Image recording device

Abstract

To facilitate the removal and installation of the head unit. [Solution] The printer includes a head unit 2 including a head 20 and a moving mechanism for moving the head unit 2. The head unit 2 has a joint member 35 to which an ink tube that supplies ink to the head 20 is connected. The moving mechanism has a plurality of pulleys, a belt 15 stretched across the plurality of pulleys, and a belt fixing part 70 fixed to the belt 15. The head unit 2 is detachable from the belt fixing part 70 and is connected to the belt 15 via the belt fixing part 70 when mounted on the belt fixing part 70.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an image recording apparatus including a head unit configured to record an image. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an inkjet printer including a carriage-integrated head and a timing belt that moves the carriage-integrated head. A forward / reverse motor is connected to the timing belt via a timing pulley. The carriage-integrated head has a belt attaching portion on a side surface for fixing the timing belt thereto. The timing belt moves the carriage-integrated head by driving of the forward / reverse motor. [[Prior Art Literature]] [[Patent Literature]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Patent No. 2960383 [[Summary of Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by Invention]]

[0004] The belt attaching portion described in the above Patent Document 1 is formed on the side surface of the carriage-integrated head. Therefore, when attaching and detaching the carriage-integrated head to and from a moving mechanism including the timing belt and the timing pulley, an operation of detaching the belt attaching portion from the timing belt and an operation of attaching the timing belt to the belt attaching portion are required. In the detaching operation, it is necessary to loosen the timing belt and then remove the timing belt from the timing pulley. In the attaching operation, it is necessary to adjust the tension of the timing belt after attaching the timing belt to the belt attaching portion. Therefore, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the attaching and detaching operation of the carriage-integrated head becomes complicated.

[0005] Therefore, the object of this disclosure is to provide an image recording device that facilitates the attachment and detachment of the head unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image recording apparatus disclosed herein comprises a head unit including a head for recording images, and a moving mechanism for moving the head unit. The head unit has a joint member connected to a supply pipe that supplies recording material to the head. The moving mechanism has a plurality of pulleys, a belt stretched across the plurality of pulleys, and a belt fixing portion fixed to the belt. The head unit is detachable from the belt fixing portion and, when mounted on the belt fixing portion, is connected to the belt via the belt fixing portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the image recording device disclosed herein, when attaching or detaching the head unit from the moving mechanism, the head unit only needs to be attached to and detached from the belt fixing part. Therefore, there is no need to loosen the belt and remove it from the pulley or to attach the belt to the belt fixing part and then adjust the belt tension. As a result, the attachment and detachment of the head unit can be made easier. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a printer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the head unit. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a printer. [Figure 4] (a) is a perspective view showing the head unit shown in Figure 2 with the cover, wiring components, and ink tubes removed, and (b) is a perspective view of the head unit shown in Figure 4(a) viewed from diagonally below. [Figure 5] This is a schematic cross-sectional view relating to a vertical plane perpendicular to the left-right direction at the rear portion of the head unit. [Figure 6] (a) is a plan view of the joint member, and (b) is a diagram showing the joint member shown in Figure 6(a) in a state where it is pressed by the fixing member. [Figure 7] This is a plan view of the head. [Figure 8] (a) is a perspective view of the connector and guide member supported on the control board, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing the connector supported on the control board and the connector supported on the relay board mated together. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view along the line IX-IX shown in Figure 4. [Figure 10] (a) is a plan view of the fixing member, and (b) is a cross-sectional view along line XX shown in Figure 10(a). [Figure 11] (a) is a perspective view of the belt fixing part, and (b) is a perspective view of the belt fixing part shown in Figure 11(a) from a diagonal downward angle. [Figure 12] (a) is a perspective view of the cover seen from diagonally below, and (b) is a bottom view of the cover. [Figure 13] (a) is a perspective view showing the head unit shown in Figure 4(a) with the fixing member released, and (b) is a perspective view of the head unit shown in Figure 13(a) viewed from diagonally below. [Figure 14] This is a plan view showing the head unit removed from the moving mechanism shown in Figure 1. [Figure 15] In the cross-sectional view along the line XV-XV shown in Figure 1, cover 3 is omitted. [Figure 16] In the cross-sectional view along the line XVI-XVI shown in Figure 1, cover 3 is omitted. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] <Overall printer configuration> As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 12, a printer 1 according to the present embodiment includes a head unit 2, a cover 3, a moving mechanism 4, a platen 5, a conveying mechanism 6, four ink tubes 7, a wiring member 8, a relay substrate 9, a control unit 80, and a housing 1A. As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 1A accommodates the above-mentioned components such as the head unit 2, the cover 3, the moving mechanism 4, the platen 5, and the conveying mechanism 6.

[0010] The printer 1 is installed and used in the state shown in FIG. 1. The lower side in FIG. 1 is the front side, and the upper side in FIG. 1 is the rear side. The direction perpendicular to the paper plane in FIG. 1 is the vertical direction. The left-right direction is a direction when the printer 1 is viewed from the front. The vertical direction in the present embodiment is the vertical direction in terms of gravity. The left-right direction and the front-rear direction are horizontal directions orthogonal to the vertical direction. The printer 1 corresponds to the "image recording apparatus" of the present disclosure.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 14, the moving mechanism 4 includes two guide rails 13, 14, a belt 15, and four pulleys 16A to 16D. The two guide rails 13, 14 extend parallel to each other along the left-right direction. Further, the two guide rails 13, 14 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction.

[0012] The four pulleys 16A to 16D are arranged on the upper surface of the guide rail 14. Among the four pulleys 16A to 16D, three pulleys 16A to 16C are arranged at the right end of the guide rail 14. The remaining pulley 16D is arranged at the left end of the guide rail 14, as shown in FIG. 14. The belt 15 has an annular shape and is stretched around the four pulleys 16A to 16D.

[0013] Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the moving mechanism 4 has a belt fixing portion 70. The belt fixing portion 70 is fixed between the two pulleys 16C, 16D of the belt 15. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the moving mechanism 4 has a moving motor 4M. The moving motor 4M is driven by the control unit 80 to rotate the pulley 16B. As a result, the belt 15 travels and the belt fixing portion 70 moves in the left-right direction.

[0014] The head unit 2 is detachably attached to the belt fixing portion 70. Accordingly, when the belt fixing portion 70 moves in the left-right direction, the head unit 2 also moves in the left-right direction. The left-right direction is the scanning direction of the head unit 2. The left-right direction in the present embodiment corresponds to the "moving direction" of the present disclosure.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 4, the head unit 2 includes a head 20. The head 20 has a nozzle surface 20A on which a plurality of nozzles 23 are arranged. The nozzle surface 20A is a lower surface of the head 20. Details of the head unit 2 including the head 20 will be described later.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the platen 5 extends in the left-right direction and supports a sheet S from below. The width of the platen 5 in the left-right direction is larger than the width of the sheet S in the left-right direction. The platen 5 is disposed below the head 20 and is disposed so as to be able to face the plurality of nozzles 23.

[0017] The conveyance mechanism 6 includes a first conveyance roller portion 6A and a second conveyance roller portion 6B. The first conveyance roller portion 6A is disposed rearward of the platen 5. The first conveyance roller portion 6A has two conveyance rollers 6A1. The two conveyance rollers 6A1 are arranged vertically side by side such that their rotation axes are parallel to the left-right direction and can sandwich the sheet S therebetween.

[0018] The second conveyance roller portion 6B is disposed forward of the platen 5. The second conveyance roller portion 6B has two conveyance rollers 6B1. The two conveyance rollers 6B1 are arranged vertically side by side such that their rotation axes are parallel to the left-right direction and can sandwich the sheet S therebetween.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the conveyance mechanism 6 includes a conveyance motor 6M. The conveyance motor 6M is driven under the control of a control unit 80 to rotate the conveyance rollers 6A1 and 6B1 via a transmission mechanism. Accordingly, the sheet S is conveyed in a conveyance direction directed from the rear toward the front.

[0020] Printer 1 includes a cartridge holder 10, as shown in Figure 1. Four ink cartridges 11A to 11D are removablely mounted in the cartridge holder 10. The four ink cartridges 11A to 11D are arranged in a left-to-right direction and store yellow, cyan, magenta, and black inks in that order from left to right. The inks in this embodiment correspond to the “recording material” in this disclosure.

[0021] One end of each of the four ink tubes 7 is connected to four ink cartridges 11A to 11D mounted in a cartridge holder 10. The other ends of the four ink tubes 7 are connected to a joint member 35 included in the head unit 2. The four ink tubes 7 are flexible and extend in a long length in the left-right direction. The four ink tubes 7 are also arranged within the housing 1A so as to be able to follow the movement of the head unit 2 in the scanning direction. The ink tubes in this embodiment correspond to the "supply tubes" of this disclosure.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 13(a), the wiring member 8 connects the control board 45 included in the head unit 2 to the control unit 80. The wiring member 8 is flexible and extends in a long length from left to right in the front part of the housing 1A. This allows the wiring member 8 to follow the movement of the head unit 2 in the scanning direction. The wiring member 8 is also routed in a complex manner from front to back within the housing 1A. In this embodiment, the wiring member 8 is a flexible flat cable. However, the wiring member 8 may be composed of other wiring members as long as they are flexible.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, cover 3 is detachably positioned to cover the front portion of the head unit 2 from the central to the front-to-back direction. Cover 3 holds the relay board 9, which will be described later, and the wiring member 8 connected to the relay board 9. Cover 3 also covers the connection portion between the wiring member 8 and the control board 45, and the connection portion between the four ink tubes 7 and the joint member 35. Further details of cover 3 will be described later.

[0024] Printer 1 has a linear encoder 90, as shown in Figure 1. The linear encoder 90 has an encoder strip 91 and a sensor 92, which will be described later. The encoder strip 91 is arranged on a guide rail 14 and extends left and right along a belt 15. The encoder strip 91 has a scale consisting of a light-transmitting portion and a light-blocking portion. The encoder strip 91 corresponds to the "encoder scale" in this disclosure.

[0025] Sensor 92 is a transmissive photosensor and is attached to the carriage 40 (described later) via a control board 45, as shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b). Sensor 92 is positioned opposite the encoder strip 91 of the carriage 40 in the vertical direction.

[0026] As shown in Figures 4(b) and 13(b), the sensor 92 has an inverted U-shape that opens downwards. The sensor 92 includes two legs 92A and 92B that are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction, and a connecting part 92C that connects the upper ends of the two legs 92A and 92B. The two legs 92A and 92B extend in the vertical direction and are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. Leg 92A is positioned in front of leg 92B, and a light-emitting part is positioned on the surface facing leg 92B. A light-receiving part is positioned on the surface facing the light-emitting part of leg 92A. The sensor 92 is positioned so that the light-emitting part of leg 92A and the light-receiving part of leg 92B sandwich the encoder strip 91 in the front-rear direction. In other words, the sensor 92 can optically read the scale of the encoder strip 91 and outputs a signal indicating the reading result to the control unit 80. Sensor 92 corresponds to the "encoder sensor" in this disclosure. Furthermore, instead of a transmissive sensor, a reflective sensor may be used for sensor 92. The light-emitting and light-receiving parts of the reflective sensor only need to be located on one of the two legs 92A and 92B.

[0027] Printer 1 has a sensor 93. Sensor 93 is a reflective photosensor and is mounted on the carriage 40. Sensor 93 is positioned to the left of the head 20 on the carriage 40 so as to be able to detect the paper S on the platen 5. When the carriage 40 moves in the left-right direction, sensor 93 detects the difference in color between the platen 5 and the paper S and outputs the detection signal to the control unit 80. Based on the detection signal from sensor 93, the control unit 80 detects the left-right width of the paper S.

[0028] <Electrical configuration of the printer> Next, the electrical configuration of printer 1 will be described. The operation of printer 1 is controlled by the control unit 80. As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 80 consists of a CPU 81, ROM 82, RAM 83, ASIC 84, etc. The control unit 80 controls the operation of the moving motor 4M, the transport motor 6M, and the head 20. The head 20 is electrically connected to the control unit 80 via the wiring member 8, the control board 45, and the COF 47. The control unit 80 controls the head 20 by controlling the driver IC 46 mounted on the COF 47.

[0029] Furthermore, the sensor 92 is electrically connected to the control unit 80 via the control board 45 and the wiring member 8. Based on the signal from the sensor 92, the control unit 80 derives the left-right position of the head 20.

[0030] Furthermore, the sensor 93 is electrically connected to the control unit 80 via the control board 45 and the wiring member 8. Based on the detection signal from the sensor 93, the control unit 80 derives the width of the paper S in the left-right direction.

[0031] Next, the head unit 2 will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the head unit 2 includes a head 20, a sub-tank 30, a joint member 35, a carriage 40, a control board 45, and a head cover 48. The carriage 40 is a box-shaped frame that opens upwards, and houses the head 20 and the sub-tank 30. The head 20 and the sub-tank 30 housed in the carriage 40 are fixed to the carriage 40 in a way that prevents them from being detached. The carriage 40 also supports the control board 45 and the head cover 48.

[0032] In this embodiment, the head 20 and the sub-tank 30 are fixed to the carriage 40 with adhesive. The head 20 only needs to be fixed to the carriage 40 in a way that prevents it from being easily removed. In this sense, "in a way that prevents it from being easily removed from the carriage 40" means that the head 20 and the carriage 40 are so tightly connected that there is a high probability of damaging the head 20 or the carriage 40 when removing the head 20, which is fixed to the carriage 40 with adhesive, from the carriage 40. Also, when removing the head 20, which is fixed to the carriage 40 with screws or the like, a special tool is required.

[0033] As shown in Figure 13(b), the carriage 40 has two holes 41 and 42. The two holes 41 and 42 are located on the bottom surface 40A of the carriage 40, in front of the portion that houses the head 20. The two holes 41 and 42 are positioning holes for the belt fixing portion 70 relative to the carriage 40. Hole 41 is sized to allow the projection 73 of the belt fixing portion 70, described later, to be inserted. Hole 42 is sized to allow the projection 74 of the belt fixing portion 70, described later, to be inserted. The carriage 40 also has an opening 43 that opens downward. The opening 43 exposes the entire nozzle surface 20A of the head 20 housed within the carriage 40 downward.

[0034] The carriage 40 has two sliders 44A and 44B, as shown in Figures 4(b) and 13(b). Slider 44A is located at the lower front end of the carriage 40 and is positioned on the guide rail 14. Slider 44A has two slider sections 44A1 and 44A2 that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction.

[0035] Slider 44B is positioned at the lower rear end of carriage 40 and is located on guide rail 13. Slider 44B has a slider portion 44B1 that is longer than slider portion 44A1 in the left-right direction.

[0036] As shown in Figure 5, the sub-tank 30 is positioned on the head 20. The sub-tank 30 has four ink channels 31 inside. Different colored inks are supplied to the four ink channels 31.

[0037] Figure 5 shows one of the four ink channels 31. The ink channel 31 has a supply port 31A at its upper end and an outlet port 31B at its lower end. The ink channel 31 further has a horizontal section 31C that extends horizontally and a vertical section 31D that extends downward from the horizontal section 31C. The supply port 31A opens to the upper surface 30A of the sub-tank 30. The outlet port 31B opens to the lower surface 30B of the sub-tank 30.

[0038] As shown in Figure 6(a), the joint member 35 has four connection parts 36 and four connecting channels 37. Since the structures of the four connection parts 36 and the four connecting channels 37 are the same, one connection part 36 and the connecting channel 37 corresponding to that connection part 36 will be described. The connection part 36 has a cylindrical shape and the other end of the ink tube 7 is connected to it. A part of the connecting channel 37 is located inside the connection part 36. The connecting channel 37 has a supply port 37A at one end and an outlet port 37B at the other end.

[0039] The supply port 37A is located on the tip surface 36A of the connection portion 36. The discharge port 37B opens on the lower surface 35A of the joint member 35, which faces the upper surface 30A of the sub-tank 30.

[0040] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 6(b), the head unit 2 has a fixing member 60 that secures the joint member 35. The joint member 35 is positioned with four discharge ports 37B facing four supply ports 31A. At this time, the fixing member 60 presses the joint member 35 against the sub-tank 30 from above. This makes the joint member 35 removably fixed to the sub-tank 30. In this way, the four connecting channels 37 connect the four ink channels 31 and the four ink tubes 7. Details of the fixing member 60 will be described later.

[0041] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the head 20 has a flow path unit 21 and an actuator unit 25. The flow path unit 21 has four common flow paths 22, a plurality of nozzles 23, and a plurality of individual flow paths 24. The four common flow paths 22 extend in the front-to-back direction and are arranged side by side in the left-to-right direction. The four common flow paths 22 are sometimes referred to as common flow paths 22A to 22D in order from left to right in Figure 7.

[0042] Four supply ports 21A to 21D open on the upper surface 21E of the flow path unit 21. The four supply ports 21A to 21D are arranged side by side in the left-right direction at the rear end of the upper surface 21E. Supply port 21A communicates with the common flow path 22A. Supply port 21B communicates with the common flow path 22B. Supply port 21C communicates with the common flow path 22C. Supply port 21D communicates with the common flow path 22D. Supply ports 21A to 21D communicate with the discharge port 31B, and different colored inks are supplied to each of them.

[0043] Multiple nozzles 23 open onto the nozzle surface 20A. The multiple nozzles 23 constitute four nozzle rows 23A to 23D. Each nozzle row 23A to 23D is composed of multiple nozzles 23 arranged in the front-to-back direction.

[0044] The multiple individual flow channels 24 constitute four individual flow channel rows 24A to 24D. Each individual flow channel row 24A to 24D is composed of multiple individual flow channels 24 arranged in the front-to-back direction. One end of each individual flow channel 24 communicates with the nozzle 23, and the other end communicates with the common flow channel 22. Each individual flow channel 24 has a pressure chamber 24P. The pressure chamber 24P has an elongated elliptical shape in the left-to-right direction and opens onto the upper surface 21E of the flow channel unit 21.

[0045] Individual channel 24 belonging to individual channel row 24A communicates with nozzle 23 belonging to nozzle row 23A and common channel 22A. Individual channel 24 belonging to individual channel row 24B communicates with nozzle 23 belonging to nozzle row 23B and common channel 22B. Individual channel 24 belonging to individual channel row 24C communicates with nozzle 23 belonging to nozzle row 23C and common channel 22C. Individual channel 24 belonging to individual channel row 24D communicates with nozzle 23 belonging to nozzle row 23D and common channel 22D. Multiple nozzles 23 eject ink of different colors from each nozzle row 23A to 23D. More specifically, in Figure 7, yellow, cyan, magenta, and black inks are ejected in order from the leftmost nozzle row 23A to the rightmost nozzle row 23D. The individual channel 24 in this embodiment corresponds to the "liquid channel" in this disclosure.

[0046] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the actuator unit 25 is positioned on the upper surface 21E of the flow path unit 21. The actuator unit 25 includes a diaphragm 26, two piezoelectric layers 27A and 27B, a plurality of individual electrodes 28, and a common electrode 29.

[0047] The diaphragm 26 is joined to the upper surface 21E of the flow channel unit 21, covering multiple pressure chambers 24P. Two piezoelectric layers 27A and 27B are stacked on the upper surface of the diaphragm 26. Multiple individual electrodes 28 are arranged on the upper surface of the upper piezoelectric layer 27A, facing the multiple pressure chambers 24P. The common electrode 29 is arranged between the two piezoelectric layers 27A and 27B, spanning across the multiple pressure chambers 24P.

[0048] Each individual electrode 28 and the common electrode 29 are connected to the control board 45 via a COF 47. A driver IC 46 is mounted on the COF 47. The control board 45 is connected to the control unit 80 via a wiring member 8. The common electrode 29 is at ground potential.

[0049] Upon receiving a signal from the control unit 80, the driver IC 46 supplies a drive signal to the individual electrodes 28. This causes piezoelectric strain to occur in the portion of the upper piezoelectric layer 27A facing the pressure chamber 24P, causing the diaphragm 26 to deform and bend. At this time, the change in the volume of the pressure chamber 24P applies pressure to the ink in the individual channel 24, causing the ink to be ejected from the nozzle 23.

[0050] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 5, the control board 45 is positioned above the sub-tank 30. The control board 45 has electronic components and multiple wirings. The control board 45 also has a first region 45A and a second region 45B. The first region 45A is not shown because it is covered by the head cover 48 except for its front end, but it has a long rectangular planar shape in the front-to-back direction and covers most of the area of ​​the sub-tank 30 that overlaps with the head 20 in the vertical direction.

[0051] The second region 45B is a region that extends diagonally forward and to the left from the front left end of the first region 45A. A sensor 92 is supported on the lower surface of the front end of the second region 45B. The sensor 92 is electrically connected to a connector 45C via multiple wires of the control board 45.

[0052] Furthermore, a connector 45C is supported on the upper surface 45A1 of the first region 45A. The connector 45C is located at the front end of the first region 45A. In addition, a COF 47 and a sensor 93 are connected to the first region 45A of the control board 45. Note that the COF 47 is covered by the head cover 48 and is therefore not shown in Figure 4(a). The COF 47 and the sensor 93 are electrically connected to the connector 45C via multiple wires of the control board 45.

[0053] In this embodiment, connector 45C is a plug-type connector. Connector 45C mates with connector 9C, which will be described later, by moving connector 9C downward from above to above connector 45C. This electrically connects connector 45C and connector 9C.

[0054] On the other hand, by moving connector 9C, which is mated to connector 45C, upward relative to connector 45C, the mating between connector 9C and connector 45C is released. This releases the electrical connection between connector 45C and connector 9C.

[0055] As shown in Figure 8(a), the control board 45 has a guide member 95 supported on the upper surface 45A1 of the first region 45A. The guide member 95 has a rectangular tube shape. The guide member 95 also has a rectangular planar shape that is elongated in the left-right direction. A connector 45C is arranged inside the guide member 95. In other words, the guide member 95 surrounds the entire circumference of the connector 45C.

[0056] Furthermore, the guide member 95 does not necessarily surround the entire circumference of the connector 45C; only a portion of the guide member 95 may be positioned adjacent to the connector 45C. Also, the portion of the guide member 95 surrounding the connector 45C may be partially missing. In other words, the guide member 95 may intermittently surround the connector 45C.

[0057] As shown in Figure 8(b), the inner circumferential surface 96 of the guide member 95 has an upper inner circumferential surface 96A and a lower inner circumferential surface 96B. The upper inner circumferential surface 96A is inclined so as it approaches the connector 45C as it moves downward. The lower inner circumferential surface 96B extends downward from the lower end of the upper inner circumferential surface 96A. The lower inner circumferential surface 96B is separated from and faces the side surface of the connector 45C in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0058] The head cover 48 is configured to cover the portion of the carriage 40 that is rearward from the center in the front-rear direction, from above. In addition, the head cover 48 covers the entire portion of the control board 45 that is rearward from the connector 45C in the front-rear direction.

[0059] In this embodiment, the head cover 48 covers a portion of the area on the upper surface 45A1 of the control board 45 other than the area where the connector 45C and the guide member 95 are located. However, the head cover 48 may be configured to cover the entire area on the upper surface 45A1 of the control board 45 other than the area where the connector 45C and the guide member 95 are located. That is, the head cover 48 may be configured to cover the upper surface 45A1 of the control board 45 such that only the connector 45C and the guide member 95 are exposed.

[0060] As shown in Figure 4(a), the head cover 48 has a protrusion 48B that projects upward from the upper surface 48A. The protrusion 48B extends in the left-right direction. The protrusion 48B is located at the front end of the head cover 48 and is positioned in the central part in the left-right direction.

[0061] Next, the fixing member 60 and the belt fixing part 70 will be described. As shown in Figures 4 and 9, the fixing member 60 removably fixes the head unit 2 to the belt fixing part 70. As shown in Figure 10, the fixing member 60 has a lower plate portion 61, an upper plate portion 62, and a connecting plate portion 63. The fixing member 60 is elastic. Specifically, when an upward external force is applied to the left end of the upper plate portion 62, it is configured to be elastically deformable so that the vertical distance between the lower plate portion 61 and the left end of the upper plate portion 62 becomes larger than the state shown in Figure 10(b). The lower plate portion 61 of this embodiment corresponds to "Part 1" of this disclosure. The upper plate portion 62 of this embodiment corresponds to "Part 2" of this disclosure. The connecting plate portion 63 of this embodiment corresponds to the "connecting portion" of this disclosure.

[0062] As shown in Figure 10(b), the lower plate portion 61 is a plate-like portion that extends to the left from the lower end of the connecting plate portion 63. The upper plate portion 62 is a plate-like portion that extends diagonally downward to the left from the upper end of the connecting plate portion 63. The lower plate portion 61 and the upper plate portion 62 are arranged apart in the vertical direction. Also, as shown in Figure 10(a), the lower plate portion 61 and the upper plate portion 62 face each other in the vertical direction. The left direction in this embodiment corresponds to the "first direction" of this disclosure. The diagonally downward to the left direction in this embodiment includes a leftward component and corresponds to the "second direction" of this disclosure. The vertical direction in this embodiment corresponds to the "third direction" of this disclosure.

[0063] The lower plate portion 61 has a wide portion 61A and a narrow portion 61B. The wide portion 61A has a greater width in the front-to-back direction than the narrow portion 61B. The wide portion 61A has a longer length in the left-to-right direction than the narrow portion 61B. Since the narrow portion 61B is narrower than the wide portion 61A, it is more flexible than the wide portion 61A.

[0064] The wide portion 61A has a hole 61A1 that penetrates vertically. The hole 61A1 has an elongated shape that is narrow in the left-right direction. A projection 40B that protrudes from the bottom surface 40A of the carriage 40 is fitted into the hole 61A1. The carriage 40 also has a beam 40C that extends in the front-rear direction at its front right end, as shown in Figure 13(b). The beam 40C is positioned between the bottom surface 40A and the beam 40C with a gap through which the lower plate portion 61 passes. As a result, as shown in Figure 13(b), even if the fixing member 60 is moved to the right from the fixed state described later, the wide portion 61A is supported between the bottom surface 40A and the beam 40C, and the left end of the hole 61A1 is locked into the projection 40B. Therefore, the fixing member 60 is less likely to fall off the head unit 2.

[0065] The upper plate portion 62 has a curved portion 62A and a hole 62B. The curved portion 62A is formed by bending the right end of the upper plate portion 62 so that it bulges downwards. The hole 62B is located in the central part of the upper plate portion 62 in the left-right direction and penetrates through the upper plate portion 62 in the thickness direction. The connecting plate portion 63 is a plate-like portion that extends in the vertical direction. The connecting plate portion 63 is slightly curved so that its central part in the vertical direction bulges to the left.

[0066] As shown in Figure 11, the belt fixing portion 70 has a main body portion 71 and a clamping portion 72. The main body portion 71 extends in the left-right direction and has two protrusions 73 and 74 on its upper surface 71A. Protrusion 73 has a frustoconical shape that protrudes upward from the right end of the main body portion 71. Protrusion 73 is configured to be insertable into the hole 41 of the carriage 40 shown in Figure 13(b). Protrusion 74 has a frustoconical shape that protrudes upward from the left end of the main body portion 71. Protrusion 74 protrudes more than projection 73 and has a thinner tip. Protrusion 74 is configured to be insertable into the hole 42 of the carriage 40. As a result, when positioning the belt fixing portion 70 on the carriage 40, projection 74 is more likely to be inserted into the hole 42 before projection 73 is inserted into the hole 41.

[0067] Furthermore, the belt fixing portion 70 has a frame portion 75 on the front side of the main body portion 71. The frame portion 75 has a right connecting portion 75A, a left connecting portion 75B, and a connecting portion 75C, and has a U-shaped planar form. The right connecting portion 75A and the left connecting portion 75B extend parallel to each other in the front-rear direction and are spaced apart in the left-right direction. The rear ends of the right connecting portion 75A and the left connecting portion 75B are connected to the main body portion 71. The connecting portion 75C extends in the left-right direction and connects the front end of the right connecting portion 75A and the front end of the left connecting portion 75B. A through portion 76 is formed in the area enclosed by the frame portion 75 and the main body portion 71, extending vertically.

[0068] The right connecting portion 75A has a hole 75D that penetrates in the left-right direction. The hole 75D is sized to allow the insertion of the width detail 61B of the fixing member 60. The ceiling surface 75D1 that defines the upper part of the hole 75D of the right connecting portion 75A is inclined diagonally downward as it moves to the left, as shown in Figure 9. As shown in Figure 4(b), the width detail 61B of the fixing member 60 is inserted into the hole 75D. Then, as shown in Figure 9, the width detail 61B and the ceiling surface 75D1 engage, causing the width detail 61B to bend downward. At this time, the width detail 61B of the lower plate portion 61 tries to return to its original state, so the belt fixing portion 70 is pressed against the bottom surface 40A of the carriage 40. As a result, the belt fixing portion 70 is positioned on the carriage 40 by the two protrusions 73 and 74 and fixed to the carriage 40.

[0069] As shown in Figure 11(b), the clamping portion 72 has a front portion 72A and a rear portion 72B. The front portion 72A and the rear portion 72B face each other in the front-rear direction. The belt fixing portion 70 is fixed to the belt 15 by clamping the belt 15 with the front portion 72A and the rear portion 72B.

[0070] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, the belt fixing portion 70 has a retaining portion 77 and a contact portion 78. The retaining portion 77 has two leg portions 77A and 77B, a connecting portion 77C, and a connecting portion 77D. The connecting portion 77D extends in the left-right direction, and its right end is connected to the front end of the left connecting portion 75B.

[0071] The two legs 77A and 77B extend vertically and are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The connecting portion 77C extends in the front-rear direction and connects the lower ends of the two legs 77A and 77B. The upper end of leg 77A is connected to the left end of the connecting portion 77D. The two legs 77A and 77B and the connecting portion 77C form a U-shape, as shown in Figures 11 and 15. As shown in Figure 15, the retaining portion 77 is positioned so that the two legs 77A and 77B sandwich the encoder strip 91 in the front-rear direction. The front-rear direction corresponds to the "crossing direction" in this disclosure.

[0072] The contact portion 78 has a rod shape that extends to the left from the lower end of the leg portion 77A. More specifically, as shown in Figure 16, the contact portion 78 extends to the left from the retaining portion 77 toward the backing wall 14B, which will be described later.

[0073] Here, the guide rail 14 will be described. The guide rail 14 is constructed by sheet metal processing a long, strip-shaped plate in the left-right direction. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the guide rail 14 has a restricting portion 14A and a backing wall 14B. As shown in Figure 16, the restricting portion 14A is positioned below the anti-detachment portion 77 and restricts the downward movement of the belt fixing portion 70. More specifically, the restricting portion 14A is positioned so as to overlap vertically with the anti-detachment portion 77 of the belt fixing portion 70, which is positioned in the attachment / detachment position.

[0074] The attachment / detachment position is the position in which the head unit 2 is attached to and detached from the belt fixing part 70, and is the position of the left end of the movable range R of the belt fixing part 70. The movable range R is the range shown in Figure 14, and is the range between the left end of the belt fixing part 70 when it is positioned furthest to the left and the right end of the belt fixing part 70 when it is positioned furthest to the right.

[0075] Furthermore, the restricting portion 14A is part of the plate that constitutes the guide rail 14, and is a convex-shaped portion that protrudes upward so as to approach the anti-detachment portion 77. This makes it easy to create the restricting portion 14A on the plate by sheet metal processing or other methods.

[0076] As shown in Figures 14 and 16, the backing wall 14B is a portion of the left end of the plate constituting the guide rail 14 that has been bent upward. The backing wall 14B extends in the vertical direction and is positioned opposite the contact portion 78 in the left-right direction. The backing wall 14B is positioned so as to be able to contact the left end of the contact portion 78 of the belt fixing portion 70 which is positioned in the attachment / detachment position. In other words, the backing wall 14B is positioned at the left end of the movable range R.

[0077] Next, the cover 3 will be described in detail. As shown in Figure 2, the cover 3 has a cover body 3A and a holding portion 3B. The cover body 3A covers the front end of the first region 45A of the control board 45 shown in Figure 4(a) from above. More specifically, the cover body 3A covers the front end of the first region 45A, the connector 45C, the guide member 95, and the entire periphery of the connector 45C and the guide member 95. The cover body 3A may be configured to cover either the periphery of the connector 45C or the periphery of the connector 45C in the first region 45A. Furthermore, the periphery of the connector 45C in the first region 45A may be the entire circumference or only a part of it. In addition, the cover body 3A covers the entire second region 45B from above.

[0078] As shown in Figure 12, the retaining portion 3B extends downward from the front end of the cover body 3A. The retaining portion 3B holds the wiring member 8 in a bent state. A portion of the wiring member 8 that extends in the left-right direction is bent by the retaining portion 3B and extended to the rear. The rear end of the wiring member 8 is connected to the upper surface 9A of the relay board 9.

[0079] The cover body 3A has three support pieces 3C1 to 3C3 on its lower surface 3C. Support piece 3C1 is located at the right rear end of the cover body 3A. The rear end of support piece 3C1 protrudes upward and is connected to the lower surface 3C. In other words, the part of support piece 3C1 other than the rear end is separated from the lower surface 3C.

[0080] Support piece 3C2 is located at the right end of the cover body 3A, slightly behind the center in the front-to-back direction. The right end of support piece 3C2 protrudes upward and is connected to the bottom surface 3C. In other words, the part of support piece 3C2 other than the right end is separated from the bottom surface 3C. Support piece 3C3 is located in the center of the cover body 3A in the left-to-right direction. The left end of support piece 3C3 protrudes upward and is connected to the bottom surface 3C. In other words, the part of support piece 3C3 other than the left end is separated from the bottom surface 3C.

[0081] The rear end, right end, and left end of the relay board 9 are positioned between the three support pieces 3C1 to 3C3 and the bottom surface 3C. Thus, the relay board 9 is supported by the three support pieces 3C1 to 3C3. The distance L1 between support piece 3C2 and support piece 3C3 is greater than the distance L2 between the ends of the portion of the relay board 9 supported by support pieces 3C2 and 3C3, as shown in Figure 12(b). Distance L1 is the distance between the connection point between support piece 3C2 and the bottom surface 3C and the connection point between support piece 3C3 and the bottom surface 3C in the left-right direction. As a result, the relay board 9 is supported by the three support pieces 3C1 to 3C3 so that it can move in the left-right direction.

[0082] Furthermore, the relay board 9 is biased rearward by the connected wiring member 8. Therefore, the rear end of the relay board 9 is biased by the wiring member 8 toward the connection point with the lower surface 3C of the support piece 3C1. The wiring member 8 is flexible. Therefore, the relay board 9 is supported by the three support pieces 3C1 to 3C3 so that it can move in the front-rear direction as well.

[0083] As shown in Figure 12, the relay board 9 has a rectangular planar shape that is elongated in the front-to-back direction. The relay board 9 has a connector 9C supported on its lower surface 9B. The connector 9C is supported by the cover 3 via the relay board 9. The relay board 9 also has a plurality of wires that connect the connector 9C and the wiring member 8.

[0084] In this embodiment, connector 9C is a socket-type connector with a downward opening. By mating connector 9C with connector 45C, the wiring member 8 and the control board 45 are electrically connected. In other words, the driver IC 46 and the two sensors 92 and 93 are electrically connected to the control unit 80 via the control board 45 and the wiring member 8.

[0085] The cover body 3A has a through hole 3D at its rear end. The through hole 3D is positioned alongside the relay board 9 in the front-to-back direction. The through hole 3D has an elongated shape in the left-to-right direction. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the through hole 3D is configured to allow the insertion of a protrusion 48B. In this embodiment, the cover 3 has a different color from the head cover 48. This makes it easier for the user to distinguish between the cover 3 and the head cover 48 when attaching or detaching the head unit 2. It also makes it easier to attach and detach the connector 9C to the connector 45C by holding the cover 3.

[0086] Next, the operation of attaching and detaching the head unit 2 to the moving mechanism 4 will be described below. When attaching and detaching the head unit 2 to the moving mechanism 4, the head unit 2 is positioned as shown in Figure 1. Specifically, the head unit 2 is positioned at the leftmost end of the guide rails 13 and 14. At this time, the belt fixing part 70 is positioned in the attachment / detachment position. The guide rail 14 has a contact wall 14B. As a result, even if the belt fixing part 70 tries to move beyond the left end of the movable range R, the contact part 78 will come into contact with the contact wall 14B. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the belt fixing part 70 from going outside the movable range R. In addition, the belt fixing part 70 has a contact part 78. As a result, when the head unit 2 is attached to or detached from the belt fixing part 70, the contact part 78 is likely to come into contact with the contact wall 14B. Therefore, it is difficult for the head unit 2 or the belt fixing part 70 to come into contact with the pulley 16D, etc.

[0087] The head unit 2 is normally attached to the moving mechanism 4. In other words, the head unit 2 is in a fixed state, fixed to the belt fixing part 70 by the fixing member 60. When the fixing member 60 fixes the head unit 2 to the belt fixing part 70, the vertical distance between the lower plate part 61 and the left end of the upper plate part 62 of the fixing member 60 is greater than the state shown in Figure 10(b). In other words, when the fixing member 60 is in a fixed state, an elastic restoring force is generated such that the vertical distance between the lower plate part 61 and the left end of the upper plate part 62 becomes smaller. As a result, the joint member 35 is pressed against the sub-tank 30 from above by the curved part 62A of the upper plate part 62. In this way, when the fixing member 60 is in a fixed state, the head unit 2 is fixed to the belt fixing part 70 and the joint member 35 is fixed to the sub-tank 30.

[0088] At this time, the head unit 2 is covered by the cover 3, and the connector 9C is attached to the connector 45C. In other words, the control board 45 is electrically connected to the wiring member 8.

[0089] To remove the head unit 2 from the moving mechanism 4, the wiring component 8 must first be removed from the head unit 2. To remove the wiring component 8, the user holds the cover 3 by hand and moves the cover 3 upward. This causes the relay board 9 to move upward along with the cover 3. At this time, the mating between connector 9C and connector 45C is released. As a result, the electrical connection between connector 45C and connector 9C is released. Thus, as shown in Figure 4(a), the cover 3, relay board 9, and wiring component 8 are removed from the head unit 2. The cover 3, relay board 9, and wiring component 8 remain inside the housing 1A.

[0090] If the wiring member 8 could not be easily removed from the control board 45, it would be necessary to remove the wiring member 8 from the housing 1A when removing the head unit 2. The wiring member 8 is long and is routed in a complex manner inside the housing 1A. Therefore, it is difficult to remove the wiring member 8 from inside the housing 1A. Furthermore, it is also difficult to route and install the removed wiring member 8 inside the housing 1A. In this embodiment, the wiring member 8 is configured to be detachable from the control board 45, so there is no need to attach or detach the wiring member 8 to the housing 1A.

[0091] Next, the user moves the fixing member 60 shown in Figure 4 to the right, as shown in Figure 13. This releases the fixing member 60 from pressing the joint member 35 against the sub-tank 30. As a result, the four ink tubes can be removed from the head unit 2 along with the joint member 35.

[0092] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(b), the width detail 61B of the fixing member 60 is removed from the hole 75D. As a result, by lifting the head unit 2 upward from the moving mechanism 4, the belt fixing part 70 is detached from the carriage 40, as shown in Figure 13(b). In other words, as shown in Figure 14, the head unit 2 can be removed from the moving mechanism 4 with the belt fixing part 70 fixed to the belt 15. The head cover 48 of the head unit 2 has a protrusion 48B. As a result, when removing the head unit 2 from the moving mechanism 4, it becomes easier to grasp the head unit 2 by placing your fingers on the tip of the protrusion 48B and the front or rear end of the carriage 40. Thus, the head unit 2 becomes easier to operate. In this way, the removal of the head unit 2 from the moving mechanism 4 is completed.

[0093] The head unit 2 removed from the moving mechanism 4 includes the head 20, sub-tank 30, carriage 40, control board 45, head cover 48, and two sensors 92 and 93. Therefore, by simply replacing the head unit 2 with a new or repaired one, the two sliders 44A and 44B of the carriage 40, the two sensors 92 and 93, and the control board 45 can also be replaced.

[0094] When attaching the head unit 2 to the moving mechanism 4, the head unit 2 is placed on the belt fixing part 70 in the state shown in Figure 14, that is, on the belt fixing part 70 positioned at the attachment / detachment position. At this time, a part of the head unit 2 is passed vertically through the recess of the guide rail 13. This makes it possible to position the head unit 2 in the left-right direction relative to the moving mechanism 4.

[0095] At this time, the projections 73 and 74 of the belt fixing part 70 are inserted into the holes 41 and 42 of the carriage 40. In this way, the head unit 2 is moved from above the belt fixing part 70 downwards in the mounting direction, and the head unit 2 is attached to the belt fixing part 70. The belt fixing part 70 is positioned in the attachment / detachment position by the backing wall 14B, without exceeding the left end of the range of motion R. This makes it easy to insert the projections 73 and 74 of the belt fixing part 70 into the holes 41 and 42 of the carriage 40 when attaching the head unit 2 to the belt fixing part 70. In addition, when operating the head unit 2, the user can grasp the head unit 2 by placing their fingers on the tip of the protrusion 48B of the head cover 48 and the front or rear end of the carriage 40. This makes it easier for the user to operate the head unit 2 and to position the head unit 2 relative to the belt fixing part 70.

[0096] Before the head unit 2 is installed, the belt fixing portion 70 is supported by the belt 15 in the attachment / detachment position. As shown in Figure 15, the belt fixing portion 70 is supported by the belt 15 by a clamping portion 72 located at the rear. Therefore, the anti-detachment portion 77 located at the front of the belt fixing portion 70 tends to tilt downward. In other words, the belt fixing portion 70 tends to move downward. However, as shown in Figures 15 and 16, a restricting portion 14A is located below the belt fixing portion 70 when it is in the attachment / detachment position. Therefore, even if the front of the belt fixing portion 70 tilts downward or the belt fixing portion 70 moves downward, the restricting portion 14A will come into contact with the belt fixing portion 70. Thus, it is possible to restrict the belt fixing portion 70 from tilting or moving too far downward.

[0097] The restricting portion 14A is positioned at a height that restricts the belt fixing portion 70 so that the hole 75D of the belt fixing portion 70 does not fall below the insertion position. The insertion position of the hole 75D is the height position in which the width detail 61B of the fixing member 60 can be inserted into the hole 75D.

[0098] Next, the joint member 35 to which the four ink tubes 7 are connected is placed on the sub-tank 30. Specifically, the four discharge ports 37B of the joint member 35 are positioned opposite the four supply ports 31A of the sub-tank 30. Then, the user manually moves the fixing member 60 shown in Figure 13 to the left, as shown in Figure 4.

[0099] By moving the fixing member 60 to the left, the fixing member 60 presses the joint member 35 against the sub-tank 30. As a result, the four ink tubes are connected to the head unit 2 together with the joint member 35.

[0100] At this time, the width detail 61B of the fixing member 60 is inserted into the hole 75D. As a result, the belt fixing part 70 is pressed against the bottom surface 40A of the carriage 40. This positions the belt fixing part 70 on the carriage 40 by the two protrusions 73 and 74, and fixes it to the carriage 40. In this way, the head unit 2 is attached to the moving mechanism 4. The head unit 2 is positioned at the left end of the guide rails 13 and 14. Therefore, even if the fixing member 60 is moved to the left, the head unit 2 does not move to the left. Consequently, it is easy to attach the fixing member 60 to the head unit 2 while pressing the joint member 35 and the belt fixing part 70 against the head unit 2.

[0101] Next, the wiring component 8 is attached to the head unit 2. To attach the wiring component 8, the user holds the cover 3 by hand and inserts the protrusion 48B of the head cover 48 into the through-hole 3D of the cover 3. This allows for a rough alignment of the cover 3 with respect to the head unit 2. The cover 3 supports the relay board 9 to which the wiring component 8 is connected.

[0102] Next, the cover 3 is moved downwards, and the connector 9C is fitted into the connector 45C. At this time, the connector 9C is supported so as to be movable in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions relative to the cover 3 via the relay board 9. Therefore, when fitting the connector 9C into the connector 45C, the centers of the connector 9C and the connector 45C are more likely to coincide. Thus, it becomes easier to attach the connector 9C to the connector 45C.

[0103] Furthermore, when mating connector 9C to connector 45C, even if the centers of connector 9C and connector 45C are slightly misaligned in the front-to-back or left-to-right directions, the lower end of connector 9C is guided by the upper inner circumferential surface 96A of guide member 95. This guidance allows the relay board 9 to move along with connector 9C in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions relative to the cover 3, making it easier for the centers of connector 9C and connector 45C to coincide. Therefore, it becomes easier to attach connector 9C to connector 45C.

[0104] The control board 45 of the head unit 2 is electrically connected to the control unit 80 via the wiring member 8. In this way, the installation of the wiring member 8 to the head unit 2 is completed, and the installation of the head unit 2 to the moving mechanism 4 is also completed.

[0105] As described above, with the printer 1 of this embodiment, when attaching or detaching the head unit 2 from the moving mechanism 4, it is only necessary to attach or detach the head unit 2 to the belt fixing part 70. Therefore, there is no need to loosen the belt and remove it from the pulley or to attach the belt to the belt fixing part 70 and then adjust the belt tension. As a result, the attachment and detachment of the head unit 2 can be made easier.

[0106] The head 20, housed in the carriage 40, is fixed to the carriage 40 in a way that prevents it from being detached. This makes it less likely for assembly errors to occur between the head 20 and the carriage 40. If the replacement head 20 were to be able to be attached to the carriage 40, the head 20 might be attached in a misaligned position relative to the carriage 40. In this configuration, even if the head unit 2 is attached or detached, the head 20 will not be misaligned relative to the carriage 40.

[0107] The fixing member 60 removably fixes the head unit 2 to the belt fixing part 70. Compared to a configuration in which the head unit 2 is directly fixed to the belt fixing part 70 without using the fixing member 60, the need to achieve high mounting precision for the head unit 2 to the belt fixing part 70 is reduced. Furthermore, the fixing member 60 removably fixes the joint member 35 to the sub-tank 30. As a result, the fixing of the joint member 35 to the sub-tank 30 and the fixing of the head unit 2 to the belt fixing part 70 can be done with the same fixing member 60, thus reducing the number of parts and operations required for fixing.

[0108] The fixing member 60 removably secures the head unit 2 to the belt fixing part 70 by sandwiching the belt fixing part 70 between the lower plate part 61 and the head unit 2. Furthermore, the fixing member 60 removably secures the joint member 35 to the sub-tank 30 by sandwiching the joint member 35 between the upper plate part 62 and the sub-tank 30. This allows for the fixing of the joint member 35 to the head unit 2 and the fixing of the head unit 2 to the belt fixing part 70 using a fixing member 60 with a simple shape.

[0109] The fixing member 60 can be set to a fixed state by moving the fixing member 60 in the released state to the left, and to a released state by moving the fixing member 60 in the fixed state to the right. As a result, the fixing member 60 can selectively take between a fixed state and a released state simply by moving it parallel to the left relative to the head unit 2. Moving to the right corresponds to the "reverse direction" in this disclosure.

[0110] The lower plate portion 61 and the upper plate portion 62 of the fixing member 60 are facing each other in the vertical direction. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the fixing member 60 in the front-to-back direction.

[0111] For example, if a fixing member is used that has a switching mechanism at the top of the head unit 2 to switch between a fixed state and an unlocked state so that the user can operate it from above, the center of gravity of the head unit will be raised by the switching mechanism. When the center of gravity of the head unit is raised, it becomes more likely to tilt to the left or right when the head unit moves in the left-right direction. As a result, effects such as a decrease in the quality of the image recorded on the paper S during printing are more likely to occur. However, in the configuration of this disclosure, since an elastically deformable fixing member 60 is used, the center of gravity of the head unit 2 is less likely to be raised. Therefore, the quality of the image recorded on the paper S during printing is maintained and less likely to be affected.

[0112] As shown in Figure 2, cover 3 covers a portion of the control board 45 when connector 9C is attached to connector 45C. More specifically, cover 3 covers the front end of the first region 45A and the entirety of the second region 45B. This configuration allows the user to attach and detach connector 9C to connector 45C by holding cover 3 with their hand when attaching and detaching the head unit 2 from the moving mechanism 4. As a result, the user's hand is less likely to come into contact with the control board 45 when attaching and detaching the wiring member 8 to the head unit 2. Consequently, the control board 45 is less likely to be damaged.

[0113] The cover 3 supports the connector 9C via the relay board 9. This makes it less likely for the user's hands to come into contact with the relay board 9 when attaching or detaching the wiring member 8 to the head unit 2.

[0114] Cover 3 supports connector 9C so that it can move in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. This makes it easier to attach connector 9C to connector 45C. It can also absorb mounting errors of connector 9C to cover 3.

[0115] The guide member 95 is positioned adjacent to the connector 45C. This makes it easier to attach the connector 9C to the connector 45C. Furthermore, the guide member 95 surrounds the entire circumference of the connector 45C. This makes it even easier to attach the connector 9C to the connector 45C. Even when the guide member 95 intermittently surrounds the perimeter of the connector 45C, it still makes it even easier to attach the connector 9C to the connector 45C.

[0116] The head cover 48 covers the entire portion of the control board 45 behind the connector 45C in the front-to-back direction. This makes it less likely for the user's hand to come into contact with the control board 45 when attaching or detaching the wiring components 8 to the head unit 2.

[0117] The head cover 48 has a protrusion 48B. Therefore, the head unit 2 can be operated by gripping the protrusion 48B. Consequently, the head unit 2 becomes easier to operate.

[0118] The cover 3 has a through hole 3D for passing the protrusion 48B through. This makes it easier to attach the connector 9C to the connector 45C by passing the protrusion 48B through the through hole 3D when attaching the connector 9C to the connector 45C.

[0119] The carriage 40 has two sliders 44A and 44B. This means that when the head unit 2 is replaced, the carriage 40, including the two sliders 44A and 44B, is also replaced. This prevents a decrease in the movement accuracy of the head 20 due to wear on the sliders 44A and 44B.

[0120] Furthermore, the head unit 2 has two sensors 92 and 93. This means that when the head unit 2 is replaced, the two sensors 92 and 93 are also replaced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the detection accuracy of the head unit 2's movement position due to deterioration or dirt on sensor 92. It is also possible to prevent a decrease in the detection accuracy of the width of the paper S in the left-right direction due to deterioration or dirt on sensor 93.

[0121] The guide rail 14 has a restricting portion 14A. This restricts the movement of the belt fixing portion 70 in the mounting direction. In other words, when the head unit 2 is mounted on the belt fixing portion 70, the belt fixing portion 70 is less likely to move in the mounting direction. If the belt fixing portion 70 is easily moved downward and the hole portion 75D is more likely to fall below the insertion position, the width detail 61B of the fixing member 60 may not be inserted into the hole portion 75D. In other words, the width detail 61B may be positioned between the hole portion 75D and the bottom surface 40A of the carriage 40, and the head unit 2 and the belt fixing portion 70 will not be fixed by the fixing member 60. In this embodiment, the restricting portion 14A makes it less likely for the hole portion 75D of the belt fixing portion 70 to fall below the insertion position, making it easier to fix the head unit 2 to the belt fixing portion 70.

[0122] The restricting part 14A is positioned below the belt fixing part 70. This makes it difficult for the belt fixing part 70 to lower when the head unit 2 is attached to the belt fixing part 70.

[0123] The retaining portion 77 has two legs 77A and 77B positioned to sandwich the encoder strip 91 in the front-to-back direction, and a connecting portion 77C positioned below the encoder strip 91. This makes it difficult for the encoder strip 91 to shift downwards. As a result, detection by the sensor 92 is performed appropriately.

[0124] The restricting portion 14A is positioned below the retaining portion 77 and overlaps it vertically with the retaining portion 77. This makes it difficult for the retaining portion 77 to shift downward. Therefore, it is difficult for the retaining portion 77 to detach from the encoder strip 91.

[0125] While preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible as long as they are within the scope of the claims.

[0126] The head unit 2 in the above-described embodiment does not necessarily include the carriage 40. Furthermore, the head unit 2 does not necessarily include the sub-tank 30.

[0127] In the above-described embodiment, the fixing member 60 does not have to fix the head unit 2 to the belt fixing part 70 and fix the head unit 2 to the joint member 35. The printer 1 may have another fixing member that fixes the head unit 2 to the joint member 35.

[0128] Furthermore, the fixing member 60 may have any shape as long as it can fix the head unit 2 and the belt fixing part 70. The connecting plate part 63 may extend in directions that intersect with the front-rear direction, left-right direction and up-down direction.

[0129] Furthermore, the fixing member 60 may be configured to allow selective switching between a fixed state and a released state by moving it in a direction intersecting the left-right direction. In this case, the direction extending from the connecting plate portion 63 of the lower plate portion 61 and the upper plate portion 62 also needs to be in a direction intersecting the left-right direction. Also, the lower plate portion 61 and the upper plate portion 62 do not need to be facing each other in the vertical direction.

[0130] Furthermore, the joint member 35 may be fixed to the head unit 2 in a way that prevents it from being detached.

[0131] Furthermore, the moving mechanism 4 may have two, three, or five or more pulleys. Also, the moving mechanism 4 does not have to have guide rails 13, 14.

[0132] A socket-type connector 9C may be supported on the upper surface 45A1 of the control board 45, and a plug-type connector 45C may be supported on the lower surface 9B of the relay board 9. In this case, the guide member 95 should be supported on the lower surface 9B of the relay board 9 so as to surround the connector 45C.

[0133] The restricting portion 14A may be provided on a component separate from the housing 1A or the guide rail 14 supported by the housing 1A. The restricting portion 14A does not have to be part of the plate, and may be a block body fixed on the plate that constitutes the guide rail 14.

[0134] In the above-described embodiment, the mounting direction for attaching the head unit 2 to the belt fixing portion 70 is downward, but the mounting direction may be in a direction other than downward. Furthermore, the restricting portion only needs to be capable of restricting the movement of the belt fixing portion 70 in the mounting direction, and does not limit the position or shape of the restricting portion.

[0135] The belt fixing portion 70 does not necessarily have a retaining portion 77. The two legs 77A and 77B of the retaining portion 77 may extend in the front-rear direction and be spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction. In this case, the connecting portion that connects the two legs 77A and 77B only needs to extend in the up-down direction. Furthermore, this connecting portion only needs to connect the front or rear ends of the two legs 77A and 77B. The contact portion 78 of the belt fixing portion 70 does not necessarily need to extend toward the backing wall 14B. In other words, it is sufficient that a part of the belt fixing portion 70 can contact the backing wall 14B.

[0136] The support wall 14B is not required. The support wall 14B may be provided on a member separate from the housing 1A or the guide rail 14 supported by the housing 1A. The support wall 14B does not have to be part of the plate.

[0137] Printer 1 may record images on a recording medium other than paper S. The recording medium is not limited to paper and may consist of any material such as cloth or plastic film.

[0138] The head 20 may also dispense a liquid other than ink as the recording material, such as a processing liquid that causes components in the ink to coagulate or precipitate.

[0139] This disclosure is not limited to printers, but is also applicable to facsimile machines, copiers, multifunction devices, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0140] 1. Printer 2 Head Units 4 Moving mechanism 15 belts 16A~16D Pulley 23 nozzles 24 individual channels 35 Joint Members 40 Carriage 60 Fixing member 61 Lower plate part 62 Upper plate section 63 Connecting plate section 70 Belt fixing part

Claims

1. A head unit including a head for recording images, The head unit is moved by a moving mechanism, The head unit has a joint member that connects a supply pipe to supply recording material to the head, The moving mechanism comprises a plurality of pulleys, a belt stretched across the plurality of pulleys, and a belt fixing part fixed to the belt. The image recording device is characterized in that the head unit is detachable from the belt fixing portion and, when mounted on the belt fixing portion, is connected to the belt via the belt fixing portion.

2. The head unit includes a carriage that holds the head, The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the carriage is irremovably fixed to the head.

3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the head has a nozzle for discharging the liquid as a recording material and a liquid flow path communicating with the nozzle.

4. The image recording device according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing member for detachably fixing the head unit to the belt fixing portion.

5. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the fixing member detachably fixes the joint member to the head unit.

6. The fixing member has a first part, a second part, and a connecting part that connects the first part and the second part. The first part extends from the connecting portion in a first direction, The second part extends from the connecting portion in a second direction including the component in the first direction, The connecting portion extends in a third direction that intersects both the first and second directions. The first part and the second part are arranged apart in the third direction, The image recording apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the fixing member removably fixes the head unit to the belt fixing portion by sandwiching the belt fixing portion between the first portion and the head unit, and removably fixes the joint member to the head unit by sandwiching the joint member between the second portion and the head unit.

7. The image recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the fixing member is capable of selectively adopting between a fixed state in which the head unit is fixed to the belt fixing portion and the joint member is fixed to the head unit, and a released state in which the fixed state is released, in which the head unit is removable from the belt fixing portion and the joint member is removable from the head unit, and the fixed state is adopted by moving the fixing member in the released state in a first direction, and the released state is adopted by moving the fixing member in the fixed state in the opposite direction to the first direction.

8. The image recording apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the first part and the second part are facing each other in the third direction.

9. The image recording apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the first direction is parallel to the direction of movement in which the moving mechanism moves the head unit.

10. The image recording device according to claim 4, further comprising a restricting portion that restricts the movement of the belt fixing portion in the mounting direction, which is the direction in which the head unit moves relative to the belt fixing portion when the head unit is attached to the belt fixing portion.

11. The image recording device according to claim 10, characterized in that the restricting portion is located below the belt fixing portion and restricts the downward movement of the belt fixing portion.

12. The moving mechanism further includes a plate that supports the plurality of pulleys, The image recording device according to claim 10, characterized in that the restricting portion is a part of the plate and is a convex portion in the direction approaching the belt fixing portion.

13. The aforementioned moving mechanism includes an encoder scale extending along the direction of movement that moves the head unit, The head unit further comprises an encoder sensor attached to the head unit, The belt fixing portion includes a U-shaped retaining portion having two legs spaced apart from each other in an intersecting direction that intersects the direction of movement, and a connecting portion that extends in the intersecting direction and connects the two legs. The image recording device according to claim 10, characterized in that the retaining portion has two legs positioned to sandwich the encoder scale in the intersecting direction.

14. The aforementioned intersection direction is the horizontal direction. The two aforementioned legs extend in the vertical direction, The aforementioned connecting part connects the lower ends of the two leg portions, The image recording device according to claim 13, characterized in that the restricting portion is positioned below the retaining portion and overlaps with the retaining portion in the vertical direction.

15. The belt fixing portion is further provided with a backing wall positioned at one end of its movable range, The image recording device according to claim 10, characterized in that the belt fixing portion is positioned so as to be able to contact the backing wall when the head unit is attached to or detached from the belt fixing portion.

16. The image recording device according to claim 15, characterized in that the belt fixing portion has a contact portion that extends toward the backing wall.

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