inkjet printer

Abstract

To provide an inkjet printer that can suppress ink drying. [Solution] The printer 10 includes a platen 16, an ink head 40, a carriage cover 32 equipped with an air outlet duct 32a, a blower fan 33, and a drying device 50. The recording medium 5, from which ink has been ejected by the ink head 40, is transported downstream. At this time, the drying device 50 blows air toward the recording medium 5. A portion of the air sent from the drying device 50 moves upstream along the downstream guide member 18. Meanwhile, a portion of the air sent by the blower fan 33 is discharged from the air outlet duct 32a of the carriage cover 32. The discharged air prevents the air sent from the drying device 50 from flowing near the ink head 40. Therefore, the ink on the ink head 40 is less likely to dry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet printer.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an inkjet printer equipped with a drying device for promoting drying of ink ejected onto a recording medium has been known. Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet printer equipped with a drying device for drying ink on a recording medium. Such an inkjet printer includes a platen, an ink head disposed above the platen, a guide member disposed in front of the platen for guiding conveyance of the recording medium, and a drying device disposed facing the guide member. The guide member extends forward and downward. Such a drying device includes a heating chamber exhaust port. The heating chamber exhaust port is an exhaust port through which air heated by a heater is discharged. The heating chamber exhaust port opens toward the guide member. Drying of the ink ejected onto the recording medium is promoted by the air discharged from the heating chamber exhaust port. Since the guide member extends forward and downward, the air discharged from the heating chamber exhaust port flows forward and downward along the guide member. Therefore, drying of the recording medium is promoted in a region forward and below the platen, that is, forward and below the ink head.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Incidentally, in printers like the one shown in Patent Document 1, some of the air discharged from the heating chamber exhaust port may move upward along the guide member and platen, flowing to the vicinity of the ink head. Since the air discharged from the heating chamber exhaust port is relatively hot, if this air flows to the vicinity of the ink head, the nozzles of the ink head may dry out. If the nozzles of the ink head dry out, ejection problems may occur, potentially reducing the quality of the printed material.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and its object is to provide an inkjet printer that can suppress drying of the nozzles of the ink head. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The inkjet printer according to the present invention comprises: a platen on which a recording medium is placed; an ink head positioned above the platen for ejecting ink onto the recording medium; a carriage equipped with the ink head and moving relative to the recording medium; a carriage cover housing the carriage; a media transport mechanism for transporting the recording medium in a predetermined transport direction; a guide member positioned downstream of the platen in the transport direction for guiding the transport of the recording medium by the media transport mechanism; and a drying device facing the guide member and blowing air toward the recording medium guided by the guide member. The carriage is equipped with a blower that blows air into the carriage cover. The carriage cover has an outlet formed thereon that opens toward the platen or the guide member, and an outlet that discharges air blown by the blower toward the platen or the guide member from the outlet. The drying device has an exhaust port that discharges air toward the platen.

[0007] In the inkjet printer of the present invention, ink is ejected from the ink head onto a recording medium placed on a platen. The recording medium from which the ink has been ejected is transported downstream in the transport direction by a media transport mechanism. At this time, the recording medium is transported along a guide member. A drying device blows air toward the guide member. The air blown toward the guide member promotes the drying of the ink ejected onto the recording medium. At this time, a portion of the air blown by the drying device flows upstream in the transport direction along the guide member and platen. Meanwhile, the carriage is equipped with a blower that blows air into the carriage cover. The air blown by the blower is discharged from the discharge section toward the platen or guide member. Therefore, the air blown by the blower collides with a portion of the air blown from the drying device. This suppresses the air blown from the drying device from flowing near the ink head. Therefore, compared to a case where there is no blower, drying of the nozzles of the ink head can be suppressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an inkjet printer that can suppress the drying of the nozzles of the ink head. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the printer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the printer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the printer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a bottom view of the ink head. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the carriage according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the carriage according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a front view of the carriage according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8]This is a cross-sectional view showing the airflow in a drying apparatus. [Figure 9] This is a plan view showing the airflow during carriage movement. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view of the carriage according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view of the carriage according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] This is an enlarged view of the area around the first and second ducts. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] <First Embodiment> Hereinafter, an inkjet printer (hereinafter referred to as "printer") according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described herein are not intended to particularly limit the present invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for components and parts that perform the same function, and redundant explanations are omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the printer 10 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a front view showing the printer 10 according to this embodiment. The printer 10 prints on the recording medium 5. The recording medium 5 is, for example, recording paper. However, the recording medium 5 is not limited to recording paper. In addition to paper such as plain paper and inkjet printing paper, the recording medium 5 includes those made from resin materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyester, as well as those made from metal plates made of aluminum or iron, glass plates, wooden boards, and corrugated cardboard.

[0012] In the following description, left, right, up, and down refer to the left, right, up, and down directions as viewed from the perspective of an operator facing the front of the printer 10. Furthermore, when the operator is facing the front of the printer 10, the direction from the rear of the printer 10 towards the operator is defined as forward, and the direction from the operator towards the rear of the printer 10 is defined as rear. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent front, rear, left, right, up, and down, respectively. The carriage 30, described later, is provided to be movable to the left and right. The recording medium 5 is transported from the rear of the printer 10 towards the front. In this embodiment, the rear of the printer 10 is the upstream side in the transport direction, and the front of the printer 10 is the downstream side in the transport direction. The recording medium 5 is transported from the upstream side to the downstream side. In this embodiment, the direction of movement of the carriage 30 is called the main scanning direction Y, and the transport direction of the recording medium 5 is called the sub-scanning direction X (see Figure 1). Here, the main scanning direction Y corresponds to the left-right direction, and the sub-scanning direction X corresponds to the front-back direction. The main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X are orthogonal. However, the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X are not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate depending on the configuration of the printer 10, etc.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the printer 10 comprises a main body 10a, legs 11, an operation panel 12, a front cover 13, and a control device 90 (see Figure 2). The main body 10a has a casing that extends in the main scanning direction Y. The legs 11 support the main body 10a and are provided on the lower surface of the main body 10a. The operation panel 12 is provided, for example, on the front right side of the main body 10a. However, the position of the operation panel 12 is not particularly limited. The operation panel 12 is used by the user to perform printing operations. The front cover 13 is rotatably mounted on the main body 10a. The front cover 13 is positioned in front of the carriage 30. The front cover 13 is made of, for example, transparent acrylic resin. Note that the front cover 13 is not shown in Figure 2.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 10 includes a platen 16. A recording medium 5 is placed on the platen 16. Printing on the recording medium 5 is performed on the platen 16. The platen 16 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The upper surface 16A of the platen 16 is formed flat.

[0015] The printer 10 includes an upstream guide member 17 and a downstream guide member 18. The upstream guide member 17 is disposed behind the platen 16. The upstream guide member 17 guides the movement of the recording medium 5 onto the platen 16.

[0016] The downstream guide member 18 is a member that is disposed in front of the platen 16 and guides the conveyance of the recording medium 5. In the present embodiment, the downstream guide member 18 includes a main guide member 18a and an auxiliary guide member 18b. However, the downstream guide member 18 may be formed of a single component. The downstream guide member 18 is an example of the guide member in the present invention.

[0017] The main guide member 18a is disposed in front of the platen 16 (i.e., on the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction X). The upper surface 18aa of the main guide member 18a is inclined obliquely downward from the rear to the front (i.e., from the upstream side to the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction X). The main guide member 18a is formed, for example, in an arc-shaped cross-section. The main guide member 18a is curved so as to go downward as it moves away from the platen 16. The main guide member 18a guides the movement of the recording medium 5. That is, the main guide member 18a guides the movement of the recording medium � away from the platen 16. However, it is not essential that the main guide member 18a has an arc-shaped cross-section, and it may be formed in a flat plate shape.

[0018] The auxiliary guide member 18b is positioned in front of (i.e., downstream of the sub-scanning direction X) and below the main guide member 18a, and is adjacent to the main guide member 18a. The auxiliary guide member 18b is supported by the right wall 51R (see Figure 2) and the left wall 51L (see Figure 2), which will be described later. The upper surface 18ba of the auxiliary guide member 18b is inclined diagonally downward from rear to front. The auxiliary guide member 18b is formed, for example, in a substantially U-shape in cross-section. The auxiliary guide member 18b guides the movement of the recording medium 5 away from the main guide member 18a.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the printer 10 is equipped with an ink head 40 that ejects ink. The ink head 40 ejects water-based ink onto the recording medium 5. The ink head 40 is positioned above the platen 16. The ink head 40 is movably mounted in the main scanning direction Y. In this embodiment, the ink head 40 is connected to an ink cartridge 37 by an ink supply path (not shown). However, the ink ejected by the ink head 40 is not limited to water-based ink.

[0020] As shown in Figure 4, the carriage 30 is equipped with an ink head 40. In this embodiment, the ink head 40 has a first ink head 40A and a second ink head 40B. The first ink head 40A has a plurality of nozzles 41A arranged in the sub-scanning direction X and a nozzle surface 42A on which the nozzles 41A are formed. The second ink head 40B has a plurality of nozzles 41B arranged in the sub-scanning direction X and a nozzle surface 42B on which the nozzles 41B are formed. The nozzles 41A and 41B are tiny holes that eject aqueous ink. Since each nozzle 41A and each nozzle 41B are tiny, in Figure 4, the plurality of nozzles 41A and the plurality of nozzles 41B arranged in the sub-scanning direction X are represented by straight lines. The first ink head 40A and the second ink head 40B are formed in a shape in which the length in the sub-scanning direction X is longer than the length in the main scanning direction Y. The first ink head 40A and the second ink head 40B are arranged in a so-called staggered configuration, offset from each other with respect to the sub-scanning direction X. Here, a portion of the first ink head 40A is positioned in front of the second ink head 40B. That is, a portion of the first ink head 40A overlaps with the second ink head 40B in the sub-scanning direction X. For example, process color ink is ejected from the nozzle 41A of the first ink head 40A, and the base ink is ejected from the nozzle 41B of the second ink head 40B. However, the arrangement of the ink heads 40 is not limited to a staggered configuration. The first ink head 40A and the second ink head 40B may be positioned at the same location with respect to the sub-scanning direction X. In this embodiment, the nozzles 41A and 41B are each arranged in four rows. However, the arrangement of the nozzles 41A and 41B is not limited to this. Also, in this embodiment, the number of ink heads is two, but it is not limited to this. The number of ink heads may be one, three or more.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the printer 10 is equipped with a head movement mechanism 31. The head movement mechanism 31 is a mechanism that moves the ink head 40 relative to the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 16 in the main scanning direction Y. In this embodiment, the head movement mechanism 31 moves the ink head 40 in the main scanning direction Y. Here, the head movement mechanism 31 includes a guide rail 20, a first pulley 21, a second pulley 22, a belt 23, a first drive motor 24, a carriage 30, and a carriage plate 34 (see Figure 5). The guide rail 20 guides the movement of the carriage 30 in the main scanning direction Y. The guide rail 20 is located above the platen 16. The guide rail 20 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The first pulley 21 is provided at the left end portion of the guide rail 20. The second pulley 22 is provided at the right end portion of the guide rail 20. The belt 23 is wrapped around the first pulley 21 and the second pulley 22. In this embodiment, the first drive motor 24 is connected to the second pulley 22. However, the first drive motor 24 may also be connected to the first pulley 21. When the first drive motor 24 is driven, the second pulley 22 rotates, causing the belt 23 to travel between the first pulley 21 and the second pulley 22.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the carriage 30 is attached to the belt 23. The carriage 30 is positioned above the platen 16. The carriage 30 engages with the guide rail 20 via a carriage plate 34 (see Figure 5) and is slidably mounted on the guide rail 20. An ink head 40 is mounted on the carriage 30. In this embodiment, the head moving mechanism 31 moves the ink head 40 mounted on the carriage 30 in the main scanning direction Y as the belt 23 moves due to the drive of the first drive motor 24, causing the carriage 30 to move in the main scanning direction Y.

[0023] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the carriage plate 34 is a plate-shaped member extending in the main scanning direction Y and in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 6, the carriage plate 34 is attached to the right wall 32R and the left wall 32L of the carriage cover 32, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 5, an engaging portion 34a that engages with the guide rail 20 is attached to the rear surface of the carriage plate 34. Therefore, when the carriage cover 32 is attached to the carriage plate 34 and the engaging portion 34a engages with the guide rail 20, the carriage plate 34 is configured to slide on the guide rail 20, and the carriage 30 is able to move in the main scanning direction Y.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the printer 10 is equipped with a media transport mechanism 35. The media transport mechanism 35 moves the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 16 relative to the ink head 40 in the sub-scanning direction X. Here, the media transport mechanism 35 moves the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 16 in the sub-scanning direction X. The configuration of the media transport mechanism 35 is not particularly limited. As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the media transport mechanism 35 has a grit roller 25, a pinch roller 26, and a second drive motor (not shown) that drives the grit roller 25. The grit roller 25 is provided on the platen 16. Here, at least a part of the grit roller 25 is embedded in the platen 16. The pinch roller 26 presses down on the recording medium 5 from above. The pinch roller 26 is positioned above the grit roller 25. The pinch roller 26 is positioned opposite the grit roller 25. The pinch roller 26 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. With the recording medium 5 sandwiched between the grid roller 25 and the pinch roller 26, when the second drive motor is driven and the grid roller 25 rotates, the recording medium 5 is transported in the sub-scanning direction X. The installation positions and number of the grid roller 25 and the pinch roller 26 are not particularly limited.

[0025] Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the carriage 30. As shown in Figure 5, the carriage 30 is provided with a carriage cover 32 that houses the ink head 40. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the carriage 30. The carriage cover 32 forms an internal space 32A. The first ink head 40A and the second ink head 40B are arranged in the internal space 32A.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5, the carriage cover 32 has an upper wall 32U that covers the top of the ink head 40, a front wall 32F that covers the front of the ink head 40, a right wall 32R (see Figure 6) that covers the right side of the ink head 40, a left wall 32L (see Figure 6) that covers the left side of the ink head 40, a rear wall 32Rr that covers the rear of the ink head 40, and a bottom wall 32D on which the ink head 40 is mounted, a lower extension wall 32E1 that extends rearward from the upper end of the rear wall 32Rr, and an upper extension wall 32E2 that extends rearward from the upper wall 32U opposite the lower extension wall 32E1. The front wall 32F, right wall 32R, left wall 32L, and rear wall 32Rr are examples of side walls. In this embodiment, the upper wall 32U comprises a first upper wall 32Ua extending horizontally in the front-rear direction and a second upper wall 32Ub extending diagonally downward and forward from the first upper wall 32Ua. The front wall 32F, right wall 32R, left wall 32L, and rear wall 32Rr extend substantially vertically in the vertical direction. The front wall 32F is connected to the second upper wall 32Ub. The material forming the carriage cover 32 is not particularly limited. For example, the carriage cover 32 is made of plastic.

[0027] As shown in Figure 6, the right wall 32R and the left wall 32L are connected to the first upper wall 32Ua and the second upper wall 32Ub. The right wall 32R comprises a right front portion 32Ra located in front of the rear wall 32Rr, a right rear portion 32Rb extending above the rear wall 32Rr and beyond the rear wall 32Rr, and a right mounting portion 32Rc. The right mounting portion 32Rc is connected to the rear end of the right front portion 32Ra and is bent together with the right front portion 32Ra to form an L-shape in a plan view. Screws 32Rs are attached to the right mounting portion 32Rc. The carriage cover 32 is fixed to the carriage plate 34 by the screws 32Rs. The left wall 32L comprises a left front portion 32La located forward of the rear wall 32Rr, a left rear portion 32Lb extending above the rear wall 32Rr and beyond the rear wall 32Rr, and a left mounting portion 32Lc (see Figure 7). The left mounting portion 32Lc, like the right mounting portion 32Rc, is fitted with screws 32Rs and fixed to the carriage plate 34.

[0028] As shown in Figure 6, the bottom wall 32D is connected to the lower ends of the right front section 32Ra, the left front section 32La, and the rear wall 32Rr, and is substantially parallel to the first upper wall 32Ua. The first ink head 40A and the second ink head 40B are located on the bottom wall 32D. Holes are formed through the bottom wall 32D to expose the ejection surfaces of the first ink head 40A and the second ink head 40B.

[0029] The lower extension wall 32E1 is connected to the lower end of the right rear section 32Rb, the lower end of the left rear section 32Lb, and the upper end of the rear wall 32Rr. The lower extension wall 32E1 extends further rearward than the rear wall 32Rr.

[0030] The upper extension wall 32E2 is connected to the first upper wall 32Ua. The upper extension wall 32E2 is connected to the rear end of the first upper wall 32Ua and extends towards the rear. The upper extension wall 32E2 is approximately horizontal to the first upper wall 32Ua. The upper extension wall 32E2 is approximately parallel to the lower extension wall 32E1. The lower extension wall 32E1, the upper extension wall 32E2, the right rear section 32Rb, and the left rear section 32Lb form an opening 32P at the rear end of the carriage cover 32. The opening 32P has a rectangular shape when viewed from the rear.

[0031] A discharge duct 32a is formed at the lower end of the front wall 32F and the front end of the bottom wall 32D. The discharge duct 32a is an example of a discharge section in the present invention. The discharge duct 32a extends forward and downward from the lower end of the front wall 32F and the front end of the bottom wall 32D, respectively. In this embodiment, the discharge duct 32a is positioned below the center of the carriage cover 32 in the vertical direction. Figure 7 is a front view of the carriage 30. The discharge duct 32a has a shape in which its width, which is its length in the main scanning direction Y, widens as it extends forward. Therefore, the length of the discharge duct 32a in the main scanning direction Y is longest at the downstream end of the discharge duct 32a. The discharge duct 32a includes an upstream opening 32aa, a downstream opening 32ab, and an air passage 32ac. The upstream opening 32aa is an opening that connects the internal space 32A (see Figure 6) to the discharge duct 32a. Air blown from the blower fan 33 flows into the upstream opening 32aa. The upstream opening 32aa is an example of an inlet in the present invention. The downstream opening 32ab is located at the downstream end of the discharge duct 32a. The downstream opening 32ab is an opening that connects the inside and outside of the discharge duct 32a. The downstream opening 32ab is an example of an outlet in the present invention. As shown in Figure 7, the length L1 of the downstream opening 32ab in the main scanning direction Y is formed to be longer than the length L2 of the upstream opening 32aa in the main scanning direction Y. The air passage 32ac is a passage through which air flows, formed between the upstream opening 32aa and the downstream opening 32ab. The air passage 32ac has a shape in which the length in the main scanning direction Y increases as it moves forward and downward. As shown in Figure 6, the upstream opening 32aa opens forward. The downstream opening 32ab opens forward and downward. The downstream opening 32ab may also open directly downward. Furthermore, the direction in which the upstream opening 32aa opens is not limited to forward. However, it is preferable that the upstream opening 32aa opens in a direction that allows the air in the internal space 32A to pass through the upstream opening 32aa and the air passage 32ac and be easily discharged from the downstream opening 32ab.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, a blower fan 33 is mounted near the upper end of the rear wall 32Rr of the carriage cover 32. The blower fan 33 is mounted inside the carriage cover 32. That is, the blower fan 33 is positioned in front of the opening 32P. The blower fan 33 is a device that blows air from the rear to the front. In addition, the blower fan 33 is positioned above the center of the carriage cover 32 in the vertical direction.

[0033] As shown in Figure 5, a control board 81 is mounted on the lower extension wall 32E1. The control board 81 incorporates circuits for controlling the operation of the first ink head 40A and the second ink head 40B. The control board 81 is electrically connected to the control device 90 (see Figure 2). The control board 81 is positioned such that the range from the top to the bottom of the control board 81 and the range from the top to the bottom of the blower fan 33 overlap at least partially in the vertical direction. The control board 81 is positioned such that the range from the right end to the left end of the control board 81 and the range from the right end to the left end of the blower fan 33 overlap at least partially in the main scanning direction Y. The control board 81 is positioned upstream of the blower fan 33 in the sub-scanning direction X. Therefore, the control board 81 is positioned in the airflow formed behind the blower fan 33 when the blower fan 33 blows air.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the drying device 50 is positioned in front of the platen 16. The drying device 50 faces the downstream guide member 18. A portion of the drying device 50 overlaps with the downstream guide member 18 in the sub-scanning direction X. A portion of the drying device 50 overlaps with the downstream guide member 18 in the main scanning direction Y. The drying device 50 is detachably mounted on the main body 10a (see Figure 1).

[0035] As shown in Figure 3, the drying apparatus 50 is equipped with a blower chamber 101, a heating chamber 102, and a non-heating chamber 103. The blower chamber 101 is divided into a first blower chamber 121, a second blower chamber 122, and an intake chamber 123. However, it is not essential that the blower chamber 101 is divided into the first blower chamber 121, the second blower chamber 122, and the intake chamber 123; it is sufficient that the air blown from the blower chamber 101 is directed either directly or indirectly toward the platen 16. Indirect means that the air discharged from the second blower chamber 122 toward the downstream guide member 18 is directed toward the platen 16 along the downstream guide member 18.

[0036] The heating chamber 102 is located in the drying apparatus 50, facing the downstream guide member 18. The rear surface of the heating chamber 102 is formed by the rear wall 51B of the main body case 51, which will be described later. A rectifier plate 127 is attached to the heating chamber 102. Through holes 120h are formed in the rectifier plate 127. The space enclosed by the rectifier plate 127 and the rear wall 51B is the outlet chamber 120C. A heating chamber fan 132 is provided in front of the rectifier plate 127. Multiple heating chamber fans 132 are arranged in the main scanning direction Y. The heating chamber fan 132 is a fan that sends air from the rear and above to the front and below. That is, it sends air from the upstream chamber 102A to the downstream chamber 102B. The air sent to the downstream chamber 102B passes through the through-hole 120h, flows into the outlet chamber 120C, and is discharged to the outside of the heating chamber 102 through the heating chamber exhaust port 102b, which will be described later.

[0037] The main case 51 has a front wall 51F extending upward, an upper wall 51U extending rearward from the upper end of the front wall 51F, a lower wall 51D extending rearward from the lower end of the front wall 51F, and a rear wall 51B extending upward from the rear end of the lower wall 51D. The lower wall 51D is positioned below the upper wall 51U, and the rear wall 51B is positioned behind the front wall 51F. The main case 51 also has a left wall 51L and a right wall 51R (see Figure 2) positioned to the left and right of the front wall 51F, upper wall 51U, lower wall 51D, and rear wall 51B, respectively. The front wall 51F, upper wall 51U, lower wall 51D, rear wall 51B, left wall 51L, and right wall 51R may be flat, curved, or bent. The front wall 51F, upper wall 51U, lower wall 51D, rear wall 51B, left wall 51L, and right wall 51R may be formed from a single member or from a combination of multiple members. At least one part or all of the front wall 51F, upper wall 51U, lower wall 51D, rear wall 51B, left wall 51L, and right wall 51R may be integrated with at least one other part or all of it. The rear wall 51B has a heating chamber intake port 102a and a heating chamber exhaust port 102b. The heating chamber intake port 102a connects the outside of the main body case 51 to the upstream chamber 102A. The heating chamber exhaust port 102b connects the outside of the main body case 51 to the downstream chamber 102B. Multiple heating chamber exhaust ports 102b are formed in the vertical direction and the main scanning direction Y. An air intake port 101a (see Figure 8) is formed in the upper wall 51U. The air intake port 101a connects the outside of the main case 51 to the air intake port 101. In addition, an air intake port 103a (see Figure 8) and an exhaust port 103b (see Figure 8) are formed in the front wall 51F. The air intake port 103a and exhaust port 103b connect the outside of the main case 51 to the non-heating chamber 103.

[0038] The drying apparatus 50 has an extension wall 119 that extends downward from the lower wall 51D or the rear wall 51B. Here, the extension wall 119 is attached to the lower wall 51D. The extension wall 119 extends forward and downward from the lower end of the lower wall 51D. However, the mounting position of the extension wall 119 is not particularly limited. The extension wall 119 may be attached to the rear wall 51B. The extension wall 119 may extend forward and downward from the lower end of the rear wall 51B. Also, the extension wall 119 may be omitted.

[0039] As shown in Figure 3, the rear wall 51B has a first air chamber exhaust port 121b and a second air chamber exhaust port 122b. The first air chamber exhaust port 121b connects the first air chamber 121 to the outside of the main body case 51. The second air chamber exhaust port 122b connects the second air chamber 122 to the outside of the main body case 51. Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the first air chamber exhaust port 121b and the second air chamber exhaust port 122b are formed in a slit shape and extend in the main scanning direction Y. The first air chamber exhaust port 121b and the second air chamber exhaust port 122b are formed over the entire area of ​​the main body case 51 in the main scanning direction Y. The second air chamber exhaust port 122b is located below the first air chamber exhaust port 121b. The rear wall 51B includes outlet walls 122B and 122C that extend rearward and downward. Outlet wall 122C is positioned above outlet wall 122B, and a gap is formed between outlet wall 122B and outlet wall 122C. This gap forms the second ventilation chamber exhaust port 122b. The second ventilation chamber exhaust port 122b opens toward the upper surface 18aa of the main guide member 18a, and the gap formed between outlet wall 122B and outlet wall 122C slopes downward toward the rear.

[0040] As shown in Figure 3, the drying apparatus 50 includes a first blower chamber fan 131A and a second blower chamber fan 131B provided in the intake chamber 123, a heating chamber fan 132 provided in the upstream chamber 102A, and a non-heating chamber fan 133 provided in the non-heating chamber 103. Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the first blower chamber fan 131A, the second blower chamber fan 131B, the heating chamber fan 132, and the non-heating chamber fan 133 are arranged in a row in the main scanning direction Y. The first blower chamber fan 131A, the second blower chamber fan 131B, and the non-heating chamber fan 133 are arranged parallel to each other so as to blow air in a horizontal, rearward direction. The first blower chamber fan 131A, the second blower chamber fan 131B, the heating chamber fan 132, and the non-heating chamber fan 133 are, for example, axial flow fans.

[0041] As shown in Figure 8, the first blower chamber fan 131A draws air into the intake chamber 123 through the blower chamber intake port 101a formed in the upper wall 51U, sends the air to the first blower chamber 121, and discharges the air from the first blower chamber 121 through the first blower chamber exhaust port 121b. An opening 115a is formed behind the first blower chamber fan 131A. The first blower chamber fan 131A is configured to blow air into the first blower chamber 121. The first blower chamber fan 131A is positioned to blow air horizontally in a rearward direction.

[0042] The second blower chamber fan 131B draws air into the intake chamber 123 through the blower chamber intake port 101a formed in the upper wall 51U, sends the air to the second blower chamber 122, and discharges the air from the second blower chamber 122 through the second blower chamber exhaust port 122b. An opening 115b is formed behind the second blower chamber fan 132A. The second blower chamber fan 131B is configured to blow air into the second blower chamber 122. The second blower chamber fan 131B is positioned to blow air horizontally in a rearward direction.

[0043] The first blower chamber fan 131A and the second blower chamber fan 131B may be fans of the same specifications or fans of different specifications. The airflow rates of the first blower chamber fan 131A and the second blower chamber fan 131B may be equal or different.

[0044] The non-heated chamber fan 133 draws air into the non-heated chamber 103 through the non-heated chamber intake port 103a formed in the front wall 51F, sends the air to the rear, and discharges it through the non-heated chamber exhaust port 103b. An opening 115c is formed behind the non-heated chamber fan 133. The non-heated chamber fan 133 is configured to blow air into the non-heated chamber 103.

[0045] The heating chamber fan 132 draws air into the heating chamber 102 from the heating chamber intake port 102a, sends the air from the upstream chamber 102A to the downstream chamber 102B, and discharges the air from the downstream chamber 102B from the heating chamber exhaust port 102b. The heating chamber fan 132 is configured to blow air into the heating chamber 102.

[0046] As shown in Figure 3, the drying apparatus 50 has a heater 135 located in the heating chamber 102. The heater 135 heats the air blown by the heating chamber fan 132. The configuration of the heater 135 is not limited in any way. Here, the heater 135 has an electric heating element (not shown) inside. The air passing through the heating chamber fan 132 is heated by this electric heating element.

[0047] As shown in Figure 2, the printer 10 is equipped with a control device 90. The control device 90 is a device that controls printing to the recording medium 5. The configuration of the control device 90 is not particularly limited. The control device 90 is, for example, a microcomputer. The hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited, but for example, it includes an interface (I / F) for receiving print data from external devices such as a host computer, a central processing unit (CPU) that executes instructions for the control program, a ROM (read-only memory) that stores the program executed by the CPU, a RAM (random access memory) used as a working area for expanding the program, and a storage device such as memory that stores the program and various data. The control device 90 is located inside the main unit 10a. However, the control device 90 does not necessarily have to be located inside the main unit 10a; for example, it may be a computer installed outside the main unit 10a. In this case, the control device 90 is connected to the main unit 10a so as to be able to communicate via wired or wireless connection.

[0048] The configuration of the printer in this embodiment has been described above. Next, the airflow discharged from the carriage cover 32 and the operation of the drying device 50 will be described.

[0049] First, let's explain the airflow discharged from the carriage cover 32. The arrow A32 in Figure 5 indicates the airflow caused by the blower fan 33. The air indicated by arrow A32 is at room temperature. As shown in Figure 5, when the blower fan 33 is driven, it draws in air from behind it. That is, air flowing in from the opening 32P is drawn into the blower fan 33. At this time, some of the air drawn into the blower fan 33 hits the control board 81 located behind the blower fan 33 before being drawn into the blower fan 33. The air sent forward by the blower fan 33 moves forward along the inner wall (side on the internal space 32A side) of the first upper wall 32Ua of the carriage cover 32. The air sent by the blower fan 33 then moves forward and downward along the inner wall of the second upper wall 32Ub. Subsequently, the air moves downward along the inner wall of the front wall 32F (the side facing the internal space 32A). The air, having reached near the lower end of the front wall 32F, reaches the upstream opening 32aa of the discharge duct 32a. The air flowing in from the upstream opening 32aa passes through the air passage 32ac and is discharged from the downstream opening 32ab. Since the downstream opening 32ab opens forward and downward, the air is discharged forward and downward. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the air passage 32ac has a shape that widens in the main scanning direction Y as it moves forward and downward, so the air is discharged to the outside of the carriage cover 32 while spreading to the right or left, as shown by arrow A32. The air discharged to the outside of the carriage cover 32 flows forward and downward. As shown in Figure 3, the air discharged to the outside of the carriage cover 32 is called air NA. Air NA is discharged forward and downward from the carriage cover 32.

[0050] Next, the operation of the drying device 50 will be described. The drying device 50 promotes the drying of the ink on the recording medium 5 by blowing air onto the recording medium 5. Specifically, the drying device 50 promotes the initial drying of the ink (drying to ensure the shape of the ejected ink) by blowing room temperature air onto the recording medium 5 on the platen 16. In addition, the drying device 50 further promotes the complete drying of the ink (drying to completely dry the ink) by blowing high temperature air onto the recording medium 5 on the downstream guide member 18. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the airflow in the drying device 50.

[0051] As shown in Figure 8, outside the main case 51 is drawn into the intake chamber 123 by the first blower chamber fan 131A and the second blower chamber fan 131B (see arrow A123). As shown by arrow A121, the first blower chamber fan 131A sends air from the intake chamber 123 to the first blower chamber 121, and discharges the air from the first blower chamber exhaust port 121b toward the upper surface 18aa of the downstream guide member 18 on the upstream side of the downstream guide member 18. The ambient temperature air discharged from the first blower chamber exhaust port 121b (see arrow A121b) is blown onto the recording medium 5 on the platen 16, promoting the drying of the ink on the recording medium 5. The second blower chamber fan 131B sends air from the intake chamber 123 to the second blower chamber 122 (see arrow A122), and discharges the air from the second blower chamber exhaust port 122b downstream of the first blower chamber exhaust port 121b of the downstream guide member 18 toward the upper surface 18aa of the downstream guide member 18.

[0052] The non-heated chamber fan 133 draws in ambient temperature air into the non-heated chamber 103 through the non-heated chamber intake port 103a and blows out ambient temperature air through the non-heated chamber exhaust port 103b. Even if the air indicated by arrow Ah were to circulate around the lower wall 51D, the ambient temperature air blown out from the non-heated chamber exhaust port 103b would prevent the airflow indicated by arrow Ah from circulating around the lower wall 51D to the front wall 51F. The airflow indicated by arrow Ah is air that has circulated around the extension wall 119 after being discharged from the heated chamber exhaust port 102b, and is relatively hot. Therefore, the circulation of relatively hot air around the front wall 51F is prevented.

[0053] As indicated by arrow A102a, the heating chamber fan 132 draws in air from outside the main case 51 and sends it from the upstream chamber 102A to the downstream chamber 102B. The air in the downstream chamber 102B is heated by the heater 135. The temperature of the heated air is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 50°C to 110°C. The heated, high-temperature air is discharged from the heating chamber exhaust port 102b as indicated by arrow A102b. The high-temperature air discharged from the heating chamber exhaust port 102b is blown onto the recording medium 5 located on the upper surface 18aa of the downstream guide member 18, accelerating the drying of the ink on the recording medium 5.

[0054] The second air supply chamber exhaust port 122b is located below the first air supply chamber exhaust port 121b and above the heating chamber intake port 102a. The second air supply chamber exhaust port 122b is located between the first air supply chamber exhaust port 121b and the second air supply chamber exhaust port 122b and the heating chamber intake port 102a. Therefore, most of the high-temperature air discharged from the heating chamber exhaust port 102b flows forward and downward along the downstream guide member 18 between the rear wall 51B and the downstream guide member 18 (see arrow A18). In other words, the air discharged from the first air supply chamber exhaust port 121b acts as an air curtain that suppresses the air discharged from the heating chamber exhaust port 102b from flowing upward along the downstream guide member 18. Here, some of the air discharged from the heating chamber exhaust port 102b may move upward along the downstream guide member 18 beyond the air curtain formed by the air discharged from the first air supply chamber exhaust port 121b. Therefore, a portion of the air discharged from the heating chamber exhaust port 102b moves upward along the downstream guide member 18. The air discharged from the heating chamber exhaust port 102b and moving upward and backward along the downstream guide member 18 is referred to as air HA (see Figure 3).

[0055] As shown in Figure 3, the air HA that has flowed to the vicinity of the upper end of the downstream guide member 18 collides with the air NA discharged from the discharge duct 32a of the carriage cover 32. The air NA and air HA collide in front of the platen 16. The air HA that has collided with the air NA diffuses in front of the platen 16.

[0056] As described above, according to the printer 10 of this embodiment, ink is ejected from the ink head 40 onto the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 16. The recording medium 5 from which the ink has been ejected is transported downstream in the sub-scanning direction X by the media transport mechanism 35. At this time, the recording medium 5 is transported along the downstream guide member 18. The drying device 50 blows air toward the downstream guide member 18. The air blown toward the downstream guide member 18 promotes the drying of the ink ejected onto the recording medium 5. At this time, air HA, which is part of the air discharged from the heating chamber exhaust port 102b of the drying device 50, flows upstream in the sub-scanning direction X along the downstream guide member 18 and the platen 16. On the other hand, the carriage 30 is equipped with a blower fan 33 inside the carriage cover 32. The air taken into the carriage cover 32 by the blower fan 33 is discharged to the outside of the carriage cover 32 from the downstream opening 32ab of the blowing duct 32a. The downstream opening 32ab of the blowing duct 32a opens either downstream or directly downward in the sub-scanning direction X. All or part of the air discharged from the downstream opening 32ab of the blowing duct 32a by the blower fan 33 to the outside of the carriage cover 32 flows downstream in the sub-scanning direction X. Therefore, the air NA sent by the blower fan 33 collides with the air HA discharged from the drying device 50. In other words, the air NA discharged from the blowing duct 32a attenuates the flow of air HA from the heating chamber exhaust port 102b of the drying device 50 toward the platen 16. As a result, the air HA sent from the drying device 50 is prevented from flowing to the vicinity of the ink head 40. Therefore, the drying of the nozzles 41A and 41B of the ink head 40 can be prevented.

[0057] In the printer 10 of this embodiment, the carriage 30 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y. Also, the length L1 of the downstream opening 32ab in the main scanning direction Y is longer than the length of the upstream opening 32aa in the main scanning direction Y. As a result, the air NA discharged from the blowing duct 32a is discharged to the outside of the carriage cover 32 while spreading outward beyond the width of the carriage 30 in the main scanning direction Y. Here, when the carriage 30 moves in the main scanning direction Y, the air HA discharged from the drying device 50 moves diagonally relative to the carriage 30 from the sub-scanning direction X (inclined to the right or left in a plan view). Figure 9 is a plan view of the vicinity of the carriage 30 when the carriage 30 is moving to the right. In Figure 9, the air HA is moving to the left relative to the carriage 30. When the carriage 30 moves in the main scanning direction Y, the air HA moves inclined to the left or right relative to the carriage 30 from the sub-scanning direction X. In other words, the air HA moves backward and to the left or to the right. In this embodiment, as the discharge duct 32a moves forward, its width widens in the main scanning direction Y. Therefore, compared to a case where the duct is formed with a uniform width in the main scanning direction Y (compared to a case where the air NA does not expand in the main scanning direction Y and is discharged with a uniform width), it is easier for the air NA to collide with the air HA moving backward and to the left. Consequently, when the carriage 30 is moving in the main scanning direction Y, the air HA sent from the drying device 50 is less likely to flow to the vicinity of the ink head 40.

[0058] In the printer 10 of this embodiment, a blower fan 33 is provided inside the carriage cover 32. By driving the blower fan 33, the air inside the carriage cover 32 can be actively discharged from the blower duct 32a. Therefore, the blower fan 33 is a specific embodiment that can achieve the effects of the present invention.

[0059] In the printer 10 of this embodiment, the blowing duct 32a is positioned below the midpoint of the carriage cover 32 in the vertical direction. Therefore, the air sent from the blower fan 33 is discharged from a position below the midpoint of the carriage cover 32. That is, the air NA discharged from the blowing duct 32a is discharged from a position relatively close to the platen 16 and the downstream guide member 18. Therefore, compared to the case where the blowing duct 32a is positioned above the midpoint of the carriage cover 32, the air NA is more likely to collide with the air HA. Consequently, the flow of air HA discharged from the drying device 50 is attenuated, and the flow of air HA to the vicinity of the ink head 40 is further suppressed.

[0060] In the printer 10 of this embodiment, the control board 81 is mounted on the lower extension wall 32E1 of the carriage cover 32. That is, the control board 81 is located inside the carriage cover 32. In this embodiment, the control board 81 is located upstream of the blower fan 33 in the sub-scanning direction X. The blower fan 33 and the control board 81 are arranged so that at least a portion of them overlap in the vertical direction. Also, the blower fan 33 and the control board 81 overlap at least a portion of them in the main scanning direction Y. Therefore, when the blower fan 33 is driven, some of the air behind the blower fan 33 hits the control board 81 and then gets drawn into the blower fan 33. The air hitting the control board 81 cools the control board 81. This suppresses an excessive rise in the temperature of the control board 81.

[0061] A preferred embodiment has been described above. However, the inkjet printer of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.

[0062] <Second Embodiment> Next, the printer 10A according to the second embodiment will be described. In the following description of the printer 10A according to the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for components similar to those in the printer 10 according to the first embodiment, and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, if the functionality is the same as the printer 10 according to the first embodiment but the configuration differs, the same names are used, and the reference numerals are changed as appropriate.

[0063] Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the carriage 300 and carriage cover 320 according to this embodiment. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the carriage 300. As shown in Figure 11, the carriage 300 is provided with a first duct 320A and a second duct 320B. The first duct 320A and the second duct 320B constitute the blower device in the present invention. The carriage 300 is provided with a first discharge duct 330A and a second discharge duct 330B. The first discharge duct 330A and the second discharge duct 330B constitute the discharge section in the present invention.

[0064] As shown in Figure 10, the carriage cover 320 has an upper wall 320U, a front wall 320F, a right wall 320R, a left wall 320L, a rear wall 320Rr, and a bottom wall 320D (see Figure 11). The upper wall 320U and the rear wall 320Rr have the same configuration as the upper wall 32U (see Figure 6) and rear wall 32Rr (see Figure 6) shown in the first embodiment, so their description is omitted here.

[0065] As shown in Figure 10, an opening 320Fa is formed through the front wall 320F. The opening 320Fa has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The opening 320Fa in the front wall 320F is closed by the front wall 323F1 of the first discharge duct 330A and the front wall 323F2 of the second discharge duct 330B. The first discharge duct 330A and the second discharge duct 330B are located in front of the ink head 40.

[0066] The right wall 320R is an example of a first side wall in the present invention. In this embodiment, the right wall 320R has a shape that extends almost vertically from the upper wall 320U. The left wall 320L is an example of a second side wall in the present invention. In this embodiment, the left wall 320L has a shape that extends almost vertically from the upper wall 320U. The first duct 320A and the second duct 320B divide a portion of the internal space of the carriage cover 320 vertically. Unlike the first embodiment, the carriage cover 320 of this embodiment does not have an opening at the rear end. As shown in Figure 11, the bottom wall 320D is connected to the lower ends of the front wall 320F, the right wall 320R, the left wall 320L, and the rear wall 320Rr, and is approximately parallel to the first upper wall 320Ua. The ink head 40 is attached to the bottom wall 320D.

[0067] Figure 12 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the first duct 320A and the second duct 320B. The first duct 320A and the second duct 320B are located behind the opening 320Fa (see Figure 10). The first discharge duct 330A is connected to the front end of the first duct 320A and extends forward. The second discharge duct 330B is connected to the front end of the second duct 320B and extends forward. Parts of the first discharge duct 330A and part of the second discharge duct 330B extend forward beyond the opening 320Fa (see Figure 10). The carriage 300 may have one duct or three or more ducts. Also, the number of discharge ducts may be one or three or more.

[0068] The first duct 320A is a duct extending in the main scanning direction Y, comprising a first duct inlet 321A (see Figure 10), a first air passage 322A, and a first duct outlet 323A, and is a U-shaped member with an open front side. As shown in Figure 10, the first duct inlet 321A is an opening formed in the right wall 320R. In this embodiment, the first duct inlet 321A is formed in a rectangular shape. The first duct inlet 321A may also be formed in the upper wall 320U. The first air passage 322A is a passage connected to the first duct inlet 321A and extending in the main scanning direction Y. The first air passage 322A is located inside the carriage cover 320. The first air passage 322A is a passage provided in the main scanning direction Y between the first duct inlet 321A and the first duct outlet 323A. The first air passage 322A is specifically formed by a bottom wall 323D, a rear wall 323Rr, a first top wall 323T1, a left side wall 338L, and a front wall 323F1 (see Figure 10). The bottom wall 323D is a plate-shaped member that forms the bottom of the first air passage 322A. The rear wall 323Rr is a plate-shaped member that extends upward from the rear end of the bottom wall 323D. The rear wall 323Rr extends above the first top wall 323T1. The first top wall 323T1 is a plate-shaped member that extends forward from approximately the midpoint of the vertical direction of the rear wall 323Rr. The first top wall 323T1 forms the upper end of the first air passage 322A. The bottom wall 323D and the first top wall 323T1 are approximately parallel. The front wall 323F1 is a plate-shaped member that forms the front surface of the first duct 320A. The first duct outlet 323A is an opening formed through the front wall 323F1 of the first duct 320A, and is located in the central part of the first duct 320A, avoiding the ends in the main scanning direction Y.

[0069] The second duct 320B is located above the first duct 320A. As shown in Figure 12, the second duct 320B is a duct extending in the main scanning direction Y, comprising a second duct inlet 321B (see Figure 10), a second air passage 322B, and a second duct outlet 323B, and is a U-shaped member with an open front. As shown in Figure 10, the second duct inlet 321B is an opening formed in the left wall 320L. In this embodiment, the second duct inlet 321B has a rectangular shape, although the second duct inlet 321B may also be formed in the upper wall 320U. The second air passage 322B is connected to the second duct inlet 321B and is a passage extending in the main scanning direction Y. The second air passage 322B is located inside the carriage cover 320. The second air passage 322B is a passage provided in the main scanning direction Y between the second duct inlet 321B and the second duct outlet 323B. The second air passage 322B is provided between the second duct inlet 321B and the second discharge duct 330B. Specifically, the second air passage 322B is formed by the first top wall 323T, the rear wall 323Rr, the second top wall 323T2, the right wall 320R (see Figure 10), and the front wall 323F2 (see Figure 10). The first top wall 323T1 forms the bottom of the second air passage 322B. Therefore, the first top wall 323T1 forms the upper end of the first air passage 322A and also forms the bottom of the second air passage 322B. The second top wall 323T2 is a plate-shaped member extending forward from the upper end of the rear wall 323Rr. The front wall 323F2 is a plate-shaped member that forms the front surface of the second duct 320B. The second duct outlet 323B is an opening formed through the front wall 323F2 of the second duct 320B, and is located in the central part of the second duct 320B, avoiding the ends in the main scanning direction Y.

[0070] As shown in Figure 12, the first discharge duct 330A is connected to the first duct outlet 323A of the first duct 320A. The first discharge duct 330A is an example of the first discharge section in the present invention. The first discharge duct 330A is formed by a first oblique member 335, a second oblique member 336, a right side wall 338R (see Figure 10), and a left side wall 338L (see Figure 10). The first oblique member 335 is connected to the front end of the bottom wall 323D and extends forward and downward. The second oblique member 336 is connected to the front end of the first top wall 323T1 and extends forward and downward. The first oblique member 335 and the second oblique member 336 are substantially parallel. The right side wall 338R shown in Figure 10 is connected to the right end of the first oblique member 335 (see Figure 12) and the right end of the second oblique member 336 (see Figure 12). The left side wall 338L is connected to the left end of the first oblique member 335 and the left end of the second oblique member 336. The right side wall 338R and the left side wall 338L have a triangular shape when viewed from the side.

[0071] As shown in Figure 12, the first discharge duct 330A has an upstream opening 331A. The upstream opening 331A is formed by the rear and upper end of the first oblique member 335 and the rear and upper end of the second oblique member 336. The upstream opening 331A is connected to the first duct outlet 323A. The lower end of the first discharge duct 330 has a downstream opening 332A. The downstream opening 332A is formed by the front and lower end of the first oblique member 335 and the front and lower end of the second oblique member 336. The downstream opening 332A is an example of an outlet in the present invention. The downstream opening 332A opens toward the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0072] The second discharge duct 330B is connected to the second duct 320B. The second discharge duct 330B is an example of the second discharge section in the present invention. The second discharge duct 330B is formed by a second oblique member 336, a third oblique member 337, a right side wall 338R (see Figure 10), and a left side wall 338L (see Figure 10). That is, the second oblique member 336 forms both the first discharge duct 330A and the second discharge duct 330B. The third oblique member 337 is connected to the front end of the second top wall 323T2 and extends forward and downward. The second oblique member 336 and the third oblique member 337 are substantially parallel. The right side wall 337R is connected to the right end of the second oblique member 336 and the right end of the third oblique member 337. The left wall 337L is connected to the left end of the second oblique member 336 and the left end of the third oblique member 337.

[0073] As shown in Figure 12, the second discharge duct 330B has an upstream opening 331B. The upstream opening 331B is formed by the rear and upper end of the second oblique member 336 and the rear and upper end of the third oblique member 337. The upstream opening 331B is connected to the second duct outlet 323B. The lower end of the second discharge duct 330B has a downstream opening 332B. The downstream opening 332B is formed by the front and lower end of the second oblique member 336 and the front and lower end of the third oblique member 337. The downstream opening 332B is an example of an outlet in the present invention. The downstream opening 332A opens toward the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0074] Next, the airflow discharged from the carriage cover 320 in this embodiment will be described.

[0075] As the carriage 300 shown in Figure 10 is moved from left to right in the main scanning direction Y by the head movement mechanism 31 (see Figure 2), air flows from right to left into the first duct inlet 321A formed in the right wall 320R of the carriage cover 320 (see arrow A330a). That is, air flows into the first duct 320A. The air that flows in from the first duct inlet 321A proceeds into the first air passage 322A. As shown in Figure 12, the air that has traveled through the first air passage 322A reaches the first duct outlet 323A and proceeds into the upstream opening 331A of the first discharge duct 330A (see arrow A331a). The air that has passed through the upstream opening 331A proceeds forward and downward between the first oblique member 335 and the second oblique member 336 (see arrow A332a). The air that has traveled between the first oblique member 335 and the second oblique member 336 is discharged to the outside of the carriage cover 320 from the downstream opening 332A of the first discharge duct 330A. When the carriage 300 shown in Figure 10 moves from right to left in the main scanning direction Y, air flows in from the second duct inlet 321B (see arrow A330b). The air that has flowed in from the second duct inlet 321B proceeds into the second air passage 322B (see Figure 12). As shown in Figure 12, the air that has traveled into the second air passage 322B reaches the second duct outlet 323B and proceeds into the upstream opening 331B of the second discharge duct 330B (see arrow A331b). The air that has passed through the upstream opening 331B travels forward and downward between the second oblique member 336 and the third oblique member 337 (see arrow A332b). The air that has traveled between the second oblique member 336 and the third oblique member 337 is discharged to the outside of the carriage cover 320 through the downstream opening 332B of the second discharge duct 330B.

[0076] Therefore, as the carriage 300 moves in the main scanning direction Y, air flows into the first duct 320A or the second duct 320B, and this incoming air passes inside the carriage cover 320 and is discharged outwards from the carriage cover 320. Since the first oblique member 335, the second oblique member 336, and the third oblique member 337 extend forward and downward, the air discharged to the outside of the carriage cover 320 flows forward and downward. As shown in Figure 10, the air discharged to the outside of the carriage cover 320 is referred to as air NA2. Similar to the first embodiment, air NA2 collides with air HA (see Figure 3) discharged from the drying device 50 (see Figure 3). As a result, the flow of air HA discharged from the drying device 50 is attenuated in front of the platen 16 (see Figure 3).

[0077] As described above, in the printer 10A of this embodiment, the carriage 300 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y. The first discharge duct 330A and the second discharge duct 330B are connected to the right wall 320R and the left wall 320L, which are the side walls of the carriage cover 320. When the carriage 300 moves in the main scanning direction Y, air flows in from the first duct inlet 321A or the second duct inlet 321B. The incoming air is discharged to the outside from the downstream opening 332A of the first discharge duct 330A or the downstream opening 332B of the second discharge duct 330B. The air discharged to the outside of the carriage cover 320 is discharged forward and downward from the carriage cover 320. This prevents the air HA discharged from the drying device 50 from flowing to the vicinity of the ink head 40. This prevents the nozzles 41A and 41B of the ink head 40 from drying out. Therefore, the movement of air generated by the movement of the carriage 300 in the main scanning direction Y can prevent the nozzles 41A and 41B of the ink head 40 from drying out.

[0078] In the printer 10A of this embodiment, the first duct inlet 321A is formed in the right wall 320R. The second duct inlet 321B is formed in the left wall 320L. Therefore, when the carriage 300 moves from left to right in the main scanning direction Y, air passes through the first discharge duct 330A and is discharged to the outside of the carriage cover 320 from the downstream opening 332A of the first discharge duct 330A. When the carriage 300 moves from right to left in the main scanning direction Y, air passes through the second discharge duct 330B and is discharged to the outside of the carriage cover 320 from the downstream opening 332B of the second discharge duct 330B. Therefore, for example, when the carriage 300 moves to one side or the other side in the main scanning direction Y to eject ink from the ink head 40, air is discharged to the outside of the carriage cover 320. Therefore, compared to the case where air from outside the carriage cover 320 is discharged only when the carriage 300 moves in either direction of the main scanning direction Y, the flow of air HA discharged from the drying device 50 to the vicinity of the ink head 40 is more suppressed.

[0079] The above embodiments are presented as examples and do not limit the scope of the invention. The above configurations can be combined as appropriate, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents.

[0080] For example, in the second embodiment, the discharge section was composed of a first discharge duct 330A and a second discharge duct 330B, but the second oblique member 336 does not have to be arranged. In other words, the air flowing in from the first duct 320A and the second discharge duct 330B may be discharged from a common discharge duct. In this case, the opening areas of the first duct outlet 323A and the second duct outlet 323B must be designed to be smaller than the opening area of ​​the downstream opening of the common discharge outlet so that no air passage is formed between the first discharge duct 330A and the second discharge duct 330B. Furthermore, the first duct 320A and the second duct 320B partition the internal space of the carriage cover 320 in the vertical direction, but are not limited to this. The first duct 320A and the second duct 320B may partition the internal space of the carriage cover 320 in the left-right direction (main scanning direction Y). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0081] 5. Recording media 16 Platen 18 Guide member 30 Carriage 32 Carriage Cover 32a opening 33. Blower fan (blower device) 35. Media transport mechanism 40 Inkheads 50 Drying equipment

Claims

1. A platen on which the recording medium is placed, An ink head positioned above the platen for ejecting ink onto the recording medium, The carriage, which is equipped with the aforementioned ink head and moves relative to the recording medium, A carriage cover that houses the carriage, A media transport mechanism for transporting the recording medium in a predetermined transport direction, A guide member is positioned downstream of the platen in the transport direction and guides the transport of the recording medium by the media transport mechanism, The drying device comprises a device that faces the guide member and blows air toward the recording medium guided by the guide member, The carriage is equipped with a blower that sends air into the interior of the carriage cover. The carriage cover has an outlet formed therein that opens toward the platen or the guide member, and includes an outlet that discharges air blown by the blower toward the platen or the guide member from the outlet. The drying apparatus is an inkjet printer equipped with an exhaust port for discharging air toward the platen.

2. The carriage moves relative to the recording medium in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, The discharge section is equipped with an inlet into which air blown from the blower flows in, The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the length of the outlet in the orthogonal direction is longer than the length of the inlet in the orthogonal direction.

3. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the blower device is provided inside the carriage cover and includes a blower fan that blows air toward the discharge section.

4. The inkjet printer according to claim 3, wherein the discharge unit is located below the midpoint of the carriage cover in the vertical direction.

5. It is mounted inside the carriage cover and includes a control board for driving the ink head, The inkjet printer according to claim 3, wherein the control board is positioned upstream of the airflow formed by the blower fan with respect to the blower fan, and the range from the upper end to the lower end of the control board and the range from the upper end to the lower end of the blower fan overlap in the vertical direction by at least a portion thereof, and the range from one end to the other of the control board in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the transport direction overlaps in the orthogonal direction by at least a portion thereof with respect to the orthogonal direction from one end to the other of the blower.

6. The carriage is configured to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined transport direction, The carriage cover comprises an upper wall that covers the upper part of the ink head and a side wall that extends downward from the upper wall. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the blower device comprises a duct having a duct inlet formed in the upper wall or the side wall, and an air passage provided between the duct inlet and the discharge section.

7. The carriage is configured to be movable in both directions perpendicular to the transport direction relative to the recording medium. The aforementioned discharge section is First discharge section, It comprises a second discharge section, The aforementioned side wall is A first side wall positioned in one direction perpendicular to the ink head, It comprises a second side wall positioned in the other direction perpendicular to the ink head, The aforementioned duct is, A first duct having a first duct inlet connected to the first side wall, and a first air passage provided between the first duct inlet and the first discharge section, The inkjet printer according to claim 6, comprising a second duct having a second duct inlet connected to the second side wall and a second air passage provided between the second duct inlet and the second discharge section.

Images