Medium transport apparatus and recording apparatus

Abstract

When the position of the wiper with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the transport belt changes, there is a possibility that the contact mode of the wiper with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the transport belt changes.SOLUTION: The transport device 2 includes the transporting belt 33 having the outer peripheral surface 33a that supports the media P and capable of transporting the media P, and the wiper 91 capable of wiping the outer peripheral surface 33a. The base portion 93 extends in the A-axis direction toward the 33a portion of the outer peripheral surface, the protruding portion 94 protrudes from the base portion 93 in the B-axis direction intersecting the A-axis direction when viewed from the direction along the X-axis direction, the tip of the protruding portion 94 has a curved surface shape, and the tip of the protruding portion 94 comes into contact with the 33a portion of the outer peripheral surface, whereby the 33a portion of the outer peripheral surface is wiped.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a medium transport device and a recording device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a recording device including a recording unit capable of recording on a medium, a conveyor belt having an outer peripheral surface that supports the medium and is capable of conveying the medium, and a wiper that can wipe the outer peripheral surface by contacting the outer peripheral surface. The recording device further includes a holding unit that holds the wiper and a support unit that movably supports the holding unit. In this recording device, the position of the wiper relative to the outer peripheral surface of the conveyor belt is adjusted so that the pressure load acting on the outer peripheral surface due to contact of the wiper becomes a predetermined load, and then the holding unit is fixed to the support unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-69063 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the wiper of Patent Document 1, if the position of the wiper relative to the outer circumferential surface of the conveyor belt changes, the contact state of the wiper with the outer circumferential surface of the conveyor belt may change. Also, adjusting the position of the wiper relative to the outer circumferential surface of the conveyor belt may increase the assembly time of the recording device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The media conveying device comprises a conveying belt having an outer peripheral surface that supports the medium and is capable of conveying the medium, and a wiper that is capable of wiping the outer peripheral surface, the wiper having a base and a protrusion protruding from the base, the base extending in an extension direction toward the outer peripheral surface, the protrusion protruding from the base in a cross direction that intersects with the extension direction when viewed from a direction along the width direction of the conveying belt, the tip of the protrusion having a curved shape, and the outer peripheral surface being wiped by the tip of the protrusion coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface.

[0006] The recording device comprises a recording unit capable of recording on a medium, a conveying belt having an outer peripheral surface that supports the medium and is capable of conveying the medium, and a wiper capable of wiping the outer peripheral surface, the wiper having a base and a protrusion protruding from the base, the base extending in an extension direction toward the outer peripheral surface, the protrusion protruding from the base in an intersecting direction that intersects with the extension direction when viewed from a direction along the width direction of the conveying belt, the tip of the protrusion having a curved shape, and the outer peripheral surface being wiped by the tip of the protrusion coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing the general configuration of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing the general configuration of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 3A] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing the periphery of the cleaning tank in the separated position. [Figure 3B] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing the periphery of the cleaning tank when it is in the cleaning position. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the wiper unit in the separated position. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the wiper unit at the cleaning position. [Figure 4C] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the wiper unit at the cleaning position. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the specifications of the wiper according to the embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the specifications of a wiper according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present disclosure will be described below based on embodiments. In each drawing, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations may be omitted. When used in this specification, the terms "same," "identical," and "simultaneous" do not necessarily mean that something is completely the same.

[0009] For example, in this specification, when the terms "same," "identical," and "simultaneous" are used, it is intended to include cases where the same is true in consideration of measurement error. Also, for example, in this specification, when the terms "same," "identical," and "simultaneous" are used, it is intended to include cases where the same is true in consideration of manufacturing variations of components.

[0010] In this specification, the terms "same," "identical," and "simultaneous" are intended to include cases where the same is true to the extent that the functionality is not impaired. For example, "the dimensions of both are the same" means that, taking into account measurement errors and manufacturing variations of components, the difference in the dimensions of both is within ±5% of one dimension, and more preferably within ±3%.

[0011] In each figure, X, Y, and Z represent three spatial axes that are orthogonal to one another. In this specification, the directions along these axes are referred to as the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction. When specifying a direction, the positive direction is indicated by "+" and the negative direction by "-", and both positive and negative signs are used to indicate the direction, with the direction indicated by the arrow in each figure being the + direction and the direction opposite the arrow being the - direction.

[0012] The Z-axis direction indicates the direction of gravity, the +Z direction indicates the vertically upward direction, and the -Z direction indicates the vertically downward direction. The plane containing the X-axis and Y-axis is described as the XY plane, the plane containing the X-axis and Z-axis as the XZ plane, and the plane containing the Y-axis and Z-axis as the YZ plane. The XY plane is a horizontal plane. The three spatial axes of X, Y, and Z, which are not limited to positive and negative directions, will be described as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis.

[0013] The X-axis direction is the horizontal direction along the installation surface, which is a horizontal plane on which the recording device 1 is installed. The X-axis direction is the width direction of the medium P transported by the medium transport device 2. The Y-axis direction is the horizontal direction along the installation surface on which the recording device 1 is installed. The Z-axis direction is the normal direction to the installation surface on which the recording device 1 is installed, and is the height direction of the recording device 1 and the medium transport device 2.

[0014] In the following description, the +Z direction may be referred to as the "vertical upward direction" and the -Z direction may be referred to as the "vertical downward direction." In the following description, in the recording device 1 and the medium conveying device 2, the end of the conveying direction of the medium P may be referred to as the "downstream" and the side going back in the conveying direction may be referred to as the "upstream."

[0015] In the following description, in the recording device 1 and the medium conveying device 2, the side ahead in the moving direction of the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveying belt 33 may be referred to as "downstream," and the side going back in the moving direction of the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveying belt 33 may be referred to as "upstream." For convenience of illustration, the sizes of the various components may differ from the actual sizes.

[0016] <Embodiment> The following describes a schematic configuration of a recording apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. In this embodiment, an inkjet recording apparatus 1 that prints an image or the like on a medium P is exemplified.

[0017] 1, the recording device 1 includes a medium conveying device 2, a recording unit 60, and a control unit 110 that controls the medium conveying device 2 and the recording unit 60. The medium conveying device 2 includes a medium conveying unit 20, a medium contact unit 50, a drying unit 70, and a cleaning unit 80. Each unit of the recording device 1 is fixed or positioned on a main body frame 101.

[0018] The medium transport unit 20 transports the medium P along a transport path in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1. The medium transport unit 20 includes a medium supply unit 10, a transport belt 33, a belt rotation roller 31, a belt drive roller 32, and a medium collection unit 40. First, the transport path along which the medium P travels from the medium supply unit 10 to the medium collection unit 40 will be described.

[0019] The medium supply unit 10 supplies the medium P to the conveyor belt 33. For example, the medium P can be made of natural fibers, cotton, silk, linen, mohair, wool, cashmere, regenerated fibers, synthetic fibers, nylon, polyurethane, polyester, or a woven or nonwoven fabric made from a blend of these fibers. A pretreatment agent may be applied to the woven or nonwoven fabric to promote color development and fixation.

[0020] The medium supply unit 10 has a supply shaft unit 11 around which the strip-shaped medium P is wound in a roll, a bearing unit 12, a rotation drive unit (not shown), a first supply roller 13, a second supply roller 14, and a caster 111.

[0021] The bearings 12 detachably and rotatably support both ends of the cylindrical supply shaft 11. The rotation drive unit is controlled by the control unit 110 to rotate the supply shaft 11, thereby feeding the medium P from the supply shaft 11.

[0022] The first supply roller 13 and the second supply roller 14 relay the medium P sent out from the supply shaft unit 11 to the conveyor belt 33. The medium supply unit 10 is detachably fixed to the main body frame 101 from the -Y direction side, which is behind the recording device 1 and the conveyor belt 33.

[0023] The conveyor belt 33 is capable of conveying the medium P facing the recording unit 60 in the conveyance direction. The conveyor belt 33 is formed in an endless shape with both ends of a strip-shaped belt connected together, and is hung between a belt rotation roller 31 and a belt drive roller 32. The conveyor belt 33 is held in a state where a predetermined tension is applied.

[0024] An adhesive layer 34 that adheres the medium P is provided on the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33. The conveyor belt 33 supports the medium P in contact with the adhesive layer 34 at a medium contact portion 50, which will be described later. This allows the medium P to be made of stretchable fabric or the like.

[0025] The belt rotation roller 31 and the belt drive roller 32 are provided inside the conveyor belt 33 and support the inner circumferential surface 33b of the conveyor belt 33. The belt drive roller 32 is provided with a rotation drive unit (not shown) that drives the belt drive roller 32 to rotate.

[0026] The rotation drive unit is controlled by the control unit 110 to rotate the belt drive roller 32, which rotates the conveyor belt 33. This causes the belt rotation roller 31 to rotate. As the conveyor belt 33 rotates, the medium P supported on the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33 is conveyed in the conveyance direction. An image is formed on the medium P by a recording unit 60 provided between the belt rotation roller 31 and the belt drive roller 32 in the Y-axis direction, which is the conveyance direction.

[0027] The medium conveying unit 20 may include a support member that supports the inner circumferential surface 33b of the conveying belt 33 at a portion facing the recording unit 60. The conveying belt 33 has been described as including an adhesive layer 34 that adheres the medium P, but it may also be, for example, an electrostatic adsorption type conveying belt that adsorbs the medium by static electricity.

[0028] The medium collection unit 40 collects the medium P. The medium collection unit 40 has a first collection roller 43, a drying unit 70, a second collection roller 44, a winding shaft unit 41 that winds the medium P into a roll, a bearing unit 42, a rotation drive unit (not shown), and a caster 112.

[0029] The first collection roller 43 separates the medium P on which the image has been formed from the conveyor belt 33. The first collection roller 43 and the second collection roller 44 relay the separated medium P to the take-up spindle 41.

[0030] The bearings 42 detachably and rotatably support both ends of the cylindrical winding shaft 41. The rotation drive unit is controlled by the control unit 110 to rotate the winding shaft 41, thereby winding up the medium P.

[0031] The medium recovery unit 40 is detachably fixed to the main body frame 101 from the +Y direction side, which is in front of the recording device 1 and the conveyor belt 33. Next, each unit provided along the conveyance path of the medium P will be described.

[0032] The medium contact unit 50 is provided upstream of the recording unit 60 in the transport direction, and brings the medium P supplied onto the transport belt 33 into close contact with the adhesive layer 34. The medium contact unit 50 has a cylindrical pressure roller 51, a roller support unit 52, a roller receiving unit 54, and a pressure roller driving unit 53.

[0033] The roller support units 52 rotatably support both ends of the pressure roller 51. The roller receiving units 54 receive the load of the pressure roller 51 via the conveyor belt 33. The pressure roller driving unit 53 drives the pressure roller 51 to move the pressure roller 51 downstream and upstream in the conveyance direction. As a result, the medium P is pressed by the load of the pressure roller 51 and comes into close contact with the adhesive layer 34.

[0034] The recording unit 60 is disposed above the conveyor belt 33 on the +Z direction side, and is controlled by the control unit 110 to perform recording on the medium P supported on the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33. The recording unit 60 has a head 61, a carriage 62 on which the head 61 is mounted, and a guide rail 63 that supports the carriage 62.

[0035] The head 61 has a plurality of nozzles (not shown) that form nozzle rows, and actuators (not shown) that eject ink from the nozzles. Each nozzle row is supplied with ink of cyan, magenta, yellow, black, etc.

[0036] The guide rail 63 is a rail that extends along the X-axis, and supports the carriage 62 so that it can move back and forth along the width direction of the medium P. The recording unit 60 includes a movement mechanism (not shown) that moves the carriage 62 and a power source (not shown) that drives the movement mechanism.

[0037] The movement mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism combining a ball screw and a ball nut, a linear guide mechanism, etc. The power source may be, for example, a stepping motor, a servo motor, a linear motor, or any of a variety of other motors.

[0038] The drying unit 70 is rotatably mounted on the mounting shaft 45 of the medium collection unit 40. The drying unit 70 is movable between a drying position indicated by a solid line in Fig. 1 and a maintenance position indicated by a two-dot chain line. The drying unit 70 is provided upstream of the winding shaft 41 in the conveying direction, and dries the medium P peeled off from the conveyor belt 33.

[0039] The drying unit 70 has, for example, a far-infrared heater, and when the far-infrared heater is driven at the drying position, it quickly dries the ink that has permeated into the medium P. This allows the recorded medium P to be wound up around the winding shaft 41.

[0040] The cleaning unit 80 is disposed between the belt drive roller 32 and the belt rotation roller 31 in the Y-axis direction. The cleaning unit 80 cleans the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33 from which the medium P has been separated, from the downward, -Z direction side.

[0041] The cleaning unit 80 includes a cleaning tank 81, a cleaning brush 82, a wiper unit 83, a rotation drive unit (not shown) that drives the cleaning brush 82 to rotate, casters 201, and a lifting mechanism 202.

[0042] The cleaning unit 80 is positioned on the main frame 101 from the +Y direction side, which is in front of the recording device 1 and the conveyor belt 33. With the medium collection unit 40 removed from the main frame 101, the cleaning unit 80 is inserted below the outer circumferential surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33 and positioned on the main frame 101.

[0043] 2 to 3B, cleaning tank 81 is a tank for storing a cleaning liquid. As the cleaning liquid, for example, a water-soluble solvent such as water or an alcohol aqueous solution is used, and a surfactant or an antifoaming agent is added as needed.

[0044] The cleaning tank 81 includes a bottom wall 81a, a front wall 81b, a rear wall 81c, a side wall 81d, and a side wall 81e facing the side wall 81d. A positioning portion 81m is provided on the side wall 81d. A waste liquid discharge portion 81n is provided on the bottom wall 81a. A plate-shaped member 81g is provided on the rear wall 81c.

[0045] The cleaning brush 82 has a cylindrical shaft 82a extending in the X-axis direction and a brush 82b attached to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 82a. The brush 82b is composed of a bundle of bristles. When viewed from the X-axis direction, the bristles of the brush 82b extend radially from the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 82a, centered on the rotation axis of the shaft 82a.

[0046] In the drawing, the contour of the connected tips of the brushes 82b is shown as a circle. The cleaning brush 82 is rotatably supported inside the cleaning tank 81 so that its upper portion protrudes from the cleaning tank 81.

[0047] 3A and a cleaning position shown in Fig. 3B. The cleaning tank 81 is provided so as to be movable between a remote position shown in Fig. 3A and a cleaning position shown in Fig. 3B. The remote position is a position where the brush 82b and the wiper 91 of the wiper unit 83 are separated from the outer circumferential surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33.

[0048] The cleaning position is a position where the brush 82b and the wiper 91 of the wiper unit 83 come into contact with the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33. At the cleaning position, the cleaning brush 82 rotates to remove ink, fabric fibers, and the like adhering to the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33.

[0049] 3A to 4C, the wiper unit 83 includes a wiper 91, a support portion 84, a pressing member 85, and a fixing screw 86. The support portion 84 is attached to a plate-shaped member 81g of the cleaning tank 81. The support portion 84 supports the wiper 91.

[0050] The pressing member 85 is fixed to the support portion 84 by a fixing screw 86 with the fixed portion 92 of the wiper 91 sandwiched between the pressing member 85 and the support portion 84. This defines the position of the wiper 91 with respect to the outer circumferential surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33.

[0051] The wiper 91 wipes the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33 by coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface 33a of the rotating conveyor belt 33 at the cleaning position shown in FIGS. 3B, 4B, and 4C.

[0052] 3A and 3B, the wiper 91 is located on the −Y side downstream of the cleaning brush 82 in the Y-axis direction, which is the direction of movement of the outer peripheral surface 33a on the side with which the wiper 91 comes into contact. The wiper 91 is provided in the cleaning tank 81 such that at least the protrusion 94 of the wiper 91 protrudes from the cleaning tank 81 toward the outer peripheral surface 33a.

[0053] The wiper 91 is made of an elastic member having elasticity. The wiper 91 is composed of the fixed portion 92, the base portion 93, and the protruding portion 94. The fixed portion 92, the base portion 93, and the protruding portion 94 extend in the X-axis direction across the width of the conveyor belt 33.

[0054] The base portion 93 extends in an extending direction from the fixed portion 92 toward the outer circumferential surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33. The extending direction is inclined with respect to the Y-axis direction, which is the movement direction of the outer circumferential surface 33a on the side with which the wiper 91 comes into contact.

[0055] In the Y-axis direction, which is the movement direction of the outer peripheral surface 33a on the side where the wiper 91 comes into contact, the extension direction of the base 93 is inclined in the direction in which the tip of the base 93 is located in the -Y direction downstream from the base end of the base 93, which is the end on the fixed portion 92 side.

[0056] The AB coordinate system shown on the YZ plane in Figures 3A to 6 is a Cartesian coordinate system. The A-axis direction and the B-axis direction intersect with the X-axis direction. The A-axis direction is an example of the extension direction of the base 93 of the wiper 91 in the separated position. The B-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to the A-axis direction.

[0057] In the following explanation, the direction from the base end of the base 93 to the tip of the base 93 along the A-axis direction will be referred to as the +A direction, and the direction from the tip of the base 93 to the base end of the base 93 will be referred to as the -A direction.

[0058] In this embodiment, the A-axis direction is inclined so that the +A direction is closer to the +Z direction than the -A direction. Specifically, it is inclined in the range of 50° to 70° with respect to the horizontal direction, and more specifically, it is inclined at approximately 60°. The B-axis direction is inclined so that the +B direction is closer to the +Z direction than the -B direction.

[0059] When viewed from the direction along the X-axis, the protrusion 94 of the wiper 91 in the separated position shown in Figures 3A and 4A protrudes from the base 93 in an intersecting direction that intersects with the extension direction. The B-axis direction is an example of the intersecting direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the extension direction and the intersecting direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0060] The protrusion 94 of this embodiment includes a protrusion 941 and a protrusion 942. The protrusion 941 protrudes in the +B direction at the separated position. The protrusion 941 is an example of a first protrusion. The +B direction is an example of a first direction. The protrusion 941 protrudes in the +Y direction, which is upstream in the movement direction of the outer peripheral surface 33a on the contacting side.

[0061] The protrusion 942 protrudes in the -B direction at the separated position. The protrusion 942 is an example of a second protrusion. The -B direction is an example of a second direction that is the opposite direction to the first direction. The protrusion 942 protrudes in the -Y direction, which is downstream in the movement direction of the outer peripheral surface 33a on the contacting side.

[0062] When viewed in the X-axis direction, the tip of the protrusion 94 has a curved outer shape. In other words, the tip of the protrusion 94 has a curved surface shape.

[0063] Of the protrusions 94, the protrusions 94 that protrude from the base 93 in the +Y direction at the cleaning position come into contact with the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33. Therefore, at the cleaning position shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C , the tip of the protrusion 941 that protrudes from the base 93 in the +B direction at the separated position comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33.

[0064] At this cleaning position, the conveyor belt 33 rotates, causing the tip of the protrusion 941 of the wiper 91 to slide against the outer circumferential surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33. As a result, the wiper 91 wipes the outer circumferential surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33.

[0065] In this embodiment, it is possible to change the orientation in the B-axis direction when the wiper 91 is fixed to the support part 84. For example, it is assumed that the orientation in the B-axis direction when the wiper 91 is fixed to the support part 84 is changed by the operator from the states shown in FIGS.

[0066] In this case, the protrusion 942 protrudes in the +B direction at the separated position. Therefore, the tip of the protrusion 942 contacts the outer circumferential surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33 at the cleaning position.

[0067] At this cleaning position, the conveyor belt 33 rotates, causing the tip of the protrusion 942 of the wiper 91 to slide against the outer circumferential surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33. As a result, the wiper 91 wipes the outer circumferential surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33.

[0068] The position of the support portion 84 in the cleaning position is set to a position that is a predetermined dimension +Z direction from the position where the tip of the protrusion 94 contacts the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33. As a result, the wiper 91 in the cleaning position is in a deformed state as shown in FIG. 4B, for example. The position of the support portion 84 in the cleaning position may change as shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C due to dimensional variations in the members that make up the medium conveying device 2, etc.

[0069] When the position of the support portion 84 at the cleaning position changes, the contact manner of the wiper 91 at the cleaning position changes. The contact manner of the wiper 91 at the cleaning position includes, for example, the pressing load from the wiper 91 acting on the outer circumferential surface 33 a of the conveyor belt 33, the protruding direction of the protrusion 94, etc.

[0070] A change in the contact state of the wiper 91 at the cleaning position changes the wiping performance of the wiper 91. The specifications of the wiper 91 are set so that the wiping performance of the wiper 91 falls within an acceptable range.

[0071] For example, the specifications of the wiper 91 include the material that constitutes the wiper 91. The material that constitutes the wiper 91 is preferably a material that is elastic and liquid-repellent to liquids including ink. For example, silicone rubber having a predetermined hardness is used for the wiper 91 in this embodiment.

[0072] For example, the specifications of the wiper 91 include the tip shape of the protrusion 94. In this embodiment, the tip shape of the protrusion 94 is the same along the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the tip of the protrusion 94 has a curved shape. More specifically, the tip of the protrusion 94 in this embodiment has an arc-shaped outer shape when viewed from the direction along the X-axis direction.

[0073] For example, the specifications of the wiper 91 include the dimensions of the wiper 91 in the separated position. The dimensions of the wiper 91 in the separated position include separation dimensions D1 and D2, thickness dimension T3, protrusion dimensions L1 and L2, thickness dimensions T1 and T2, and the extending direction of the base 93, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0074] Distance dimensions D1 and D2 are dimensions along the A-axis direction from the base end of base 93 to protrusion 94. Thickness dimension T3 is the thickness dimension of base 93 along the B-axis direction. Protrusion dimensions L1 and L2 are the protrusion dimensions of protrusion 94 from base 93 along the B-axis direction. Thickness dimensions T1 and T2 are the thickness dimension of protrusion 94 along the A-axis direction.

[0075] The separation dimensions D1 and D2 are set to be larger than the thickness dimension T3. The protrusion dimensions L1 and L2 are set to be equal to or smaller than the thickness dimension T3. As a result, the tip of the protrusion 941 in the separated position is located on the -Y direction side of the base end of the base 93.

[0076] In this embodiment, the thickness dimension T1 is set to be the same as the protrusion dimension L1. The thickness dimension T2 is set to be the same as the protrusion dimension L2. In this embodiment, the radius of the arc-shaped tip of the protrusion 941 is half the thickness dimension T1. The radius of the arc-shaped tip of the protrusion 942 is half the thickness dimension T2.

[0077] In this embodiment, the distance D1 between the protrusions 941 and the distance D2 between the protrusions 942 are the same. That is, the positions at which the protrusions 941 and 942 protrude from the base 93 are the same in the A-axis direction.

[0078] In this embodiment, the protrusion dimension L1 of the protrusion 941 is the same as the protrusion dimension L2 of the protrusion 942. That is, the protrusions 941 and 942 have the same length of protrusion from the base 93 in the B-axis direction.

[0079] Cleaning by the cleaning brush 82 leaves cleaning liquid on the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33. The cleaning liquid remaining on the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33 is removed by wiping with the wiper 91. The removed cleaning liquid passes through a waste liquid discharge portion 81n in the cleaning tank 81 and is collected in a waste liquid collection portion or the like outside the cleaning tank 81.

[0080] 3B, a belt support portion 35 is provided inside the portion of the conveyor belt 33 that comes into contact with the protrusion 941 of the wiper 91. The belt support portion 35 is provided to extend in the X-axis direction.

[0081] The belt support portion 35 supports the inner peripheral surface 33b of the conveyor belt 33 with the support surface 35a. This prevents the conveyor belt 33 from being displaced inward due to the pressing load from the wiper 91 acting on the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33.

[0082] 1 to 3B, the lifting mechanism 202 raises and lowers the cleaning tank 81, and the cleaning brush 82 and wiper unit 83 provided in the cleaning tank 81, in the Z-axis direction. The lifting operation of the lifting mechanism 202 allows the cleaning tank 81, the cleaning brush 82, and the wiper unit 83 to move between a cleaning position and a separated position.

[0083] The cleaning position is a position where the brush 82b and the protrusion 94 contact the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33. The separate position is a position where the brush 82b and the protrusion 94 are separated from the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33.

[0084] At the cleaning position, the movement of the positioning portion 81m formed on the side wall 81d of the cleaning tank 81 in the +Z direction and the +Y direction is restricted by the positioning pin 103 provided on the main body frame 101. As a result, the positions of the brush 82b and the protrusion 94 are determined relative to the outer circumferential surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33.

[0085] Although not shown, the control unit 110 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 110 also includes a storage unit including a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). Various programs for controlling the recording device 1 are stored in the storage unit.

[0086] The control unit 110 may include one or more processors that execute various processes according to a program, one or more dedicated hardware circuits such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a combination thereof. The application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) executes at least some of the various processes.

[0087] The processor includes a CPU and memory such as RAM and ROM. The memory stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to perform processes. Memory, i.e., computer-readable media, includes anything that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0088] 1 and 2 are conceptually shown, and are actually configured by a circuit board provided at a predetermined position in the recording device 1 or the medium conveying device 2. The control unit 110 may also be provided in the medium conveying device 2.

[0089] The control unit 110 is electrically connected to each part of the recording unit 60 and the medium conveying device 2 provided in the recording device 1, and controls the operation of each part in an integrated manner. For example, the control unit 110 controls each part of the recording unit 60 and the medium conveying device 2 to perform recording by causing the head 61 of the recording unit 60 to eject ink onto the medium P supported on the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveying belt 33.

[0090] For example, when cleaning the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33, the control unit 110 controls the lifting mechanism 202 of the cleaning unit 80 to move the cleaning tank 81 from the remote position to the cleaning position. Next, the control unit 110 controls the rotation drive unit of the belt drive roller 32 to rotate the conveyor belt 33.

[0091] Next, the control unit 110 rotates the cleaning brush 82 to clean the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33. At the cleaning position, the tip of the protrusion 94 of the wiper 91 slides against the outer peripheral surface 33a of the rotating conveyor belt 33. As a result, the wiper 91 wipes the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33.

[0092] As described above, the medium conveying device 2 and the recording device 1 according to the embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0093] The medium conveying device 2 includes a conveyor belt 33 having an outer peripheral surface 33a that supports the medium P and is capable of conveying the medium P, and a wiper 91 that can wipe the outer peripheral surface 33a. The wiper 91 has a base 93 and a protrusion 94 that protrudes from the base 93. The base 93 extends in the A-axis direction toward the outer peripheral surface 33a. When viewed from a direction along the X-axis direction, the protrusion 94 protrudes from the base 93 in the B-axis direction that intersects with the A-axis direction, and the tip of the protrusion 94 has a curved shape. The tip of the protrusion 94 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface 33a, thereby wiping the outer peripheral surface 33a.

[0094] According to this, the tip of the protrusion 94 has a curved shape, which suppresses a change in the contact state of the wiper 91 with the outer peripheral surface 33a when the position of the wiper 91 with respect to the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33 changes. As a result, for example, when assembling the medium conveying device 2, it is not necessary to adjust the position of the wiper 91 with respect to the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33.

[0095] The protrusion 94 includes a protrusion 941 that protrudes in the +B direction of the B-axis direction, and a protrusion 942 that protrudes in the -B direction, which is the opposite direction to the +B direction. As a result, the wiper 91 has a plurality of protrusions 94 that can wipe the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33, which enables the wiper 91 to have a long life.

[0096] The positions at which the protrusions 941 and 942 protrude from the base 93 are the same in the A-axis direction. This makes it easy to make the wiping specifications of the outer peripheral surface 33a by the protrusions 941 and the wiping specifications of the outer peripheral surface 33a by the protrusions 942 the same.

[0097] The recording device 1 includes a recording unit 60 capable of recording on a medium P, a conveyor belt 33 having an outer peripheral surface 33a that supports the medium P and is capable of conveying the medium P, and a wiper 91 capable of wiping the outer peripheral surface 33a. The wiper 91 has a base 93 and a protruding portion 94 that protrudes from the base 93. The base 93 extends in the A-axis direction toward the outer peripheral surface 33a. When viewed from a direction along the X-axis direction, the protruding portion 94 protrudes from the base 93 in the B-axis direction that intersects with the A-axis direction, and the tip of the protruding portion 94 has a curved shape. The tip of the protruding portion 94 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface 33a, thereby wiping the outer peripheral surface 33a.

[0098] According to this, the tip of the protrusion 94 has a curved shape, which suppresses a change in the contact state of the wiper 91 with the outer circumferential surface 33a when the position of the wiper 91 with respect to the outer circumferential surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33 changes. This makes it unnecessary to adjust the position of the wiper 91 with respect to the outer circumferential surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33, for example, when assembling the recording device 1.

[0099] The medium conveying device 2 and recording device 1 according to the above-described embodiment of the present disclosure are basically configured as described above, but it is of course possible to modify or omit parts of the configuration without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiment and other embodiments described below can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility. Other embodiments will be described below.

[0100] In the above embodiment, the positions at which the protrusions 941 and 942 protrude from the base 93 do not have to be the same in the A-axis direction. That is, the positions at which the protrusions 941 and 942 protrude from the base 93 may be different in the A-axis direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 , the separation dimension D2 of the protrusions 942 may be set smaller than the separation dimension D1 of the protrusions 941.

[0101] In this embodiment, for example, in response to deterioration of the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33, the protrusion 94 used to wipe the outer peripheral surface 33a may be changed from the protrusion 941 to the protrusion 942. According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0102] The positions at which the protrusions 941 and 942 protrude from the base 93 differ in the A-axis direction. By configuring the protrusions 941 and 942 as the protrusions 94 that protrude in the +B direction, it becomes possible to wipe the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33 with different wiping specifications.

[0103] In the above embodiment, the protruding portion 941 and the protruding portion 942 do not have to have the same length of protrusion from the base portion 93. That is, the protruding portion 941 and the protruding portion 942 may have different lengths of protrusion from the base portion 93. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 , the protruding dimension L2 of the protruding portion 942 may be set to be larger than the protruding dimension L1 of the protruding portion 941.

[0104] In this embodiment, for example, in response to deterioration of the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33, the protrusion 94 used to wipe the outer peripheral surface 33a may be changed from the protrusion 941 to the protrusion 942. According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0105] The protruding portion 941 and the protruding portion 942 have different lengths of protrusion from the base portion 93. By configuring the protruding portion 941 and the protruding portion 942 as the protruding portion 94 that protrudes in the +B direction, it becomes possible to wipe the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33 with different wiping specifications.

[0106] In the above embodiment, the thickness dimension T1 of the protruding portion 941 and the thickness dimension T2 of the protruding portion 942 do not have to be the same. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the thickness dimension T2 of the protruding portion 942 may be set to be larger than the thickness dimension T1 of the protruding portion 941.

[0107] In this embodiment, the thickness dimension T1 of the protrusion 941 is set to be the same as the protrusion dimension L1. The thickness dimension T2 of the protrusion 942 is set to be the same as the protrusion dimension L2. Therefore, in this embodiment, the radius of the arc-shaped curved surface portion of the protrusion 942 is larger than the radius of the arc-shaped curved surface portion of the protrusion 941.

[0108] According to this embodiment, by using the protrusions 941 and 942 as the protrusions 94 that protrude in the +B direction, it is possible to wipe the outer circumferential surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33 with different wiping specifications.

[0109] In the above embodiment, the shape of the tip of the protrusion 94 when viewed along the X-axis direction does not have to be an arc shape as long as its outer shape is a curved shape. For example, the shape of the tip of the protrusion 94 when viewed along the X-axis direction may be a part of an ellipse or a cycloid curve.

[0110] In the above embodiment, the wiper 91 does not have to have two protrusions 94. For example, the wiper 91 does not have to have either the protrusion 941 or the protrusion 942. Alternatively, the wiper 91 may have one or more other protrusions 94 in addition to the protrusions 941 and 942.

[0111] In the above embodiment, the intersecting direction in which the protrusion 94 protrudes from the base 93 does not have to be perpendicular to the extending direction of the base 93. In this case, for example, the intersecting direction in which the protrusion 941 protrudes from the base 93 may be different from the intersecting direction in which the protrusion 942 protrudes from the base 93.

[0112] In the above embodiment, when cleaning the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33, the control unit 110 may rotate the conveyor belt 33 before moving the cleaning tank 81 from the separated position to the cleaning position. In this case, the protrusion 94 of the wiper 91, which is moving from the separated position to the cleaning position, comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface 33a of the rotating conveyor belt 33. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1...recording device, 2...medium transport device, 10...medium supply section, 11...supply shaft section, 12...bearing section, 13...first supply roller, 14...second supply roller, 20...medium transport section, 31...belt rotation roller, 32...belt drive roller, 33...transport belt, 33a...outer surface, 33b...inner surface, 34...adhesive layer, 35...belt support section, 35a...support surface, 40...medium recovery section, 41...winding shaft section, 42...bearing section, 43...first recovery roller, 44...second recovery roller, 45...mounting shaft, 50...medium contact section, 51...pressure roller, 52...roller support section, 53...pressure roller drive section, 54...roller receiving section, 60...recording section, 61...head, 62...carriage, 63...gas Idler rail, 70...drying section, 80...cleaning section, 81...cleaning tank, 81a...bottom wall, 81b...front wall, 81c...rear wall, 81d, 81e...side walls, 81g...plate-shaped member, 81m...positioning section, 81n...waste liquid discharge section, 82...cleaning brush, 82a...shaft section, 82b...brush, 83...wiper unit, 84...support section, 85...pressing member, 86...fixing screw, 91...wiper, 92...fixed section, 93...base section, 94...protruding section, 101...main body frame, 103...positioning pin, 110...control section, 111, 112, 201...casters, 202...lifting mechanism, 941, 942...protruding section, P...medium, D1, D2...separation dimension, L1, L2...protruding dimension, T1, T2, T3...thickness dimension.

Claims

1. a conveyor belt having an outer peripheral surface for supporting a medium and capable of conveying the medium; a wiper capable of wiping the outer circumferential surface; Equipped with The wiper has a base and a protrusion protruding from the base, The base portion extends in an extension direction toward the outer circumferential surface, When viewed from a direction along the width direction of the conveyor belt, the protruding portion protrudes from the base portion in a direction intersecting the extension direction, and a tip end of the protruding portion has a curved shape. The tip of the protrusion comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface, thereby wiping the outer circumferential surface. A medium transport device characterized by:

2. The protrusion includes a first protrusion that protrudes in a first direction among the intersecting directions, and a second protrusion that protrudes in a second direction that is a direction opposite to the first direction. The medium transport device according to claim 1 .

3. The positions at which the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion protrude from the base portion are the same in the extension direction. The medium transport device according to claim 2 .

4. The positions at which the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion protrude from the base portion are different in the extension direction. The medium transport device according to claim 2 .

5. The first protruding portion and the second protruding portion have different lengths of protrusion from the base portion. The medium transport device according to claim 2 .

6. a recording unit capable of recording on a medium; a conveyor belt having an outer peripheral surface that supports the medium and is capable of conveying the medium; a wiper capable of wiping the outer circumferential surface; Equipped with The wiper has a base and a protrusion protruding from the base, The base portion extends in an extension direction toward the outer circumferential surface, When viewed from a direction along the width direction of the conveyor belt, the protruding portion protrudes from the base portion in a direction intersecting the extension direction, and a tip end of the protruding portion has a curved shape. The tip of the protrusion comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface, thereby wiping the outer circumferential surface. A recording device characterized by:

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