when the cover member 50 is viewed from the right side (inner side in the left-right direction), the cover portion 51 is arranged on the right side of the transmission mechanism 20 so that the transmission mechanism 20 (particularly the meshing portion between the drive gear 21 and the driven gear 22A) is covered by the cover portion 51 when the cover member 50 is viewed from the right side (inner side in the left-right direction). This makes it possible for the cover portion 51 to catch grease scattered from the meshing portion between the drive gear 21 and the driven gear 22A of the transmission mechanism 20 to be caught by the cover portion 51. In addition, the flat cover portion 51 is arranged at an incline with respect to the up-down direction (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Since the cover portion 51 is disposed on the right side (inner side in the left-right direction) of the transmission mechanism 20 and is disposed tilted upward toward the left side, the single cover portion 51 can cover not only the right side (inner side in the left-right direction) of the transmission mechanism 20 but also the upper side of the transmission mechanism 20. The cover portion 51 is formed by bending from the edge of the front plate portion 52. Note that the arrangement and shape of the cover portion 51 are not limited to this.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4, the cover portion 51 has an access hole 51A and a recess 51B.

[0027] The access hole 51A is a hole for accessing the fixing screw 55B through the cover part 51. An operator rotates the fixing screw 55B with a tool inserted into the access hole 51A from the right side (inner side in the left-right direction) of the cover part 51. The access hole 51A and the fixing screw 55B are arranged so that their positions in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction are approximately the same. This makes it possible to access the fixing screw 55B through the cover part 51 through the access hole 51A. When the cover member 50 is viewed from the right side, it is desirable that the entire area of ​​the head of the fixing screw 55B is arranged inside the access hole 51A. This makes it easy to access the fixing screw 55B through the access hole 51A.

[0028] 4, the access hole 51A is disposed forward of the meshing portion between the drive gear 21 and driven gear 22A of the transmission mechanism 20. This makes it possible to prevent grease from scattering to the outside through the access hole 51A even if grease scatters from the meshing portion between the drive gear 21 and driven gear 22A of the transmission mechanism 20.

[0029] The recess 51B is recessed in the lower edge of the cover part 51 and is a portion through which the belt 30 passes. By providing the recess 51B, interference between the cover part 51 and the belt 30 can be prevented. In order to allow the belt 30 to pass (to prevent interference between the belt 30 and the cover part 51), the upper edge of the recess 51B is located above the belt 30 (specifically, the upper straight portion of the belt 30). By providing the recess 51B in the cover part 51, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower edge of the cover part 51 (the lower edge other than the recess 51B) can be located below the belt 30 (the belt 30 illustrated in the upper part of FIG. 4; the upper straight portion), and grease can be prevented from scattering from the lower side of the belt 30 of the cover part 51. In addition, the upper edge of the recess 51B is located below the meshing portion between the drive gear 21 and the driven gear 22A of the transmission mechanism 20. This can prevent grease from scattering from the meshing portion between the drive gear 21 and driven gear 22A of the transmission mechanism 20 from scattering from the recess 51B. It is desirable that the width (dimension in the front-rear direction) of the recess 51B is equal to or greater than the width of the groove of the pulley 22B. This can suppress interference between the belt 30 and the cover part 51 even if the position of the belt 30 in the front-rear direction is offset on the groove of the pulley 22B.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 6, the front plate 52 is a flat plate-like portion that constitutes the front surface of the cover portion 51. The front plate 52 is a flat plate-like portion that is perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The front plate 52 is disposed forward of the transmission mechanism 20 and the adjustment member 42, and covers the transmission mechanism 20 and the adjustment member 42 from the front side. Since the front plate 52 covers the transmission mechanism 20 and the adjustment member 42 from the front side, when the cover member 50 is attached, it is possible to block an operator's access to the transmission mechanism 20 and the adjustment member 42 from the front side.

[0031] The front fixing portion 54A is provided on the front plate portion 52. The front fixing portion 54A is a hole portion for fixing the cover portion 51 with a fixing screw 55A screwed from the front side. The front fixing portion 54A is a hole portion for fixing the cover member 50 from the front side of the cover member 50 to the front surface of the frame 3. The head of the fixing screw 55A for fixing the front fixing portion 54A is exposed on the front side of the front plate portion 52. Therefore, if the opening and closing member 71 of the exterior member 70 is opened, the worker can easily access the fixing screw 55A from the front. Here, the front fixing portion 54A is provided at two places on the lower side of the front plate portion 52. However, the number and the location of the front fixing portions 54A are not limited to this.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 6, the side plate 53 is a flat portion constituting the side surface of the cover 51. The side plate 53 is a flat portion extending in the up-down direction (a flat portion perpendicular to the left-right direction). The side plate 53 is disposed to the left of the transmission mechanism 20 (outer side in the left-right direction). The side plate 53 is formed by bending the left edge of the front plate 52 rearward. The side plate 53 is disposed to the right of the side surface of the frame 3 (inner side in the left-right direction) (see FIG. 3).

[0033] A side fixing portion 54B is provided on the side plate portion 53. The side fixing portion 54B is a portion that fixes the cover member 50 to the side surface of the frame 3 with a fixing screw 55B that is screwed in from the side surface side (the right side in this case). The side plate portion 53 is a portion that fixes the cover member 50 from the side surface side.

[0034] The front fixing portion 54A and the side fixing portion 54B constitute a fixing portion 54 for fixing the cover member 50 to the frame 3. The cover member 50 is fixed from the front side and the side side by fixing screws 55 (55A, 55B), and therefore can be fixed to the frame 3 more stably than when it is fixed only from the front side by fixing screw 55A (see FIG. 3).

[0035] In order to fix the cover member 50 to the side plate portion 53, the fixing screw 55B that fixes the side plate portion 53 needs to be screwed in with a tool from either the left or right direction. On the other hand, since the side plate portion 53 is disposed to the left (outside in the left-right direction) of the transmission mechanism 20, the gap between the side plate portion 53 and the side surface of the exterior member 70 is narrow, and it is difficult to screw in the fixing screw from the left side of the side plate portion 53. For this reason, the fixing screw 55B that fixes the side plate portion 53 is configured to be accessible from the right side (inside in the left-right direction). Incidentally, when accessing the inside of the exterior member 70 during maintenance, the worker will stop the carriage device 1. For this reason, the fixing screw 55B that fixes the side plate portion 53 is configured to be accessed from the right side (the inside in the left-right direction) and the fixing screw 55B is configured to be turned with a tool from inside the exterior member 70, so that it is possible to naturally encourage the worker to perform the work of attaching or detaching the cover member 50 after stopping the carriage device 1.

[0036] The head of the fixing screw 55B that fixes the side plate portion 53 is disposed on the right side (inner side in the left-right direction) of the side plate portion 53. Therefore, the head of the fixing screw 55B that fixes the side plate portion 53 is disposed between the side plate portion 53 and the cover portion 51. Note that an access hole 51A is provided in the cover portion 51, and the fixing screw 55B can be accessed from the right side through the access hole 51A (an operator can rotate the fixing screw 55B with a tool inserted into the access hole 51A from the right side of the cover portion 51).

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 7, the shielding portion 56 is a portion disposed to the left of the adjustment screw 41 (outside in the left-right direction). That is, the shielding portion 56 is a portion that blocks the gap between the adjustment screw 41 and the hole 70A of the exterior member 70. For this reason, the shielding portion 56 is disposed at a height that overlaps with the adjustment screw 41 and the hole 70A of the exterior member 70. The shielding portion 56 covers the head of the adjustment screw 41 from the outside (left side; outside in the left-right direction) and covers the hole 70A of the exterior member 70 from the inside (right side; inside in the left-right direction) of the exterior member 70. The shielding portion 56 is a flat portion perpendicular to the left-right direction. The shielding portion 56 is formed by bending the front plate portion 52 backward. The shielding portion 56 is a flat portion parallel to the side plate portion 53 and disposed to the left of the side plate portion 53 (outside in the left-right direction).

[0038] 7A and 7B are explanatory diagrams of the function of the shielding portion 56. Fig. 7A is an explanatory diagram of the hole 70A of the exterior member 70 viewed from the outside with the cover member 50 attached. Fig. 7B is an explanatory diagram of the hole 70A of the exterior member 70 viewed from the outside with the cover member 50 removed.

[0039] 7A, when the cover member 50 is attached, the shielding portion 56 is disposed between the adjusting screw 41 and the hole portion 70A of the exterior member 70. This makes it possible to prevent access to the adjusting screw 41 through the exterior member 70 (when the cover member 50 is attached, it is possible to prevent inserting a tool into the hole portion 70A to rotate the adjusting screw 41). In this way, the cover member 50 has the function of preventing access to the adjusting screw 41.

[0040] Incidentally, the cover member 50 is a member that covers the transmission mechanism 20, and since the transmission mechanism 20 is disposed at an end in the moving direction of the carriage 11, the cover member 50 is disposed at an end in the moving direction (left-right direction) of the carriage 11. Also, the shielding portion 56 needs to be disposed at an end in the left-right direction of the carriage mechanism 10 to prevent access to the adjustment screw 41 through the exterior member 70. In this way, since both the cover member 50 and the shielding portion 56 need to be disposed at the end in the left-right direction, the shielding portion 56 can be provided on the cover member 50 with a simple configuration. By providing the shielding portion 56 on the cover member 50, the cover member 50 can also have the function of preventing access to the adjustment screw 41, and therefore the number of parts of the carriage device 1 can be reduced.

[0041] In order to allow an operator to access the transmission mechanism 20 during maintenance, the cover member 50 covering the transmission mechanism 20 is configured to be removable. During maintenance, the operator stops the carriage device 1, opens the opening / closing member 71, accesses the inside of the exterior member 70, and removes the fixing screws 55 (55A, 55B) to remove the cover member 50 from the frame 3. When the cover member 50 is removed, the operator can access the transmission mechanism 20, and can perform maintenance work such as applying grease to the transmission mechanism 20. When the cover member 50 is removed, the shielding portion 56 is removed from between the adjustment screw 41 and the hole portion 70A of the exterior member 70, and the function of preventing access to the adjustment screw 41 is released, and as shown in FIG. 7B, the adjustment screw 41 can be accessed through the exterior member 70 (the adjustment screw 41 can be rotated with a tool inserted into the hole portion 70A of the exterior member 70). In this embodiment, the removable cover member 50 is provided with a shielding portion 56, making it easier to access the adjustment screw 41 during maintenance.

[0042] Furthermore, when the cover member 50 is removed, the front plate portion 52 covering the front side of the adjustment member 42 is also removed, and the support portion 42A of the adjustment member 42 is exposed, as shown in Fig. 5. This facilitates the operation of adjusting the inclination of the rotation axis of the pulley 22B by displacing (left-right) the support portion 42A of the adjustment member 42 with the adjustment screw 41.

[0043] The cover member 50 further has a regulating portion 58 (see FIGS. 2 to 4). The regulating portion 58 is a portion that is provided within the movement range of the carriage 11 and comes into contact with the carriage 11 when it moves, thereby regulating the movement range of the carriage 11.

[0044] The restricting portion 58 is a portion that protrudes forward from the front plate portion 52 of the cover member 50. Here, the restricting portion 58 is configured in a flat plate shape perpendicular to the up-down direction. However, the shape of the restricting portion 58 is not limited to a flat plate shape. The restricting portion 58 is formed by bending from the lower edge of the front plate portion 52. The restricting portion 58 is disposed above the left end (the end portion in the left-right direction) of the guide rail 5.

[0045] Here, the regulating portion 58 regulates the movement range of the carriage 11 by contacting the movable portion 11A (see dotted line in FIG. 4; a member constituting a linear motion mechanism together with the guide rail 5; a member provided on the carriage 11). In order to bring the regulating portion 58 into contact with the movable portion 11A, the regulating portion 58 is disposed at a position overlapping with the movable portion 11A when viewed from the left-right direction (a direction parallel to the guide rail 5) (see FIG. 4). Note that instead of bringing the movable portion 11A into contact with the regulating portion 58, the movement range of the carriage 11 may be regulated by bringing the main body of the carriage 11 into contact with the regulating portion 58.

[0046] As already explained, the cover member 50 is disposed at an end in the movement direction (left-right direction) of the carriage 11. In addition, the regulating portion 58 that regulates the movement range of the carriage 11 also needs to be disposed at an end in the movement direction of the carriage 11. Since both the cover member 50 and the regulating portion 58 need to be disposed at the ends in the left-right direction in this manner, the regulating portion 58 can be provided on the cover member 50 with a simple configuration. By providing the regulating portion 58 on the cover member 50, the cover member 50 can also have the function of regulating the movement range of the carriage 11, so that the number of components of the carriage device 1 can be reduced.

[0047] <Modification> Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the carriage mechanism 10 to which a modified cover member 50 is attached. Fig. 9 is a diagram of the modified carriage mechanism 10 of Fig. 8 as viewed from the right side (inner side in the left-right direction). Figs. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of the modified cover member 50.

[0048] Similar to the above-described cover member 50, the modified cover member 50 also has a cover portion 51, a front plate portion 52, a side plate portion 53, a shielding portion 56, and a restricting portion 58. The side plate portion 53, the shielding portion 56, and the restricting portion 58 of the modified cover member 50 are similar to those of the above-described cover member 50.

[0049] The cover part 51 of the modified example has a function of suppressing scattering of grease applied to the transmission mechanism 20 and a function of preventing an operator from coming into contact with the body part 12A of the motor 12, which becomes very hot. In other words, the cover part 51 of the modified example has a function of covering the transmission mechanism 20 and a function of covering the body part 12A of the motor 12. The cover part 51 is configured so that the front part of the cover part 51 covers the transmission mechanism 20 and the rear part of the cover part 51 covers the body part 12A of the motor 12. The cover part 51 of the modified example has an inner cover part 511 and an upper cover part 512.

[0050] The inner cover part 511 is a flat plate-like part located to the right (inner in the left-right direction) of the transmission mechanism 20. The inner cover part 511 is a flat plate-like part perpendicular to the left-right direction. The inner cover part 511 is formed by bending the right edge of the front plate part 52. The inner cover part 511 has a front part 511A and a rear part 511B.

[0051] The front part 511A of the inner cover part 511 is a flat part arranged on the right side of the transmission mechanism 20. The front part 511A covers the right side (inner side in the left-right direction) of the transmission mechanism 20 and receives grease scattered from the transmission mechanism 20 (particularly the meshing part between the drive gear 21 and the driven gear 22A) toward the right side (inner side in the left-right direction). The front part 511A has an access hole 51A and a recess 51B, similar to the above-mentioned cover part 51. The access hole 51A is a hole for accessing the fixing screw 55B, as already described. The recess 51B is a recessed part for preventing interference with the belt 30, as already described. Here, the description of the access hole 51A and the recess 51B is omitted.

[0052] The rear part 511B of the inner cover part 511 is a flat plate-shaped part located on the right side of the main body part 12A of the motor 12. The rear part 511B covers the right side of the main body part 12A of the motor 12. The rear part 511B, together with the rear part of the upper cover part 512, constitutes a motor cover part that covers the main body part 12A of the motor 12. The main body part 12A of the motor 12 generates heat during driving and becomes very hot when the carriage mechanism 10 is in operation, so that the rear part 511B covers the main body part 12A of the motor 12 to prevent the operator from coming into contact with the very hot motor 12.

[0053] A notch 511C is provided between the front portion 511A and the rear portion 511B. The notch 511C is a portion for preventing interference between the rear plate portion 3A of the frame 3 and the inner cover portion 511.

[0054] The upper cover part 512 is a flat plate-like part that constitutes the upper surface of the cover member 50. The upper cover part 512 is a flat plate-like part that is vertical to the up-down direction. The upper cover part 512 is a part that covers the upper side of the transmission mechanism 20 and the main body part 12A of the motor 12. The front part of the upper cover part 512 is disposed on the upper side of the transmission mechanism 20, and the rear part of the upper cover part 512 is disposed on the upper side of the main body part 12A of the motor 12. Since the upper cover part 512 is disposed above the upper edge of the rear plate part 3A of the frame 3, the cutout part 511C like the inner cover part 511 is not necessary, and the front and rear parts of the upper cover part 512 can be configured as a single plate. The upper cover part 512 is formed by bending from the upper edge of the inner cover part 511. This makes it possible to prevent a gap from being formed between the upper cover part 512 and the inner cover part 511, and to suppress the scattering of grease.

[0055] 10, the left edge (the outer edge in the left-right direction) of the upper cover part 512 is located to the left (outer in the left-right direction) of the side plate part 53. This allows the upper cover part 512 to cover the upper side of the space between the inner cover part 511 and the side plate part 53 (in other words, the side surface of the inner cover part 511 and the frame 3), and closes the upper side of the transmission mechanism 20. This makes it possible to prevent grease applied to the transmission mechanism 20 from scattering upward.

[0056] The front plate 52 of the modified example is provided with a front fixing portion 54A, similar to the front plate 52 described above. As shown in FIG. 8, the front plate 52 of the modified example is provided with a peep hole 52A. The peep hole 52 is a hole through which the head of the fixing screw 55B can be seen. When an operator accesses the fixing screw 55B through the cover portion 51 via the access hole 51A, the operator can check the position of the head of the fixing screw 55B and the position of the end of the tool from the peep hole 52. By providing the peep hole 52A in the front plate 52, the operator can look inside the peep hole 52A from the front side, making it easier to access the fixing screw 55B. In the modified example, since the upper side of the space between the inner cover portion 511 and the side plate portion 53 is covered by the upper cover portion 512, i.e., since there is no gap above between the cover portion 51 and the side plate portion 53, it is particularly effective to provide a peephole 52A for checking the head positioned between the inner cover portion 511 and the side plate portion 53.

[0057] The peephole 52A and the fixing screw 55B are arranged at approximately the same position in the vertical direction. This makes it easier to check the head of the fixing screw 55B from the peephole 52A. The peephole 52A, the fixing screw 55B, and the access hole 51A are arranged at approximately the same position in the vertical direction. The peephole 52A is provided biased toward the left (the side closer to the side plate 53) from the center in the horizontal direction of the front plate 52. This makes it possible to narrow the distance between the peephole 52A and the head of the fixing screw 55B, making it easier to check the head of the fixing screw 55B from the peephole 52A.

[0058] <Summary> As described above, the carriage mechanism 10 includes the carriage 11, the motor 12, the belt 30, the transmission mechanism 20, and the adjustment screw 41, and also includes a removable cover member 50 that covers the transmission mechanism 20. The exterior member 70 houses the carriage 11, the motor 12, the belt 30, the transmission mechanism 20, and the adjustment screw 41, and the exterior member 70 has a hole 70A formed therethrough that overlaps with the adjustment screw 41, and the adjustment screw 41 can be accessed from the outside of the exterior member 70 through the hole 70A. The cover member 50 includes a cover portion 51 that covers the transmission mechanism 20 and a shielding portion 56 that blocks the gap between the cover portion 51 and the hole 70A. Such a cover member 50 has a simple configuration, and while preventing access to the adjustment screw 41 (see FIG. 7A), it is possible to easily access the adjustment screw 41 during maintenance (see FIG. 7B).

[0059] ===Other embodiments=== The above embodiment is presented as an example, and does not limit the scope of the invention. The above configurations can be implemented in appropriate combinations, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The above embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims, as well as the scope and gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1 Carriage unit, 3 Frame, 3A Rear plate, 5 guide rail, 10 carriage mechanism, 11 carriage, 11A moving part, 12 motor, 12A main body, 20 Transmission mechanism, 21 Drive gear, 22 driven member, 22A driven gear, 22B pulley, 30 belt, 40 adjustment part, 41 Adjustment screw, 42 Adjustment member, 42A Support part, 50 cover member, 51 cover portion, 511 inner cover part, 511A front part, 511B rear part, 511C cutout part, 512 upper cover part, 51A access hole, 51B recess, 52 Front panel, 52A Peephole, 53 Side plate part, 54 Fixed part, 54A front fixing part, 54B side fixing part, 55(55A,55B) Fixing screw, 56 shielding portion, 58 regulation portion, 70 Exterior member, 70A, hole portion, 71 Opening and closing member

Claims

1. A carriage mechanism includes a carriage that moves on a guide rail, a motor that moves the carriage, a belt that transmits the driving force of the motor to the carriage, a transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force of the motor to the belt, and an adjustment screw that adjusts the belt. A detachable cover member that covers the transmission mechanism, an exterior member that houses the carriage, the motor, the belt, the transmission mechanism, and the adjustment screw has a hole formed therethrough that overlaps with the adjustment screw, and the adjustment screw is accessible from outside the exterior member through the hole; The cover member is A cover portion that covers the transmission mechanism; a shielding portion that blocks the gap between the hole portion and the A cover member comprising:

2. The cover member according to claim 1, The cover member is provided within a movement range of the carriage, and has a restricting portion that abuts against the carriage when the carriage moves and restricts the movement range of the carriage.

3. The cover member according to claim 1 or 2, A cover member, the cover portion having a recess formed in a lower edge thereof, through which the belt passes.

4. The cover member according to claim 3, The transmission mechanism includes a drive gear and a driven gear meshed with the drive gear, A cover member, wherein an upper edge of the recess is positioned below an engagement portion between the drive gear and the driven gear.

5. The cover member according to claim 1 or 2, the cover member has a side fixing portion fixed to a side surface of a frame and a fixing screw for fixing the side fixing portion to the frame, The cover portion has an access hole for accessing the fixing screw through the cover portion. Cover member.

6. The cover member according to claim 5, The transmission mechanism includes a drive gear and a driven gear meshed with the drive gear, A cover member, wherein the access hole is located forward of an engagement portion between the drive gear and the driven gear in a direction of a rotation axis of the drive gear and the driven gear.

7. The cover member according to claim 5, The cover member has a peephole through which the head of the fixing screw can be viewed.

8. 8. The cover member according to claim 7, The peephole is provided in a front plate portion that covers the front side of the transmission mechanism.

9. The cover member according to claim 1 or 2, The cover member is configured to cover a main body portion of the motor.

10. an exterior member; and a carriage mechanism housed in the exterior member; The carriage mechanism includes: A carriage that moves on a guide rail; A motor for moving the carriage; a belt that transmits the driving force of the motor to the carriage; a transmission mechanism that transmits a driving force of the motor to the belt; An adjustment screw for adjusting the belt; A detachable cover member for covering the transmission mechanism; having a hole portion overlapping with the adjustment screw is formed through the exterior member, and the adjustment screw is accessible from outside the exterior member through the hole portion; The cover member is A cover portion that covers the transmission mechanism; a shielding portion that blocks the gap between the hole portion and the adjustment screw; A carriage device comprising:

Images