Recording device

Abstract

To suppress damage to a recorded matter caused by deformation of a recording medium.SOLUTION: A recording device comprises: a conveyance unit for conveying a recording medium; a recording head for discharging ink onto the recording medium conveyed by the conveyance unit to record an image; a fixing unit for fixing the ink onto the recording medium on which recording is performed by the recording head; a paper discharge guide disposed facing the fixing unit to support the recording medium; and pressing means provided between the fixing unit and the paper discharge guide to press the recording medium.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a fixing unit in an inkjet recording apparatus that fixes emulsion ink onto a recording medium. Fig. 7 shows a fixing unit 5100 disclosed in Patent Document 1. Hot air is generated in a chamber 5101 using a fan 5102 and a heater 5103. The hot air is then blown toward a paper passing surface 5007 through pattern holes 5101a on the bottom of the chamber 5101, which faces the paper passing surface 5007 along which the recording medium passes. The recording medium transported to the paper passing surface 5007 is exposed to the hot air from the pattern holes 5101a, causing the applied ink to dry and be fixed to the recording medium. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 9,849,695 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in general, a recording medium may be thermally deformed when heated by hot air, etc. Therefore, in an apparatus designed with a small gap between the bottom surface of the chamber 5101 and the paper passing surface 5007 in order to increase drying efficiency, there is a risk that a thermally deformed recording medium may come into contact with the bottom surface of the chamber 5101, causing damage to the recorded matter.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to suppress damage to recorded matter that is caused by deformation of the recording medium. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the recording device of the present invention is characterized by comprising a transport unit that transports a recording medium, a recording head that ejects ink onto the recording medium transported by the transport unit to record an image, a fixing unit that fixes the ink onto the recording medium on which recording has been made by the recording head, a paper discharge guide that is positioned opposite the fixing unit and supports the recording medium, and a pressing means that is positioned between the fixing unit and the paper discharge guide and presses down the recording medium. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a recording device is provided that suppresses damage to recorded matter due to deformation of the recording medium. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a paper pressing configuration of the recording device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a paper pressing configuration of a recording device according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a paper pressing configuration of a recording device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a paper pressing configuration of a recording device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional technique. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the following embodiments do not limit the present invention, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Furthermore, the relative arrangements, shapes, etc. of the components described in the embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those alone.

[0010] "Recording" not only includes the formation of meaningful information such as characters and figures, but also the formation of images, patterns, designs, etc. on a recording medium, whether meaningful or insignificant, or the processing of the medium, regardless of whether it is manifested in a way that can be perceived visually by humans. In addition, although paper is assumed as the "original" and "recording medium" in this embodiment, they may also be cloth, plastic film (transparency), metal plate, glass, ceramics, wood, leather, etc.

[0011] Furthermore, "ink" (sometimes called "liquid") should be interpreted broadly in the same way as the definition of "recording" above. Therefore, it refers to a liquid that can be applied to a recording medium to form an image, design, pattern, etc., to process the recording medium, or to process ink (for example, to solidify or insolubilize coloring materials in ink applied to the recording medium).

[0012] [First embodiment] The configuration of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. Recording apparatus 1 is a recording apparatus that prints using an inkjet method. Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of recording apparatus 1, showing a state in which a fixing unit 100 for fixing ink onto a recording medium is set to the fixing position. Recording apparatus 1 is equipped with an operation panel 28 that accepts user operations, and operation panel 28 is connected to a control unit that controls the entire recording apparatus 1 via an input interface.

[0013] FIG. 2(a) shows a schematic side cross-sectional view of the recording device 1. In this embodiment, the recording device 1 ejects emulsion ink, but the type of ink is not limited to this. The recording medium 2 may be an ink-absorbent medium such as paper or a non-ink-absorbent medium such as polyvinyl chloride. The transport unit 3 transports the recording medium 2 in the transport direction shown in FIG. 2(a) and includes, for example, a pinch roller. The recording device 1 employs a so-called roll-to-roll system in which the recording medium 2, which is a long continuous sheet (roll paper), is wound around different rollers (not shown) before and after recording by the recording head 4. However, the transport system for the recording medium 2 of the present invention is not limited to this, and a system for transporting the recording medium 2 in cut paper (sheets) may also be employed.

[0014] The recording head 4 is mounted on a carriage 5. As the carriage 5 scans in the X direction, ink is ejected from the recording head 4 onto the recording medium 2. After the carriage 5 has finished ejecting ink for one or more scans, the transport unit 3 transports the recording medium 2 a predetermined distance in the transport direction. In this way, an image is formed on the recording medium 2 by repeating the ink ejection operation by the recording head 4 and the intermittent transport operation by the transport unit 3.

[0015] The platen 6 is disposed opposite the ejection surface of the recording head 4, and supports the back surface of the recording medium 2 transported by the transport unit 3. The platen 6 of this embodiment is provided with a suction port to prevent the recording medium 2 from floating, and by driving a suction source such as a suction fan, suction is generated through the suction port, causing the recording medium 2 to be adhered to the support surface of the platen 6. The paper discharge guide 7 is disposed opposite a fixing unit 100 that fixes (dries) ink on the recording medium 2 on which recording has been performed by the recording head 4, and supports the back surface of the recording medium 2.

[0016] Next, we will explain the configuration of the fixing unit 100. The fixing unit 100 is provided downstream of the recording head 4 in the transport direction, and dries the ink applied to the recording medium 2 and fixes it to the recording medium 2. The fixing unit 100 has a substantially box-shaped chamber 101, and blows hot air generated by a fan 102 and a heater 103 from the bottom of the chamber 101 towards the recording medium 2.

[0017] The bottom surface of the chamber 101 faces the recording medium 2 and the paper discharge guide 7 that guides it. The ink and recording medium 2 are heated by the hot air blown onto them, and the water and solvent contained in the ink evaporate, turning the emulsion into a film. This causes the ink to be fixed onto the recording medium 2. Note that the configuration of the fixing unit 100 is not limited to this, and it may be configured to only blow air without the heater 103, or may be configured to only heat the recording medium without the fan 102.

[0018] 2(b) shows the state after the fixing unit 100 has moved from the fixing position to the retracted position. The recording device 1 is equipped with a link mechanism 200, which is configured to retract the fixing unit 100 from the paper discharge guide 7 (to the retracted position) when the user sets the recording medium 2 or clears a jammed recording medium 2.

[0019] The configuration of the paper presser that can press down on a thermally deformed recording medium 2 in this embodiment will be described using Figure 3. In Figure 3(a), a perspective view is shown of the fixing unit 100 in a state where it is lifted upward by the link mechanism 200 and is in a retracted position. The recording device 1 has a presser plate 302 that presses down on the recording medium 2 supported by the paper discharge guide 7 from above, and a presser guide 301 that guides the presser plate 302. The presser guide 301 is fixed across the X direction (the width direction of the recording medium 2) on both the upstream side (upper side) and downstream side (lower side) of the paper discharge guide 7 in the conveyance direction.

[0020] The recording device 1 has a pressure plate 302a extending in the transport direction to press down one end of the recording medium 2 in the X direction, and a pressure plate 302b extending in the transport direction to press down the other end of the recording medium 2 in the X direction. Both pressure plates 302a and 302b extend in the transport direction to bridge two pressure guides 301 provided upstream and downstream in the transport direction, respectively. The pressure plate 302a is fixedly positioned on the right side (the side closer to the operation panel 28) when viewed from the front of the recording device 1. On the other hand, the pressure plate 302b is configured to be slidable in the X-axis direction along the pressure guide 301.

[0021] 3(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the recording device 1 taken along the dashed line shown in FIG. 3(a) and viewed from the conveyance direction. The gap between the pressure plate 302a and the paper discharge guide 7 and the gap between the pressure plate 302b and the paper discharge guide 7 are set to a size that allows the recording medium 2 to pass through. The pressure plates 302a and 302b each press down on the edges (edges) in the X direction, which are non-printing areas of the recording medium 2 (areas where recording is not performed by the recording head 4).

[0022] By pressing the edges of the recording medium 2 with the presser plates 302a and 302b, even if the recording medium 2 curls due to thermal deformation, it is possible to prevent the recording medium 2 and the applied ink from coming into contact with the fixing unit 100. Furthermore, because the presser plate 302b is configured to be slidable, the pressing position can be changed according to the width of the recording medium 2, making it possible to press the recording medium 2 appropriately regardless of its size.

[0023] Since the recording device 1 is configured to transport the recording medium 2 with its edge aligned with the right edge in the X direction, the pressure plate 302a is configured to be fixed. However, this is not limited to this, and the pressure plate 302a may also be configured to be slidable along the pressure guide 301. Furthermore, the pressure guide 301 is not limited to being fixed to the paper discharge guide 7 as in this embodiment, and may instead be in the form of a groove provided in the paper discharge guide 7 that extends in the X direction.

[0024] A wide variety of materials, such as coated paper, uncoated paper, cloth, vinyl chloride-based materials, and polyester-based materials, are used for the recording media 2 used in the recording device 1, and each has different thickness (basis weight) and thermal deformation characteristics. For this reason, the recording device 1 is provided with an adjustment mechanism 303 that adjusts the gap between the pressure plates 302a and 302b and the paper discharge guide 7 (see FIG. 3(b)).

[0025] In the case of a configuration including the adjustment mechanism 303, the pressure plate 302b is attached to the pressure guide 301 so as to be slidable via the adjustment mechanism 303. The adjustment mechanism 303 is made up of a member having a threaded portion that protrudes vertically from the guide surface (the surface that supports the recording medium 2) of the paper discharge guide 7, and a nut that adjusts the height of the pressure plate 302 relative to the threaded portion.

[0026] The adjustment mechanism 303 can adjust the height of the pressure plates 302a and 302b without being affected by the thickness or thermal deformation characteristics of the recording medium 2. This reduces damage to the recorded material due to the floating of the recording medium 2 and the occurrence of jamming of the recording medium 2 inside the fixing unit 100. Note that the adjustment mechanism 303 is not limited to a bolt and nut configuration, and known technology that can adjust the gap between the pressure plates 302a and 302b and the paper discharge guide 7 may also be applied.

[0027] Up to this point, the description has been given on the assumption that the fixing unit 100 is raised and lowered by the link mechanism 200, but the present invention is not limited to this. In a configuration without the link mechanism 200, as shown in FIG. 3(a), a marking 304 may be provided on the paper discharge guide 7 as a mark indicating the paper width, and the user may adjust the position of the pressure plate 302b using the marking 304 as a mark. Furthermore, the marking is not limited to the marking 304, and may be an adhesive paper such as a seal, label, or sticker. Note that even in a configuration with the link mechanism 200, a mark such as the marking 304 indicating the paper width may be provided near each pressure guide 301.

[0028] Furthermore, the number of pressure guides 301 is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more. The pressure guide 301 provided on the upstream side in the conveying direction may be provided on the platen 6, not on the paper discharge guide 7.

[0029] Furthermore, the pressure plate 302b is not limited to a configuration that slides the pressure guide 301. FIG. 4 shows a modified example of the first embodiment. In this modified example, a holding means 305 is provided that holds the pressure plate 302b to the paper discharge guide 7. If the paper discharge guide 7 is made of a magnetic material such as a steel plate, the holding means 305 may be formed of a magnet. As another example, the holding means 305 may be formed of an adhesive material that adheres to the paper discharge guide 7. Alternatively, the holding means 305 may be shaped like a hook that can engage with a hole provided in the paper discharge guide 7. By providing the holding means 305 in this manner, the pressure plate 302b can be installed more inexpensively.

[0030] Furthermore, two or more pressure plates 302b may be provided. In a configuration in which multiple pressure plates 302b are provided, each may be fixed to the paper discharge guide 7 by the holding means 305, or each may be provided slidably relative to the pressure guide 301. Alternatively, a configuration in which pressure plates 302b fixed and held by the holding means 305 and pressure plates 302b provided slidably relative to the pressure guide 301 are mixed may be used.

[0031] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment, the pressure plate 302 is provided on the paper discharge guide 7, but in the second embodiment, a configuration in which the pressure plate 302 is provided on the chamber 101 of the fixing unit 100 will be described.

[0032] 5(a) is a bottom view of the fixing unit 100 as viewed from below. In this embodiment, a pressure guide 301 and a pressure plate 302 are provided on the bottom surface of the chamber 101. The pressure guide 301 is fixed to the upstream side (upper side) and downstream side (lower side) of the chamber 101 in the conveyance direction, extending in the X direction (width direction of the recording medium 2).

[0033] Both pressure plates 302a and 302b extend in the transport direction so as to bridge the two pressure guides 301 provided upstream and downstream in the transport direction, respectively. Pressure plate 302a is fixedly disposed on the right side (the side closer to operation panel 28) when viewed from the front of recording apparatus 1. On the other hand, pressure plate 302b is configured to be slidable in the X-axis direction along pressure guide 301.

[0034] Fig. 5(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the chamber 101 cut along the dashed line shown in Fig. 5(a) and viewed from the conveying direction. The structure of the pressure plates 302a and 302b is not limited to a configuration in which they are directly provided on the pressure guide 301, but may also be a configuration in which they are provided on the pressure guide 301 via an adjustment mechanism 303, as shown in Fig. 5(b).

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5(a), by providing an engraving 304 on the bottom surface of the chamber 101 as a mark indicating the paper width, it becomes easier for the user to adjust the pressure plate 302b to match the width of the recording medium 2 after lifting the fixing unit 100 with the link mechanism 200.

[0036] Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 5(c), markings 304 may be provided on the outer surface of the fixing unit 100 as marks indicating the paper width. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3(a), markings 304 may be provided on the paper discharge guide 7. This makes it easier to adjust the presser plate 302b to match the width of the recording medium 2 even when there is no link mechanism 200 and the fixing unit 100 is not raised or lowered, or when the fixing unit 100 is in the fixing position. Note that the markings are not limited to markings 304, and may be adhesive paper such as a seal, label, or sticker.

[0037] Furthermore, the pressing guide 301 is not limited to being fixed to the paper discharge guide 7 as in this embodiment, but may be in the form of a groove provided in the chamber 101 and extending in the X direction.

[0038] Furthermore, the pressure plate 302b is not limited to a configuration in which the pressure guide 301 slides, and it is also possible to apply a holding means 305 (see the first embodiment) that holds the pressure plate 302b in the chamber 101, as shown in Figure 5(d).

[0039] As explained above, by providing the pressure guide 301 and pressure plate 302 in the fixing unit 100, it is possible to prevent interference between the pressure plate 302 and the recording medium 2 when setting the recording medium 2 on the paper discharge guide 7. Furthermore, in a configuration in which the fixing unit 100 is raised and lowered by the link mechanism 200, the recording medium 2 can be set in a manner in which the pressure plate 302 presses down on the recording medium 2 from above as the fixing unit 100 moves to the fixing position. Therefore, it is not necessary to pass the recording medium 2 through the gap between the paper discharge guide 7 and the pressure plates 302a and 302b, and user operability can be improved compared to the first embodiment.

[0040] [Third embodiment] In the first and second embodiments, a configuration was described in which the pressure plate 302 presses down the non-printing area at the edge of the recording medium 2. In the third embodiment, a configuration that can be applied to borderless printing in which ink is applied to the entire surface of the recording medium 2 will be described.

[0041] FIG. 6(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fixing unit 100 as seen from the width direction (X direction) of the recording medium 2. In this embodiment, a spur 306 is provided that rotates in response to the transport of the recording medium 2 and makes point contact with the recording medium 2. The spur 306 is fixed to the chamber 101 by a holding means 305 via an adjustment mechanism 303. FIG. 6(b) shows a modified example of FIG. 6(a) in which the spur 306 is fixed to the pressing guide 301 (paper discharge guide 7) via the adjustment mechanism 303. Note that the configuration of FIG. 6(b) may also be configured to be fixed by the holding means 305.

[0042] The spurs 306 are configured to make point contact with the recording medium 2, thereby reducing the contact area, and are therefore able to press down on the recording medium 2 without damaging the printed material even when they come into contact with the area of ​​the recording medium 2 where ink has been applied. Therefore, even if the recording medium 2 on which borderless printing has been performed is thermally deformed, the spurs can be pressed down appropriately, preventing damage to or jamming of the recording medium 2 within the fixing unit 100. Note that the adjustment mechanism 303 can be configured to include a biasing member such as a spring, thereby making it possible to press down on the recording medium 2 more firmly.

[0043] FIG. 6(c) is a bottom view of the chamber 101. As shown in FIG. 6(c), when spurs 306 are provided in the chamber 101, multiple spurs 306 can be provided along the X direction. In this case, the holding means 305 described in FIG. 6(a) is not necessarily required, and the spurs 306 may be directly fixed to the chamber 101. By providing multiple spurs 306, paper can be pressed at multiple locations, preventing damage to or jamming of the recording medium 2 even if the recording medium 2 is significantly deformed by heat. This also saves the user the trouble of adjusting the paper pressing position by adjusting the position of the spurs 306 in the X direction depending on the width of the recording medium 2. The configuration in which multiple spurs 306 are provided can also be applied to the configuration in which the spurs 306 are fixed to the pressing guide 301 (paper ejection guide 7) shown in FIG. 6(b).

[0044] (Configuration 1) a transport unit that transports the recording medium; a recording head that ejects ink onto the recording medium transported by the transport unit to record an image; a fixing unit that fixes ink onto the recording medium on which the recording has been performed by the recording head; a paper discharge guide disposed opposite the fixing unit and supporting the recording medium; a pressing member that is disposed between the fixing unit and the paper discharge guide and presses the recording medium;

[0045] (Configuration 2) 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing means includes a pressing plate that presses the recording medium, and a pressing guide that guides the pressing plate.

[0046] (Configuration 3) 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing means includes a spur that presses the recording medium.

[0047] (Configuration 4) The recording apparatus according to configuration 2, further comprising an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the gap between the paper ejection guide and the pressure plate.

[0048] (Configuration 5) The recording apparatus according to configuration 3, further comprising an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the gap between the paper discharge guide and the spur.

[0049] (Configuration 6) 6. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the pressing means is provided on the paper discharge guide.

[0050] (Configuration 7) 6. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the pressing means is provided in the fixing unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1. Recording device 3 Transport unit 4 recording head 7 Paper ejection guide 100 Fuser unit 302 Retaining plate

Claims

1. a transport unit that transports the recording medium; a recording head that ejects ink onto the recording medium transported by the transport unit to record an image; a fixing unit that fixes ink onto the recording medium on which the recording has been performed by the recording head; a paper discharge guide disposed opposite the fixing unit and supporting the recording medium; a pressing means for pressing the recording medium, the pressing means being disposed between the fixing unit and the paper discharge guide;

2. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing means includes a pressing plate for pressing the recording medium, and a pressing guide for guiding the pressing plate.

3. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing means includes a spur that presses the recording medium.

4. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the gap between the paper ejection guide and the pressure plate.

5. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an adjustment mechanism for adjusting a gap between the paper discharge guide and the spur.

6. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing means is provided on the paper discharge guide.

7. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing means is provided in the fixing unit.

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