Conveyance apparatus and cover

Abstract

To provide a conveyance apparatus and a cover which can suppress the entrainment of a medium by a simple fitting operation in an opening part.SOLUTION: A printing machine comprises a platen 21, an opening part 23, a spike roller 50, and a cover 60. The platen 21 supports a printing medium from below. The opening part 23 is provided at the platen 21. The spike roller 50 is exposed from the opening part 23, and is contactable with the printing medium supported by the platen 21. The cover 60 is freely detachably fitted to the opening part 23, and covers at least part of a gap between an inner edge part of the opening part 23 and the spike roller 50. Therefore, the printing machine can prevent the entrainment of the printing medium in the opening part 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a thermal printer that integrates a platen roller, a downstream roll-up prevention member, and an upstream roll-up prevention member into a single unit. The thermal printer includes a fixed portion that supports the roller shaft of the platen roller and a support member that detachably supports the fixed portion. The downstream roll-up prevention member is attached to the fixed portion in a state where it is fixed in the rotational direction. The upstream roll-up prevention member is attached to the roller shaft so that it can rotate freely. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6408834 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The thermal printer described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which the downstream-side roll-up prevention member is attached to a fixed part and the upstream-side roll-up prevention member is attached to a roller shaft, which causes a problem in that the installation work is not easy.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a transport device and a cover that can be easily attached to an opening to prevent media from getting caught in the transport device and cover. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The conveying device of claim 1 is characterized by comprising a support member that supports a medium, an opening provided in the support member, a roller that is exposed through the opening and can contact the medium supported by the support member, and a cover that is detachably attached to the opening and covers at least a portion of the gap between the inner edge of the opening and the roller. Simply by attaching the cover to the opening of the support member, the conveying device can cover at least a portion of the gap between the inner edge of the opening and the roller. Therefore, the conveying device can prevent the medium from getting caught in the opening.

[0007] The cover of the conveying device of claim 2 may include a downstream cover portion that covers at least the gap between the inner edge of the opening and the roller on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the medium. When the medium being conveyed in the conveying direction passes over the opening, the downstream gap between the inner edge of the opening and the roller is covered by the cover. Therefore, the conveying device can prevent the medium from getting caught in the downstream gap.

[0008] The cover of the conveying device of claim 3 may further include an upstream cover portion that covers the gap between the inner edge of the opening and the roller on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the medium. When a medium conveyed in the opposite direction to the conveying direction passes over the opening, the upstream gap between the inner edge of the opening and the roller is also covered by the cover. Therefore, the conveying device can also prevent the medium from getting caught in the gap on the upstream side.

[0009] The cover of the conveying device of claim 4 may be a plate member having a cover-side opening that is located inside the inner edge of the opening when the cover is attached to the opening. Thus, the conveying device can bring the medium into contact with the roller exposed from the opening through the cover-side opening of the cover.

[0010] The cover of the conveying device of claim 5 may be provided with a first locking portion located inside the opening and locking with one edge of the inner edge of the opening in the conveying direction, and a second locking portion locking with the other edge of the inner edge of the opening in the conveying direction. Thus, the conveying device can prevent the cover from shifting in position relative to the opening in the conveying direction.

[0011] The first and second locking portions of the conveying device of claim 6 may be provided on the outer edge of the cover, so that the conveying device can accurately cover the downstream gap and the upstream gap with the downstream covering portion and the upstream covering portion.

[0012] The cover of the conveying device of claim 7 may include a third locking portion located inside the opening and locking with one edge of the inner edge of the opening in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and a fourth locking portion locking with the other edge of the inner edge of the opening in the width direction. Thus, the conveying device can prevent the cover from shifting in position in the width direction of the opening with respect to the opening.

[0013] The third and fourth locking portions of the conveying device of claim 8 may be provided on the inner edge of the cover-side opening of the cover. If the third and fourth locking portions were provided on the outer edge of the cover, the media would get caught on the cover. In the conveying device of the present invention, the third and fourth locking portions are provided on the inner edge of the cover-side opening, which prevents the media from getting caught.

[0014] The roller of the transport device of claim 9 may be a spike roller having a plurality of protrusions on its outer circumferential surface, thereby preventing the roller from slipping on the medium.

[0015] In the conveying device of claim 10, the tip of the protrusion in the portion of the spike roller exposed from the opening may protrude beyond the contact surface of the cover that contacts the medium when the cover is attached to the opening. The conveying device can make the protrusion of the spike roller contact the medium through the opening of the support member and the cover-side opening of the cover, allowing the medium to be conveyed well.

[0016] The cover of the conveying device of claim 11 may be a metal plate. Since the cover is a metal plate, a mold is not required when manufacturing it from resin. In addition, it is strong even when made thinner than a resin cover.

[0017] The cover of claim 12 is a cover that is detachably attached to the opening of a conveying device that includes a support member that supports a medium, an opening provided in the support member, and a roller that is exposed through the opening and can contact the medium supported by the support member, and is characterized in that it covers at least a portion of the gap between the inner edge of the opening and the roller. Simply by attaching the cover to the opening formed in the support member of the conveying device, it is possible to cover at least a portion of the gap between the inner edge of the opening and the roller. Therefore, the cover can prevent the medium from getting caught in the opening. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a simplified diagram showing the configuration of a textile printing machine 1 (during normal transport). [Figure 2] 1 is a simplified diagram showing the configuration of the textile printing machine 1 (at the time of switchback). [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the periphery of an opening 23 of a platen 21. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a cover 60 is attached to an opening 23 of a platen 21. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cover 60 turned upside down. [Figure 7] 10 is an image diagram showing a state in which the print medium M is pulled into the gap between the opening 23 and the spike roller 50 and is wound around the spike roller 50. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which a print medium M is transported on a cover 60 attached to an opening 23. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] An embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, various directions such as front / rear, up / down, left / right, as indicated by arrows in the drawings, will be used. The right side, left side, top side, bottom side, front side of the paper, and back side of the paper in Fig. 1 correspond to the back side, front side, top side, bottom side, right side, and left side of the textile printing machine 1.

[0020] The configuration of a textile printing machine 1 will be described with reference to Figure 1. The textile printing machine 1 shown in Figure 1 is a printing device that is long in the left-right direction. The textile printing machine 1 prints characters, figures, etc. on a printing surface M1 of a sheet-like printing medium M, such as cloth, fabric, paper, PVC sheet, tarpaulin, polyester film, etc. The textile printing machine 1 includes a printing section 2, a master winding unit 3, and a winding unit 4.

[0021] The printing unit 2 is provided at the top of the textile printing machine 1 and includes a platen 21 and a print head 22. The platen 21 extends in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions and supports the print medium M from below. The print head 22 is supported above the platen 21 and faces the print surface M1 of the print medium M across a specified gap. The print head 22 is a piezo-type print head that performs printing by ejecting ink onto the print surface M1 of the print medium M as it is transported along a transport path in the direction F1. The transport path extends from the master winding unit 3 to the winding unit 4 via the printing unit 2. The transport path bends in a roughly U-shape that opens downward in a side view. The F1 direction is the transport direction of the print medium M, from the master winding unit 3 to the winding unit 4 via the printing unit 2.

[0022] The master winding unit 3 is provided at approximately the middle position on the rear side of the printing machine 1. The master winding unit 3 includes a shaft 31A, a pair of left and right holders 31 (only the right holder 31 is shown in FIG. 1), and a master winding motor (not shown). The shaft 31A extends in the left-right direction and supports the master winding roll 100. The master winding roll 100 is a roll of printing medium M in an unprocessed state (before printing processing) wound around a cardboard tube (not shown). The printing medium M is wound around the cardboard tube with the printing surface M1 facing outward. The pair of left and right holders 31 are attached to the shaft 31A and support both ends of the cardboard tube inserted into the shaft 31A, thereby supporting the master winding roll 100. Therefore, the master winding roll 100 rotates integrally with the shaft 31A. The master winding motor drives and rotates the shaft 31A. The master winding motor rotates the master winding roll 100 in the A1 direction together with the shaft 31A, thereby unwinding the printing medium M from the master winding roll 100 supported by the shaft 31A toward the printing unit 2.

[0023] The winding unit 4 is provided at a lower position on the front side of the printing machine 1. The winding unit 4 comprises a shaft 41A, a pair of left and right holders 41, and a winding motor (not shown). The shaft 41A extends in the left-right direction. The shaft 41A supports a paper tube (not shown). The pair of left and right holders 41 are attached to the shaft 41A and support the paper tube from both the left and right sides. Therefore, the paper tube rotates integrally with the shaft 41A. The winding motor drives the shaft 41A to rotate in the D1 direction. Therefore, after printing by the print head 22 has finished, the winding unit 4 winds the printing medium M transported in the F1 direction onto the paper tube so that the printed surface M1 faces outward.

[0024] Arranged on the transport path from the master winding unit 3 to the printing unit 2 are, in order from the upstream side, an upstream tension bar 5, registration rollers 6, and upstream intermediate rollers 7. Arranged on the transport path from the printing unit 2 to the winding unit 4 are, in order from the upstream side, transport rollers 8, downstream intermediate rollers 9, and downstream tension bar 10.

[0025] The upstream tension bar 5 is positioned diagonally above and behind the shaft 31A of the master winding unit 3. The upstream tension bar 5 extends in the left-right direction. The upstream tension bar 5 comes into contact with the back surface M2 of the printing medium M. The upstream tension bar 5 is supported by a swing arm 25, and swings under its own weight around the rotation shaft 26 along an arc-shaped trajectory Q1 in response to the tension applied to the printing medium M.

[0026] The registration roller 6 is positioned diagonally above and in front of the upstream tension bar 5. The registration roller 6 extends in the left-right direction. The registration roller 6 comes into contact with the printing surface M1 of the printing medium M. A torque limiter (not shown) is attached to the rotating shaft 6A of the registration roller 6. When a rotational load exceeding a predetermined torque is applied, the torque limiter rotates while slipping, thereby transmitting tension to the printing medium M via the rotating shaft 6A. Therefore, the registration roller 6 rotates in the B1 direction together with the printing medium M at the predetermined torque.

[0027] The upstream intermediate roller 7 is disposed slightly forward of and directly above the registration roller 6. The upstream intermediate roller 7 extends in the left-right direction and has a smaller diameter than the registration roller 6. The upstream intermediate roller 7 comes into contact with the back surface M2 of the print medium M.

[0028] The transport roller 8 is provided in front of the platen 21, on the upper front end side of the textile printing machine 1. The transport roller 8 extends in the left-right direction and is driven to rotate by a feed motor (not shown). The transport roller 8 comes into contact with the back surface M2 of the printing medium M and guides the printing medium M downward toward the winding unit 4 by rotating forward in the C1 direction while transporting the printing medium M in the F1 direction.

[0029] The downstream intermediate rollers 9 are disposed in the middle position of the printing machine 1 and below the transport rollers 8. The downstream intermediate rollers 9 extend in the left-right direction and come into contact with the printing surface M1 of the printing medium M. The downstream intermediate rollers 9 guide the printing medium M straight downward from the transport rollers 8.

[0030] The downstream tension bar 10 is positioned diagonally above and in front of the shaft 41A of the winding unit 4. The downstream tension bar 10 extends in the left-right direction. The downstream tension bar 10 comes into contact with the back surface M2 of the printing medium M. The downstream tension bar 10 is supported by a swing arm 27, and swings under its own weight around the rotation shaft 28 along an arc-shaped trajectory Q2 in response to the tension applied to the printing medium M.

[0031] In the transport path downstream of the printing unit 2, a heater 13 is disposed between the transport roller 8 and the downstream intermediate roller 9. The heater 13 faces the printing surface M1 of the printing medium M transported from the transport roller 8 toward the downstream intermediate roller 9. The heater 13 dries the printing surface M1 after printing.

[0032] In the textile printing machine 1 having the above configuration, there are cases where a so-called "switchback" is performed, in which the print medium M is transported in the F2 direction (see Figure 2), which is the opposite of the F1 direction. A switchback is preferably performed after printing is completed. For example, this may be done when, after printing an image on the print medium M, the interval between the next printed image needs to be shortened, when double printing (overprinting) is required, when drying is performed with the heater 13 after printing, and when the unprinted portion of the print medium M is returned to the print head 22 after being sent to the heater 13.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, the conveyance roller 8 rotates in the reverse direction C2, causing the printing medium M on the platen 21 to be conveyed in the direction F2. The switchback amount may be set in advance. The switchback amount is the distance the printing medium M is conveyed in the reverse direction. At this time, the shaft 41A of the winding unit 4 rotates in the reverse direction D2, and the printed printing medium M is fed toward the printing unit 2.

[0034] When the printing medium M is transported in the reverse direction, in the direction F2, the tension on the printing medium M gradually loosens, causing the upstream tension bar 5 to swing downward. If the switchback continues and the upstream tension bar 5 swings to its lowest position, slack may occur in the printing medium M. In this case, the shaft 31A rotates in the reverse direction, in the direction A2, to take up the slackened printing medium M.

[0035] Because the printing medium M is pulled downward via the registration rollers 6, a torque in the opposite direction to that applied during forward rotation is applied to the registration rollers 6. A one-way clutch (not shown) is attached to the registration rollers 6. When a torque in the opposite direction is applied to the registration rollers 6, the one-way clutch causes the registration rollers 6 to rotate freely. Therefore, as the printing medium M moves in the reverse direction, the registration rollers 6 rotate in the direction B2, which is opposite to the feed direction.

[0036] The transport structure of the print medium M provided on the platen 21 will now be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of openings 23 are provided at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction on the downstream side of the print head 22 in the platen 21 (only one is shown in FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 3, the openings 23 penetrate the platen 21 in the up-down direction and have a generally rectangular shape that is elongated in the left-right direction in a plan view. The openings 23 have a front end 232, a rear end 231, a right end 233, and a left end 234 as inner edges. A spike roller 50 is provided inside each of the plurality of openings 23. The spike roller 50 rotates around a rotation axis (not shown) extending in the left-right direction by a motor (not shown).

[0037] A large number of protrusions 511 (see FIGS. 1 and 7, omitted in FIGS. 4 and 5) are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the spike roller 50. The large number of protrusions 511 protrude radially from the outer peripheral surface of the spike roller 50. As shown in FIG. 7, the upper part of the spike roller 50 is exposed at the opening 23. The tips of the protrusions 511 in the exposed part protrude above the upper surface of the platen 21. Therefore, the spike roller 50 comes into contact with the back surface M2 of the printing medium M transported on the platen 21 through the opening 23, and can transport the printing medium M in the F1 direction or the F2 direction.

[0038] As shown in Figure 4, a cover 60 can be detachably attached to the opening 23. A cover-side opening 61 is provided in the center of the cover 60. The cover 60 is attached from above so that the cover-side opening 61 faces the opening 23 of the platen 21. For example, when the printing medium M is fabric, it is advisable to attach the cover 60 to the opening 23. The cover 60 covers part of the gap between the inner edge of the opening 23 and the spike roller 50, thereby preventing the printing medium M from getting caught in the spike roller 50 at the opening 23. The specific shape, attachment method, and effects of the cover 60 will be described later.

[0039] 8, when the cover 60 is attached to the opening 23, the tip of the protrusion 511 of the spike roller 50 at the portion exposed from the opening 23 protrudes above the upper surface 67 of the cover 60. Therefore, the spike roller 50 comes into contact with the back surface M2 of the printing medium M being transported on the platen 21 through the opening 23 and the cover-side opening 61, and can transport the printing medium M in the F1 direction or the F2 direction.

[0040] 5 and 6, the specific shape of the cover 60 will be described. The cover 60 is a metal plate that is elongated in the left-right direction in a plan view and has a generally rectangular shape, and is produced, for example, by press molding. An upper surface 67 of the cover 60 is the surface that comes into contact with the print medium M, and a lower surface 68 is the surface that comes into contact with the platen 21.

[0041] A cover-side opening 61 is provided in the center of the cover 60. The cover-side opening 61 has a generally rectangular shape that is elongated in the left-right direction in a plan view, and penetrates the cover 60 in the up-down direction. The width (length in the left-right direction) of the cover-side opening 61 is generally the same as the width of the opening 23 of the platen 21. The front-to-rear width of the cover-side opening 61 is narrower than the front-to-rear width of the opening 23 of the platen 21. An upstream covering portion 65 is provided along the rear end 611 of the cover-side opening 61, and a downstream covering portion 66 is provided along the front end 612.

[0042] The cover 60 has an outer edge including a rear end 601, a front end 602, a right end 603, and a left end 604, and the four corners are formed in an arc shape. A recess 62 is provided in the center of the rear end 601. The recess 62 is recessed forward from the rear end 601 into a generally rectangular shape in plan view. The depth of the recess 62 is approximately two-thirds the distance from the rear end 601 to a rear end 611 of the inner edge of the cover-side opening 61. A recess 63 is provided in the center of the front end 602, facing the recess 62. The recess 63 is recessed rearward into a generally rectangular shape in plan view. The depth of the recess 63 is also approximately two-thirds the distance from the front end 602 to a front end 612 of the inner edge of the cover-side opening 61.

[0043] A first locking piece 71 is provided at the innermost part of the recessed portion 62. A second locking piece 72 is provided at the innermost part of the recessed portion 62. The first locking piece 71 and the second locking piece 72 are generally rectangular and long in the left-right direction when viewed from the front or rear. A third locking piece 73 is provided at the right end 613 of the cover-side opening 61 and protrudes downward. A fourth locking piece 74 is provided at the left end 614 of the cover-side opening 61 and protrudes downward. The third locking piece 73 and the fourth locking piece 74 are generally rectangular and long in the front-to-rear direction when viewed from the side.

[0044] 4, 7, and 8, the mounting structure of the cover 60 to the opening 23 will be described. The cover 60 is mounted from above to the opening 23 of the platen 21. At this time, the first locking piece 71 and the second locking piece 72 provided in the recesses 62, 63 lock onto the rear end 231 and the front end 232 of the opening 23 from the inside. Therefore, the textile printing machine 1 can prevent the cover 60 from shifting in position in the F1 direction and the F2 direction relative to the opening 23.

[0045] On the other hand, the third locking piece 73 and the fourth locking piece 74 provided at the right end 613 and the left end 614 of the cover-side opening 61 lock onto the right end 233 and the left end 234 of the opening 23 from the inside. Therefore, the textile printing machine 1 can prevent the position of the cover 60 from shifting left and right with respect to the opening 23. In this way, the first to fourth locking pieces 71 to 74 lock onto the inner edge of the opening 23 from the inside, and thus the cover 60 is attached to the opening 23.

[0046] When the cover 60 is attached to the opening 23, the cover-side opening 61 faces the opening 23 of the platen 21 from above. As described above, the front-to-rear width of the cover-side opening 61 is narrower than the front-to-rear width of the opening 23. Therefore, the rear end 611 of the cover-side opening 61 is located forward of the rear end 231 of the opening 23, and the front end 612 of the cover-side opening 61 is located rearward of the front end 232 of the opening 23.

[0047] As shown in Figure 7 (1), an upstream gap 91 and a downstream gap 92 are provided between the inner edge of the opening 23 and the spike roller 50. The upstream gap 91 is a gap between the spike roller 50 and the rear end 231 of the opening 23, and is a gap on the upstream side in the F1 direction. The downstream gap 92 is a gap between the spike roller 50 and the front end 232 of the opening 23, and is a gap on the downstream side in the F1 direction.

[0048] 8(1), when the cover 60 is attached to the opening 23, the upstream cover portion 65 provided along the rear end 611 of the cover-side opening 61 covers the upstream gap 91 from above. The downstream cover portion 66 provided along the front end 612 of the cover-side opening 61 covers the downstream gap 92 from above.

[0049] 7 and 8, the effect of the cover 60 in preventing the print medium M from getting caught in the spike roller 50 will be described. FIG. 7(1) shows the print medium M being transported in the F1 direction over the opening 23 with the cover 60 not attached to the opening 23. If the print medium M gets caught on the protrusion 511 of the spike roller 50 while being transported in the F1 direction, the print medium M may be drawn into the downstream gap 92 and become wrapped around the spike roller 50.

[0050] 7(2) shows the state in which the print medium M is transported in the F2 direction in a switchback manner over the opening 23 with the cover 60 not attached to the opening 23. If the print medium M gets caught on the protrusion 511 of the spike roller 50 while being transported in the F2 direction, the print medium M may be drawn into the upstream gap 91 and become wrapped around the spike roller 50.

[0051] 7(1) and (2) are likely to occur when the printing medium M is made of cloth. Therefore, when the printing medium M is made of cloth, it is advisable to attach a cover 60 to the opening 23.

[0052] 8(1) shows a case where the print medium M is transported in the F1 direction over the opening 23 with the cover 60 attached to the opening 23. The downstream gap 92 in the opening 23 is covered from above by the downstream cover portion 66. Furthermore, the front end 612 of the downstream cover portion 66 is positioned close to the top of the spike roller 50 from the front.

[0053] As a result, even if the printing medium M gets caught on the protrusions 511 of the spike rollers 50 while being transported in the F1 direction, the printing medium M is peeled off from the spike rollers 50 by the front ends 612 of the cover-side openings 61 and is transported in the F1 direction on the platen 21. Therefore, when transporting the printing medium M in the F1 direction, the textile printing machine 1 can prevent the printing medium M from being drawn into the downstream gap 92 in the opening 23 and getting caught in the spike rollers 50.

[0054] 8(2) shows a case where the print medium M is transported in the F2 direction over the opening 23 in a switchback manner with the cover 60 attached to the opening 23. The upstream gap 91 in the opening 23 is covered from above by the upstream cover portion 65. Furthermore, the rear end 611 of the upstream cover portion 65 is positioned in close proximity to the top of the spike roller 50 from behind.

[0055] As a result, even if the printing medium M gets caught on the protrusion 511 of the spike roller 50 while being transported in the F2 direction, the printing medium M is peeled off from the spike roller 50 by the rear end 611 of the cover-side opening 61 and is transported in the F1 direction on the platen 21. Therefore, when transporting the printing medium M in the F1 direction, the textile printing machine 1 can prevent the printing medium M from being drawn into the upstream gap 91 of the spike roller 50 in the opening 23 and getting caught in the spike roller 50.

[0056] In the above description, the textile printing machine 1 is an example of a conveying device of the present invention. The platen 21 is an example of a support member of the present invention. The spike roller 50 is an example of a roller of the present invention. The rear end 231 of the opening 23 is an example of one edge in the conveying direction of the present invention, and the front end 232 is an example of the other edge in the conveying direction of the present invention. The right end 233 of the opening 23 is an example of one edge in the width direction of the present invention, and the left end 234 is an example of the other edge in the width direction of the present invention. The first locking piece 71 of the cover 60 is an example of a first locking portion of the present invention, the second locking piece 72 is an example of a second locking portion of the present invention, the third locking piece 73 is an example of a third locking portion of the present invention, and the fourth locking piece 74 is an example of a fourth locking portion of the present invention. The top surface 67 of the cover 60 is an example of a contact surface of the present invention. The left-right direction of the opening 23 is an example of a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the present invention.

[0057] As described above, the textile printing machine 1 of this embodiment includes the platen 21, the opening 23, the spike roller 50, and the cover 60. The platen 21 supports the printing medium M. The opening 23 is provided in the platen 21. The spike roller 50 is exposed from the opening 23 and can come into contact with the printing medium M supported by the platen 21. The cover 60 is detachably attached to the opening 23 and covers at least a portion of the gap between the inner edge of the opening 23 and the spike roller 50. In other words, simply by attaching the cover 60 to the opening 23 formed in the platen 21, the textile printing machine 1 can cover at least a portion of the gap between the inner edge of the opening 23 and the spike roller 50. Therefore, the textile printing machine 1 can prevent the printing medium M from getting caught in the spike roller 50 at the opening 23.

[0058] The cover 60 has a downstream covering portion 66. The downstream covering portion 66 covers a downstream gap 92 of the gap between the inner edge of the opening 23 and the spike roller 50. The downstream gap 92 is the gap downstream of the printing medium M in the direction F1. When the printing medium M transported in the direction F1 passes over the opening 23, the downstream gap 92 of the gap between the inner edge of the opening 23 and the spike roller 50 is covered by the cover 60. Therefore, the textile printing machine 1 can prevent the printing medium M from being drawn into the downstream gap 92 and getting caught in the spike roller 50.

[0059] The cover 60 further includes an upstream covering portion 65. The upstream covering portion 65 covers an upstream gap 91 of the gap between the inner edge of the opening 23 and the spike roller 50. The upstream gap 91 is the gap upstream of the printing medium M in the direction F1. When the printing medium M, transported in the direction F2 opposite to the direction F1, passes over the opening 23, the upstream gap 91 of the gap between the inner edge of the opening 23 and the spike roller 50 is also covered by the cover 60. Therefore, the textile printing machine 1 can prevent the printing medium M from being drawn into the upstream gap 91 and getting caught in the spike roller 50.

[0060] The cover 60 is a plate member having a cover-side opening 61. When the cover 60 is attached to the opening 23, the cover-side opening 61 is located inside the inner edge of the opening 23. Therefore, the cover 60 allows the print medium M to come into contact with the spike roller 50 exposed from the opening 23 through the cover-side opening 61.

[0061] The cover 60 has a first locking piece 71 and a second locking piece 72. The first locking piece 71 and the second locking piece 72 are located inside the opening 23 and are locked to the rear end 231 and the front end 232 of the inner edge of the opening 23, respectively. Therefore, the cover 60 can be prevented from shifting in position upstream or downstream in the F1 direction relative to the opening 23.

[0062] The first locking piece 71 and the second locking piece 72 are provided on the outer edge of the cover 60. Specifically, the first locking piece 71 is provided in a recess 62 provided at the rear end 601 of the outer edge of the cover 60, and the second locking piece 72 is provided in a recess 63 provided at the front end 602 of the outer edge of the cover 60. Therefore, the cover 60 can accurately cover the downstream gap 92 and the upstream gap 91 with the downstream covering portion 66 and the upstream covering portion 65.

[0063] The cover 60 has a third locking piece 73 and a fourth locking piece 74. The third locking piece 73 and the fourth locking piece 74 are located inside the opening 23 and are locked to the right end 233 and the left end 234 of the inner edge of the opening 23, respectively. Therefore, the cover 60 can be prevented from shifting in position in the left-right direction relative to the opening 23.

[0064] The third locking piece 73 and the fourth locking piece 74 are provided at the right end 613 and the left end 614 of the cover-side opening 61 of the cover 60. If the third locking piece 73 and the fourth locking piece 74 were provided on the outer edge of the cover 60, the printing medium M would get caught on the cover 60, but in this embodiment, they are provided at the right end 613 and the left end 614 of the cover 60 that are along the cover-side opening 61, so that the printing medium M can be prevented from getting caught.

[0065] The spike roller 50 has multiple protrusions 511 on its outer periphery, which helps prevent slipping, especially on print media such as cloth. The cover 60 is a metal plate, eliminating the need for a mold when manufacturing with resin. It is also stronger than resin products, even when made thinner.

[0066] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. In this embodiment, the textile printing machine 1 is a printing device equipped with a print head 22 that mainly ejects ink, but it may also be a recording device equipped with a recording head that ejects liquid other than ink, such as a pretreatment liquid for double printing (overprinting). It may also be a conveying device that conveys the printing medium M.

[0067] The print head 22 is a piezo type print head, but may be of another type, such as a thermal head.

[0068] The positions of the opening 23 and the spike roller 50 in the platen 21 are not limited to those in the above embodiment, and may be provided, for example, upstream of the print head 22. The spike roller 50 may be replaced by a roller without protrusions.

[0069] The cover 60 is a metal plate, but may be formed from a resin plate. The cover 60 is generally rectangular in plan view, but may be other shapes, such as circular or polygonal. Two locking portions (a first locking piece 71 and a second locking piece 72) are provided on the outer edge of the cover 60, but three or more may be provided, and it is preferable to provide at least one at each of the rear end 601 and the front end 602.

[0070] The cover 60 has an upstream cover portion 65 and a downstream cover portion 66, but either one may be omitted. In the case of a cover having either one of the cover portions, the orientation of the cover 60 attached to the opening 23 can be changed depending on whether the material is being transported in the F1 direction or the F2 direction.

[0071] 1, the sizes of the shaft 31A, holder 31, upstream tension bar 5, registration roller 6, transport roller 8, downstream intermediate roller 9, downstream tension bar 10 of the master winding unit 3, shaft 41A of the winding unit 4, holder 41, etc. are merely examples and may be changed as appropriate. The upstream intermediate roller 7 and downstream intermediate roller 9 may be omitted, or the number of these intermediate rollers may be increased. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1. Textile printing machine 5 Upstream tension bar 21 Platen 23 Opening 50 Spike Roller 60 Cover 61 Cover side opening 65 Upstream cover 66 Downstream cover 71 1st locking piece 72 Second locking piece 73 Third locking piece 74 4th locking piece 91 Upstream gap 92 Downstream clearance 231 Rear end 232 Front end 233 right end 234 left end 511 Protrusion M Print media

Claims

1. a support member for supporting the medium; an opening provided in the support member; a roller exposed from the opening and capable of contacting the medium supported by the support member; a cover that is detachably attached to the opening and covers at least a part of the gap between the inner edge of the opening and the roller; A conveying device comprising:

2. The cover includes a downstream cover portion that covers at least a gap downstream in the medium transport direction, of the gap between the inner edge portion of the opening and the roller.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein:

3. The cover further includes an upstream cover portion that covers a gap between the inner edge portion of the opening and the roller on the upstream side in the transport direction of the medium.

3. The conveying device according to claim 2, wherein:

4. The cover is a plate member having a cover-side opening that is positioned inside the inner edge of the opening when attached to the opening.

4. The conveying device according to claim 3.

5. The cover is positioned inside the opening and includes a first locking portion that locks onto one edge of the inner edge of the opening in the conveying direction, and a second locking portion that locks onto the other edge of the inner edge of the opening in the conveying direction.

5. The conveying device according to claim 4, wherein:

6. The first and second locking portions are provided on the outer edge of the cover.

6. The conveying device according to claim 5,

7. The cover is positioned inside the opening and includes a third locking portion that locks onto one edge of the inner edge of the opening in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and a fourth locking portion that locks onto the other edge of the inner edge of the opening in the width direction.

7. The conveying device according to claim 5 or 6,

8. The third and fourth locking portions are provided on an inner edge of the cover-side opening of the cover.

8. The conveying device according to claim 7, wherein:

9. The roller is a spike roller having a plurality of protrusions on its outer circumferential surface.

5. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein:

10. The tip of the protrusion in the portion of the spike roller exposed from the opening protrudes beyond the contact surface of the cover that comes into contact with the medium when the cover is attached to the opening.

10. The conveying device according to claim 9,

11. 5. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the cover is a metal plate.

12. A cover that can be removably attached to the opening of a conveying device that has a support member that supports a medium, an opening provided in the support member, and a roller that is exposed from the opening and can contact the medium supported by the support member, and is characterized in that the cover covers at least a portion of the gap between the inner edge of the opening and the roller.

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