Inkjet recording apparatus

Abstract

To suppress contamination and speed variation of a conveyance belt during frameless printing.SOLUTION: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a transport unit 7 that transports a sheet S by causing the sheet S to be adsorbed onto an endless transport belt 21, and an ink jet head that faces the transport belt 21, in which the transport belt 21 includes a slit 21S that faces an end portion of the sheet S having a predetermined size in a widthwise direction X intersecting a transport direction Y, and the transport unit 7 includes an absorption body that absorbs ink in a space inside the transport belt 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] A technique for borderless printing is known, in which an image is printed slightly larger than the sheet, eliminating any margins around the image. However, this technique poses the problem of contamination around the sheet. Therefore, techniques for suppressing contamination around the sheet during borderless printing have been studied. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses printing by placing a sheet larger than the sheet to be printed underneath it. Patent Document 2 discloses a conveyor belt having recesses on the outside of the sheet that receive ink ejected thereto. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-83567 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-284285 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the problem of consuming a large amount of sheet. The configuration disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a complicated configuration because it requires the installation of a device for recovering ink from the recesses. Also, the installation of the recesses requires the conveyor belt to be thick, which poses the problem of speed fluctuations being easily caused by uneven thickness.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to suppress contamination of the transport belt and speed fluctuations during borderless printing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the inkjet recording device of the present invention comprises a transport unit that adsorbs a sheet onto an endless transport belt and transports it, and an inkjet head that faces the transport belt, wherein the transport belt has a slit that faces the end of a width direction that intersects with the transport direction of a sheet of a predetermined size, and the transport unit has an absorber that absorbs ink in the space inside the transport belt.

[0007] The length of the slit may be equal to or greater than the length of the sheet of the predetermined size in the transport direction.

[0008] The slit may be continuous over a range equal to or greater than the length of the sheet of the predetermined size in the conveying direction.

[0009] The inkjet recording apparatus may include a detection device that detects the phase of the slit when the conveyor belt is rotating, and a registration roller that sends out a sheet to the conveyor belt in accordance with the phase of the slit.

[0010] The absorber may face the slit.

[0011] The absorbent body may be replaceable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress contamination of the transport belt and fluctuations in speed during borderless printing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view schematically illustrating the internal configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a transport unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a slit of a conveyor belt according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a transport unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cross section of a transport unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] An inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a front view schematically illustrating the internal configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus 1. The inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a transport unit 7 and an inkjet head 12. The transport unit 7 includes a transport belt 21, a drive roller 25, a driven roller 22, and a charging device 26. The transport belt 21 is an endless belt made of insulating resin or the like. The transport belt 21 is wound around the drive roller 25 and the driven roller 22. The charging device 26 is in contact with the transport belt 21. The charging device 26 is, for example, a roller that applies a voltage. Although the present embodiment illustrates an example in which the transport unit 7 is disposed at an angle, the transport unit 7 may also be disposed horizontally. The left surface of the left portion of the transport belt 21 in FIG. 1 forms part of the transport path 10. When the drive roller 25 is driven clockwise in FIG. 1, the transport belt 21 rotates clockwise, and the sheet S is transported in the Y direction along the transport path 10.

[0016] An inkjet head 12 is provided to the left of the transport unit 7. The inkjet head 12 ejects ink in accordance with image data. Like the transport unit 7, the inkjet head 12 is also disposed at an angle, and ejects ink in a direction perpendicular to the sheet S on the transport belt 21. A registration roller 18 is provided upstream of the transport unit 7 in the transport direction Y. A transport roller 17 is provided downstream of the transport unit 7 in the transport direction Y.

[0017] The basic operation of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is as follows: When an image formation job is input to the inkjet recording apparatus 1, a sheet S is supplied from a paper feed cassette (not shown) to a conveying path 10, and the inclination of the sheet S is corrected by a registration roller 18, and the sheet S is sent to a conveying unit 7 at a timing according to the image data. An inkjet head 12 ejects ink onto the sheet S conveyed in the Y direction by the conveying unit 7. The sheet S is conveyed by a conveying roller 17 and discharged onto a discharge tray (not shown).

[0018] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the transport unit 7. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the slit 21S of the transport belt 21. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the transport unit 7. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the transport unit 7.

[0019] The conveyor belt 21 has a slit 21S facing an end of a sheet S of a predetermined size in the width direction X intersecting with the conveying direction Y. The predetermined size is, for example, an L-size photograph. The length of the slit 21S is equal to or greater than the length of the sheet S of the predetermined size in the conveying direction Y. Specifically, the length is a few millimeters longer than the length of the sheet S of the predetermined size in the conveying direction Y. The slit 21S is continuous over a range equal to or greater than the length of the sheet S of the predetermined size in the conveying direction Y. Note that, in order to prevent contamination of the conveyor belt 21, it is advantageous to have continuous slits 21S. However, when emphasis is placed on the durability of the conveyor belt 21, multiple slits 21S shorter than the length of the sheet S of the predetermined size in the conveying direction Y may be arranged in the conveying direction Y.

[0020] The transport unit 7 is provided with an absorber 31 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) that absorbs ink. The absorber 31 is, for example, a sponge or nonwoven fabric. A frame 33 is provided in the space inside the transport belt 21, and the absorber 31 is attached to the frame 33. The absorber 31 faces at least a portion of the slit 21S. It is desirable that the absorber 31 faces the entire area of ​​the slit 21S. The absorber 31 is detachably provided on the frame 33, and can be replaced if its absorption capacity decreases.

[0021] The transport unit 7 includes a detector 32 that detects the phase of the slit 21S when the transport belt 21 is rotating. Specifically, the detector 32 is an optical sensor, and is attached to a frame 33. The detector 32 faces the inner surface of the transport belt 21, and detects the slit 21S that the transport belt 21 passes through when it rotates.

[0022] The registration rollers 18 send out the sheet S to the conveyor belt 21 in accordance with the phase of the slit 21S detected by the detection device 32. Specifically, the registration rollers 18 send out the sheet S at a timing when the downstream end of the sheet S in the conveying direction Y is positioned slightly upstream in the conveying direction Y of the downstream end of the slit 21S, and when the upstream end of the sheet S in the conveying direction Y is positioned slightly downstream in the conveying direction Y of the upstream end of the slit 21S. With this configuration, the entire end in the width direction X of the sheet S attracted to the conveyor belt 21 faces the slit 21S.

[0023] When performing borderless printing, the inkjet head 12 ejects ink onto an area slightly wider than the four sides of the sheet S. In this case, the ink ejected outside the edge of the sheet S in the width direction X passes through the slits 21S and is absorbed by the absorber 31, thereby preventing contamination of the conveyor belt 21.

[0024] Furthermore, when forming the slits 21S in the conveyor belt 21, the thickness of the conveyor belt 21 can be made thinner than when a recess is formed, so fluctuations in the conveying speed are less likely to occur.

[0025] The inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment described above includes a transport unit 7 that transports a sheet S by adsorbing it to an endless transport belt 21, and an inkjet head 12 that faces the transport belt 21. The transport belt 21 has a slit 21S that faces an end of a sheet S of a predetermined size in the width direction X that intersects with the transport direction Y, and the transport unit 7 has an absorber 31 that absorbs ink in the space inside the transport belt 21. This configuration makes it possible to suppress contamination and speed fluctuations of the transport belt 21 during borderless printing.

[0026] Furthermore, in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the length of the slit 21S is equal to or greater than the length of the sheet S of a predetermined size in the conveying direction Y. This configuration makes it possible to suppress contamination of the conveying belt 21 over the entire area of ​​the sheet S of a predetermined size in the conveying direction Y.

[0027] Furthermore, in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the slits 21S are continuous over a range equal to or greater than the length of the sheet S of a predetermined size in the conveying direction Y. This configuration makes it possible to suppress contamination of the conveying belt 21 compared to when multiple slits 21S shorter than the length of the sheet S of a predetermined size in the conveying direction Y are arranged in the conveying direction Y.

[0028] Furthermore, in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the absorber 31 faces the slit 21S. With this configuration, the ink that has passed through the slit 21S can be efficiently absorbed.

[0029] Furthermore, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a detection device 32 that detects the phase of the slit 21S when the conveyor belt 21 is rotating, and a registration roller 18 that sends the sheet S to the conveyor belt 21 in accordance with the phase of the slit 21S. With this configuration, the end of the sheet S in the width direction X can be made to face the slit 21S.

[0030] Furthermore, in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the absorber 31 is replaceable. With this configuration, leakage of ink from the absorber 31 can be prevented. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1. Inkjet recording device 7 Transport unit 12 Inkjet head 18 Resist Roller 21 Conveyor belt 21S Slit 31 Absorbent 32 Detection Device S seat X Width direction Y conveying direction

Claims

1. a conveying unit that adsorbs a sheet onto an endless conveying belt and conveys the sheet; an inkjet head facing the conveyor belt, the conveying belt has a slit facing an end portion in a width direction intersecting with a conveying direction of a sheet of a predetermined size, The inkjet recording apparatus is characterized in that the transport unit includes an absorber for absorbing ink in a space inside the transport belt.

2. 2. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the length of the slit is equal to or greater than the length of the sheet of the predetermined size in the conveying direction.

3. 3. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the slit is continuous over a range equal to or greater than the length of the sheet of the predetermined size in the conveying direction.

4. a detection device that detects the phase of the slit when the conveyor belt is rotating; a registration roller that sends the sheet to the conveyor belt according to the phase of the slit; 4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the absorber faces the slit.

6. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the absorber is replaceable.

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