Printing apparatus and method for manufacturing a printing apparatus

Abstract

To suppress distortion of the rails that guide the carriage. [Solution] The printing apparatus according to the present disclosure comprises a carriage that is movable in the scanning direction, a rail that guides the carriage in the scanning direction, a support member that fixes the rail to a mounting surface, and a straightening member that has a straightening surface for straightening the mounting surface to a flat surface and is fixed to the support member with the straightening surface in contact with the back surface of the support member on the opposite side of the mounting surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a method for manufacturing the same.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet printer including a table (carriage) that moves along a rail.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Patent Document 1 shows that a support member for supporting a rail is composed of a plate-shaped member. In the case of a structure in which a rail is supported by a plate-shaped support member, the rail may be distorted due to deformation of the support member, and as a result, the printing accuracy may decrease.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to suppress distortion of a rail.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above object is a carriage movable in a scanning direction, a rail for guiding the carriage in the scanning direction, a support member for fixing the rail to an attachment surface, a correction member having a correction surface for correcting the attachment surface to a flat surface, and being fixed to the support member in a state where the correction surface is in contact with the back surface of the support member on the side opposite to the attachment surface, and a printing apparatus comprising the same.

[0007] Other features of the present invention will be revealed by the description herein. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, rail distortion can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a front view of the printing device 100. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the surrounding structure of the support member 12 and rail 51 in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the surrounding structure of the support member 12 and rail 51 in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the orthodontic member 60. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the comparison of lengths in the scanning direction. [Figure 6] Figures 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the method of fixing the rail 51 and the straightening member 60. [Figure 7] Figures 7A to 7C are explanatory diagrams of another method of fixing the rail 51 and the straightening member 60. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the surrounding structure of the support member 12 and rail 51 in the second embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram of the method for fixing the rail 51 and the straightening member 60 in the second embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram of the surrounding structure of the support member 12 and rail 51 in the third embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of a reference example. [Figure 12] Figure 12A is an explanatory diagram showing the distortion of the support member 12. Figure 12B is an explanatory diagram showing the rail 51 attached to the distorted support member 12. Figure 12C is an explanatory diagram showing the effect of the distortion on the rail 51. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] ===Embodiment=== <Configuration> FIG. 1 is a front view of the printing apparatus 100.

[0011] In the following description, the direction in which the carriage 21 moves is referred to as the "scanning direction". The scanning direction may also be referred to as the "left - right direction", "width direction", "main scanning direction", etc. When viewed from the operator who operates the printing apparatus 100, the right side is defined as "right" and the left side is defined as "left". Also, the vertical direction is referred to as the "up - down direction". Further, the direction perpendicular to the left - right direction and the up - down direction (the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1) is referred to as the "front - back direction". Note that when viewed from the printing apparatus 100, the side of the operator is defined as "front" and the opposite side is defined as "back".

[0012] The printing apparatus 100 is an apparatus for performing printing on a medium M. The medium M is, for example, paper. However, the medium M is not limited to paper and may be composed of a resin material (such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyester), cloth, metal plate, glass plate, wood plate, cardboard, etc. The medium M may be a roll material (such as roll paper or cloth) wound in a roll shape or a thick paper or plate material formed in a sheet shape.

[0013] The printing apparatus 100 includes a base member 10, a carriage unit 20, a conveyance unit 30, and a head 40.

[0014] The base member 10 is a member that constitutes the framework (base) of the printing apparatus 100. The base member 10 supports other components that make up the printing apparatus 100. The base member 10 is provided with a platen 11, a support member 12, etc. The platen 11 is a member for placing the medium M in the printing area. The platen 11 has a placement surface for placing the medium M, and is fixed to the base member 10 so that the placement surface is parallel to the scanning direction and the front - back direction. The support member 12 is a member for fixing a rail 51 that guides the carriage 21 in the scanning direction, and is supported by the base member 10. The support member 12 and the rail 51 will be described later.

[0015] The carriage unit 20 moves the carriage 21 in the scanning direction. The carriage unit 20 includes a carriage 21, a carriage motor 22, and a transmission mechanism 23. The carriage 21 mounts the head 40 and is reciprocally movable along the scanning direction. The carriage 21 is guided in the scanning direction by a rail 51 provided on the support member 12. The carriage motor 22 is a motor for moving the carriage 21. The transmission mechanism 23 is a mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the carriage motor 22 to the carriage 21 and is composed of a pulley 23A and a belt 23B.

[0016] The conveyance unit 30 conveys the medium M. The conveyance unit 30 includes a conveyance member 31 and a conveyance motor 32. The conveyance member 31 here has conveyance rollers 31A and pinch rollers 31B. The conveyance motor 32 is a motor for rotating the conveyance member 31 (here, the conveyance roller 31A). When the conveyance motor 32 rotates the conveyance roller 31A with the medium M sandwiched between the conveyance roller 31A and the pinch roller 31B, the medium M is conveyed in the conveyance direction.

[0017] The head 40 discharges ink. The head 40 is mounted on the carriage 21 and is movable in the scanning direction together with the carriage 21. A plurality of nozzle rows are provided on the lower surface of the head 40. The region where ink is discharged onto the medium M may be referred to as the "printing region". The printing region is the region facing the nozzle rows of the head 40. One or more heads 40 are mounted on the carriage 21.

[0018] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a reference example. In the figure, the peripheral structure of the support member 12 and the rail 51 is shown.

[0019] The support member 12 and the rail 51 are provided along the scanning direction. The rail 51 is a member for guiding the carriage 21 in the scanning direction and is fixed to the support member 12. A slider 52 that engages with the rail 51 is fixed to the carriage 21. The slider 52 is a member that can move along the rail 51 while engaged with the rail 51. The rail 51 and the slider 52 constitute the linear motion mechanism 50. By providing the slider 52 on the carriage 21, the carriage 21 is guided in the scanning direction by the rail 51.

[0020] Figure 12A is an explanatory diagram showing the distortion of the support member 12. Figure 12B is an explanatory diagram showing the rail 51 attached to the distorted support member 12. Figure 12C is an explanatory diagram showing the effect of the distortion on the rail 51.

[0021] The support member 12 is made of a metal plate-shaped member (sheet metal member). Since the support member 12 is a member that is long in the scanning direction over the movement range of the carriage 21, if the support member 12 is made of thin sheet metal, the mounting surface 151 to which the rail 51 is attached may be distorted, as shown in Figure 12A. In the figure, the support member 12 is deformed so that the mounting surface 151 becomes convex, but the support member 12 may also be deformed so that the mounting surface 151 becomes concave, or so that the mounting surface 151 becomes wavy. As shown in Figure 12B, attaching the rail 51 to the distorted mounting surface 151 of the support member 12 may cause the rail 51 to be distorted. If the rail 51 is distorted, as shown in Figure 12C, the trajectory of the carriage 21 (and head 40) will be distorted, and as a result, the landing position (dot position) of the ink ejected from the head 40 may be shifted, which may reduce printing accuracy.

[0022] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the surrounding structure of the support member 12 and rail 51 in the first embodiment. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the surrounding structure of the support member 12 and rail 51 in the first embodiment.

[0023] The support member 12 is made of a metal plate-shaped member (sheet metal member), similar to the comparative example. The support member 12 is made by bending a metal plate-shaped member, and in this case, it has an upper plate portion 13, a lower plate portion 14, and a front plate portion 15. The upper plate portion 13 is a plate-shaped part that constitutes the upper surface of the support member 12. The lower plate portion 14 is a plate-shaped part that constitutes the lower surface of the support member 12. The front plate portion 15 is a plate-shaped part that constitutes the front surface of the support member 12.

[0024] The support member 12 has a mounting surface 151 for attaching the rail 51. Here, the front surface of the front plate portion 15 of the support member 12 is the mounting surface 151. The rail 51 is attached to the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12. The plate-shaped portion having the mounting surface 151 is sometimes called the mounting plate portion. Here, the front plate portion 15 is the mounting plate portion, but the upper plate portion 13 or the lower plate portion 14 may also be the mounting plate portion.

[0025] In this embodiment, the support member 12 is provided with a straightening member 60. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the straightening member 60.

[0026] The straightening member 60 is a member used to straighten the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12 so that it becomes closer to a flat surface. The straightening member 60 is a metal columnar member (rectangular columnar member). The straightening member 60 has an elongated shape along the scanning direction. The straightening member 60 is made of a material that is thicker than the plate thickness of the front plate portion 15 (mounting plate portion) of the support member 12, and has higher bending rigidity than the front plate portion 15 of the support member 12. The straightening member 60 has a straightening surface 61 that is configured to have high flatness. The straightening surface 61 is a surface used to straighten the mounting surface 151 so that it becomes closer to a flat surface, and is a contact surface that comes into contact with the back surface 152 of the mounting surface 151 (in this case, the back surface of the front plate portion 15). The straightening surface 61 is formed by machining in order to achieve high flatness. The straightening surface 61 has screw holes 61A (female threads) formed therein for attaching the straightening member 60 to the support member 12. Multiple screw holes 61A are arranged in a row along the scanning direction on the orthodontic surface 61.

[0027] The straightening member 60 is fixed to the support member 12 with its straightening surface 61 in contact with the back surface 152 (in this case, the rear surface of the front plate portion 15) opposite to the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12. As a result, the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12 is straightened to a flat surface by the straightening surface 61 of the straightening member 60. By straightening the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12 to a flat surface, the rail 51 can be positioned straight. By positioning the rail 51 straight, the trajectory of the carriage 21 (and head 40) becomes straight along the scanning direction, which suppresses deviations in the ink landing position (dot position) and improves printing accuracy.

[0028] The rail 51 is fixed to the mounting surface 151 such that the front plate portion 15 (mounting plate portion) is sandwiched between it and the straightening member 60. This allows the rail 51 to be attached to the mounting surface 151 which has been flattened by the straightening member 60, and the rail 51 can be positioned straight.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, the width W of the straightening surface 61 (the vertical dimension; the dimension in the direction parallel to the mounting surface 151 and perpendicular to the scanning direction) is wider than the width Wr of the rail 51. This allows the straightening member 60 to be placed on all of the back surfaces 152 of the area in contact with the rail 51, making it possible to straighten the entire area in contact with the rail 51 to a flat surface using the straightening member 60. However, as will be described later, it is not necessary to place the straightening member 60 on all of the back surfaces 152 of the area in contact with the rail 51.

[0030] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the comparison of lengths in the scanning direction. In the diagram, L indicates the scanning dimension (length) of the straightening member 60. Lp indicates the scanning dimension of the platen 11. Lc indicates the length of the movement range of the carriage 21 in the scanning direction. Lr indicates the scanning dimension of the rail 51. Ls indicates the scanning dimension of the support member 12.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5, the dimension L in the scanning direction of the correction member 60 is longer than the dimension Lp in the scanning direction of the platen 11 (L>Lp). Since the platen 11 is a member that supports the medium M in the printing area, by making the dimension L of the correction member 60 longer than the dimension Lp of the platen 11, the trajectory of the carriage 21 in the printing area can be straightened, and the printing accuracy can be improved.

[0032] Also, the dimension L in the scanning direction of the correction member 60 is shorter than the length Lc of the movement range of the carriage 21 (L<Lc). Although the dimension L of the correction member 60 in the scanning direction may be made longer than the length Lc of the movement range of the carriage 21, in this case, the manufacturing cost of the correction member 60 will increase. On the other hand, by making the dimension L of the correction member 60 shorter than the length Lc of the movement range of the carriage 21, the manufacturing cost of the correction member 60 can be suppressed. Since there is no influence on the printing accuracy even if the trajectory of the carriage 21 is distorted outside the scanning direction compared to the platen 11, it is allowed that the dimension L of the correction member 60 is shorter than the length Lc of the movement range of the carriage 21.

[0033] Similarly, the dimension L in the scanning direction of the correction member 60 is shorter than the dimension Lr in the scanning direction of the rail 51 (L<Lr). Although the dimension L of the correction member 60 in the scanning direction may be made longer than the dimension Lr of the rail 51, by making the dimension L of the correction member 60 shorter than the dimension Lr of the rail 51, the manufacturing cost of the correction member 60 can be suppressed. Since there is no influence on the printing accuracy even if the trajectory of the carriage 21 is distorted outside the scanning direction compared to the platen 11, it is allowed that the dimension L of the correction member 60 is shorter than the dimension Lr of the rail 51.

[0034] Since the dimension Lr of the rail 51 is longer than the length Lc of the movement range of the carriage 21 (Lr > Lc), when the dimension L of the correction member 60 is shorter than the length Lc of the movement range of the carriage 21, the dimension L of the correction member 60 becomes shorter than the dimension Lr of the rail 51 (L < Lr). Similarly, since the dimension Ls of the support member 12 in the scanning direction is longer than the dimension Lr of the rail 51 in the scanning direction (Ls > Lr), when the dimension L of the correction member 60 is shorter than the dimension Lr of the rail 51, the dimension L of the correction member 60 becomes shorter than the dimension Ls of the support member 12 (L < Ls).

[0035] Figures 6A and 6B are explanatory views of the fixing method of the rail 51 and the correction member 60. Figure 6A is an explanatory view showing the state before the rail 51 and the correction member 60 are fixed. Figure 6B is an explanatory view showing the state in which the rail 51 and the correction member 60 are fixed. Note that the fixing of the rail 51 and the correction member 60 will be performed as part of the manufacturing process of the printing apparatus 100.

[0036] First, the rail 51, the support member 12, and the correction member 60 are to be prepared. A screw hole 61A (female screw) is provided in the correction surface 61 of the correction member 60. A through hole 15A for inserting a fixing screw 70 is provided in the front plate portion 15 of the support member 12. A countersunk hole 51A is provided in the rail 51.

[0037] As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the rail 51 and the correction member 60 are fixed to the support member 12 by a common fixing screw 70. That is, the rail 51 and the correction member 60 are fixed to the support member 12 by being fastened together. Thereby, while correcting the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12 to be flat by the correction surface 61 of the correction member 60, the rail 51 can be fixed to the mounting surface 151 corrected to be flat. Note that the fixing method of the rail 51 and the correction member 60 is not limited to being fastened together.

[0038] Figures 7A to 7C are explanatory diagrams illustrating an alternative method of fixing the rail 51 and the straightening member 60. Figure 7A is an explanatory diagram showing the state before the straightening member 60 is fixed to the support member 12. Figure 7B is an explanatory diagram showing the state after the straightening member 60 has been fixed to the support member 12 but before the rail 51 is fixed to the support member 12. Figure 7C is an explanatory diagram showing the state after the rail 51 and the straightening member 60 have been fixed.

[0039] The straightening surface 61 of the straightening member 60 is provided with a screw hole 61A (female thread) and a recess 61B. The screw hole 61A of the straightening member 60 is a female thread that engages with the threaded portion (male thread) of the first fixing screw 70A. The recess 61B is a concave portion (relief portion) to prevent the end of the second fixing screw 70B from interfering with the straightening member 60. The front plate portion 15 of the support member 12 is provided with a through hole 15A and a screw hole 15B (female thread). The through hole 15A of the support member 12 is a hole for inserting the first fixing screw 70A. The screw hole 15B of the support member 12 is a female thread for fastening the second fixing screw 70B. The rail 51 is provided with a counterbore hole 51A and a hole 51B. The counterbore hole 51A is a through hole for inserting the second fixing screw 70B without the head of the second fixing screw 70B protruding from the surface of the rail 51. Hole 51B is a hole that prevents the head of the first fixing screw 70A from interfering with the rail 51. Here, hole 51B is a through hole, but it may also be a concave recess that does not go all the way through.

[0040] As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the straightening member 60 is fixed to the support member 12 by the first fixing screw 70A. This allows the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12 to be straightened to a flat surface by the straightening surface 61 of the straightening member 60. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 7B and 7C, the rail 51 is fixed to the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12 by the second fixing screw 70B. This allows the rail 51 to be fixed to the mounting surface 151 that has been straightened to a flat surface by the straightening member 60.

[0041] As shown in Figures 7A to 7C, the method of fixing the rail 51 and the straightening member 60 is not limited to fastening them together; they may also be fixed to the support member 12 with separate fixing screws 70A and 70B. As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, when the rail 51 and the straightening member 60 are fixed with a common fixing screw 70, the structure of each component can be simplified and the number of fixing steps can be reduced. On the other hand, as shown in Figures 7A to 7C, when the rail 51 and the straightening member 60 are fixed to the support member 12 with separate fixing screws 70A and 70B, the structure allows the rail 51 and the straightening member 60 to be removed individually from the support member 12.

[0042] ===Second Embodiment=== Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the surrounding structure of the support member 12 and rail 51 in the second embodiment. The support member 12 and rail 51 in the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, so their explanation is omitted here.

[0043] In the second embodiment as well, the straightening member 60 is fixed to the support member 12 with its straightening surface 61 in contact with the back surface 152 (in this case, the rear surface of the front plate portion 15) on the side opposite to the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12. In the first embodiment described above, as shown in Figure 3, the width W (vertical dimension) of the straightening surface 61 was wider than the width Wr of the rail 51, whereas in the second embodiment, the width W of the straightening surface 61 is narrower than the width Wr of the rail 51 (see Figure 9). In the second embodiment, since the straightening surface 61, which requires high flatness, is narrower than in the first embodiment, the manufacturing cost of the straightening member 60 can be reduced compared to the first embodiment.

[0044] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram of the method for fixing the rail 51 and the straightening member 60 in the second embodiment. The figure shows the jig 80 positioned together with the straightening member 60 on the back surface 152 of the front plate portion 15 of the support member 12.

[0045] The jig 80 is a component that assists in correcting the flatness of the mounting surface 151 by the straightening member 60. The jig 80 is removed from the support member 12 after the straightening member 60 and the rail 51 have been fixed to the support member 12.

[0046] The jig 80 has a columnar metal member. The jig 80 has an elongated shape in the scanning direction (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 9). The jig 80 has a length (dimension in the scanning direction) that is about the same as that of the straightening member 60. The jig 80 is made of a member that is thicker than the thickness of the front plate portion 15 (mounting plate portion) of the support member 12, and has higher bending rigidity than the front plate portion 15 (mounting plate portion) of the support member 12. The jig 80 has an auxiliary straightening surface 81 that is configured to have high flatness. The auxiliary straightening surface 81 is a surface that straightens the mounting surface 151 to be as close to a plane as possible, similar to the straightening surface 61 of the straightening member 60, and is a contact surface that comes into contact with the back surface 152 of the mounting surface 151 (in this case, the back surface of the front plate portion 15). The auxiliary straightening surface 81 is formed by machining in order to achieve high flatness. The figure shows the straightening member 60 being placed between a pair of jigs 80, but one jig 80 may be used. The jig 80 is positioned such that its auxiliary straightening surface 81 is on the same plane as the straightening surface 61 of the straightening member 60. In the figure, the auxiliary straightening surface 81 of the jig 80 and the straightening surface 61 of the straightening member 60 are shown as continuous, but a gap may be formed between the auxiliary straightening surface 81 of the jig 80 and the straightening surface 61 of the straightening member 60.

[0047] In the second embodiment, because the width W of the straightening member 60 is narrow, it is not possible to bring the straightening surface 61 of the straightening member 60 into contact with all of the back surfaces 152 of the area that contacts the rail 51. However, by bringing the auxiliary straightening surface 81 of the jig 80 into contact with a portion of the back surface 152 of the area that contacts the rail 51, it is possible to bring the straightening surface 61 or the auxiliary straightening surface 81 into contact with all of the back surfaces 152 of the area that contacts the rail 51. This makes it possible to straighten the entire area that contacts the rail 51 to a flat surface using the straightening member 60 and the jig 80.

[0048] In the second embodiment, the rail 51 (and the straightening member 60) is fixed to the support member 12 with the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12 straightened to a flat surface by the straightening member 60 and the jig 80. This allows the rail 51 to be positioned straight. Alternatively, the rail 51 and the straightening member 60 may be fixed to the support member 12 with a common fixing screw 70 with the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12 straightened to a flat surface by the straightening member 60 and the jig 80 (see Figures 6A and 6B), or the rail 51 may be fixed to the support member 12 after the straightening member 60 has been fixed to the support member 12 (see Figures 7A to 7C).

[0049] In the second embodiment, after the rail 51 and the straightening member 60 are fixed to the support member 12, the jig 80 that straightened the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12 to a flat surface is removed. However, since the rail 51 is already fixed straight to the support member 12 at the stage when the jig 80 is removed, the rail 51 remains fixed straight even after the jig 80 is removed. Furthermore, even after the jig 80 is removed, the straightening member 60 remains fixed to the support member 12, so the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12 is kept flat and the rail 51 remains fixed straight.

[0050] ===Third Implementation Method=== Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram of the surrounding structure of the support member 12 and rail 51 in the third embodiment. The rail 51 and straightening member 60 in the third embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, so their explanation is omitted here.

[0051] In the third embodiment as well, the support member 12 is made of a metal plate-shaped member (sheet metal member). Also in the third embodiment as well, the support member 12 has a mounting surface 151 for attaching the rail 51, and the front surface of the front plate portion 15 (mounting plate portion) of the support member 12 is the mounting surface 151, and the rail 51 is attached to the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12.

[0052] In the third embodiment, a slit 16 is formed in the front plate portion 15 (mounting plate portion) of the support member 12. The slit 16 is a cut along the vertical direction (parallel to the mounting surface 151 and perpendicular to the scanning direction) and is a gap that penetrates the front plate portion 15 (mounting plate portion) of the support member 12 in the thickness direction. Multiple slits 16 are formed in the front plate portion 15 (mounting plate portion) of the support member 12. The multiple slits 16 are arranged side by side in the scanning direction. The arrangement of the multiple slits 16 side by side in the scanning direction reduces the bending rigidity of the front plate portion 15 (mounting plate portion) of the support member 12.

[0053] The straightening member 60 is positioned so as to straddle the slit 16 in the scanning direction. The rail 51 is also positioned so as to straddle the slit 16 in the scanning direction. The counterbore hole 51A of the rail 51 is located between the slits 16 in the scanning direction.

[0054] In the third embodiment as well, the straightening member 60 is fixed to the support member 12 with its straightening surface 61 in contact with the back surface 152 (in this case, the rear surface of the front plate portion 15) on the side opposite to the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12. The front plate portion 15 (mounting plate portion) and a part of the slit 16 are sandwiched between the rail 51 and the straightening member 60.

[0055] In the third embodiment as well, the straightening member 60 is fixed to the support member 12 with its straightening surface 61 in contact with the back surface 152 (in this case, the rear surface of the front plate portion 15) on the side opposite to the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12. In the third embodiment, compared to the first embodiment, the bending rigidity of the front plate portion 15 (mounting plate portion) of the support member 12 is lower, so the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12 is more easily straightened to a flat surface by the straightening surface 61 of the straightening member 60.

[0056] ===Summary=== The printing apparatus 100 described above comprises a carriage 21, a rail 51, a support member 12, and a straightening member 60. The straightening member 60 has a straightening surface 61 that straightens the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12 into a flat surface. The straightening member 60 is fixed to the support member 12 with its straightening surface 61 in contact with the back surface 152 of the support member 12 on the side opposite to the mounting surface 151 (see Figures 2, 3, 6B, 7C, 8, and 10). This suppresses distortion of the rail 51 and improves printing accuracy.

[0057] The straightening surface 61 of the straightening member 60 is formed by machining. This makes it possible to create a straightening surface 61 with high flatness. However, if the straightening surface 61 can be formed with high flatness, it does not have to be formed by machining.

[0058] As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, it is preferable that the rail 51 and the straightening member 60 are fixed to the support member 12 with a common fixing screw 70. This simplifies the structure of each member and reduces the number of fixing steps. Alternatively, as shown in Figures 7A to 7C, the rail 51 and the straightening member 60 may be fixed to the support member 12 with separate fixing screws 70A and 70B, respectively.

[0059] As shown in Figure 3, it is desirable that the width W of the straightening surface 61 be wider than the width Wr of the rail 51. This makes it possible to straighten the entire area in contact with the rail 51 to a flat surface using the straightening member 60. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 9, the width W of the straightening surface 61 may be narrower than the width Wr of the rail 51. This can reduce the manufacturing cost of the straightening member 60.

[0060] As shown in Figure 5, it is desirable that the scanning dimension L of the straightening member 60 is longer than the scanning dimension Lp of the platen 11. This suppresses distortion of the carriage 21's trajectory in the printing area and improves printing accuracy. However, the dimension L of the straightening member 60 may be shorter than the Lp of the platen 11.

[0061] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, it is desirable that the scanning dimension L of the straightening member 60 is shorter than the scanning dimension Lr of the rail 51. This helps to reduce the manufacturing cost of the straightening member 60.

[0062] As shown in Figure 10, it is desirable that the support member 12 has multiple slits 16 in the scanning direction, parallel to the mounting surface 151 and perpendicular to the scanning direction (up and down direction in Figure 10). The slits 16 can reduce the rigidity of the support member 12, making it easier for the mounting surface 151 of the support member 12 to be corrected to a flat surface by the correcting surface 61 of the correcting member 60. However, as shown in Figures 2 and 8, the support member 12 does not necessarily have to have slits 16.

[0063] In the manufacturing method of the printing apparatus 100 described above, the steps of preparing the rail 51, support member 12 and straightening member 60 are performed, and the rail 51 and straightening member 60 are fixed to the support member 12 with the straightening surface 61 of the straightening member 60 in contact with the back surface 152 of the support member 12 (see Figures 6A, 6B, 7A-7C, and 9). This makes it possible to suppress distortion of the rail 51 and improve printing accuracy.

[0064] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 9, the rail 51 and the straightening member 60 may be fixed to the support member 12 with the straightening surface 61 of the straightening member 60 and the auxiliary straightening surface 81 of the jig 80 in contact with the back surface 152 of the support member 12, and the jig 80 may be removed after the straightening member 60 has been fixed to the support member 12. In this way, distortion of the rail 51 can be suppressed and printing accuracy can be improved. In this case, it is desirable that the width W of the straightening surface 61 is narrower than the width Wr of the rail 51 (see Figure 9). This can reduce the manufacturing cost of the straightening member 60.

[0065] ===Other Embodiments=== The above embodiments are presented as examples and do not limit the scope of the invention. The above configurations can be combined as appropriate, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10 Base member, 11 Platen, 12 Support member, 13 Upper plate section, 14 Lower plate section, 15 Front panel (mounting plate), 151 Mounting surface, 152 Back surface, 15A Through hole, 15B Screw hole, 16 Slit, 20 Carriage unit, 21 Carriage, 22 Carriage motor, 23 Transmission mechanism, 23A Pulley, 23B Belt, 30 Conveying unit, 31 Conveying member, 31A Conveyor roller, 31B Pinch roller, 32 Conveyor motor, 40 heads, 50 linear motion mechanisms, 51 Rail, 51A Counterbore hole, 51B Hole, 52 sliders, 60 Orthodontic member, 61 Orthodontic surface, 61A Screw hole, 61B Recess, 70 Fixing screw, 70A First fixing screw, 70B Second fixing screw, 80 Jig, 81 Auxiliary orthodontic surface, 100 Printing device, M media

Claims

1. A carriage that can move in the scanning direction, A rail that guides the carriage in the scanning direction, A support member for fixing the rail to the mounting surface, A straightening member having a straightening surface for straightening the mounting surface to a flat surface, and fixed to the support member with the straightening surface in contact with the back surface of the support member opposite to the mounting surface, A printing device equipped with the following features.

2. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, The printing apparatus is characterized in that the straightened surface is formed by cutting.

3. A printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, A printing apparatus characterized in that the rail and the straightening member are fixed to the support member with a common fixing screw.

4. A printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, A printing apparatus characterized in that the width of the straightening surface is wider than the width of the rail.

5. A printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, A printing apparatus characterized in that the width of the straightening surface is narrower than the width of the rail.

6. A printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, It is equipped with a platen to support the medium in the printing area. A printing apparatus characterized in that the dimension of the straightening member in the scanning direction is longer than the dimension of the platen in the scanning direction.

7. A printing apparatus according to claim 6, A printing apparatus characterized in that the dimension of the straightening member in the scanning direction is shorter than the dimension of the rail in the scanning direction.

8. A printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, The printing apparatus is characterized in that the support member is provided with a plurality of slits in a direction parallel to the mounting surface and perpendicular to the scanning direction, along the scanning direction.

9. Prepare a rail for guiding the carriage in the scanning direction, a support member having a mounting surface for fixing the rail, and a straightening member having a straightening surface for straightening the mounting surface to a flat surface. The rail and the straightening member are fixed to the support member with the straightening surface in contact with the back surface of the support member opposite to the mounting surface. A method for manufacturing a printing apparatus, characterized by the following:

10. A manufacturing method according to claim 9, A manufacturing method characterized by fixing the rail and the straightening member to the support member using a common fixing screw.

11. A manufacturing method according to claim 9 or 10, The straightening member is fixed to the support member with the straightening surface of the straightening member and the auxiliary straightening surface of the jig in contact with the back surface of the support member. A manufacturing method characterized by removing the jig after fixing the corrective member to the support member.

12. A manufacturing method according to claim 11, A manufacturing method characterized in that the width of the corrective surface is narrower than the width of the rail.

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