Printing apparatus

Abstract

The mist recovery mechanism is positioned to overlap vertically with the guide rails that move the carriage, which presents a challenge as it increases the height of the liquid discharge device. [Solution] The housing 100 has a first partition wall 210 which forms part of the top surface 100a of the housing 100, and a second partition wall 220 which forms part of the front surface of the housing 100, and an opening / closing cover 200 which opens and closes part of the housing 100, a head 25 which is housed in the housing 100 and discharges liquid from a nozzle surface 25A to a medium 2, a carriage 26 which supports the head 25 and moves along the scanning direction by being guided by a guide shaft 27 which extends along the scanning direction, and a suction duct 240 which sucks gas 300 inside the housing 100 from a suction hole 241, wherein the suction duct 240 is located on the opposite side of the guide shaft 27 with the head 25 in between in a plan view and is provided on the inner surface 220b of the second partition wall 220.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid ejection apparatus including a print head mounted on a carriage that ejects ink, and a mist recovery mechanism that recovers mist generated with the ejection of the ink. The mist recovery mechanism recovers mist upstream of the print head in the sheet conveyance direction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the liquid ejection apparatus described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the height of the liquid ejection apparatus increases because the mist recovery mechanism is arranged so as to overlap with the guide rail that moves the carriage in the vertical direction.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The printing apparatus includes a first partition wall that forms a part of the top surface of the housing, and a second partition wall that forms a part of the front surface of the housing, an opening / closing cover that opens and closes a part of the housing, a liquid ejection unit that is housed in the housing and ejects liquid onto a medium from a discharge surface, a carriage that supports the liquid ejection unit and moves along the scanning direction by being guided by a guide shaft extending along the scanning direction, and a suction duct that sucks the gas inside the housing through a suction hole. The suction duct is located on the opposite side of the guide shaft with respect to the liquid ejection unit in a plan view, and is provided on the inner surface of the second partition wall.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing the configuration of a printing device. [Figure 2] A perspective view showing the external appearance of a printing device. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the opening / closing cover of the printing device in the open position. [Figure 4] A perspective view of the opening / closing cover from the front when the cover is in the open position. [Figure 5] A partial perspective view showing the configuration around the opening / closing cover when the cover is in the open position. [Figure 6] A perspective view showing the configuration around the opening / closing cover when the cover is in the closed position. [Figure 7] A partial perspective view showing the configuration around the opening / closing cover when the cover is in the closed position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment will now be described with reference to the drawings. The printing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1 is an inkjet printer that prints images such as characters and photographs onto a medium 2 by, for example, ejecting ink, which is an example of a "liquid," onto the transported medium 2.

[0008] In the following drawings, the scale of each component is shown differently from the actual scale in order to make each component recognizable. In addition, the same reference numeral is used for identical components in each drawing, and redundant explanations are omitted. Furthermore, in each drawing, the X, Y, and Z axes are shown as mutually orthogonal coordinate axes as needed. Arrows are attached to the X, Y, and Z axes. For each of the X, Y, and Z axes, the direction of the arrow is the positive direction, and the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow is the negative direction. A plane containing the X and Y axes is described as the XY plane, a plane containing the X and Z axes is described as the XZ plane, and a plane containing the Y and Z axes is described as the YZ plane.

[0009] For the sake of explanation, the positive direction of the Z-axis will be referred to as upward or simply up, and the negative direction as downward or simply down. The positive direction of the X-axis will be referred to as left or simply left, and the negative direction as right or simply right. The positive direction of the Y-axis will be referred to as forward or simply front, and the surface facing the positive direction of the Y-axis will be referred to as the front. The negative direction of the Y-axis will be referred to as backward or simply back, and the surface facing the negative direction of the Y-axis will be referred to as the back.

[0010] The X-axis direction corresponds to the width direction of the printing device 1, the width direction of the medium 2 on which the image is printed, the width direction of the transport path through which the medium 2 is transported, and the scanning direction in which the carriage 26 moves. The Y-axis direction corresponds to the depth direction of the printing device 1 and the transport direction in which the medium 2 is transported below the head 25. Viewing from the +Z direction or -Z direction is referred to as a plan view. In Figures 2 to 4, arrow A indicates the direction in which the printing device 1 is viewed from the front side in the +Y direction towards the -Y direction, and arrow B indicates the direction in which the printing device 1 is viewed from the back side in the -Y direction towards the +Y direction.

[0011] The configuration of the printing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. As shown in Figure 1, the printing apparatus 1 comprises a feed shaft 5, an upstream support unit 6, an upstream transport unit 7, a platen 8, a printing unit 3, a downstream transport unit 9, a downstream support unit 10, and a winding shaft 12. The transport path through which the medium 2 is transported is arranged in the following order: the upstream support unit 6, the upstream transport unit 7, the platen 8, the downstream transport unit 9, and the downstream support unit 10. The upstream transport unit 7 is an example of a "medium transport unit" that transports the medium 2 in the transport direction.

[0012] The printing apparatus 1 further comprises an upstream heating unit 40, a printing heating unit 41, and a downstream heating unit 42. The printing apparatus 1 further comprises an air blower unit 130, a control unit 13, and a housing 100.

[0013] The dispensing shaft 5 is a rod-shaped member that extends along the X-axis direction. The dispensing shaft 5 is supported at both ends in the X-axis direction by a frame or the like (not shown). The dispensing shaft 5 rotatably supports a roll 15 in which a long medium 2 is wound into a cylindrical shape. By rotating, the dispensing shaft 5 dispenses the medium 2 from the roll 15 toward the upstream support section 6.

[0014] The upstream support section 6, platen 8, and downstream support section 10 are members that support a long medium 2 being conveyed in the conveying direction. The medium 2 is conveyed along the surfaces of the upstream support section 6, platen 8, and downstream support section 10 in that order. The conveying direction intersects with the X-axis direction. The upstream support section 6, platen 8, and downstream support section 10 are fixed to a frame (not shown) or the like that supports the entire printing apparatus 1.

[0015] The upstream support section 6 comprises an upstream heating support section 61 and an upstream guide support section 62. The upstream heating support section 61 and the upstream guide support section 62 support the portion of the medium 2 that is upstream in the transport direction from the portion facing the printing section 3. The upstream heating support section 61 is heated by an upstream heating section 40, which will be described later. The upstream guide support section 62 is located upstream of the upstream heating support section 61 in the transport direction. The second support surface 62A of the upstream guide support section 62 supports the medium 2 unwound from the roll 15. The platen 8 is located downstream of the upstream support section 6 in the transport direction. The medium 2 supported by the upstream support section 6 is transported to the platen 8 by the upstream transport section 7.

[0016] The upstream conveying section 7 is located downstream of the upstream support section 6 in the conveying direction. Furthermore, the upstream conveying section 7 is located upstream of the platen 8 in the conveying direction. The upstream conveying section 7 includes a first roller 71 and a second roller 72. The first roller 71 and the second roller 72 each extend along the X-axis direction. The upstream conveying section 7 has a motor (not shown). Power from the motor is transmitted to the second roller 72. The second roller 72 is rotatable by the power from the motor.

[0017] The medium 2 is sandwiched between the first roller 71 and the second roller 72. The medium 2 can be conveyed by rotating the second roller 72 while the medium 2 is sandwiched between the first roller 71 and the second roller 72. The upstream conveying unit 7 conveys the medium 2 toward the platen 8.

[0018] In the printing apparatus 1, the second roller 72 is used as a driving roller and the first roller 71 is used as a driven roller. The driving roller is rotationally driven by the power from the motor. The driven roller is driven following the rotational driving of the driving roller. Note that the first roller 71 may be used as the driving roller and the second roller 72 may be used as the driven roller.

[0019] The platen 8 is located on the -Z direction side of the printing unit 3. The platen 8 faces the printing unit 3 across the conveyance path. The platen 8 supports the portion of the medium 2 to be printed by the printing unit 3. The support surface 8A, which faces the +Z direction of the platen 8, is a surface for supporting the medium 2.

[0020] The platen 8 can apply a suction force to the medium 2. The support surface 8A of the platen 8 that faces the printing unit 3 is flat. The support surface 8A of the platen 8 extends over the range where printing by the printing unit 3 is possible. It may be configured such that air is sucked by a suction fan from a plurality of suction holes formed in the support surface 8A of the platen 8 to suck the medium 2 to the support surface 8A of the platen 8.

[0021] The printing unit 3 includes a head 25, a carriage 26, and a guide shaft 27. A plurality of nozzles 28 for discharging ink are formed in the head 25. The plurality of nozzles 28 open to the nozzle surface 25A of the head 25. The nozzle surface 25A is a surface facing the -Z direction and is located, for example, about 0.5 mm in the -Z direction from the lower end 26A of the carriage 26. The guide shaft 27 is a rod-shaped member extending along the X-axis direction. The guide shaft 27 is supported by a frame (not shown) at both ends in the X-axis direction. The head 25 that discharges ink from the nozzle surface 25A to the medium 2 is an example of a "liquid discharge unit". Also, the nozzle surface 25A is an example of a "discharge surface".

[0022] The printing unit 3 further includes a linear scale 29A and an optical sensor 29B. The linear scale 29A and the optical sensor 29B function as a linear encoder for detecting the position of the carriage 26 in the scanning direction. The linear scale 29A extends in the scanning direction. The linear scale 29A is located above the nozzle surface 25A. A large number of slits are formed in the linear scale 29A at regular intervals. The linear scale 29A is an example of a "position detection unit" for detecting the position of the carriage 26.

[0023] The optical sensor 29B optically reads a plurality of slits formed in the linear scale 29A and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the number of slits to the control unit 13. The detection signal includes a number of pulse signals proportional to the moving distance of the carriage 26 in the scanning direction. The control unit 13 recognizes the position of the carriage 26 moving in the scanning direction based on the detection signal.

[0024] The carriage 26 supports the head 25 and reciprocates together with the head 25 along the X-axis direction, which is the scanning direction, by the drive of a drive mechanism (not shown) controlled by the control unit 13. The carriage 26 is guided by the guide shaft 27 extending along the scanning direction. The head 25 performs printing on the medium 2 by discharging ink toward the medium 2 while moving.

[0025] The printing unit 3 in this embodiment is a so-called serial printer that prints while reciprocating in the X-axis direction, which is the width direction of the medium 2. The printing unit 3 may also be configured as a so-called line printer, having a head 25 on which nozzles 28 are provided across the width dimension of the medium 2.

[0026] In the printing apparatus 1, printing is performed by ejecting ink from the head 25 toward the area of ​​the medium 2 that is supported by the support surface 8A of the platen 8. The medium 2 supported by the platen 8 is transported to the downstream support section 10 by the downstream transport section 9. The medium 2 is transported in the +Y direction while being supported by the support surface 8A of the platen 8. The downstream transport section 9 is located downstream of the platen 8 in the transport direction. Also, the downstream transport section 9 is located upstream of the downstream support section 10 in the transport direction.

[0027] The downstream conveying section 9 includes a third roller 91 and a fourth roller 92. The third roller 91 and the fourth roller 92 each extend along the X-axis direction. The downstream conveying section 9 has a motor (not shown). Power from the motor is transmitted to the fourth roller 92. The fourth roller 92 is rotatable by the power from the motor.

[0028] The medium 2 is held between the third roller 91 and the fourth roller 92. The downstream conveying unit 9 can convey the medium 2 by rotating the fourth roller 92 while the medium 2 is held between the third roller 91 and the fourth roller 92. The downstream conveying unit 9 conveys the medium 2 toward the downstream support unit 10.

[0029] In the printing apparatus 1, the fourth roller 92 is the drive roller, and the third roller 91 is the driven roller. The drive roller is rotationally driven by power from a motor. The driven roller follows the rotational drive of the drive roller. Alternatively, the third roller 91 may be the drive roller and the fourth roller 92 may be the driven roller.

[0030] The downstream support section 10 is located downstream of the platen 8 in the transport direction. The downstream support section 10 supports the portion of the medium 2 that is downstream in the transport direction from the portion facing the printing section 3.

[0031] The winding shaft 12 is located downstream of the printing unit 3 in the transport direction. The winding shaft 12 winds up the transported medium 2. The winding shaft 12 is located downstream of the downstream support unit 10 in the transport direction. The medium 2 is transported along the downstream support unit 10 and then wound up by the winding shaft 12.

[0032] The upstream heating unit 40 is provided on the upstream heating support unit 61. The upstream heating unit 40 heats the medium 2 supported on the first support surface 61A facing the transport path of the upstream heating support unit 61 via the upstream heating support unit 61. The printing heating unit 41 is provided on the platen 8. The printing heating unit 41 heats the medium 2 supported on the support surface 8A via the platen 8. The downstream heating unit 42 is provided on the downstream support unit 10. The downstream heating unit 42 can dry the medium 2 by heating the medium 2 supported on the downstream support surface 10A facing the transport path of the downstream support unit 10 via the downstream support unit 10.

[0033] The air blower 130 is positioned opposite the downstream support 10. The air blower 130 is capable of blowing air onto the medium 2 supported by the downstream support 10. By blowing air onto the medium 2, the air blower 130 can accelerate the drying of the medium 2.

[0034] The control unit 13 is a controller that controls the printing device 1. For example, the control unit 13 controls the upstream transport unit 7 to transport the medium 2 toward the platen 8. The control unit 13 controls the printing unit 3 to eject ink onto the medium 2 supported by the support surface 8A of the platen 8 to print an image. The control unit 13 controls the winding shaft 12 to wind the medium 2 with the printed image onto the winding shaft 12.

[0035] The housing 100 defines a part of the outer casing of the printing device 1. The housing 100 constitutes a part of the front 100b, which is the side of the printing device 1 in the +Y direction, and a part of the rear, which is the side in the -Y direction. The housing 100 constitutes the right side, which is the side of the printing device 1 in the -X direction, and the left side, which is the side in the +X direction. The housing 100 constitutes the top surface 100a, which is the side of the printing device 1 in the +Z direction.

[0036] The inside of the housing 100 houses the printing unit 3, the upstream transport unit 7, the platen 8, the downstream transport unit 9, and the control unit 13.

[0037] Furthermore, the housing 100 is provided with an inner wall 100c that defines the inside of the housing 100 into two spaces: a front space located in the +Y direction and a rear space located in the -Y direction. The inner wall 100c is provided inside the housing 100, extending from the right side to the left side of the housing 100. The front space inside the housing 100 is defined by the medium 2 or a transport path for transporting the medium 2 and the housing 100. The head 25, carriage 26, guide shaft 27, linear scale 29A and suction duct 240 are housed in the front space inside the housing 100.

[0038] The housing 100 may be composed of multiple components. In this embodiment, a part of the housing 100 is formed by an opening / closing cover 200. The opening / closing cover 200 is provided on the front side of the housing 100, which is the +Y direction side. The opening / closing cover 200 can rotate around the axis of the rotating shaft 250. The opening / closing cover 200 opens and closes a part of the top surface 100a and a part of the front surface 100b of the housing 100. The rotating shaft 250 rotatably connects the opening / closing cover 200 to the top surface 100a that is not opened or closed. The rotating shaft 250 extends in the X-axis direction, and the axis of the rotating shaft 250 is along the X-axis.

[0039] The opening / closing cover 200 is rotatably mounted between a closed position (see Figures 1 and 2) and an open position (see Figure 3) by rotating around the axis of the rotating shaft 250. In the closed position of the opening / closing cover 200, the cover 200 constitutes a part of the top surface 100a and a part of the front surface 100b of the housing 100, covering the inside of the housing 100. In the open position of the opening / closing cover 200, the cover 200 exposes the inside of the housing 100, allowing the user to access the inside of the housing 100.

[0040] The opening / closing cover 200 constitutes the portion of the top surface 100a of the housing 100 that covers the upstream transport section 7, platen 8, downstream transport section 9, etc. The opening / closing cover 200 also constitutes the portion of the front surface 100b of the housing 100 that covers the width direction of the transport path of the medium 2.

[0041] The opening / closing cover 200 has a first partition wall 210 that forms part of the top surface 100a of the housing 100 when in the closed position, and a second partition wall 220 that forms part of the front surface 100b of the housing 100 when in the closed position.

[0042] The first partition wall 210 has a roughly rectangular shape that is elongated in the X-axis direction along the XY plane. The first partition wall 210 has a window 211.

[0043] The window 211 is located on the +Z side, above the support surface 8A of the platen 8. The window 211 is located on the +Z side, above the movement area of ​​the carriage 26 along the X axis. The window 211 is made of a light-transmitting material. As a result, when the opening / closing cover 200 is in the closed position, the inside of the housing 100 can be seen from the outside of the housing 100 through the window 211.

[0044] The second partition wall 220 is provided on the front side of the first partition wall 210. The second partition wall 220 is provided on the -Z direction side of the first partition wall 210. The second partition wall 220 has a substantially rectangular shape that is elongated in the X-axis direction along the XZ plane. The second partition wall 220 is made of, for example, a light-transmitting resin material.

[0045] The upper end of the second partition wall 220, which is the +Z direction end, is fixed to the -Z direction surface of the first partition wall 210. The lower end of the second partition wall 220, which is the -Z direction end, is located on the +Z direction side of the medium 2 and faces the medium 2 across a gap.

[0046] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, leg frames 110 are provided near both ends of the housing 100 in the X-axis direction. Below the leg frames 110 are casters 111 and adjusters 112. The user can easily move the printing device 1 by using the casters 111. The user can adjust the height at multiple points by using the adjusters 112 to suitably position the printing device 1 on the installation surface.

[0047] The printing apparatus 1 includes a liquid supply unit 120 that supplies ink to the head 25 of the printing unit 3. The liquid supply unit 120 is configured to supply ink to the head 25 via a liquid supply path (not shown). As the ink, various well-known compositions can be used, such as water-based dye inks or pigment inks, organic solvent-based (eco-solvent) inks with improved weather resistance than these water-based inks, or photocurable inks that harden when exposed to ultraviolet light.

[0048] Incidentally, when ink is ejected from the nozzles 28 of the head 25, ink mist, which is fine ink particles, may be generated. The ink mist generated during printing on the medium 2 is diffused into the front space inside the housing 100 by the turbulence generated as the carriage 26 moves. Therefore, the gas 300 that remains in the front space inside the housing 100 contains ink mist. The printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a configuration for sucking up the ink mist.

[0049] Referring to Figures 1 to 7, the configuration for sucking up ink mist will be described. The printing apparatus 1 includes a suction duct 240, a filter 242, an outer duct 231, a connection part 230, an inner duct 232, a vertical duct 233, and an airflow generating part 234 as a configuration for sucking up gas 300 containing ink mist. The gas 300 inside the housing 100 is sucked up by the airflow generating part 234 in the order described above and discharged to the outside of the housing 100.

[0050] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, two suction ducts 240 for drawing in the gas 300 inside the housing 100 are provided side by side on the inner surface 220b of the second partition wall 220, extending across the width direction of the transport path for the medium 2. As shown in Figure 1, when the opening / closing cover 200 is in the closed position, the suction ducts 240 are positioned in a plan view on the opposite side of the head 25 from the guide shaft 27.

[0051] The second partition wall 220 extends below the suction duct 240. As described above, the second partition wall 220 is made of a light-transmitting resin material. When the opening / closing cover 200 is in the closed position, the portion of the second partition wall 220 located below the suction duct 240 is exposed as the front surface 100b of the housing 100. As a result, when the opening / closing cover 200 is in the closed position, the inside of the housing 100 is visible from the outside of the housing 100 through the lower part of the second partition wall 220.

[0052] When the opening / closing cover 200 is in the closed position, the suction duct 240 is located on the opposite side of the linear scale 29A from the head 25 in a plan view. The suction duct 240 is located above the nozzle surface 25A. The suction duct 240 is located downstream of the carriage 26 in the transport direction. This is preferable because, for example, when printing on the medium 2 using an organic solvent-based ink, the suction duct 240 can suck up the organic solvent volatilizing from the medium 2 inside the housing 100. In this embodiment, the case in which two suction ducts 240 are provided is described, but it is not limited to this. One or more suction ducts 240 are sufficient.

[0053] As shown in Figure 4, the suction duct 240 has a plurality of suction holes 241 formed along the X-axis direction. As shown in Figure 1, the suction duct 240 draws gas 300 from inside the housing 100 through the suction holes 241. The inner surface 220b on which the suction duct 240 is provided is the surface of the second partition wall 220 that faces the -Y direction, defining the front space inside the housing 100. As a result, a suction space is formed between the suction duct 240 and the second partition wall 220, into which the gas 300 drawn in from the suction holes 241 flows. As shown in Figure 4, each of the plurality of suction holes 241 in the 1 suction duct 240 communicates with the 1 suction space into which the gas 300 flows.

[0054] As shown in Figure 1, the suction duct 240 is provided near the upper end of the second partition wall 220 in the Z-axis direction. The suction duct 240 is made of, for example, a resin material. The lower surface 244, which is the -Z direction end of the suction duct 240, is located on the +Z direction side of the lower end of the second partition wall 220. The lower surface 244 of the suction duct 240 is located on the +Z direction side of the nozzle surface 25A of the head 25. In the Z-axis direction, the distance between the lower surface 244 of the suction duct 240 and the nozzle surface 25A is longer than the distance between the support surface 8A and the nozzle surface 25A.

[0055] The suction holes 241 are located above the nozzle surface 25A. The suction holes 241 are formed in the suction duct 240 at a position close to the nozzle surface 25A. That is, the suction holes 241 are formed in the member that separates the inside and outside of the suction duct 240 at a position close to the area where the nozzle surface 25A moves. Specifically, the suction holes 241 are formed side by side on the lower surface 244 of the suction duct 240 and open in the -Z direction. The suction holes 241 are also formed along the X-axis direction, which is the scanning direction. In this way, since the suction holes 241 are located above the nozzle surface 25A and formed along the scanning direction, the suction duct 240 sucks up the gas 300 near the nozzle surface 25A in accordance with the movement of the carriage 26. In this embodiment, the case in which multiple suction holes 241 are formed in the suction duct 240 is described, but it is not limited to this. It is sufficient to have one or more suction holes 241 in the suction duct 240. In this case, it is preferable that the suction holes 241 be provided along the X-axis direction of the suction duct 240.

[0056] The suction duct 240 has an inclined surface 243 that overhangs and slopes towards the head 25 above the suction hole 241. The inclined surface 243 includes a +Y direction component and a -Z direction component, and slopes diagonally downward as it moves downstream in the conveying direction. The inclined surface 243 constitutes a part of the side surface of the suction duct 240 on the -Y direction side. The inclined surface 243 constitutes a part of the outer surface of the suction duct 240. The inclined surface 243 is configured to face the forward space so as to face the carriage 26. The inclined surface 243 guides the airflow AF of the gas 300 that was not sucked in by the suction duct 240 in a direction that circulates inside the housing 100. In this way, the suction duct 240 generates an airflow AF that flows inside the housing 100 in the order of nozzle surface 25A, suction duct 240, and linear scale 29A.

[0057] The suction duct 240 is formed such that, in order to reduce pressure loss during suction, the cross-sectional area along the XY plane of the suction space into which the gas 300 flows increases from the lower surface 244 of the suction duct 240, where the suction holes 241 are located, upwards. In other words, the internal suction space of the suction duct 240 widens from the lower surface 244 upwards.

[0058] With the above configuration, the gas 300 in the front space inside the housing 100 is drawn upwards from the suction hole 241 towards the suction duct 240 and then towards the filter 242.

[0059] Multiple communication sections 221 are formed in the second partition wall 220. The communication sections 221 are substantially rectangular through-holes that penetrate the second partition wall 220. As shown in Figure 1, filters 242 are provided in the communication sections 221 formed in the second partition wall 220. The communication sections 221 and filters 242 are provided in correspondence with the suction duct 240. The filters 242 are provided to seal the space between them and the communication sections 221. The filters 242 are configured as replaceable cartridges, for example, including a material such as nonwoven fabric.

[0060] The gas 300 drawn in via the suction duct 240 passes through the filter 242. At this time, the filter 242 removes the ink mist contained in the gas 300 by adsorbing it. The gas 300 from which the ink mist has been removed then moves toward the outer duct 231. In this embodiment, the +Y side end of the filter 242 is located in the internal space of the outer duct 231, and the -Y side end of the filter 242 is located in the suction space of the suction duct 240, but the system is not limited to this configuration. It is sufficient that the suction space of the suction duct 240 and the internal space of the outer duct 231 are connected via the filter 242.

[0061] The suction duct 240 and the outer duct 231 are adjacent to each other, with a filter 242 provided in the communication section 221 in between. The communication section 221 is a fluid passage connecting the suction duct 240 and the outer duct 231. One communication section 221 is provided for each of the two suction ducts 240. The communication section 221 may be, for example, a notch formed by cutting out a part of the upper end of the second partition wall 220.

[0062] As shown in Figure 1, an outer duct 231 is provided on the outer surface 220f of the second partition wall 220 to guide the gas 300 that has passed through the filter 242 to the connection part 230 (see Figure 6). When the opening / closing cover 200 is in the closed position, the outer duct 231 is located near the upper end of the second partition wall 220 in the Z-axis direction. When the opening / closing cover 200 is in the closed position, the outer duct 231 is located away from the lower end of the second partition wall 220 in the +Z direction. The outer duct 231 is made of, for example, a resin material. When the opening / closing cover 200 is in the closed position, the bottom end of the outer duct 231, which is the -Z direction end, is located on the +Z direction side of the nozzle surface 25A of the head 25 and on the +Z direction side of the lower end of the second partition wall 220.

[0063] The outer duct 231 is provided on the +Y direction side of the second partition wall 220. The -Y direction side of the outer duct 231 is fixed to the outer surface 220f of the second partition wall 220. The outer surface 220f is the surface of the second partition wall 220 on the +Y direction side. The outer duct 231 is provided along the X direction and extends across the X direction of the second partition wall 220.

[0064] The lower end portion of the outer surface 220f of the second partition wall 220, which is located on the -Z side of the bottom of the outer duct 231, constitutes a part of the front surface 100b of the housing 100. As described above, the second partition wall 220 is made of a light-transmitting resin material. This allows the inside of the housing 100 to be seen from the outside of the housing 100 through the lower end portion of the outer surface 220f when the opening / closing cover 200 is in the closed position.

[0065] The outer duct 231 has an outer surface 231f that forms part of the front surface 100b of the housing 100. The outer surface 231f includes a -Y direction component and a -Z direction component, and is inclined diagonally downward as it moves upstream in the conveying direction. That is, the outer surface 231f of the outer duct 231 forms part of the front surface 100b of the housing 100 and is inclined downward.

[0066] The downward inclination of the outer surface 231f increases the space between the outer duct 231 and the air blower 130. As a result, when the opening / closing cover 200 is in the closed position, the inside of the housing 100 becomes more visible from the outside of the housing 100 through the lower end portion of the outer surface 220f. In addition, the increased space between the outer duct 231 and the air blower 130 makes it easier for the user to access parts upstream of the air blower 130 in the transport direction, improving usability.

[0067] As shown in Figure 4, connection portions 230 are provided at both ends of the outer duct 231 in the X-axis direction to guide the gas 300 to the inner duct 232. The connection portions 230 are connected to or disconnected from the inner duct 232 as the opening and closing operation of the opening / closing cover 200 occurs. When the opening / closing cover 200 is in the closed position, the connection portion 230 has an outer connection opening 230B that opens in the -Y direction.

[0068] As shown in Figure 5, the inner duct 232 is fixed to the vertical duct 233. The inner duct 232 has an opening inner connection opening 230A. When the opening / closing cover 200 is in the open position, the outer connection opening 230B and the inner connection opening 230A are separated from each other. As shown in Figure 6, when the opening / closing cover 200 is in the closed position, the outer connection opening 230B and the inner connection opening 230A are in close contact with each other, connecting the outer duct 231 and the inner duct 232. The outer duct 231 and the inner duct 232 are in communication with each other via the connection part 230.

[0069] With the above configuration, when the opening / closing cover 200 is in the closed position, the gas 300 that has passed through the filter 242 is drawn in in the order of the outer duct 231, the connection part 230, and the inner duct 232, and heads towards the vertical duct 233. Since the ink mist is removed by the filter 242, the gas 300 that has passed through the filter 242 contains almost no ink mist.

[0070] As shown in Figure 7, the vertical duct 233 connects the inner duct 232 and the airflow generating unit 234. The vertical duct 233 is positioned on the side of the inner connection opening 230A that is closer to the airflow generating unit 234. In other words, the vertical duct 233 is a flow path connecting the inner connection opening 230A and the airflow generating unit 234. The vertical duct 233 is made of, for example, a hollow rectangular member. The vertical duct 233 also functions as a frame that constitutes the housing 100. Note that in Figure 7, for the sake of explaining the configuration of the inner duct 232, the components provided on the +Y direction side of the second partition wall 220 are omitted from the illustration.

[0071] Gas 300 flows into the upper opening 233a from the inner connection opening 230A. Gas 300 flows out from the lower opening 233b towards the airflow generation section 234. The lower opening 233b is formed above the lower end 233b1 of the vertical duct 233.

[0072] The airflow generating unit 234 includes an exhaust fan and the like for discharging the gas 300 to the outside of the housing 100. The airflow generating unit 234 also functions as a duct having an opening connected to the lower opening 233b and an exhaust port (not shown) facing the -Y direction. In Figure 7, for the sake of explaining the configuration of the lower opening 233b, the components provided on the +Y side of the airflow generating unit 234 are omitted from the illustration.

[0073] The airflow generating unit 234 is controlled by the control unit 13. For example, when the opening / closing cover 200 is in the closed position, the control unit 13 controls the printing unit 3 to print on the medium 2 by ejecting ink from the nozzle 28. At this time, the control unit 13 controls the airflow generating unit 234 to draw in the gas 300 inside the housing 100 through the suction hole 241 of the suction duct 240.

[0074] With the above configuration, the gas 300 that has passed through the vertical duct 233 is drawn into the airflow generating unit 234 and directed outwards from the housing 100. In this way, the printing apparatus 1 is equipped with a configuration for drawing in ink mist.

[0075] As a result, the gas 300 containing ink mist (see Figure 1) sucked in from the suction hole 241 of the suction duct 240 passes through the filter 242 which adsorbs the ink mist contained in the gas 300. The gas 300, with the ink mist removed after passing through the filter 242, then passes through the outer duct 231 and flows into the inner duct 232 via the connection part 230 (see Figure 6). Furthermore, the gas 300 that has flowed into the inner duct 232 passes through the vertical duct 233 (see Figure 7) and is discharged to the outside of the housing 100 via the airflow generating part 234. In this way, the printing apparatus 1 can remove the gas 300 containing ink mist that has accumulated inside the housing 100 to the outside of the housing 100.

[0076] In addition, regarding the configuration of the flow path from the inside of the housing 100 to the outside of the housing 100, the -X direction side of the center in the X-axis direction of the printing device 1 has been mainly described, but the flow path on the +X direction side has substantially the same configuration.

[0077] As described above, the printing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0078] The printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment has a first partition wall 210 that forms part of the top surface 100a of the housing 100, and a second partition wall 220 that forms part of the front surface 100b of the housing 100, and is equipped with an opening / closing cover 200 that opens and closes part of the housing 100. The printing apparatus 1 is also equipped with a head 25 housed in the housing 100 that discharges liquid from a nozzle surface 25A onto a medium 2. The printing apparatus 1 is also equipped with a carriage 26 that supports the head 25 and moves along the scanning direction by being guided by a guide shaft 27 that extends along the scanning direction. Furthermore, the printing apparatus 1 is equipped with a suction duct 240 that sucks gas 300 inside the housing 100 from a suction hole 241. The suction duct 240 is located on the opposite side of the guide shaft 27 from the head 25 in a plan view and is provided on the inner surface 220b of the second partition wall 220.

[0079] According to this embodiment, the suction duct 240 is located on the opposite side of the head 25 from the guide shaft 27 and is provided on the inner surface 220b of the second partition wall 220. As a result, the suction duct 240 does not overlap with the guide shaft 27 in the vertical direction, which helps to suppress an increase in the height of the printing apparatus 1.

[0080] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the second partition wall 220 extends below the suction duct 240, the second partition wall 220 can guide the gas 300 at the bottom of the housing 100 to the suction duct 240.

[0081] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the second partition wall 220 is light-transmitting below the suction duct 240. This allows the user to easily see the printing status inside the housing 100 from outside the housing 100 through the second partition wall 220.

[0082] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the suction hole 241 is formed at a position close to the nozzle surface 25A of the suction duct 240. As a result, the ink mist is drawn in at a position close to the ink mist source, thereby reducing the diffusion of the ink mist.

[0083] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the suction hole 241 is formed on the lower surface 244 of the suction duct 240. As a result, the ink mist is drawn in at a position close to the ink mist source, thereby reducing the diffusion of the ink mist.

[0084] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the internal space of the suction duct 240 widens from the lower surface 244 upward, the pressure loss during suction can be reduced within the suction duct 240.

[0085] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the suction hole 241 is formed along the scanning direction, ink mist can be sucked up within the range in which the nozzle surface 25A, which is the source of ink mist, moves.

[0086] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the printing apparatus 1 further includes an upstream transport unit 7 that transports the medium 2 in the transport direction, and the suction duct 240 is located downstream of the carriage 26 in the transport direction, so that volatile components generated from the printed medium 2 can be sucked up.

[0087] Although this embodiment has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment and may be modified, replaced, or deleted as long as it does not depart from the spirit of this invention. Furthermore, other embodiments described below may also be used.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the configuration of the flow path from the inside of the housing 100 to the outside of the housing 100 does not have to be substantially the same for the flow path on the -X side and the +X side of the center of the printing device 1 in the X-axis direction. For example, flow paths with different shapes and configurations may be formed on the -X side and the +X side of the center of the printing device 1, respectively, to discharge the gas 300 inside the housing 100 to the outside of the housing 100.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the communication portion 221 does not necessarily have to be provided in multiple locations on the second partition wall 220. For example, one communication portion 221 may be provided in the center of the second partition wall 220 in the X-axis direction. In this case, one suction duct 240 may be provided along the X-axis direction of the second partition wall 220.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the outer duct 231 may be fixed to the outer surface 220f of the second partition wall 220 on the -Y direction side, as well as fixed to the first partition wall 210 on the +Z direction side.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the internal space of the outer duct 231 may be formed by the outer duct 231 and the outer surface 220f of the second partition wall 220. In this case, the outer duct 231 may have its +Z-direction side fixed to the first partition wall 210, and its bottom fixed to the outer surface 220f of the second partition wall 220. In this case, the -Y-direction side of the outer duct 231 may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1…Printing device, 2…Media, 3…Printing section, 5…Feed shaft, 6…Upstream support section, 7…Upstream transport section, 8…Platen, 8A…Support surface, 9…Downstream transport section, 10…Downstream support section, 10A…Downstream support surface, 12…Winding shaft, 13…Control unit, 15…Roll, 25…Head, 25A…Nozzle surface, 26…Carriage, 26A…Lower end, 27…Guide shaft, 28…Nozzle, 29A…Linear scale, 29B…Optical sensor, 40…Upstream heating section, 41…Printing heating section, 42…Downstream heating section, 61…Upstream heating support section, 61A…First support surface, 62…Upstream guide support section, 62A…Second support surface, 71…First roller, 72…Second roller, 91…Third roller, 92…Fourth roller, 100…Housing, 100a…Top surface, 10 0b...Front, 100c...Inner wall, 110...Leg frame, 111...Caster, 112...Adjuster, 120...Liquid supply unit, 130...Ventilation unit, 200...Opening / closing cover, 210...First bulkhead, 211...Window, 220...Second bulkhead, 220b...Inner surface, 220f...Outer surface, 221...Communication part, 230...Connection part, 230A...Inner connection opening, 230B...Outer connection opening Mouth section, 231...outer duct, 231f...outer surface, 232...inner duct, 233...vertical duct, 233a...upper opening, 233b...lower opening, 233b1...lower end, 234...airflow generation section, 240...suction duct, 241...suction hole, 242...filter, 243...inclined surface, 244...bottom surface, 250...rotating shaft, 300...gas, A, B...arrows, AF...airflow.

Claims

1. It has a first partition wall that forms part of the top surface of the housing, a second partition wall that forms part of the front surface of the housing, and an opening / closing cover that opens and closes part of the housing, A liquid dispensing unit housed in the aforementioned housing, which dispenses liquid from a dispensing surface onto a medium, A carriage that supports the liquid discharge section and moves along the scanning direction by being guided by a guide shaft extending along the scanning direction, A suction duct that draws gas from the inside of the housing through a suction hole, Equipped with, The printing apparatus is characterized in that the suction duct is located on the opposite side of the guide axis from the liquid discharge section in a plan view, and is provided on the inner surface of the second partition wall.

2. The second partition wall extends below the suction duct, The printing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The second partition wall is light-transmitting below the suction duct. The printing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The suction hole is formed at a position close to the discharge surface of the suction duct. The printing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The suction hole is formed on the lower surface of the suction duct. The printing apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The suction duct has an internal space that widens from the bottom upwards. The printing apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The suction hole is formed along the scanning direction, The printing apparatus according to claim 1.

8. The system includes a media transport unit that transports the aforementioned medium in the transport direction, The suction duct is located downstream of the carriage in the conveying direction, The printing apparatus according to claim 1.

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