Medium processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a medium processing apparatus capable of reducing a cost even if deflection of a conveying roller can be reduced, in the medium processing apparatus including the conveying roller for conveying a medium.SOLUTION: A medium processing apparatus 1 includes a transport roller 11 for transporting a medium, a plurality of roller support portions 16 and 17 for supporting the transport roller 11, a main body frame 9 to which the plurality of roller support portions 16 and 17 is attached, and a plurality of support legs 10 to upper end portions of which the main body frame 9 is fixed. The plurality of roller support portions 16 and 17 is disposed in a state of being spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the transport roller 11, and the attachment positions of the plurality of roller support portions 16 and 17 in a Z direction with respect to the main body frame 9 can be individually adjustable. Further, the plurality of roller support portions 16 and 17 is directly attached to the main body frame 9.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a medium processing apparatus for performing a predetermined process on a medium.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a printing apparatus that discharges ink to perform printing on a medium has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes an inkjet head that discharges ink, a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted, a carriage drive mechanism (main scanning control unit) that moves the carriage in the main scanning direction, a platen on which the medium is placed during printing, a main body frame for supporting the platen from below, two support legs fixed to the upper end of the main body frame, and a conveyance unit that conveys the medium.

[0003] In the printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the conveyance unit includes a conveyance roller (grid roller) for conveying the medium, a roller drive mechanism (sub-scanning drive unit) for driving the conveyance roller, and a plurality of pinch rollers that are biased toward the conveyance roller and sandwich the medium therebetween. The length of the conveyance roller is a length that contacts the entire medium in the width direction of the medium. Further, the conveyance unit includes a roller adjustment mechanism for adjusting the deflection of the conveyance roller. The roller adjustment mechanism is arranged at a plurality of positions in the axial direction (width direction of the medium) of the conveyance roller.

[0004] The roller adjustment mechanism includes a roller support portion that contacts the conveyance roller and supports the conveyance roller from below, a moving portion to which the roller support portion is fixed on the upper surface side, a fixed portion fixed to the main body frame, and a plurality of adjustment screws for moving the moving portion vertically with respect to the fixed portion. The moving portion is disposed above the fixed portion. The fixed portion is fixed to the upper surface of the main body frame. In the printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, at a plurality of locations in the axial direction of the conveyance roller, the roller support portion can be moved vertically together with the moving portion with respect to the fixed portion by the adjustment screws, so that the deflection of the conveyance roller can be adjusted. Further, in this printing apparatus, it is possible to reduce the deflection of the conveyance roller by adjusting the deflection of the conveyance roller.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Since the printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a roller adjustment mechanism, as described above, it is possible to reduce the deflection of the conveyance roller. However, in the printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the roller adjustment mechanism includes, in addition to the roller support portion, a fixed portion fixed to the main body frame and a moving portion to which the roller support portion is fixed and which is movable vertically with respect to the fixed portion. Therefore, there is a possibility that the number of components of the roller adjustment mechanism increases and the cost of the printing apparatus increases.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a media processing apparatus including a conveyance roller for conveying a media, which can reduce the deflection of the conveyance roller and can also reduce the cost.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a media processing apparatus of the present invention includes a conveyance roller for conveying a media, a roller drive mechanism for driving the conveyance roller, a plurality of roller support portions for supporting the conveyance roller, a main body frame to which the plurality of roller support portions are attached, a plurality of support legs fixed to an upper end portion of the main body frame, and bearings that rotatably hold both end portions of the conveyance roller and are attached to the main body frame. When a predetermined direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the conveyance roller is defined as a first direction, the plurality of roller support portions are arranged at intervals in the axial direction of the conveyance roller, rotatably support the conveyance roller from one side in the first direction, and are directly attached to the main body frame. The attachment positions of the plurality of roller support portions in the first direction with respect to the main body frame are individually adjustable.

[0009] In the media processing apparatus of the present invention, the plurality of roller support portions that support the conveyance roller from one side in the first direction are arranged at intervals in the axial direction of the conveyance roller, and the attachment positions of the plurality of roller support portions in the first direction with respect to the main body frame are individually adjustable. Therefore, in the present invention, by individually adjusting the attachment positions of the plurality of roller support portions in the first direction with respect to the main body frame, it is possible to reduce the deflection of the conveyance roller. Further, in the present invention, since the plurality of roller support portions are directly attached to the main body frame, the moving portion and the fixing portion described in Patent Document 1 become unnecessary. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to reduce the number of parts of the media processing apparatus and reduce the cost of the media processing apparatus. That is, in the present invention, even though it is possible to reduce the deflection of the conveyance roller, it is possible to reduce the cost of the media processing apparatus.

[0010] In the present invention, when the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the conveying roller and the first direction is defined as the second direction, it is preferable that the roller support portion is directly attached to one surface of the main body frame in the second direction by screws, and when the screws are loosened, the attachment position of the roller support portion in the first direction with respect to the main body frame can be adjusted. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to adjust the attachment position of the roller support portion with respect to the main body frame with a relatively simple configuration. Therefore, it becomes possible to further reduce the cost of the medium processing apparatus.

[0011] In the present invention, for example, the roller support portion includes a support member that contacts the conveying roller and a holding member that holds the support member and is attached to the main body frame. Among the plurality of roller support portions, the support members of some of the roller support portions are sliding bearings, and the support members of the remaining roller support portions are a pair of rollers.

[0012] In this case, for example, it becomes possible to reduce the cost of the medium processing apparatus as compared with the case where the support members of all the roller support portions are a pair of rollers. Also, in this case, for example, it becomes possible to suppress the occurrence of periodic eccentricity in the conveying roller due to the eccentricity of the rollers during the rotation of the conveying roller as compared with the case where the support members of all the roller support portions are a pair of rollers. Further, in this case, for example, it becomes possible to reduce the load acting on the drive source of the roller drive mechanism during the rotation of the conveying roller as compared with the case where the support members of all the roller support portions are sliding bearings.

[0013] In the present invention, the medium processing apparatus includes, for example, three or more roller support portions, and the roller support portions having support members that are sliding bearings and the roller support portions having support members that are a pair of rollers are alternately arranged in the axial direction of the conveying roller. In this case, it becomes possible to arrange the sliding bearings and the pair of rollers in a well-balanced manner in the axial direction of the conveying roller.

[0014] In the present invention, the roller support portion includes a support member that contacts the transport roller and a holding member that holds the support member and is attached to the main body frame. The support member may be a sliding bearing. In this case, compared with the case where the support member is a pair of rollers, it is possible to reduce the cost of the media processing apparatus. Also, in this case, it is possible to prevent a periodic eccentricity from occurring in the transport roller due to the eccentricity of the rollers when the transport roller rotates.

[0015] In the present invention, for example, the media processing apparatus includes an inkjet head that discharges ink toward the media, a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted, a carriage drive mechanism that moves the carriage in the main scanning direction that is the axial direction of the transport roller, and a plurality of pinch rollers that are biased toward the transport roller and sandwich the media with the transport roller. That is, the media processing apparatus is, for example, an inkjet printer.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] As described above, in the present invention, in a media processing apparatus including a transport roller for transporting media, it is possible to reduce the deflection of the transport roller and also possible to reduce the cost of the media processing apparatus.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiment for Carrying out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] (Overall Configuration of the Media Processing Apparatus) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a media processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the media processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of the media processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4(A) is an enlarged view of part E in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4(B) is an enlarged view of part F in FIG. 4(A).

[0020] The media processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a business-use inkjet printer that discharges ink to perform printing on a medium 2 (see FIG. 3). Therefore, in the description of this embodiment, the media processing apparatus 1 is referred to as the "printer 1". The medium 2 is, for example, printing paper, cloth, or a resin film. Further, the medium 2 is formed in a long shape (elongated strip shape).

[0021] The printer 1 includes an inkjet head 3 (hereinafter referred to as the "head 3") that discharges ink toward the medium 2, a carriage 4 on which the head 3 is mounted, a carriage drive mechanism 5 that moves the carriage 4 in the main scanning direction (the Y direction in FIG. 1 etc.), a Y bar 6 that movably holds the carriage 4, a medium conveyance mechanism 7 that conveys the medium 2, and a platen 8 on which the medium 2 is placed. Further, the printer 1 includes a main body frame 9 for supporting the platen 8 from below, and a plurality of support legs 10 fixed to the upper end of the main body frame 9. The printer 1 of this embodiment includes two support legs 10.

[0022] The head 3 discharges ink downward. A plurality of nozzles for discharging ink are formed on the lower surface of the head 3. The head 3 is provided with a piezoelectric element (piezo element) for discharging ink from the nozzles. The carriage drive mechanism 5 includes, for example, two pulleys, a belt that is stretched between the two pulleys and partially fixed to the carriage 4, and a motor for rotating the pulleys. The platen 8 is disposed below the carriage 4. The medium 2 at the time of printing is placed on the platen 8. The Y bar 6 is formed in an elongated shape elongated in the main scanning direction.

[0023] In the following description, the main scanning direction (Y direction) is referred to as the "left - right direction", and the X direction in FIG. 1 etc. which is orthogonal to the up - down direction (vertical direction, Z direction) and the left - right direction is referred to as the "front - back direction". Also, the Y1 - direction side in FIG. 1 etc. which is one side of the left - right direction is referred to as the "right" side, the Y2 - direction side in FIG. 1 etc. which is the opposite side of the right side is referred to as the "left" side, the X1 - direction side in FIG. 1 etc. which is one side of the front - back direction is referred to as the "front" side, and the X2 - direction side in FIG. 1 etc. which is the opposite side of the front side is referred to as the "rear" side. The left - right direction (Y direction) coincides with the width direction of the medium 2 which is orthogonal to the thickness direction of the medium 2 and the conveyance direction of the medium 2. Also, the up - down direction (Z direction) is the thickness direction of the medium 2 placed on the platen 8 at the time of printing, and the front - back direction (X direction) is the conveyance direction of the medium 2 moving on the platen 8 and is also the sub - scanning direction.

[0024] The medium conveyance mechanism 7 includes a conveyance roller (grid roller) 11 for conveying the medium 2. The medium conveyance mechanism 7 of this embodiment includes one conveyance roller 11. The axial direction of the conveyance roller 11 coincides with the left - right direction, and the conveyance roller 11 is rotatable with the left - right direction as the axial direction of rotation. That is, the left - right direction (Y direction, main scanning direction) of this embodiment is the axial direction of the conveyance roller 11. The width of the conveyance roller 11 in the left - right direction is wider than the width of the medium 2. The conveyance roller 11 is disposed on the rear side of the platen 8. The up - down direction (Z direction) of this embodiment is the first direction which is orthogonal to the axial direction of the conveyance roller 11, and the front - back direction (X direction) is the second direction which is orthogonal to the axial direction of the conveyance roller 11 and the first direction.

[0025] Further, the medium conveyance mechanism 7 includes a roller drive mechanism 12 that drives the conveyance roller 11, a plurality of pinch rollers 13 that are biased toward the conveyance roller 11 and sandwich the medium 2 therebetween, and a plurality of roller holding members 14 to which the respective plurality of pinch rollers 13 are rotatably attached. The medium conveyance mechanism 7 includes, for example, seven pinch rollers 13 and seven roller holding members 14. The roller drive mechanism 12 includes a motor and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the power of the motor to the conveyance roller 11. The power transmission mechanism includes, for example, a pulley fixed to the output shaft of the motor, a pulley fixed to the left end portion of the conveyance roller 11, and a belt stretched between the two pulleys.

[0026] The pinch roller 13 is rotatable with the left - right direction as the axial direction of rotation. The width of the pinch roller 13 in the left - right direction is narrower than the width of the conveyance roller 11 in the left - right direction. The pinch roller 13 is disposed directly above the conveyance roller 11 and faces the conveyance roller 11 from above. Further, the plurality of pinch rollers 13 are arranged at intervals in the left - right direction. The medium 2 conveyed by the medium conveyance mechanism 7 is sandwiched between the conveyance roller 11 and the pinch rollers 13.

[0027] The roller holding member 14 is attached to the Y bar 6. The roller holding member 14 is movable in the left - right direction with respect to the Y bar 6. In this embodiment, according to the width of the medium 2 to be printed, etc., the operator of the printer 1 manually moves the roller holding member 14 in the left - right direction with respect to the Y bar 6 before printing the medium 2. A clamp mechanism for fixing the roller holding member 14 to the Y bar 6 is attached to the roller holding member 14. The medium conveyance mechanism 7 includes a pinch roller moving mechanism that moves the pinch rollers 13 between a medium holding position where a part of the medium 2 is sandwiched between the plurality of pinch rollers 13 and the conveyance roller 11, and a retracted position where the plurality of pinch rollers 13 are separated from the conveyance roller 11. When the medium 2 is set in the printer 1, the pinch rollers 13 move to the retracted position, and when the medium 2 is set in the printer 1, the pinch rollers 13 move to the medium holding position.

[0028] Further, the medium conveyance mechanism 7 includes two bearings 15 (see FIG. 4(A)) that rotatably hold both end portions of the conveyance roller 11, and a plurality of roller support portions 16, 17 that support the conveyance roller 11. The specific configurations of the bearings 15 and the roller support portions 16, 17 will be described later.

[0029] The main body frame 9 is formed in an elongated shape that is elongated in the left - right direction. Side plates are fixed to both end sides in the left - right direction of the main body frame 9. The Y bar 6 is fixed to the side plates fixed to the main body frame 9 on both sides in the left - right direction. The two support legs 10 are arranged at intervals in the left - right direction. The two support legs 10 support both end portions in the left - right direction of the main body frame 9 from below. The specific configuration of the main body frame 9 will be described later.

[0030] Further, the printer 1 includes a maintenance unit 18 for preventing clogging of a plurality of nozzles formed on the lower surface of the head 3. In the maintenance unit 18, the head 3 is cleaned so that clogging does not occur in the plurality of nozzles of the head 3. For example, in the maintenance unit 18, purging for forcibly sucking ink in the nozzles of the head 3, flushing for forcibly discharging ink from the nozzles of the head 3, and wiping for wiping the lower surface of the head 3 with a predetermined wiper member are performed. The maintenance unit 18 is attached to the right end portion of the main body frame 9.

[0031] (Configuration of Main Body Frame, Bearing, and Roller Support Portion) FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of the main body frame 9 and the like in the G-G direction of FIG. 4(A). FIG. 6(A) is a side view for explaining the configuration of the roller support portion 16 shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6(B) is a side view for explaining the configuration of the roller support portion 17 shown in FIG. 4.

[0032] The main body frame 9 includes a first frame 21 and a second frame 22 formed in an elongated shape in the left-right direction. The first frame 21 and the second frame 22 are formed by bending a thin flat metal plate formed in a predetermined shape into a predetermined shape.

[0033] The first frame 21 includes a flat fixed portion 21a that is placed and fixed on two support legs 10. The fixed portion 21a is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape that is elongated in the left-right direction. The thickness direction of the fixed portion 21a coincides with the up-down direction. Further, the first frame 21 includes side surface portions 21b that rise upward from both ends in the front-rear direction of the fixed portion 21a, and an upper surface portion 21c that extends inward in the front-rear direction from the upper ends of the side surface portions 21b. The side surface portions 21b and the upper surface portion 21c are formed in a rectangular flat plate shape that is elongated in the left-right direction. The thickness direction of the side surface portions 21b coincides with the front-rear direction, and the thickness direction of the upper surface portion 21c coincides with the up-down direction.

[0034] The second frame 22 includes a flat upper surface portion 22a that constitutes the upper surface of the second frame 22. The upper surface portion 22a is formed in a flat plate shape of a rectangle elongated in the left-right direction. The thickness direction of the upper surface portion 22a coincides with the up-down direction. Further, the second frame 22 includes side surface portions 22b extending downward from both ends in the front-rear direction of the upper surface portion 22a, and bottom surface portions 22c extending outward in the front-rear direction from the lower ends of the side surface portions 22b. The side surface portions 22b and the bottom surface portions 22c are formed in a flat plate shape of a rectangle elongated in the left-right direction. The thickness direction of the side surface portions 22b coincides with the front-rear direction, and the thickness direction of the bottom surface portions 22c coincides with the up-down direction.

[0035] The second frame 22 is disposed above the first frame 21. The lower surface of the front portion of the bottom surface portion 22c disposed at the front side contacts the upper surface of the upper surface portion 21c disposed at the front side, and the lower surface of the rear portion of the bottom surface portion 22c disposed at the rear side contacts the upper surface of the upper surface portion 21c disposed at the rear side. The second frame 22 is fixed to the first frame 21. Specifically, the bottom surface portion 22c that contacts the upper surface of the upper surface portion 21c is fixed to the upper surface of the upper surface portion 21c by a plurality of screws. The platen 8 is disposed above the second frame 22. The second frame 22 includes a plurality of platen support portions 22d. The platen support portions 22d are fixed to the upper surface of the upper surface portion 22a. The upper end surface of the platen support portion 22d is a plane orthogonal to the up-down direction.

[0036] The bearing 15 is, for example, a rolling bearing including an annular inner ring, an annular outer ring, and a plurality of rollers or balls disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring. One of the two bearings 15 rotatably holds the right end portion of the conveying roller 11, and the other bearing 15 rotatably holds the left end portion of the conveying roller 11. The bearing 15 is attached to the main body frame 10. Specifically, the bearing 15 is fixed to the upper surface side of the second frame 22. Note that the bearing 15 may be a sliding bearing formed in an annular shape.

[0037] As described above, the medium conveyance mechanism 7 includes a plurality of roller support portions 16 and 17. Specifically, the medium conveyance mechanism 7 includes three or more roller support portions 16 and 17. The medium conveyance mechanism 7 of the present embodiment includes seven roller support portions 16 and 17. Further, the medium conveyance mechanism 7 of the present embodiment includes four roller support portions 16 and three roller support portions 17. The roller support portions 16 and 17 rotatably support the conveyance roller 11 from below. The seven roller support portions 16 and 17 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. Further, the seven roller support portions 16 and 17 are attached to the main body frame 9. Specifically, the seven roller support portions 16 and 17 are directly attached to the main body frame 9.

[0038] The roller support portion 16 includes a support member 24 that contacts the conveyance roller 11 and a holding member 25 that holds the support member 24. The roller support portion 17 includes a support member 26 that contacts the conveyance roller 11 and a holding member 27 that holds the support member 26. The holding members 25 and 27 are formed by bending a thin flat metal plate formed in a predetermined shape into a predetermined shape. The support member 24 is a sliding bearing. The support member 26 is a pair (two) of rollers 28. That is, in the present embodiment, the support members 24 of four of the seven roller support portions 16 and 17 are sliding bearings, and the support members 26 of the remaining three roller support portions 17 are a pair of rollers 28.

[0039] The support member 24, which is a sliding bearing, is formed of a resin material having excellent slidability. The support member 24 is formed with a concave curved support surface 24a that contacts the lower portion of the outer peripheral surface of the conveyance roller 11. The support surface 24a is formed in a semi-cylindrical surface shape. The upper portion of the outer peripheral surface of the conveyance roller 11 does not contact the support member 24. The support member 24 is fixed to the holding member 25. The pair of rollers 28 are rotatably held by the holding member 27. The rollers 28 are rotatable with the left-right direction as the axial direction of rotation. The pair of rollers 28 are arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction. The pair of rollers 28 contact the lower portion of the outer peripheral surface of the conveyance roller 11.

[0040] As described above, the seven roller support portions 16 and 17 are arranged at intervals in the left - right direction. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4(A), the roller support portion 16 and the roller support portion 17 are arranged alternately in the left - right direction. That is, the roller support portion 16 with the support member 24 being a sliding bearing and the roller support portion 17 with the support member 26 being a pair of rollers 28 are arranged alternately in the left - right direction.

[0041] On the upper - end side of the holding member 25, a platen support portion 25a is formed. On the upper - end side of the holding member 27, a platen support portion 27a is formed. The upper - end surfaces of the platen support portions 25a and 27a are planes orthogonal to the vertical direction. The platen 8 is placed and fixed on the upper - end surface of the platen support portion 22d of the second frame 22 and the upper - end surfaces of the platen support portions 25a and 27a (see Fig. 5).

[0042] As described above, the roller support portions 16 and 17 are directly attached to the main body frame 9. Specifically, the holding members 25 and 27 are directly attached to the main body frame 9 by screws 29. Also, the holding members 25 and 27 are attached to the rear surface of the side surface portion 22b arranged on the rear side of the second frame 22. That is, the roller support portions 16 and 17 are directly attached to the rear surface of the main body frame 9. Also, the holding members 25 and 27 are fixed to the main body frame 9 by two screws 29. The screw 29 is a headed screw composed of a shaft portion with a male thread formed thereon and a head connected to the shaft portion. The two screws 29 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. On the side surface portion 22b arranged on the rear side, a screw hole for engaging the shaft portion of the screw 29 is formed. The screw hole has a female thread formed therein.

[0043] The holding members 25 and 27 are formed with through-holes through which the shaft portions of the screws 29 are inserted. In this embodiment, the vertical mounting positions of the seven roller support portions 16 and 17 with respect to the main body frame 9 can be individually adjusted. Therefore, the through-holes formed in the holding members 25 and 27 are so-called oversize holes having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion of the screw 29. Alternatively, the through-holes formed in the holding members 25 and 27 are elongated holes that are long in the vertical direction.

[0044] In this embodiment, when the screw 29 is loosened, the vertical mounting positions of the roller support portions 16 and 17 with respect to the main body frame 9 can be adjusted. Note that the screw 29 is attached to the main body frame 9 from the rear side. The holding members 25 and 27 disposed on the rear side of the main body frame 9 are formed with working elongated holes (through-holes) 25b and 27b for loosening and tightening the screw 29 (see Fig. 4(B)).

[0045] (Main effects of this embodiment) As described above, in this embodiment, the seven roller support portions 16 and 17 that support the transport roller 11 from below are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, which is the axial direction of the transport roller 11, and the vertical mounting positions of the seven roller support portions 16 and 17 with respect to the main body frame 9 can be individually adjusted. Therefore, in this embodiment, by individually adjusting the vertical mounting positions of the seven roller support portions 16 and 17 with respect to the main body frame 9, it is possible to reduce the deflection of the transport roller 11.

[0046] Also, in this embodiment, since the roller support portions 16 and 17 are directly attached to the main body frame 9, the moving portion and the fixing portion described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 are unnecessary. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the number of parts of the printer 1 and reduce the cost of the printer 1. That is, in this embodiment, even though it is possible to reduce the deflection of the transport roller 11, it is possible to reduce the cost of the printer 1.

[0047] In this embodiment, the roller support portions 16 and 17 are attached to the rear surface of the main body frame 9 by screws 29. When the screws 29 are loosened, the vertical mounting positions of the roller support portions 16 and 17 with respect to the main body frame 9 can be adjusted. Therefore, in this embodiment, with a relatively simple configuration, it becomes possible to adjust the mounting positions of the roller support portions 16 and 17 with respect to the main body frame 9. Accordingly, in this embodiment, it becomes possible to further reduce the cost of the printer 1.

[0048] In this embodiment, the support members 24 of the four roller support portions 16 among the seven roller support portions 16 and 17 are sliding bearings, and the support members 26 of the remaining three roller support portions 17 are a pair of rollers 28. Therefore, in this embodiment, for example, it becomes possible to reduce the cost of the printer 1 as compared with the case where the support members 24 and 26 of all the roller support portions 16 and 17 are a pair of rollers 28. Also, for example, it becomes possible to suppress the occurrence of periodic eccentricity in the conveyance roller 11 due to the eccentricity of the roller 28 when the conveyance roller 11 rotates as compared with the case where the support members 24 and 26 of all the roller support portions 16 and 17 are a pair of rollers 28. Further, in this embodiment, for example, it becomes possible to reduce the load acting on the drive source (motor) of the roller drive mechanism 12 when the conveyance roller 11 rotates as compared with the case where the support members 24 and 26 of all the roller support portions 16 and 17 are sliding bearings.

[0049] In this embodiment, the roller support portions 16 having the support members 24 as sliding bearings and the roller support portions 17 having the support members 26 as a pair of rollers 28 are alternately arranged in the left - right direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, it becomes possible to arrange the sliding bearings and the pair of rollers 28 in a well - balanced manner in the left - right direction.

[0050] (Other embodiments) The above - described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without changing the gist of the present invention.

[0051] In the above-described embodiment, the roller support portions 16 and 17 do not necessarily have to be alternately arranged in the left-right direction. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the number of roller support portions 16 is greater than the number of roller support portions 17 (that is, the number of support members 24 that are sliding bearings is greater than the number of support members 26 that are a pair of rollers 28), but the number of roller support portions 17 may be greater than the number of roller support portions 16.

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, the support member 26 may be a sliding bearing. That is, the support members 24 and 26 of all the roller support portions 16 and 17 may be sliding bearings. In this case, compared with the case where the support member 26 is a pair of rollers 28, it becomes possible to reduce the cost of the printer 1. Also, in this case, it becomes possible to prevent a periodic eccentricity from occurring in the conveyance roller 11 due to the eccentricity of the roller 28 when the conveyance roller 11 rotates. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the support member 24 may be a pair of rollers 28. That is, the support members 24 and 26 of all the roller support portions 16 and 17 may be a pair of rollers 28.

[0053] In the above-described embodiment, the roller support portions 16 and 17 may be attached to the main body frame 9 by one screw 29, or may be attached to the main body frame 9 by three or more screws 29. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the roller support portions 16 and 17 may be attached to the main body frame 9 by fixing means other than the screw 29. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the medium 2 does not necessarily have to be formed in a long shape.

[0054] In the above-described embodiment, the first direction, which is a predetermined direction orthogonal to the axial direction (left-right direction) of the conveyance roller 11, does not have to coincide with the vertical direction. That is, the first direction may be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. In this case, the second direction, which is a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the conveyance roller 11 and the first direction, is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction. Further, the medium processing apparatus 1 to which the present invention is applied may be a printer other than an inkjet printer, or may be an apparatus that performs predetermined processing on the medium 2 other than a printer. For example, the medium processing apparatus 1 may be a cutting plotter that cuts the medium 2 into a predetermined shape.

Explanation of Signs

[0055] 1 Printer (inkjet printer, medium processing apparatus) 2 Medium 3 Head (inkjet head) 4 Carriage 5 Carriage drive mechanism 9 Main body frame 10 Support leg 11 Conveyance roller 12 Roller drive mechanism 13 Pinch roller 15 Bearing 16 Roller support portion (roller support portion in which the support member is a sliding bearing) 17 Roller support portion (roller support portion in which the support member is a pair of rollers) 24, 26 Support member 25, 27 Holding member 28 Roller 29 Screw X Second direction Y Axial direction of conveyance roller, main scanning direction Z First direction

Claims

1. A conveying roller for conveying a medium, a roller driving mechanism for driving the conveying roller, a plurality of roller support portions for supporting the conveying roller, a main body frame to which the plurality of roller support portions are attached, a plurality of support legs fixed to the upper end portion of the main body frame, and bearings that rotatably hold both end portions of the conveying roller and are attached to the main body frame, when a predetermined direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the conveying roller is defined as a first direction, the plurality of roller support portions are arranged at intervals in the axial direction of the conveying roller, rotatably support the conveying roller from one side in the first direction, and are directly attached to the main body frame, A medium processing apparatus, characterized in that mounting positions of the plurality of roller support portions in the first direction with respect to the main body frame are individually adjustable.

2. when a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the conveying roller and the first direction is defined as a second direction, the roller support portion is directly attached by a screw to a surface on one side of the main body frame in the second direction, The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that when the screw is loosened, adjustment of the mounting position of the roller support portion in the first direction with respect to the main body frame becomes possible.

3. The roller support portion includes a support member that contacts the conveying roller and a holding member that holds the support member and is attached to the main body frame, the support members of some of the plurality of roller support portions are sliding bearings, The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support members of the remaining roller support portions are a pair of rollers.

4. including three or more of the roller support portions, The medium processing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the roller support portions having the support member as a sliding bearing and the roller support portions having the support member as a pair of rollers are alternately arranged in the axial direction of the conveying roller.

5. The roller support portion includes a support member that contacts the conveying roller and a holding member that holds the support member and is attached to the main body frame, The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support member is a sliding bearing.

6. An inkjet head that discharges ink toward the medium, a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted, a carriage drive mechanism that moves the carriage in a main scanning direction that is the axial direction of the conveyance roller, and a plurality of pinch rollers that are biased toward the conveyance roller and sandwich the medium between the conveyance roller and the pinch rollers. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising the above components.

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