Liquid discharge device

Abstract

To solve the problem of an increase in device size required to enhance the spreading of UV-curable ink.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device comprises a head 21a that discharges liquid onto a medium, and a light source part 21b that enables moving relative to the medium in a main scanning direction together with the liquid discharge head 21a and irradiates the medium with active energy rays. The light source parts 21b and 21b, serving as irradiation parts, approach the head 21a when they are close to an end of the movement range of the head 21a, which is a liquid discharge head in the main scanning direction, and separate from the head 21a when moving away from the end of the movement range of the head 21a in the main scanning direction. Once separated by a predetermined distance, the light source parts 21b and 21b move together with the head 21a while maintaining the distance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejection device having a light beam irradiation unit. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There are inkjet recording apparatuses that eject UV (Ultra Violet) curable ink, which hardens when irradiated with ultraviolet light, onto a medium. Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet recording device with ultraviolet light sources provided on both the left and right ends of a print head. In this inkjet recording device, UV-curable ink is ejected onto a medium while the print head is moved in the main scanning direction, and an ultraviolet light source on the rear side in the main scanning direction irradiates ultraviolet light onto the ejected medium. The UV-curable ink that has adhered to the medium is then immediately irradiated with ultraviolet light and hardens on the medium. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-254560 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Increasing the amount of ink that spreads increases the colored area, affecting print quality. To increase the amount of ink that spreads, it is possible to slow down the main scanning speed of the print head or increase the distance between the print head and the ultraviolet light source. The former reduces the printing speed, resulting in a decrease in throughput, while the latter increases the size of the entire apparatus since the print head combined with the ultraviolet light source becomes large. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention comprises a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid onto a medium, an irradiation unit that is capable of moving relatively to the medium together with the liquid ejection head in the main scanning direction and that irradiates active energy rays toward the medium, and a control unit that controls the irradiation of the active energy rays from the irradiation unit, wherein the irradiation unit is positioned outside the liquid ejection head in the main scanning direction and is supported so that it can move relatively close to and away from the liquid ejection head, and the irradiation unit is configured to include an irradiation unit drive mechanism that moves closer to the liquid ejection head when it approaches an end of the movement range of the liquid ejection head in the main scanning direction and moves away from the liquid ejection head when it moves away from the end of the movement range of the liquid ejection head in the main scanning direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a carriage portion in an inkjet recording apparatus to which a liquid ejection apparatus according to the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the carriage during movement. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a front view of a carriage portion according to a modified example. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a side view of a stopper attached to the carriage. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing another modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the modified example during operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a carriage portion of an inkjet recording apparatus to which a liquid ejection device of the present invention is applied.

[0008] In the figure, the recording device 10 includes a recording unit 20 that ejects ink onto a medium to record an image. The recording unit 20 includes a print head unit 21, a carriage unit 22 that moves the print head unit 21 back and forth in a main scanning direction that intersects with the medium, and a transport unit 23 that transports the medium.

[0009] The print head unit 21 includes a head 21a that ejects UV-curable ink from nozzles toward the medium, and light source units 21b, 21b that are arranged on both sides of the head 21a and irradiate the medium with ultraviolet light. The head 21a is supported by a carriage rail 22a of a carriage unit 22 so that it can slide in the main scanning direction, and a portion of a circular carriage belt 22b is fixed to it. When a carriage motor 22c of the carriage unit 22 rotates forward and backward to reciprocate the carriage belt 22b in the main scanning direction, the head 21a is driven to reciprocate in the main scanning direction along the carriage rail 22a.

[0010] Like the head 21a, the light source units 21b are supported on the carriage rail 22a so as to be slidable in the main scanning direction, and are connected to the head 21a by flexible cables 21c. The flexible cables 21c connect the light source units 21b and the head 21a, allowing the light source units 21b and the head 21a to move apart by the length of the flexible cables 21c, while also allowing the light source units 21b and the head 21a to move close enough to be adjacent to each other. The flexible cables 21c also function as wiring, and also serve to supply power from the head 21a to the light source units 21b.

[0011] In this embodiment, the light source units 21b, 21b are positioned on both outer sides of the head 21a in the main scanning direction. However, it is not necessary to provide the light source units 21b, 21b on both sides, and the light source unit 21b may be positioned on only one side of the head 21a in the main scanning direction.

[0012] Furthermore, although the flexible cables 21c, 21c have the advantage of being able to supply power, a configuration that allows the light source units 21b, 21b and the head 21a to be separated by a predetermined length while allowing the light source units 21b, 21b and the head 21a to come close enough to be adjacent to each other may be a simple movable link mechanism that does not supply power, or a wire or string-like structure.

[0013] When the head 21a is driven along the carriage rail 22a, the head 21a pushes the light source unit 21b on the front side in the direction of movement and moves forward while pulling the light source unit 21b on the rear side in the direction of movement. Also, when the head 21a approaches the end in the main scanning direction and stops, the light source unit 21b on the rear side in the direction of movement, which had been away until then, continues to move forward due to inertia and hits the head 21a and stops. Then, when the head 21a is driven toward the opposite side in the main scanning direction, the head 21a similarly pushes the light source unit 21b on the front side in the direction of movement and moves forward while pulling the light source unit 21b on the rear side in the direction of movement.

[0014] In this way, the light source units 21b, 21b, which are irradiation units, approach the head 21a, which is a liquid ejection head, when they approach the end of the movement range of the head 21a in the main scanning direction, and move away from the head 21a when they move away from the end of the movement range of the head 21a in the main scanning direction. Then, when they are separated by a predetermined distance, the light source units 21b, 21b move together with the head 21a while maintaining that distance. Therefore, the irradiation unit drive mechanism is made up of the head 21a, light source units 21b, 21b, flexible cables 21c, 21c, carriage rail 22a, etc. of the print head unit 21.

[0015] In this embodiment, the head 21a corresponds to a liquid ejection head that ejects a liquid onto a medium, and the light source unit 21b corresponds to an irradiation unit that is movable relative to the medium in the main scanning direction together with the head 21a and that irradiates the medium with active energy rays. The liquid is UV-curable ink and the active energy rays are ultraviolet rays, but the liquid and light source for curing are not limited to these.

[0016] The control unit 40 controls the recording unit 20 to record an image on the medium. That is, the control unit 40 causes the transport unit 23 to transport the medium, causes the carriage unit 22 to move the print head unit 21 back and forth in the main scanning direction, causes the head 21a to eject UV-curable ink at a predetermined timing, and causes the light source unit 21b to irradiate the ejected UV-curable ink with ultraviolet light. The light sources 21b, 21b are provided on the left and right sides of the head 21a, and as the head 21a moves, the control unit 40 causes the light source unit 21b on the rear side in the movement direction to irradiate ultraviolet light and cure the UV-curable ink. In this way, the control unit 40 controls the emission of active energy rays from the light source unit 21b, which is an irradiation unit.

[0017] In this way, it is the light source unit 21b on the rear side in the movement direction of the head 21a that hardens the UV-curable ink that has been ejected and adhered to the medium. Focusing on this rear light source unit 21b, when the light source unit 21b approaches the end of the movement range of the head 21a in the main scanning direction, it approaches the head 21a, and when it moves away from the end of the movement range of the head 21a in the main scanning direction, it moves away from the head 21a to a predetermined distance.

[0018] In this embodiment, the light source unit 21b is moved away from the head 21a by utilizing the fact that even if only the head 21a at the front in the moving direction is driven by the carriage belt 22b, the light source unit 21b connected by the flexible cable 21c tends to stop at the stop position due to inertia. Then, the head 21a starts pulling the light source unit 21b only when the flexible cables 21c, 21c are fully stretched.

[0019] However, instead of relying solely on inertia to separate the head 21a and the light source unit 21b, an elastic member may be actively used to separate the head 21a and the light source unit 21b. For example, if the elasticity of the flexible cable is increased so that it has the tendency to stretch flat, the light source unit 21b on the front side in the movement direction will begin to bend when it begins to abut against the end of the movement range of the head 21a in the main scanning direction, and will bend further as the head 21a approaches the end. In this case, the flexible cable will be completely bent at the stop position, but when the head 21a next begins to move in the opposite direction, the flexible cable will exert a force that actively tries to return to flat due to its elasticity, and it will be possible to urge the light source unit 21b away from the head 21a.

[0020] Furthermore, the light source unit 21b is pushed or pulled by the head 21a and moves along the carriage rail 22a. In this way, the irradiation unit drive mechanism uses the carriage unit 22, which is a drive mechanism that drives the head 21a, as its power source, and the light source unit 21b, which is an irradiation unit, and the head 21a, which is a liquid ejection head, move relatively close to and away from each other. As described above, in this embodiment, since no special control unit, power source, drive source, etc. is required to change the distance between the light source unit 21b and the head 21a, there is also the effect of not complicating the control system.

[0021] In addition, the control unit 40 is provided with an interface 50 for receiving print data, and a display and operation unit 60 as a user interface.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the state when the carriage is moving. First, the upper part of Figure 2 shows the range of movement of the print head unit 121 in a conventional liquid ejection device that achieves the ink wetting and spreading amount sought in the present invention. The head 121a is located in the center, with light source units 121b, 121b located a specified distance away on either side. The distances from the head 121a to the light source unit 121b are indicated as (1), (2), and (3) in the drawing so that they can be seen. Each represents a unit distance; the notation "(1)(2)(3)" indicates a distance of "3," the notation "(1)(2)" indicates a distance of "2," and the notation "(1)" indicates a distance of "1." The light source units 121b, 121b are fixed to the head 121a and driven as a single carriage unit.

[0023] When attempting to print inside the edges BE1 and BE2 of the print area in the main scanning direction, not only does head 121a need to move beyond edges BE1 and BE2, but rear light source units 121b and 121b in the movement direction also need to move to a position beyond edges BE1 and BE2. This means that front light source units 121b and 121b will be positioned further forward than head 121a. For this reason, the width required for the movement range of print head unit 121 is the range from left edge L1 to right edge R1.

[0024] Next, the bottom of Figure 2 shows the state of the print head unit 21 of the present invention as it moves. In the figure, times T0 to T7 show the state where the print head unit 21 starts moving from the right end toward the left, and times T8 to T15 show the state where the print head unit 21 moves toward the left and stops at the left end. For ease of explanation, the intervals between each timing are assumed to be constant.

[0025] As described above, when the head 21a moves to the right end and stops before timing T0, the light sources 21b, 21b are stopped at positions adjacent to both sides of the head 21a. Therefore, when they are adjacent, the distance between the head 21a and the light sources 21b, 21b is zero. Also, in the state at timing T0, the left light source 21b must be beyond the right edge BE2 of the printing area. In other words, the left light source 21b, head 21a, and right light source 21b are adjacent to each other, and the left light source 21b is stopped at a position beyond the right edge BE2 of the printing area.

[0026] At timing T0, head 21a begins to move to the left, which is one direction in the main scanning direction. At timing T1, although light source unit 21b on the front side in the movement direction has entered the printing area from edge BE2, the rightmost edge of the printing area, head 21a has not yet entered the printing area and therefore cannot start printing. At this time, head 21a has started to move, but light source unit 21b on the rear side in the movement direction only releases the flex in flexible cable 21c up to a distance of "3", and does not begin to move due to being pulled by head 21a. At timing T1, the distance between head 21a and light source unit 21b is "1".

[0027] At timing T2, half of head 21a passes beyond end BE2 and enters the printing area, and begins to eject UV-curable ink from the nozzles in accordance with the print data. At this time, the flexible cable 21c simply releases its flex, and the light source unit 21b on the rear side in the movement direction does not begin to move as it is pulled by head 21a. At timing T2, the distance between head 21a and light source unit 21b is "2". When the ejected UV-curable ink lands on the medium, it spreads out because it is not irradiated with ultraviolet light.

[0028] At timing T3, the head 21a is completely within the printing area, and continues to eject UV-curable ink from the nozzles in accordance with the print data. At this time, the flexible cable 21c also releases its flex, but this is its limit. The light source unit 21b on the rear side in the movement direction is not pulled by the head 21a and begins to move. At timing T3, the distance between the head 21a and the light source unit 21b is "3". The ejected UV-curable ink continues to wet and spread.

[0029] At timing T4, head 21a also ejects UV-curable ink within the printing area. Because flexible cable 21c has already been stretched to its limit, light source unit 21b on the rear side in the movement direction is pulled by head 21a and begins to move. However, because light source unit 21b has not yet entered the printing area beyond end BE2, it is unable to cure the UV-curable ink ejected within the printing area. Therefore, the ejected UV-curable ink spreads out. At timing T4, the distance between head 21a and light source unit 21b is "3".

[0030] Timings T5 and T6 are the same as the situation at timing T4. At timing T7, head 21a ejects UV-curable ink within the printing area, and the flexible cable 21c pulls and moves light source unit 21b, which is located at the rear in the direction of movement. Light source unit 21b has now passed edge BE2 and entered the printing area for the first time, so at timing T2, the UV-curable ink ejected by head 21a is irradiated with UV light and begins to harden. In other words, the UV-curable ink has had time to wet and spread on the medium between ejection at timing T2 and irradiation with ultraviolet light at timing T7. From then on, ejection and hardening continue as head 21a moves.

[0031] The right end position R2 of the print head unit 21 at timing T0 is more compact than the right end R1 of the conventional print head unit 121 by at least the length from the head 121a to the right light source unit 121b in the conventional print head unit 121.

[0032] In this way, the irradiation unit drive mechanism moves the light source unit 21b relatively closer to or further away from the head 21a as needed, eliminating the need to always maintain a long distance from the head to the light source unit as in the past, and making it possible to shorten the width in the main scanning direction while ensuring a sufficient amount of ink wetting and spreading.

[0033] This is because the light source units 21b, 21b can be separated from the head 21a and moved independently, so the main scanning area of ​​the carriage unit 22 is minimized, which contributes to a reduction in the size of the main body. In other words, by starting to move the light source unit 21b on the opposite side of the main scanning direction from a position a certain distance away from the head 21a at the end of its movement range in the main scanning direction, it is possible to ensure the distance from the head 21a to the light source unit 21b during printing, and to ensure the amount of ink wetting and spreading and color development.

[0034] This is because even if the light source unit 21b is positioned on one outer side of the head 21a in the main scanning direction, the width in the main scanning direction becomes compact by this length. Next, we will explain the movement state from time T8 when the head 21a reaches the left edge BE1 of the printing area. At this point, the head 21a is moving, and ejection and curing of UV-curable ink continues as at time T7.

[0035] At time T9, the light source unit 21b on the front side in the movement direction passes over the edge BE1, but this does not affect printing. At time T10, the head 21a passes over the edge BE1, and ejection of UV-curable ink ends at this point. However, at this point, the ejected UV-curable ink begins to wet and spread on the medium. At times T11 and T12, the head 21a continues to move but does not eject UV-curable ink. At time T12, the light source unit 21b on the front side in the movement direction reaches the end of the movement range of the print head unit 21, so the head 21a is not driven any further.

[0036] At time T13, the head 21a is not driven, but the light source unit 21b on the rear side of the movement direction, which has been pulled and driven up until that point, continues to move leftward along the carriage rail 22a due to inertia. At this point, the light source unit 21b on the rear side of the movement direction is within the printing area, positioned to face the UV-curable ink ejected by the head 21a at time T8, and irradiates it with ultraviolet light. This causes the UV-curable ink to harden. At this time, too, the ink is able to wet and spread from time T8 to time T13, from when it was ejected until it hardened.

[0037] At times T14 and T15, the head 21a is not driven, but the light source unit 21b on the rear side in the movement direction continues to move leftward along the carriage rail 22a due to inertia. At this time, ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the UV-curable ink that was ejected at times T9 and T10, causing it to cure. At time T15, the light source unit 21b on the rear side in the movement direction reaches a position where it abuts against the head 21a and stops.

[0038] With the above steps, the entire printing area can be printed. At this point, the print head unit 21 has passed the end BE1, but its forward side in the direction of movement is positioned at the end L2. Conventional print head units would have needed to extend up to the end L1, so the conventional print head unit 121 is now more compact by at least the length from the head 121a to the left light source unit 121b.

[0039] In this way, when the light source units 21b, 21b are positioned on both outer sides of the head 21a in the main scanning direction, the left and right ends can be made more compact than conventional units. In this embodiment, the light source units 21b, 21b are slidably supported on the carriage rail 22a, and are driven by flexible cables 21c, 21c. However, the configuration for realizing the irradiation unit drive mechanism can be changed as appropriate.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a front view of a carriage portion according to a modified example, and FIG. 4 shows a side view of a stopper attached to the carriage. In this embodiment, the print head unit 221 is slidably supported on the carriage rail 222a. Slide arms 222c, 222c protrude from the head 221a of the print head unit 221 on both sides in the main scanning direction, and light source units 221b, 221b are slidably supported on each of the slide arms 222c, 222c.

[0041] Stoppers 222b1, 222b1 are fixed near both ends of the carriage rail 222a. These stoppers 222b1, 222b1 have holes 222b1a, 222b1a through which the slide arms 222c, 222c can pass. When the print head unit 121 approaches the left or right end along the carriage rail 222a, one of the slide arms 222c can enter the hole 222b1a in one of the stoppers 222b1, but the light source unit 221b abuts on a part of the stopper 222b1 other than the hole. Therefore, as the print head unit 121 moves further, the light source unit 221b approaches the print head unit 121 and eventually abuts. This abutting position is the end position at which the print head unit 121 can move. The print head unit 121 reciprocates between these end positions in the main scanning direction.

[0042] Furthermore, when the print head unit 121 is driven in the opposite direction from that position, the print head unit 121 and slide arm 222c begin to move immediately after the start of movement, but the light source unit 221b remains stopped due to inertia. At this time, the light source unit 221b slides along the slide arm 222c. Then, when the light source unit 221b reaches the end of the slide arm 222c and can no longer slide, the light source unit 221b begins to move together with the print head unit 121.

[0043] In this embodiment, slide arms 222c, 222c are provided that are fixed to the print head unit 121 and slidably support the light source units 221b, 221b, but the print head unit 121 may slidably support the slide arms 222c, 222c, and the light source units 221b, 221b may be fixed to the slide arms 222c, 222c. In this case, when the print head unit 121 approaches the end, one light source unit 221b abuts against stopper 221b1, and then the slide arm 222c slides toward the print head unit 121, causing the light source unit 221b to approach the print head unit 121.

[0044] In this irradiation unit drive mechanism, the light source units 221b, 221b also approach the print head unit 221 when they approach the end of the movement range of the print head unit 221 in the main scanning direction, and move away from the print head unit 221 when they move away from the end of the movement range of the print head unit 221 in the main scanning direction. Then, after moving a predetermined distance, they start moving together with the print head unit 221.

[0045] In this way, the print head unit 121, which is a liquid ejection head, is movable in the main scanning direction along the carriage rail 222a, and the light source units 221b, 221b, which are irradiation units, are supported by slide arms 222c, 222c at outer positions in the main scanning direction of the print head unit 121 so that the relative distance from the print head unit 121 does not exceed a predetermined upper limit, and stoppers 222b1, 222b1 that can abut against the light source units 221b, 221b are arranged at the outer end positions of the carriage rail 222a.

[0046] In the above embodiment, only the drive source of the carriage unit 22 is used for the operation of moving the irradiation unit toward and away from the liquid ejection head, but it is also possible to provide a separate drive source. FIG. 5 shows a schematic plan view of this modified example. In the figure, an irradiation unit drive mechanism 321c is supported on the print head unit 321, and light source units 321b, 321b are slidably supported on a carriage rail (not shown). The irradiation unit drive mechanism 321c includes a drive motor 321c1, a drive arm 321c2 that is rotated within a predetermined angle range by the drive motor 321c1, and link arms 321c3, 321c3 that are rotatably supported on one end of the drive arm 321c2 and have the other end connected to the light source units 321b, 321b.

[0047] When the drive motor 321c1 rotates within a range of, for example, 90 degrees, the drive arm 321c2 and the link arms 321c3, 321c3 convert the rotational motion into linear motion, so that the light source units 321b, 321b can be moved closer to or farther away from the print head unit 321.

[0048] In this way, the irradiation unit drive mechanism 321c can arbitrarily change the distance between the light source units 321b, 321b, which are the irradiation units, and the print head unit 321. In other words, being arbitrarily variable can also be understood as controlling the separation distance between the light source unit and the print head unit using a drive source separate from the carriage unit 22. When printing is performed, the rotation of the drive motor 321c1 is controlled to move the light source units 321b, 321b toward or away from the print head unit 321 at the end of the printing area. This movement is as shown in FIG.

[0049] Here, the connection portion of the link arms 321c3, 321c3 with the light sources 321b, 321b is formed as an elongated hole, and the light sources 321b, 321b can move along this elongated hole but are locked so that they do not come off. In this way, the light sources 321b, 321b can move toward and away from each other freely by the distance of the elongated hole. As a result, the irradiation unit drive mechanism 321c can change the maximum distance between the light sources 321b, 321b and the print head unit 321. The light sources 321b, 321b move toward and away from the print head unit 321 in the same manner as in the previous embodiment.

[0050] In this way, when an elongated hole is used, the irradiation unit drive mechanism 321c can change the maximum distance, which is the maximum separation distance between the light source units 321b, 321b and the print head unit 321. As a modified example for changing the maximum separation distance, the configurations shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 can also be used.

[0051] FIG. 6 shows a plan view of another modified example, and FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the same modified example in operation. In the figure, the print head unit 421 supports an irradiation unit drive mechanism 421c, and the light source units 421b, 421b are slidably supported on a carriage rail (not shown). The irradiation unit drive mechanism 421c includes a drive motor 421c1 and link arms 421c2, 421c2 that engage with the rotation shaft of the drive motor 421c1 and are driven in opposite directions in the main scanning direction. The link arms 421c2, 421c2 are equipped with racks that are formed to face and mesh with pinion gears provided on the rotation shaft of the drive motor 421c1 from opposite directions. Because the racks 421c2a, 421c2a are engaged with each other across the pinion gear between them, they are driven in opposite directions when the pinion gear rotates forward or backward. In addition to racks 421c2a, the link arms 421c2 are formed with arms 421c2b that protrude outward in the main scanning direction from the print head unit 421, and elongated holes 421c2c are formed in the arms 421c2b.

[0052] When the drive motor 421c1 rotates forward and backward within a predetermined range, the link arms 421c2, 421c2 move toward and away from each other. Slots 421c2c, 421c2c are formed at the ends of the link arms 421c2, 421c2, and the light source units 421b, 421b can move along these slots 421c2c, 421c2c but are locked in place to prevent them from coming off. The light source units 421b, 421b can move toward and away from each other freely by the length of the slots, and the irradiation unit drive mechanism 421c can change the maximum separation distance between the light source units 421b, 421b and the print head unit 421.

[0053] When the drive motor 421c1 is rotated and the link arms 421c2, 421c2 are moved closer to each other, the elongated holes 421c2c, 421c2c move closer to the print head unit 421. This means that the distance between the light sources 421b, 421b and the print head unit 421 becomes shorter. When the carriage unit drives the print head unit 421, the light source units 421b, 421b are pushed and pulled by the print head unit 421 and move in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

[0054] However, by rotating the drive motor 421c1, it is possible to increase or decrease the maximum separation distance between the light source units 421b, 421b and the print head unit 421. This makes it possible to increase or decrease the time it takes for ultraviolet light to irradiate the UV-curable ink that has been ejected from the nozzles and adhered to the medium. Increasing the time allows the ink to spread more and produce a stronger color, while shortening the time allows the ink to harden before it has fully spread, resulting in a more matte surface.

[0055] The light source units 421b, 421b move toward and away from the print head unit 421 in the same manner as in the previous embodiment. It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The mutually replaceable components and configurations disclosed in the above embodiments may be appropriately changed and applied. Although not disclosed in the above embodiments, members and configurations that are publicly known and can be mutually substituted for the members and configurations disclosed in the above embodiments may be appropriately substituted, and their combinations may be changed and applied. Although not disclosed in the above embodiments, members and configurations may be substituted by those skilled in the art based on publicly known techniques as substitutes for the members and configurations disclosed in the above embodiments, and the combinations may be changed and applied. is disclosed as an embodiment of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10...recording device, 20...recording unit, 21...print head unit, 21a...head, 21b...light source unit, 21c...flexible cable, 22...carriage unit, 22a...carriage rail, 22b...carriage belt, 22c...carriage motor, 23...conveyor unit, 40...control unit, 50...interface, 60...display / operation unit, 121...print head unit, 121a...head, 121b...light source unit, 221...print head unit, 221b...light source unit, 222a...carriage Rail, 222b1...stopper, 222b1a...hole, 222c...slide arm, 321...print head unit, 321b...light source unit, 321c...irradiation unit drive mechanism, 321c1...drive motor, 321c2...drive arm, 321c3...link arm, 421...print head unit, 421b...light source unit, 421c...irradiation unit drive mechanism, 421c1...drive motor, 421c2...link arm, 421c2a...rack, 421c2b...arm, 421c2c...long hole

Claims

1. a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid onto a medium; an irradiation unit that is movable relative to the medium in a main scanning direction together with the liquid ejection head and that irradiates the medium with active energy rays; a control unit that controls the irradiation of the active energy ray from the irradiation unit, the irradiation unit is positioned outside the liquid ejection head in a main scanning direction and is supported so as to be able to move relatively close to and away from the liquid ejection head; A liquid ejection device characterized by an irradiation unit drive mechanism in which the irradiation unit approaches the liquid ejection head when it approaches the end of the movement range of the liquid ejection head in the main scanning direction, and moves away from the liquid ejection head when it moves away from the end of the movement range of the liquid ejection head in the main scanning direction.

2. 2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation units are positioned on both outer sides of the liquid ejection head in the main scanning direction.

3. 2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation unit is located on one outer side of the liquid ejection head in the main scanning direction.

4. 2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation unit drive mechanism is capable of arbitrarily changing the distance between the irradiation unit and the liquid ejection head.

5. 2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation unit drive mechanism is capable of changing the maximum distance between the irradiation unit and the liquid ejection head.

6. The liquid ejection head is movable in the main scanning direction along a carriage rail, the irradiation unit is supported at an outer position of the liquid ejection head in a main scanning direction so that a relative distance between the irradiation unit and the liquid ejection head does not exceed a predetermined upper limit; 2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein a stopper that can be brought into contact with the irradiation unit is disposed at an end position in the outer direction of the carriage rail.

7. 2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation unit drive mechanism moves the irradiation unit and the liquid ejection head toward and away from each other using a drive mechanism that drives the liquid ejection head as a power source.

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