Recording device

Abstract

To provide a recording device with a simple configuration that can suppress the adhesion of foreign matter. [Solution] The recording device comprises a recording unit that performs recording by discharging liquid onto the recording surface of a medium, a medium support unit that supports the medium at a position opposite to the recording unit, and a guide member that faces the recording surface of the medium and guides the medium to the medium support unit, wherein the guide member has a conductive region that is electrically conductive.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet recording apparatus provided with a paper dust capturing mechanism to suppress the adhesion of foreign substances to an inkjet head. According to this document, the paper dust capturing mechanism is provided upstream of the inkjet head, and includes a pair of feed rollers for conveying paper, a sponge member arranged to contact the outer peripheral surface of the feed rollers, a box having a paper dust holding portion for holding the paper dust removed by the sponge member, a auger member rotatably arranged for conveying the paper dust held in the paper dust holding portion, and two paper dust storage portions fixed to the side wall of the box for storing the paper dust conveyed by the auger member.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the inkjet recording apparatus of Patent Document 1, a dedicated paper dust capturing mechanism for capturing paper dust is required, which increases the number of parts and causes the recording apparatus to become larger. That is, there has been a demand for a recording apparatus that can suppress the adhesion of foreign substances with a simple configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A recording device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a recording unit that performs recording by discharging liquid onto the recording surface of a medium, a medium support unit that supports the medium at a position opposite to the recording unit, and a guide member that faces the recording surface of the medium and guides the medium to the medium support unit, wherein the guide member has a conductive region having electrical conductivity. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram of the recording device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] A schematic diagram of the recording device in the standby state of the recording unit. [Figure 3] Enlarged cross-sectional view of the area around the conveyor belt. [Figure 4] Enlarged cross-sectional view of the area around the static elimination unit. [Figure 5] A perspective view of the static elimination unit as seen from the conveyor belt side. [Figure 6] A perspective view of the main body as seen from the downstream side. [Figure 7] A perspective view of the static elimination unit seen from the upstream side. [Figure 8] A graph showing the measurement results of the number of paper dust particles adhering to the guide material due to its conductivity. [Figure 9] A graph showing the measurement results of the surface potential of the paper after the guide material has been made conductive. [Figure 10] A perspective view of the guide member according to Embodiment 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] Embodiment 1 ***Recording device configuration*** Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the recording device according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the recording device in the standby state of the recording unit. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments illustrate just one example of the present invention and are not limited to the embodiments described below. Various modifications that can be implemented without changing the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. In addition, in the following drawings, dimensions and scales may differ from those of the actual objects for the sake of clarity in the explanation.

[0008] The recording device 100 shown in Figure 1 is an inkjet printer that records characters and images such as photographs by ejecting ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium such as paper or cloth. The recording device 100 includes a housing 12. The recording device 100 includes a storage section 13. The storage section 13 is configured to house media 9. The storage section 13 is a cassette that can be pulled out from the housing 12, and is located, for example, at the bottom of the housing 12. The storage section 13 houses a plurality of stacked media 9.

[0009] The recording device 100 includes a transport path 14. The transport path 14 is the path through which the medium 9 is transported. The transport path 14 extends inside the housing 12. The transport path 14 extends from the storage section 13 to the stacker 21. The stacker 21 is, for example, an output tray provided on the top of the housing 12, and is equipped to hold multiple sheets of medium 9. In the transport path 14, the storage section 13 side is referred to as upstream, and the stacker 21 side as downstream. In this preferred example, the medium 9 is described as paper, but it is not limited to paper.

[0010] The recording device 100 includes a transport unit 15. The transport unit 15 is configured to transport the medium 9. The transport unit 15 transports the medium 9 from the storage unit 13 along the transport path 14. The transport unit 15 has, for example, one or more pairs of rollers 16 and a transport belt 17. Multiple pairs of rollers 16 are arranged along the transport path 14.

[0011] The conveyor belt 17 is a media support section, and in a preferred example, it is an electrostatic adsorption belt that adsorbs and conveys the media 9 by electrostatic adsorption. The conveyor belt 17 is an endless belt and is suspended so as to be rotatable clockwise by an upstream first pulley 18 and a downstream second pulley 19. In one example, the conveyor belt 17 supports the media 9 in a position oblique to the horizontal and conveys the media 9 diagonally upward without dropping it by electrostatic adsorption. The conveying section 15 upstream of the conveyor belt 17 is called the upstream conveying section 15a, and the conveying section 15 downstream is called the downstream conveying section 15b.

[0012] The recording device 100 includes a recording unit 22 positioned opposite the transport belt 17. The recording unit 22 includes a print head 23 for printing on the medium 9. The print head 23 is an inkjet type ejection head. In a preferred example, a part of the wall surface of a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle is provided to be deformable, and a drive signal is applied to a piezoelectric element to contract the piezoelectric element, and this contraction causes the wall surface to flex, ejecting the ink in the pressure chamber from the nozzle as ink droplets using a piezoelectric method. However, it is not limited to the piezoelectric method; any inkjet method is acceptable, for example, a thermal method in which a liquid filled in a pressure chamber is heated by passing an electric current through a resistive element such as a heater, and the heat energy is transferred to the liquid to eject it.

[0013] In a preferred example, the print head 23 is configured as a line head capable of discharging liquid over the entire width of the conveyor belt 17. In other words, the recording unit 22 is a line head capable of discharging liquid over the entire width of the medium 9 intersecting the conveying direction. Note that printing on the medium 9 by the print head 23 is also referred to as recording an image on the medium 9. In other words, the recording device 100 comprises a recording unit 22 that performs recording by discharging liquid onto the recording surface of the medium 9, and a conveyor belt 17 that serves as a medium support unit that supports the medium 9 at a position opposite the recording unit 22. The surface of the print head 23 that has multiple nozzle openings is called the nozzle surface 23a. The nozzle surface 23a faces the medium 9 placed on the transport belt 17 during printing. Further, the print head 23 is not limited to a line head, and may be provided with a discharge head. For example, it may be a carriage type print head that performs printing by scanning the width direction of the conveyance belt 17 a plurality of times.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the recording unit 22 is configured to be movable between a recording position P1 and a separation position P2. The recording position P1 is a printing position and is a position where the recording unit 22 approaches the conveyance belt 17. The separation position P2 is a standby position where the recording unit 22 is separated from the conveyance belt 17. The distance between the recording unit 22 located at the separation position P2 and the conveyance belt 17 is greater than the distance between the recording unit 22 located at the recording position P1 and the conveyance belt 17. The recording unit 22 is located at the separation position P2 when it is on standby.

[0015] The recording unit 22 is configured to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface 23a. The recording unit 22 is displaced between the recording position P1 and the separation position P2 by moving in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface 23a.

[0016] The recording device 100 may include a cap 25. The cap 25 is configured to contact the recording unit 22. Specifically, the cap 25 caps the recording unit 22 located at the separation position P2. Capping is that the nozzle opening of the print head 23 is covered by the cap 25 contacting the recording unit 22. In one example, the cap 25 caps the recording unit 22 by contacting the nozzle surface 23a. Capping reduces the risk of the nozzle opening of the print head 23 drying out.

[0017] The cap 25 is configured to move between a standby position Q1 and a capping position Q2. The standby position Q1 is the position where the cap 25 is in standby. The cap 25 is located in the standby position Q1 when the recording unit 22 is located in the recording position P1. The capping position Q2 is the position between the recording unit 22 and the conveyor belt 17. The cap 25 is located in the capping position Q2 when the recording unit 22 is located in the separated position P2. The recording unit 22 is capped by the cap 25 when it is located in the separated position P2.

[0018] The recording device 100 includes a control unit 26. The control unit 26 provides overall control of the recording device 100. The control unit 26 may consist of one or more processors that execute various processes according to a computer program. The control unit 26 may consist of one or more dedicated hardware circuits, such as ASICs, that execute at least some of the various processes. The control unit 26 may consist of a circuit that includes a combination of processors and hardware circuits. The processor includes a CPU and memory such as RAM and ROM. The memory stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute processes. Memory, i.e., computer-readable media, includes any readable media that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

[0019] The control unit 26 includes a counting unit 27. The counting unit 27 is configured to count the number of media 9 transported. The counting unit 27 counts the number of media 9 transported by the transport belt 17. In one example, the counting unit 27 functions when the control unit 26 executes a measurement program. More specifically, the control unit 26 counts the number of media 9 transported based on detection data from the first detection unit 55 and the second detection unit 56, which act as detection units.

[0020] ***Printing process for media*** Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area around the conveyor belt. This section describes the printing process on the medium 9 in the recording device 100. As shown in Figure 3, a static elimination unit 50 is provided on the upstream side of the conveyor belt 17, facing the conveyor surface 17a. The static elimination unit 50 has a main body 41 which is a housing, and a static elimination brush 42 is provided inside the main body 41. On the upstream side of the main body 41, a guide member 3 is provided to guide the medium 9, which is transported from the roller pair 16 of the upstream transport unit 15a, to the transport surface 17a of the transport belt 17. The guide member 3 is part of the main body 41, and in a preferred example, it is integrally formed with the main body 41 by injection molding. As shown in Figure 3, the medium 9 is transported toward the guide member 3 in a curved shape with its recording surface 9a being convex. In other words, the upstream transport unit 15a transports the medium 9 in a curved shape with its recording surface 9a being convex.

[0021] The medium 9, guided by the transport surface 17a of the transport belt 17, is transported to a position facing the recording unit 22 while being adsorbed to the transport surface 17a, and printing is performed on its surface, the recording surface 9a. The printed medium 9 is transported upstream, peeled off from the transport surface 17a by a peeling section 24 consisting of a scraper, and then transported by a pair of rollers 16 in the downstream transport section 15b. After the conveyor belt 17 sends the medium 9 to the downstream conveyor section 15b, it is reversed by the second pulley 19 and moves along the back surface 17b. During this movement, foreign matter such as paper dust and other particles adhering to the surface is removed by the blade 30 of the cleaning section 32. The removed foreign matter is stored in the cleaning box 31 of the cleaning section 32. The cleaned conveyor belt 17 is nipped between the first pulley 18 and the charging roller 20 before being sent to the conveying surface 17a. The charging roller 20 is the charging part and charges the surface of the conveyor belt 17 as it rotates.

[0022] Each component, including the conveyor belt 17 and the static elimination unit 50, is supported or fixed by a support frame (not shown) provided within the housing 12 (Figure 1) of the recording device 100. The support frame is grounded to GND potential. As shown in Figure 3, the guide member 3 and the recording unit 22 are positioned along the transport surface 17a of the transport belt 17. In other words, the guide member 3 overlaps with the recording unit 22, which performs recording on the recording surface 9a, when viewed in the transport direction of the medium 9.

[0023] ***Static Elimination Unit Configuration*** Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area around the static elimination unit, corresponding to Figure 3. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the static elimination unit as seen from the conveyor belt side, with the conveying direction indicated by a white arrow. As shown in Figure 4, the static elimination unit 50 includes a guide member 3, a follower roller 28, a static elimination brush 42, and a pressing roller 47 from the upstream side. These parts are assembled to the main body 41.

[0024] As shown in Figure 5, the guide member 3 has a large curved surface that protrudes toward the medium 9, and its shape makes it easy to guide the medium 9 along the curved surface toward the conveyor belt 17. The side of the guide member 3 facing the medium 9 is called the conveying surface 3a. The conveying surface 3a is provided with a plurality of protrusions 3b extending along the conveying direction. The protrusions 3b are guide ribs that come into contact with the medium 9. By providing the protrusions 3b, the contact area between the guide member 3 and the medium 9 is reduced, thereby reducing the sliding load with the medium 9. In other words, the guide member 3 has a conveying surface 3a facing the medium 9 and protrusions 3b that protrude from the conveying surface 3a toward the medium 9. The guide member 3 is part of the main body 41, and as shown in Figure 4, the side wall 41a of the main body 41 rises from the middle of the guide member 3 in a direction intersecting the conveying direction. The side wall 41a of the main body 41 and the downstream portion of the guide member 3 form a storage corner inside the main body 41. The downstream portion of the guide member 3 overlaps with the conveying belt 17. In other words, the guide member 3 faces the conveying belt 17. A cleaning blade 43 is attached to the inside of the side wall 41a, and is provided to remove foreign matter such as paper dust that has adhered to the static elimination brush 42. The foreign matter removed by the cleaning blade 43 is stored in a storage corner inside the main body 41.

[0025] The follow-up roller 28 is a roller that is paired with the first pulley 18, and by nipping the medium 9 between the two, it brings it into close contact with the conveying surface 17a of the conveying belt 17, and by rotating, it conveys the medium 9 downstream. The follow-up roller 28 rotates around the rotation axis 29. The static elimination brush 42 is provided so that its tip brush contacts the medium 9, and is a static elimination brush that eliminates static electricity from the recording surface 9a of the medium 9. In a preferred example, the tip brush is made of conductive resin fibers. However, it is not limited to this, and any brush-like member with equivalent conductivity may be used. The tip brush is electrically connected to the rotating shaft 45 via a support part. The rotating shaft 45 is electrically connected to a support frame within the housing 12 that is grounded to a GND potential (not shown).

[0026] As shown in Figure 4, the static elimination brush 42 is provided so as to be displaceable between a static elimination position and a retracted position shown by a dashed line, around the rotation axis 45. The static elimination position is the position where the tip brush of the static elimination brush 42 is in contact with the medium 9. The retracted position is the position where the tip brush of the static elimination brush 42 is facing the side wall 41a of the main body 41. The tip brush of the static elimination brush 42 comes into contact with the cleaning blade 43 when it is displaced from the static elimination position to the retracted position, removing foreign matter such as paper dust. In other words, the static elimination brush 42, as the static elimination unit, is displaceable between a static elimination position that eliminates static electricity from the recording surface 9a of the medium 9 and a retracted position that is retracted from the static elimination position, and the static elimination unit 50 has a cleaning blade 43 as a cleaning unit that cleans the static elimination brush 42 when it is displaced.

[0027] The pressure roller 47 is a roller that presses the statically de-staticated medium 9 before printing. The pressure roller 47 is rotatably supported by a rear guide plate 46. In other words, the recording device 100 includes a static elimination unit 50 which includes a static elimination brush 42 as a static elimination unit that eliminates static electricity from the recording surface 9a of the medium 9 supported by the conveyor belt 17, the guide member 3 is provided integrally with the static elimination unit 50, and at least a portion of the conveyor surface 3a as a conductive area is located upstream of the static elimination brush 42 in the conveying direction of the medium 9.

[0028] As shown in Figure 5, a first detection unit 55 is provided in the middle of the width direction of the guide member 3. The first detection unit 55 is a reflective photosensor that incorporates a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element and digitally detects the presence or absence of the medium 9 by reflected light from the object being detected. Since there is no conveyor belt 17 in the area opposite the first detection unit 55, and it is an empty space, if the medium 9 is not present, there is no reflected light, or if there is, it is very faint. The detection data from the first detection unit 55 is transmitted to the control unit 26 (Figure 1), which can detect the presence or absence of the medium 9. A second detection unit 56 is provided in the middle of the width direction of the rear guide board 46. The second detection unit 56 is a reflective photosensor that incorporates a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element and detects the presence and state of the medium 9 in analog terms by reflected light from the object being detected. Since there is a conveyor belt 17 opposite the second detection unit 56, it emits light on the belt surface, and the presence and state of the medium 9 can be detected by the intensity of the reflected light. The detection data from the second detection unit 56 is transmitted to the control unit 26 (Figure 1), which can detect the presence of the medium 9 and its state, such as jamming. In other words, the static elimination unit 50 holds a first detection unit 55 and a second detection unit 56 as detection units for detecting the medium 9.

[0029] ***Configuration of the guide component*** Figure 6 is a perspective view of the main unit seen from the downstream side. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the static elimination unit seen from the upstream side, with the transport direction indicated by a white arrow. The main body 41, including the guide member 3, is formed from a conductive resin. In a preferred example, the main body 41 is formed by injection molding a plastic material in which an inorganic conductor such as metal or carbon fiber is kneaded into ABS resin. However, it is not limited to ABS resin, and a conductive material in which an inorganic conductor is kneaded into a resin material having equivalent physical properties may also be used. In other words, the guide member 3 has a transport surface 3a as a conductive region that has electrical conductivity. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the main body 41 as a standalone unit, viewed from the downstream side, with the conveying direction indicated by a white arrow. As shown in Figure 6, the guide member 3 is integrally constructed with the main body 41 and extends in the conveying direction intersecting the side wall 41a. Furthermore, the guide member 3 and the side wall 41a form a foreign object storage corner.

[0030] As shown in Figure 7, a plate-shaped frame member 49 is provided on the opposite side of the guide member 3 in the main body portion 41. The frame member 49 is a metal sheet metal member and is provided along the extending direction of the main body portion 41. The frame member 49 and the guide member 3 are electrically connected by a metal connecting member 48. One end of the frame member 49 is bent and extends toward the guide member 3 to form a terminal member 51. The terminal member 51 is a metal member and is fixed to the mounting member 52 with screws. The mounting member 52 is a metal connecting member that detachably attaches the static elimination unit 50 to a support frame (not shown) inside the housing 12 (Figure 1). The mounting member 52 is provided at both ends of the static elimination unit 50 in its extending direction. Since the support frame inside the housing 12 is grounded, the main body 41, including the guide member 3, is electrically connected to the GND potential. In other words, the recording device 100 further includes a mounting member 52 that detachably holds the static elimination unit 50, which includes the guide member 3. The mounting member 52 also includes a metal member, and the transport surface 3a, which is the conductive area of ​​the guide member 3, is grounded via a terminal member 51, which is a metal member.

[0031] Making the static elimination unit 50 detachable improves maintainability. Specifically, maintenance such as replacing the static elimination brush 42, collecting foreign objects in the storage area, and cleaning the first detection unit 55 and the second detection unit 56 becomes easier.

[0032] Return to Figure 4. As described above, a cleaning blade 43 is attached to the inside of the side wall 41a of the main body 41. In a preferred example, the cleaning blade 43 is made of conductive rubber and is electrically connected to the side wall 41a via a support. In other words, the cleaning blade 43, which is the cleaning part, is conductive and is held in the main body 41 which is formed integrally with the transport surface 3a of the guide member 3, which is a conductive area. Since the cleaning blade 43 is also grounded, the blade is statically discharged, which suppresses the adhesion of foreign matter such as paper dust, allowing the static discharge brush 42 to be cleaned efficiently with a clean blade.

[0033] ***Effect Verification*** Figure 8 is a graph showing the measurement results of the number of paper dust particles adhering to the guide material due to conductivity, with the horizontal axis representing the number of tests and the vertical axis representing the number of paper dust particles. The inventors set a conventional, non-conductive, standard resin guide member 93 and the conductive guide member 3 described above in a recording device 100 and conducted an experiment to compare and measure the number of paper dust particles adhering to the nozzle surface 23a of the recording unit 22. In the experiment, the recording device 100 with the conventional guide member 93 was used to print 2000 sheets of paper as the medium 9, and the number of paper dust particles was measured afterward. Next, the recording device 100 with the conductive guide member 3 was used to print 2000 sheets of paper, and the number of paper dust particles was measured afterward. This constituted one set, and this experiment was performed in three sets.

[0034] As shown in Figure 8, in the first set of experimental results, the conventional guide member 93 produced 89 paper dust particles, while the conductive guide member 3 produced 63 paper dust particles. In the second set of experiments, the conventional guide member 93 produced 125 paper dust particles, while the conductive guide member 3 produced 49 paper dust particles. In the third set of experiments, the conventional guide member 93 produced 134 paper dust particles, while the conductive guide member 3 produced 55 paper dust particles. On average over three experiments, the number of paper dust particles was 116 with the conventional guide member 93 and 55.7 with the conductive guide member 3. Thus, it was confirmed that by making the guide member conductive, the number of paper dust particles adhering to the nozzle surface 23a of the recording unit 22 was reduced by half on average.

[0035] Figure 9 is a graph showing the measurement results of the surface potential of the paper after the guide material has been made conductive. The horizontal axis represents the number of tests, and the vertical axis represents the potential (V) of the paper surface. Next, a standard, non-conductive resin guide member 93 and the conductive guide member 3 described above were set in the recording device 100, and an experiment was conducted to compare and measure the amount of charge (V) on the surface of the paper on the conveyor belt 17 immediately after it passed over the guide member.

[0036] As shown in Figure 9, in the first set of experimental results, the paper surface potential at the conventional guide member 93 was 316V, and the paper surface potential at the conductive guide member 3 was 231V. In the second set of experiments, the paper surface potential with the conventional guide member 93 was 316V, while the paper surface potential with the conductive guide member 3 was 245V. In the third experimental set, the paper surface potential with the conventional guide member 93 was 322V, while the paper surface potential with the conductive guide member 3 was 251V. On average across three experiments, the paper surface potential with the conventional guide member 93 was 318V, while the paper surface potential with the conductive guide member 3 was 242V. Thus, by making the guide member conductive, an average reduction of approximately 76V in the paper surface potential was observed.

[0037] According to the inventors' verification results, it has been found that when the surface potential of the paper decreases, the generation of paper dust is suppressed, and large pieces of paper dust are no longer ejected. Therefore, the adhesion of foreign matter such as paper dust to the nozzle surface 23a can be reduced.

[0038] As described above, the recording device 100 of this embodiment provides the following advantages. The recording device 100 includes a recording unit 22 that performs recording by discharging liquid onto the recording surface 9a of the medium 9, a conveyor belt 17 which serves as a medium support unit that supports the medium 9 at a position opposite to the recording unit 22, and a guide member 3 which faces the recording surface 9a and guides the medium 9 onto the conveyor belt 17, the guide member 3 having a conductive region which is electrically conductive.

[0039] In a preferred example, the guide member 3 is made of a conductive resin, so the protruding portion 3b and the transport surface 3a become conductive regions. Because the guide member 3 facing the recording surface 9a of the medium 9 has a conductive region, the recording surface 9a can be destaticized. As a result, foreign matter such as paper dust scattered from the recording surface 9a is scattered in a destaticized state, making it less likely to be attracted to the recording unit 22, and thus reducing the amount of scattering. Therefore, the adhesion of foreign matter to the nozzle surface 23a of the recording unit 22 can be suppressed, which in turn leads to improved recording accuracy and suppression of nozzle clogging. Furthermore, since only the guide member 3 needs to be made conductive, there is no need to add any new components, thus avoiding an increase in the size of the device and reducing costs. In other words, there is no need to provide a dedicated paper dust capture mechanism as in conventional technology, and the adhesion of foreign matter can be suppressed with a simple configuration. Therefore, a recording device 100 can be provided that can suppress the adhesion of foreign matter with a simple configuration.

[0040] Furthermore, in the guide member 3, the transport surface 3a facing the medium 9 is a conductive region. According to this, since the transport surface 3a facing the medium 9 is a conductive region, the area where static electricity can be removed by contact with the medium 9 can be increased, and static electricity can be effectively removed.

[0041] Furthermore, the guide member 3 has a transport surface 3a facing the medium 9, and a protruding portion 3b that extends from the transport surface 3a toward the medium 9. According to this, by providing the protrusion 3b, the contact area with the medium 9 is reduced, the sliding load is suppressed, and the generation of static electricity due to friction can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the protrusion 3b, which is in easy contact with the medium 9, is a conductive region, static electricity can be effectively eliminated.

[0042] Furthermore, the guide member 3 faces the conveyor belt 17. When the medium 9 enters the conveyor belt 17, it comes into contact with the guide member 3, which easily generates static electricity due to friction. However, since the guide member 3 has a charged area, the generated static electricity can be discharged, and the adhesion of foreign matter can be suppressed more effectively. Furthermore, if the length of the conveyor belt 17 in the conveying direction is the same, the distance between the recording unit 22 and the guide member 3 is shorter in the configuration where the conveyor belt 17 and the guide member 3 face each other compared to the configuration where they do not face each other. Therefore, by discharging static electricity with the guide member 3, the possibility of the medium 9 becoming recharged afterward can be reduced, and the adhesion of paper dust can be suppressed more effectively.

[0043] Furthermore, the conveyor belt 17 is an electrostatic adsorption belt, and the recording device 100 includes a static elimination unit 50 which includes a static elimination brush 42 as a static elimination unit that eliminates static electricity from the recording surface 9a of the medium 9 supported by the conveyor belt 17, and the guide member 3 is provided integrally with the static elimination unit 50, and at least a portion of the conveyor surface 3a as a conductive area is located upstream of the static elimination brush 42 in the conveying direction of the medium 9. According to this, after being discharged by the guide member 3, the medium 9 is transported to the static elimination brush 42, where it is also discharged. As a result, the surface potential of the medium 9 immediately before it decreases, improving the static elimination efficiency. This increases the potential difference with the conveyor belt 17, allowing the medium 9 to be effectively attracted to the conveyor belt 17.

[0044] Furthermore, the static elimination brush 42, which serves as the static elimination unit, is displaceable between a static elimination position that eliminates static electricity from the recording surface 9a of the medium 9 and a retracted position that is moved away from the static elimination position. The static elimination unit 50 has a cleaning blade 43 that serves as a cleaning unit that cleans the static elimination brush 42 when displaced. The cleaning blade 43 is conductive and is held in a main body 41 that is integrally formed with the transport surface 3a of the guide member 3, which serves as a conductive area. According to this, since the cleaning blade 43 is conductive and held in a conductive area, the cleaning blade 43 is also discharged of static electricity via the main body 41. By cleaning the static elimination brush 42 with the discharged cleaning blade 43, it becomes easier to clean foreign matter adhering to the static elimination brush 42.

[0045] Furthermore, the guide member 3 is further equipped with an upstream transport section 15a for transporting the medium 9, and the upstream transport section 15a transports the medium 9 with a curved shape in which the recording surface 9a is convex. According to this, in a configuration where the upstream transport section 15a transports the recording surface 9a of the medium 9 in a curved manner outward, the convex recording surface 9a is prone to friction with the downstream guide member 3 and is prone to static charge buildup, but the conductive guide member 3 can neutralize the static charge. In other words, static charge can be reliably neutralized by bringing the recording surface 9a of the medium 9 into contact with the guide member 3.

[0046] Furthermore, the recording device 100 includes a mounting member 52 that detachably holds the static elimination unit 50, which includes the guide member 3. According to this, making the static elimination unit 50 detachable improves maintainability. Specifically, maintenance such as replacing the static elimination brush 42, collecting foreign objects in the storage area, and cleaning the first detection unit 55 and the second detection unit 56 becomes easier. Furthermore, when performing maintenance on a conventional recording device equipped with a non-conductive static elimination unit, the same effects and advantages as described above can be obtained even in a refurbished recording device by installing the static elimination unit 50 of this embodiment.

[0047] Furthermore, the static elimination unit 50 includes a first detection unit 55 and a second detection unit 56, which serve as detection units for detecting the medium 9. According to this, the detection unit can be replaced along with the static elimination unit 50.

[0048] Furthermore, the mounting member 52 includes a metal member, and the transport surface 3a, which is the conductive area of ​​the guide member 3, is grounded via the terminal member 51, which is a metal member. According to this, the guide member 3 can be grounded via the mounting member 52.

[0049] Furthermore, the guide member 3 overlaps with the recording unit 22, which records on the recording surface 9a, when viewed in the direction of transport of the medium 9. According to this, since the guide member 3 and the recording unit 22 are arranged along the transport surface 17a, the media 9 can be de-staticized by the upstream guide member 3 before printing can be performed by the recording unit 22.

[0050] Furthermore, the recording unit 22 is a line head capable of dispensing liquid across the entire width direction intersecting the transport direction of the medium 9. According to this method, the adhesion of foreign matter to the line head can be suppressed.

[0051] Embodiment 2 ***Different embodiments of conductive regions*** Figure 10 is a perspective view of the guide member according to Embodiment 2, and corresponds to Figure 5. In the above embodiment, the transport surface 3a including the protruding portion 3b of the guide member 3 was described as a conductive region, but this is not the only possible configuration. The portion that primarily contacts the medium 9 may selectively be a conductive region. Hereafter, the same parts as in the above embodiment will be given the same numbering, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0052] As shown in Figure 10, the guide member 3 of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of protrusions 3c. The protrusions 3c are conductive areas and are, for example, guide ribs made of metal such as steel or stainless steel. Note that the protrusions 3c are not limited to steel or stainless steel, but may be made of any metal with excellent conductivity and sliding properties. Alternatively, the protrusions 3c may be made of resin and have been metal-plated. Except for the material, the number and shape of the protrusions 3c are the same as those of the protrusions 3b in Embodiment 1.

[0053] A wiring 7 is provided along the follow roller 28 at the downstream end of the guide member 3. The wiring 7 is a conductive wiring material such as aluminum tape, and is electrically connected to all of the protrusions 3c. The ends of the wiring 7 are electrically connected to the mounting member 52 and grounded. In other words, the guide member 3 has a transport surface 3a facing the medium 9 and protrusions 3c that protrude from the transport surface 3a toward the medium 9, and the protrusions 3c are conductive regions.

[0054] As described above, the recording device 100 of this embodiment provides the following effects in addition to those of the above embodiment. The guide member 3 has a transport surface 3a facing the medium 9 and a protruding portion 3c that extends from the transport surface 3a toward the medium 9, with the protruding portion 3c being a conductive region. According to this, by making the protruding portion 3c that mainly contacts the medium 9 a conductive region, the contact area with the medium 9 is reduced, the sliding load is suppressed, and the generation of static electricity due to friction is suppressed, thereby effectively eliminating static electricity. Therefore, a recording device 100 can be provided that can suppress the adhesion of foreign matter with a simple configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 3... Guide member, 3a... Conveying surface, 3b... Protruding part, 3c... Protruding part, 7... Wiring, 9... Medium, 9a... Recording surface, 12... Housing, 13... Storage section, 14... Conveying path, 15... Conveying section, 15a... Upstream conveying section, 15b... Downstream conveying section, 16... Roller pair, 17... Conveying belt, 17a... Conveying surface, 17b... Back surface, 18... First pulley, 19... Second pulley, 20... Charging roller, 21... Stacker, 22... Recording section, 23... Print head, 23a... Nozzle surface, 24... Peeling section, 25... Cap, 26... Control unit, 27... Counting section, 28... 29...Rotating shaft, 30...Blade, 31...Cleaning box, 32...Cleaning section, 41...Main body, 41a...Side wall, 42...Static elimination brush, 43...Cleaning blade, 45...Rotating shaft, 46...Rear guide plate, 47...Pressing roller, 48...Connecting member, 49...Frame member, 50...Static elimination unit, 51...Terminal member, 52...Mounting member, 55...First detection unit, 56...Second detection unit, 93...Conventional guide member, 100...Recording device, P1...Recording position, P2...Separated position, Q1...Standby position, Q2...Capping position.

Claims

1. A recording unit that records by discharging liquid onto the recording surface of the medium, A media support unit that supports the media at a position opposite to the recording unit, The medium comprises a guide member that faces the recording surface of the medium and guides the medium to the medium support portion, The guide member has a conductive region which is conductive. Recording device.

2. In the guide member, the transport surface facing the medium is the conductive region. The recording device according to claim 1.

3. The guide member has a transport surface facing the medium and a projection that extends from the transport surface toward the medium. The protruding portion is the conductive region. The recording device according to claim 1.

4. The guide member faces the media support portion, A recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The media support portion is an electrostatic adsorption belt, The static elimination unit includes a static elimination unit that removes static electricity from the recording surface of the medium supported by the medium support portion, The guide member is provided integrally with the static elimination unit. At least a portion of the conductive region is located upstream of the static elimination section in the transport direction of the medium. The recording device according to claim 4.

6. The static elimination unit is displaceable between a static elimination position that eliminates static electricity from the recording surface and a retracted position that is moved away from the static elimination position. The static elimination unit has a cleaning unit that cleans the static elimination unit when it is displaced. The cleaning unit is conductive and is held in the conductive region. The recording device according to claim 5.

7. The guide member is further provided with an upstream transport section for transporting the medium, The upstream transport unit transports the medium in a curved shape in which the recording surface is convex. A recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. The system further includes a mounting member that detachably holds the aforementioned guide member. A recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. The static elimination unit, including the guide member, is further provided with a mounting member that detachably holds the unit. The recording device according to claim 5.

10. The static elimination unit holds a detection unit for detecting the medium. The recording device according to claim 9.

11. The mounting member includes a metal member, The conductive region is grounded via the metal member. The recording device according to claim 9.

12. The guide member overlaps with the recording unit that records on the recording surface when viewed in the direction of transport of the medium. A recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

13. The recording unit is a line head capable of dispensing liquid over the entire width direction intersecting the transport direction of the medium. A recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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