Printer

Abstract

To provide a printer comprising a maintenance cover that can improve maintenability, designability and appearance, without damaging the maintenance cover during maintenance.SOLUTION: A printer 10 is provided with: an installation base 11 on which a recording medium is loaded; a body frame 16 supporting the installation base 11; a case 20 storing the installation base 11 and the body frame 16; an opening part 30 for maintenance formed at a front / lower part of the case 20; and a maintenance cover 50 covering the opening part 30 for maintenance, which is provided attachably and detachably. The maintenance cover 50 comprises: a body part 51 covering the opening part 30 for maintenance; locking parts 33, provided upper portions of both side parts in a lateral direction of the body part 51, which lock the body part 51 to the body frame 16; attachment / detachment parts 53, provided at lower portions at both side parts in the lateral direction of the body part 51, which are held by the body frame 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer equipped with a maintenance cover. [Background technology]

[0002] In a printer, printing devices such as a cartridge and a carriage are arranged inside a case that serves as a housing. As a printer is used, cartridge replacement, checking of the internal operation of the device, maintenance, and the like occur.

[0003] A maintenance cover that can be easily opened and closed is provided on a part of the case so that the inside of the device can be easily accessed when replacing the cartridge, checking the internal operation of the device, or performing maintenance. Printers with such a case provided with a maintenance cover are known (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2).

[0004] The printer disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a housing, a right cover that is provided so as to be able to open and close, and a first holding mechanism and a second holding mechanism that hold the right cover in a closed state. The first holding mechanism has a locking member and a locking pin, and the second holding mechanism has a sheet metal member and a magnet member, and the first holding mechanism and the second holding mechanism hold the right cover at different positions in the longitudinal direction. When the right cover is in a closed state, the locking pin of the housing is locked in the recess of the locking member, and the right cover is held to the housing.

[0005] The printer disclosed in Patent Document 2 has an opening formed on the front side of the housing, and an opening / closing body that can be set to a closed position that covers the opening and an open position that exposes the opening is removably attached. The opening / closing body has transparency, and a storage section forming member is attached to the opening / closing body, and the storage section forming member is made of a material that does not transmit light. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-76769 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6149619 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Also, as a typical printer, the printer shown in the comparative example in Figures 13(A) and 13(B) is known. Figure 13(A) is an explanatory diagram of the comparative printer 100 in a state where the maintenance cover 101 is closed, and the maintenance cover 101 is provided on the lower front side of the case 102 so as to be able to open downward.

[0008] FIG. 13(B) is an explanatory diagram of the maintenance cover 101 of the printer 100 of the comparative example in the open state, in which the upper part of the maintenance cover 101 is tilted downward and forward via a downward-opening hinge 103 provided at the lower end of the case 102, causing the maintenance cover 101 to open downward.

[0009] When the maintenance cover is opened downward, the hinge is exposed to the outside when the cover is opened or closed, which results in a poor appearance. Also, if a waste liquid tank or other item removed during maintenance is dropped onto the maintenance cover when opened downward, the maintenance cover may be scratched or dented.

[0010] On the other hand, when the table on which the media is mounted moves up and down, it may interfere with the front of the case when performing maintenance on the table's lifting mechanism or when placing media on the table, making these operations less easy. In this case, it is possible to take measures such as cutting out the interfering part of the case to improve the ease of maintenance, etc., but in the case of a UV printer, this is not desirable as there is a possibility that ultraviolet light (UV light) may leak to the outside from the cut-out part.

[0011] An object of the present invention is to provide a printer equipped with a maintenance cover that can improve maintainability, design, and appearance without damaging the cover during maintenance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] According to the present disclosure, a printer includes an ink head that ejects ink onto a recording medium, a mounting stand on which the recording medium is mounted, a main body frame that supports the mounting stand, an accommodation space that houses the ink head, the mounting stand, and the main body frame, a case that defines the accommodation space inside, and a cover that closes an opening that opens the accommodation space to the outside, the opening includes an opening for inserting and removing printed matter, which is formed in an upper front portion of the case, and an opening for maintenance, which is located in a lower front portion of the case and is formed in a front portion of the main body frame, the cover includes an opening / closing main cover that covers the opening for inserting and removing printed matter in an openable and closable manner, and a maintenance cover that covers the maintenance opening and is detachably provided, The printer is characterized in that the maintenance cover comprises a main body portion that covers the maintenance opening, a locking portion provided on the upper of both left-right side portions of the main body portion and locks the main body portion to the main body frame, and a detachable portion provided on the lower of both left-right side portions of the main body portion and held by the main body frame. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a printer equipped with a maintenance cover that can improve maintainability, design, and appearance without damaging the cover during maintenance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printer according to the embodiment with the opening / closing main cover closed. [Diagram 2]1 is a perspective view of a printer in an embodiment with a main cover open; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the printer with the maintenance cover removed according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view of a printer according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment with the table in a lowered position and the maintenance cover removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment with a table in a raised position and a maintenance cover removed. [Figure 7] 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the printer shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 8] 8 is an enlarged view of a main part of the printer shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a maintenance cover according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a side view of the maintenance cover according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] 11A to 11C are operation diagrams of attaching the maintenance cover according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is an operational diagram of turning on a closure detection sensor by the maintenance cover of the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13A is a perspective view of a printer according to a comparative example with a maintenance cover closed, and FIG. 13B is a perspective view of a printer according to a comparative example with a maintenance cover open. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG.

[0016] <Example> (About Printer 10) Please refer to Figures 1 to 3. The printer 10 is, for example, an ultraviolet ray irradiation type printer (UV printer) capable of forming a color image on a medium such as paper. A UV printer is a printer that uses ultraviolet ray curable ink that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays.

[0017] The printer 10 comprises a table 11 (installation stand 11) on which media (recording medium) (not shown) can be placed, rails 12 extending in the left-right width direction above the table 11, a carriage 13 movably mounted on the rails 12, ink cartridges 14 filled with ink of different colors, ink tubes (not shown) connected to the ink cartridges 14 so as to be able to transport ink, an ink head 13a connected to the ink tubes and housed in the carriage 13, a UV lamp 13b mounted on the carriage 13 and irradiating ultraviolet light, a lifting mechanism 15 that raises and lowers the table 11 relative to the ink head 13a, and a main body frame 16 that supports the lifting mechanism 15.

[0018] This main frame 16 supports the screw shaft 15a described later and includes left and right side frames 16b (only the left side is shown) that are inverted L-shaped and extend in the front-to-rear direction, a vertical front plate portion 16a that is connected to the front ends of the left and right side frames 16b and extends in the left-to-right direction, and a vertical rear plate portion 16c that is connected to the rear ends of the left and right side frames 16b and extends in the left-to-right direction.

[0019] Furthermore, the printer 10 is provided with a waste liquid tank 17 provided at the lower right side when viewed from the front of the printer 10, and a filter 18 (deodorizing device 18) provided at the lower left side when viewed from the front of the printer 10.

[0020] The waste liquid tank 17 can store waste liquid used to clean the ink head 13a. The table 11 can slide in the front-rear direction. The ink head 13a can eject ink onto a medium. The lifting mechanism 15 is configured such that a base member can be raised and lowered in the up-down direction by screw shafts 15a arranged at the front, back, and center on the left and right sides when viewed from the direction facing the front of the printer 10, and the base member supports a table 11 that can slide in the front-rear direction relative to the base member.

[0021] The printer 10 prints on the medium that passes under the ink head 13a while moving the carriage 13. The UV printer 10 prints by irradiating UV ink with ultraviolet light from the UV lamp 13b to harden the ink, and can print on a variety of materials, from hard materials such as resin, wood, and leather to soft materials.

[0022] (About the 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.

[0023] (About Ink Cartridge 14) The ink cartridges 14 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 can be selected arbitrarily.

[0024] The printer 10 further includes a case 20 in which an accommodation space 20a is formed, and a cover 40 that closes an opening 20b that opens the accommodation space 20a to the outside.

[0025] The housing space 20 a in the case 20 houses the ink head 13 a , the table 11 , the lifting mechanism 15 , the main body frame 16 , the filter 18 , and the waste liquid tank 17 .

[0026] The opening 20b includes an opening 21 for inserting and removing printed matter, which is located at the upper front part of the case 20, and an opening 30 for maintenance, which is located at the lower front part of the case 20. The opening 21 for inserting and removing printed matter is formed at the upper front part of the case 20. The opening 30 for maintenance is formed in the front panel part 16a of the main body frame 16.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 4 to 7. The cover 40 includes an opening / closing main cover 41 that opens and closes the opening 21 for inserting and removing printed matter, and a maintenance cover 50 that covers the maintenance opening 30 and is provided in a removable manner.

[0028] (Regarding Case 20) Please refer to Figures 5 to 7. Case 20 has legs 23 that can be placed on a desk or table, a bottom 24 provided on these legs 23, left and right side sections 25 formed to rise from the left and right edges of bottom section 24, a back section 26 formed to rise from the rear edge of bottom section 24, a top panel section 27 that covers the upper sides of back section 26 and left and right side sections 25, and an upper front section 29 that extends while sloping downward toward the front along the front edges of left and right side sections 25.

[0029] A large opening 21 for inserting and removing printed matter is formed in the upper front surface 29, and an opening / closing main cover 41 is provided so as to openably cover this opening 21 for inserting and removing printed matter. A shaft is provided at the upper end of the opening / closing main cover 41, and this shaft is rotatably supported by the upper front surface 29 at the left and right upper end positions of the opening 21 for inserting and removing printed matter.

[0030] (Regarding the front plate portion 16a of the main body frame 16) A maintenance opening 30 is formed in the front plate 16a. This maintenance opening 30 has a first maintenance opening 31 formed in the lower right part of the front plate 16a when viewed from the direction facing the front of the printer 10, for removing the waste liquid tank 17, and a second maintenance opening 32 formed in the center part of the front plate 16a, for maintenance of the lifting mechanism 15 and for attaching and detaching an optional rotating shaft unit. The table 11 (installation stand 11) is accessible via this second maintenance opening 32.

[0031] Please refer to Figures 5 to 10. Locking portions 33, 33 onto which the maintenance cover 50 is hooked are provided on the left and right upper portions of the front plate portion 16a. Insertion holes 34, 34 are provided below the locking portions 33, 33 on the front plate portion 16a. Magnets 35, 35 onto which the maintenance cover 50 is attached and detached are provided on the left and right lower portions of the front plate portion 16a. The magnets 35 may be provided on the main body frame 16 instead of on the maintenance cover 50.

[0032] (About Maintenance Cover 50) 5 to 10. The maintenance cover 50 covers the first maintenance opening 31 and the second maintenance opening 32 of the front plate 16a, and is detachably provided on the front plate 16a. The maintenance cover 50 includes a main body 51 forming a surface covering the front plate 16a, claw-shaped hook pieces 52, 52 provided on the upper part of the main body 51 and hooked on the locking parts 33, 33, and detachable parts 53, 53 provided on the lower part of the main body 51 and detachably attached to the magnets 35, 35. In other words, the detachable parts 53, 53 are parts of the main body 51 that are attracted by the magnetic force of the magnets 35, 35, and are, for example, parts of the main body 51 that have magnetism. The detachable parts 53, 53 are provided on the lower part of both sides of the main body 51 in the left-right direction, and can be held to the main frame 16 by the magnetic force of the magnets 35, 35. It is not essential that the detachable portions 53, 53 are configured to hold the maintenance cover 50 to the main body frame 16 by magnetic force; as long as the maintenance cover 50 is held to the main body frame 16, it does not have to be by magnetic force.

[0033] When viewed from the direction facing the front of the printer 10, the length L1 in the left-right direction of the main body 51 is set to a length that includes the first maintenance opening 31 and the second maintenance opening 32.

[0034] Furthermore, the main body 51 of the maintenance cover 50 is provided with a plurality of (three or more) hook pieces 54 extending from the main body 51 toward the case 20, and a receiving portion 55 that receives the opening / closing main cover 41 when the opening / closing main cover 41 is closed. Hanging holes 54a are formed through the plurality of hook pieces 54. When painting the maintenance cover 50, a jig can be hung by hanging the hanging holes 54a.

[0035] (Regarding the sensor 60 for detecting closure of the maintenance cover 50) In the front plate portion 16a, a closure detection sensor 60 for the maintenance cover 50 is provided on the rear side of the right-side insertion hole 34 as viewed from the front (the rear side as viewed from the direction facing the front of the printer 20). Specifically, an L-shaped bracket 61 is provided on the rear side of the insertion hole 34 in the front plate portion 16a, and a contact-type closure detection sensor 60 is provided on this L-shaped bracket 61.

[0036] (Function of the maintenance cover 50) Please refer to Figures 10 and 11 in addition to Figure 9. When attaching the maintenance cover 50 to the case 20, the claw portions 52, 52 of the maintenance cover 50 are hooked onto the locking portions 33, 33 of the front plate portion 16a. At this time, the hook pieces 54, 54 of the maintenance cover 50 are inserted into the insertion holes 34, 34 of the lower front plate portion 16a. Due to the weight of the maintenance cover 50, the lower portion of the maintenance cover 50 is rotated (moved) toward the front plate portion 16a around the claw portions 52, 52 hooked onto the locking portions 33, 33. As the maintenance cover 50 rotates, the detachable portions 53, 53 are attracted and held by the magnetic force of the magnets 35, 35.

[0037] At this time, the hook pieces 54, 54 of the maintenance cover 50 are inserted into the insertion holes 34, 34, and the right hook piece 54 comes into contact with the closure detection sensor 60. This detects that the maintenance cover 50 is closed. In other words, the right hook piece 54 is inserted into the insertion hole 34 and serves as a detected member that is detected by the closure detection sensor 60.

[0038] The above-described printer 10 will now be summarized.

[0039] Please refer to Figures 2 to 5. First, the printer 10 includes an ink head 13a that ejects ink onto a recording medium, an installation stand 11 on which the recording medium is mounted, a main body frame 16 that supports the installation stand 11, an accommodation space 20a that accommodates the ink head 13a, the installation stand 11, and the main body frame 16, a case 20 that defines the accommodation space 20a therein, and a cover 40 that closes an opening 20b that opens the accommodation space 20a to the outside. The opening 20b includes an opening 21 for inserting and removing printed matter, formed in the upper front part of the case 20, and a maintenance opening 30 located in the lower front part of the case 20 and formed in the front part of the main body frame 16. The cover 40 includes an opening / closing main cover 41 that opens and closes the opening 21 for inserting and removing printed matter, and a maintenance cover 50 that covers the maintenance opening 30 and is provided in a removable manner. The maintenance cover 50 comprises a main body portion 51 which covers the maintenance opening 30, a locking portion 33 provided at the upper of both left-right side portions of the main body portion 51 for locking the main body portion 51 to the main body frame 16, and a detachable portion 53 provided at the lower of both left-right side portions of the main body portion 51 and held by the main body frame 16.

[0040] The maintenance cover 50 is configured such that the locking parts 33 at the top of both sides of the main body 51 are locked to the main body frame 16, and the detachable parts 53 at the bottom of both sides of the main body 51 are held to the main body frame 16. In other words, because of the relationship between the fulcrum and center of gravity at the top of the maintenance cover 50, the maintenance cover 50 is held to the bottom of the main body frame 16 simply by hooking it onto the top of the main body frame 16. Therefore, the maintenance cover 50 can be attached to the main body frame 16 very easily. As a result, the screws and hinges are not exposed to the outside, and the design requirements and the appearance quality requirements can be met. Furthermore, since the maintenance cover 50 does not have a downward-opening hinge structure, the maintenance cover 50 will not be damaged even if it is accidentally dropped when inserting or removing a part such as a waste liquid tank through the maintenance opening 30. Therefore, it is possible to provide a printer 10 equipped with a maintenance cover 50 that can improve maintainability, design, and appearance without damaging the maintenance cover 50 during maintenance.

[0041] See Figures 2 and 11. Secondly, in the first printer 10, the attachment / detachment section 53 holds the maintenance cover 50 to the main body frame 16 by magnetic force, and the main body frame 16 or the maintenance cover 50 has magnets 35 provided on the lower parts of both sides in the left-right direction.

[0042] In this way, the attachment / detachment portion 53 holds the maintenance cover 50 to the main body frame 16 by magnetic force, and the magnet 35 is disposed at the bottom of the main body frame 16. Since the locking portion 33 at the top of the maintenance cover 50 is locked to the main body frame 16, the bottom of the maintenance cover 50 rotates toward the main body frame 16 due to its own weight and hits the magnet 35. This allows the maintenance cover 50 to be securely fixed to the main body frame 16 by the magnetic force of the magnet 35. The magnet 35 may be disposed on either the main body frame 16 or the maintenance cover 50. Even if the magnet 35 is disposed on the maintenance cover 50, the maintenance cover 50 rotates toward the main body frame 16 due to its own weight and hits the main body frame 16. This allows the maintenance cover 50 to be securely fixed to the main body frame 16 by the magnetic force of the magnet 35 disposed on the main body frame 16.

[0043] 2 to 4. Thirdly, the first and second printers 10 are each provided with a waste liquid tank 17 housed in the accommodation space 20a for storing waste liquid used to clean the ink head 13a, and a lifting mechanism 15 housed in the accommodation space 20a for raising and lowering the installation base 11 relative to the ink head 13a. The maintenance opening 30 has a first maintenance opening 31 for removing the waste liquid tank 17 and a second maintenance opening 32 for opening the lifting mechanism 15 to the outside of the case 20. The length L1 in the left-right direction of the main body 51 of the maintenance cover 50 is set to a length including the first maintenance opening 31 and the second maintenance opening 32.

[0044] Therefore, simply by opening and closing the maintenance cover 50, both the first and second maintenance openings 31, 32 are opened to the outside, allowing easy access to the interior of the accommodation space 20a.

[0045] See Fig. 5. Fourth, in a third printer 10, the second maintenance opening 32 is provided in the front surface (front panel portion 16a) of the main body frame 16. The installation base 11 is accessible via the second maintenance opening 32.

[0046] Therefore, maintenance of the lifting mechanism 15 can be easily performed through the second maintenance opening 32 simply by opening the maintenance cover 50.

[0047] 8 and 9. Fifthly, in the first to fourth printers 10, the maintenance cover 50 is provided with a plurality of hook pieces 54 extending from the main body 51, and hanging holes 54a formed through the plurality of hook pieces 54. Three or more hook pieces 54 are provided.

[0048] In this way, three or more hook pieces 54 with hanging holes 54a formed therethrough are extended from the main body 51. When painting the maintenance cover 50, the maintenance cover 50 can be hung by hanging a jig on the hanging hole 54a. Therefore, when painting the maintenance cover 50, it is not necessary to attach a hanging magnet to the main body 51. Since no magnet marks are left on the main body 51, the appearance quality of the maintenance cover 50 can be improved. Moreover, when painting the maintenance cover 50, the work efficiency of the painting process can be improved.

[0049] See Fig. 8. Sixth, in the fifth printer 10, the main body frame 16 is provided with a detection sensor 60 that detects that the main body 51 of the maintenance cover 50 is held by the main body frame 16. When at least one of the multiple hook pieces 54 is placed in a predetermined position, the detection sensor 60 detects that the main body 51 of the maintenance cover 50 is held by the main body frame 16.

[0050] Therefore, the detection sensor 60 can detect that the maintenance cover 50 is closed, reliably preventing ultraviolet (UV) rays from leaking from the maintenance opening 30. Moreover, at least one of the hook pieces 54 can also serve as the member to be detected by the detection sensor 60. Therefore, there is no need to provide a separate member to be detected.

[0051] In the embodiment, the printer 10 is a UV printer, but the printer is not limited to this. As long as the maintenance cover 50 has the structure of the embodiment, the printer 10 may be a normal inkjet printer or a laser printer.

[0052] In the embodiment, the detection sensor 60 is of a contact type, but is not limited to this. For example, a non-contact optical switch type sensor may be used. [Industrial Applicability]

[0053] The printer 10 of the present invention is suitable for use as a printer equipped with a maintenance cover. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 Printers 11 Table (installation stand) 12 Rail 13 Carriage 13a Ink head 13b UV lamp 14 Ink Cartridges 15 Lifting mechanism 16 Main frame 16a Front plate part 17 Waste liquid tank 20 cases 20a Storage space 20b opening 21 Opening for inserting and removing printed matter 30 Maintenance opening 31 First maintenance opening 32 Second maintenance opening 33 Locking part 34 Insertion hole 35 Magnet 40 Cover 41 Opening and closing main cover 50 Maintenance cover 51 Main body 52 Claw piece 53 Detachable part 54 Hook piece (detectable member) 54a Hanging hole 55 Receiving part 60 Detection sensor (close detection sensor) L1: Length of the main body in the left-right direction

Claims

1. A printer comprising an ink head which ejects ink onto a recording medium, a setting stand on which the recording medium is mounted, a main body frame which supports the setting stand, an accommodation space which accommodates the ink head, the setting stand and the main body frame, a case which defines the accommodation space inside, and a cover which closes an opening which opens the accommodation space to the outside, the opening includes an opening for inserting and removing printed matter, which is formed in an upper front portion of the case, and an opening for maintenance, which is located in a lower front portion of the case and is formed in a front portion of the main body frame, the cover includes an opening / closing main cover that covers the opening for inserting and removing printed matter in an openable and closable manner, and a maintenance cover that covers the maintenance opening and is detachably provided, This printer is characterized in that the maintenance cover comprises a main body portion that covers the maintenance opening, a locking portion provided on upper two of the left and right side portions of the main body portion and locks the main body portion to the main body frame, and a detachable portion provided on lower two of the left and right side portions of the main body portion and held by the main body frame.

2. the attachment / detachment unit holds the maintenance cover on the main body frame by magnetic force, The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the main body frame or the maintenance cover includes a magnet provided on a lower portion of both left and right sides.

3. a waste liquid tank that is accommodated in the accommodation space and that stores waste liquid used to clean the ink head; and a lifting mechanism that is accommodated in the accommodation space and that lifts and lowers the installation table relative to the ink head, the maintenance opening includes a first maintenance opening for removing the waste liquid tank and a second maintenance opening for opening the lifting mechanism to the outside of the case, The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the body portion of the maintenance cover has a length in the left-right direction that is set to a length that includes the first maintenance opening and the second maintenance opening.

4. The printer according to claim 3 , wherein the second maintenance opening is provided in a front surface of the main body frame, and the installation table is accessible through the second maintenance opening.

5. The maintenance cover includes a plurality of hook pieces extending from the main body and a hanging hole formed through the plurality of hook pieces, The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the number of the hook pieces provided is three or more.

6. the main body frame is provided with a detection sensor that detects that the main body portion of the maintenance cover is held by the main body frame, The printer according to claim 5 , wherein when at least one of the plurality of hook pieces is placed in a predetermined position, the detection sensor detects that the main body of the maintenance cover is held by the main body frame.

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