Recording device

Abstract

To provide a recording device which can supply a lubricant from an impregnation member to a surface of a guide member, on which a slide part slides, in a more reliable manner.SOLUTION: A recording device includes: a recording head which makes records to a recording medium transported in a transport direction D; a carriage 31 which is equipped with the recording head and scans in a scanning direction X intersecting with the transport direction D; and a guide member 50 having a flat surface (a rail 53) which guides the carriage 31 in the scanning direction X. The carriage 31 includes slide parts 61 which contact with the guide member 50 and slide and includes impregnation members 63, impregnated with a lubricant GR, and a pressing member 64, which presses the impregnation member 63 to the guide member 50 side from a surface opposite to the guide member 50 with respect to the impregnation member 63, on at least one side of each slide part 61 in the scanning direction X.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus having a carriage on which a recording head for recording on a medium such as paper is mounted. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of a recording device, a serial type recording device is known that includes a carriage carrying a recording head that records on a recording medium such as paper, and a guide member that supports the carriage so that it can move in a scanning direction that intersects with the transport direction of the recording medium (e.g., Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a recording device in which the guide member is a guide rail, and the carriage and the sliding parts of the slide member slide on the guide rail coated with a lubricant. The load caused by the sliding resistance when the carriage is guided by the guide rail and moves in the scanning direction is reduced by the lubricant.

[0004] Patent Document 2 also discloses a configuration in which a recording device in which a guide member is a guide shaft is provided with a lubricant supplying unit that supplies lubricant to the guide shaft. The lubricant supplying unit supplies lubricant by contacting the outer peripheral surface of the guide shaft. A member such as felt impregnated with lubricant is used for the lubricant supplying unit. Patent Document 2 also discloses a configuration in which the guide member is a guide plate, but does not disclose a specific configuration of the lubricant supplying unit for the guide plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-13451 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-124232 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, if a configuration is assumed in which a lubricant supply unit that supplies lubricant is provided as in Patent Document 2, the strength with which the impregnated member such as felt constituting the lubricant supply unit abuts against the guide rail may vary depending on the change in the position of the carriage relative to the guide rail. If the strength of the abutment varies to the weak side, the impregnated member may move away from the sliding surface (rail surface) of the guide rail or the abutment pressure against the sliding surface may become excessively small, which may cause a problem that the supply of lubricant between the sliding part and the sliding surface may be halted. In this case, the moving speed of the carriage varies due to the large sliding resistance caused by the lack of lubricant, which may cause inconveniences such as a decrease in the recording accuracy of the recording device or early wear of the sliding part of the carriage, shortening the life of the recording device 11. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A recording device that solves the above problem includes a recording head that records on a recording medium transported in a transport direction, a carriage that carries the recording head and scans in a scanning direction that intersects the transport direction, and a guide member having a flat surface that guides the carriage in the scanning direction, wherein the carriage includes a sliding part that slides in contact with the guide member, an impregnated member impregnated with a lubricant on at least one side of the sliding part in the scanning direction, and a pressing member that presses the impregnated member toward the guide member from the surface of the impregnated member opposite the guide member. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a recording apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a recording unit and a guide member. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the carriage guide structure. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a plurality of sliding points in the carriage. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing two types of sliding points on the carriage. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a rear cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the sliding unit assembled to the carriage. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the sliding unit as viewed from the sliding surface side. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the sliding unit as viewed from the side opposite to the sliding surface. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a slider of the sliding unit as viewed from the sliding surface side. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a slider of the sliding unit as viewed from the side opposite to the sliding surface side. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the sliding unit, showing how the lubricant is supplied from the reservoir to the impregnated member. [Figure 16] 6A to 6C are perspective views illustrating a procedure for attaching and detaching the sliding unit to and from the carriage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] An embodiment of a recording device will be described below with reference to the drawings. The recording device of this embodiment is an inkjet printer that prints (records) characters, images, etc. on a medium such as paper by ejecting a liquid such as ink onto the medium.

[0010] The recording device rotatably holds a roll body in which a recording medium is wound around a core member, and records images, etc. on the recording medium by ejecting liquid onto the surface of the recording medium pulled out from the roll body.

[0011] <Recording device configuration> 1, the recording device 11 includes a housing 12 and legs 13 that support the housing 12. The housing 12 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 12 includes a front wall 121, a rear wall 122, a first side wall 123, a second side wall 124, a top wall 125, and a base frame 14 supported by the legs 13.

[0012] Hereinafter, the vertical direction Z is defined assuming that the recording device 11 is placed on a horizontal plane. The scanning direction X is a direction along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction Z and is the movement direction of the carriage 31, and the direction along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction Z and intersecting with the scanning direction X is a transport direction of the medium at the recording position when the recording head 32 mounted on the carriage 31 records on the recording medium, and is therefore referred to as the transport direction Y. The scanning direction X includes the +X direction, which is a forward direction that is one direction when the carriage 31 moves back and forth, and the -X direction, which is the opposite direction to the forward direction. The transport direction D (see FIG. 2) in which the medium is transported changes depending on the position on the transport path of the recording medium. The transport direction Y is equal to the transport direction D at the recording position. In this embodiment, the scanning direction X is equal to the width direction that intersects with the transport direction of the recording medium, and is therefore also referred to as the width direction X. Furthermore, the vertical direction Z includes the downward direction +Z, which is one direction of the vertical direction, and the upward direction -Z, which is the opposite direction to the downward direction +Z. In this embodiment, the scanning direction X, the transport direction Y, and the vertical direction Z are perpendicular to one another.

[0013] 1, the housing 12 has a storage section 15 that stores two cylindrical roll bodies 25. The storage section 15 has an opening 16 at the bottom of the front wall 121 of the housing 12, and the roll bodies 25 can be attached and detached from the front side through this opening 16.

[0014] <Transportation section> The recording device 11 includes a transport section 20 that transports the recording medium 23 from a roll body 25. The transport section 20 includes a feed section 21 that feeds the recording medium 23 from the roll body 25 while unwinding it, and a plurality of transport roller pairs 22 (see FIG. 2) that sandwich and transport the fed recording medium 23. The recording device 11 includes a support table 28 that supports the transported recording medium 23. The support table 28 extends along an area that faces the recording head 32 when the carriage 31 moves in the scanning direction X. The area above the support table 28 is a scanning area where the carriage 31 moves when the recording unit 30 records on the recording medium 23 supported by the support table 28. The area above the support table 28 is a recording area where the recording head 32 records on the recording medium 23.

[0015] The support base 28 is a rectangular plate-like member extending in the width direction X within the housing 12. The recording medium 23 unwound from the roll body 25 is transported within the housing 12 to the support base 28, and then transported on the support base 28 in the transport direction Y.

[0016] 1, the recording device 11 can accommodate two roll bodies 25 in the accommodation section 15 while being aligned in the vertical direction Z. The roll body 25 is configured by winding a recording medium 23 to be recorded on a core member 24.

[0017] The ends of the two roll bodies 25 are held by a first holding part 26 that holds one end of the roll body 25, and a second holding part 27 that holds the other end of the roll body 25. The roll body 25 is configured to be removable from the housing 12 through the opening 16 while still being held by the first holding part 26 and the second holding part 27.

[0018] The first holding portion 26 and the second holding portion 27 are attached to the housing 12 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the width direction X. As a result, the roll body 25 is held in the housing 12 so as to be rotatable.

[0019] The roll body 25 is rotated by a drive unit (not shown). The drive unit (not shown) rotates the first holding unit 26 and the second holding unit 27 in the direction in which the recording medium 23 wound around the roll body 25 is fed out by driving a drive motor (not shown) in the forward direction. When recording is actually performed, the recording medium 23 is fed out from only one of the two roll bodies 25. When the recording medium 23 from one of the two roll bodies 25 runs out, printing can be resumed with a short interruption by setting the recording medium 23 pulled out from the other roll body 25 that has been prepared in advance.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 2, the recording medium 23 fed from the roll body 25 is sent to the transport roller pair 22 along the path indicated by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 2. The transport roller pairs 22 transport the recording medium 23 along a path that passes over the support base 28. The recording unit 30 records on the recording medium 23 supported by the support base 28, and the recording medium 23 after recording is cut as necessary and then discharged from the discharge port 19. The recording device 11 also has an operation unit 18 on the upper wall 125 of the housing 12. The operation unit 18 is operated by the user when giving instructions to the recording device 11. The operation unit 18 includes at least one of an operation button and a touch panel type display unit.

[0021] <Recording Division> 1, the recording device 11 includes a recording unit 30 located above the storage unit 15 within the housing 12. The recording unit 30 includes a recording head 32 that records on the recording medium 23 transported in a transport direction Y, a carriage 31 that carries the recording head 32 and moves (scans) in a scanning direction X that intersects with the transport direction Y, and a guide member 50 that guides the carriage 31 movably along the scanning direction X. The guide member 50 has a flat surface.

[0022] The carriage 31 is guided along a guide member 50. The carriage 31 is fixed to a part of an endless timing belt 34 that is stretched so as to extend along the guide member 50. Both ends of the timing belt 34 in the scanning direction X are wound around a pair of pulleys 33. One of the pair of pulleys 33 is a drive pulley connected to an output shaft of a carriage motor 35 (see FIG. 3), and the other is a driven pulley. The carriage motor 35 is driven forward and backward, so that the carriage 31 reciprocates in the scanning direction X. During the reciprocating movement of the carriage 31, the recording head 32 ejects liquid such as ink from nozzles, thereby performing recording on the recording medium 23.

[0023] The guide member 50 supports the carriage 31 at a position above the support base 28. The guide member 50 is a member extending along the scanning direction X. The guide member 50 supports the carriage 31 movably along the scanning direction X.

[0024] 1 and 2, the carriage 31 has the recording head 32 mounted on a lower portion thereof capable of facing the support base 28. The carriage 31 moves along a guide member 50 by driving a carriage motor 35, thereby causing the recording head 32 to move back and forth in a scanning direction X. The recording head 32 performs recording by ejecting liquid onto a recording surface of the recording medium 23, which is a surface parallel to the XY plane, while scanning in a width direction X intersecting with a transport direction Y of the recording medium 23.

[0025] The recorded recording medium 23 is guided to the discharge port 19. The recorded portion of the recording medium 23 may be cut by a cutting unit (not shown). In that case, the cut recording medium 23 is discharged from the discharge port 19.

[0026] Next, the detailed configuration of the recording unit 30 and the guide member 50 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the recording unit 30 includes a carriage 31 and a recording head 32 mounted on the carriage 31. The carriage 31 includes a carriage body 36 that supports the recording head 32, and a carriage support portion 37 that is disposed behind the carriage body 36, is interposed between the carriage body 36 and the guide member 50, and engages with the guide member 50 in a state in which the carriage 31 can move in the scanning direction X. The guide member 50 may be configured, for example, as a part of a main frame provided in the housing 12. In this case, the guide member 50 includes a frame body 51 and a rail portion 52 that guides the carriage 31. Note that the guide member 50 does not have to function as the main frame, and may be installed in the housing 12 separately from the main frame.

[0027] <Recording section configuration> As shown in FIG. 3, the recording unit 30 includes a carriage 31 supported movably in a scanning direction X along a guide member 50, and a recording head 32 mounted on the carriage 31.

[0028] The carriage support portion 37 has an erect portion 37A extending in the vertical direction Z, and an extending portion 37B extending rearward (in the -Y direction) from an upper end of the erect portion 37A. The timing belt 34 is fixed to the carriage support part 37 via a belt fixing part 37C. In addition, a sensor of a linear encoder 38 is fixed to the carriage support part 37. Furthermore, a gear 39 is attached to the carriage support part 37 in this example. For example, when the carriage 31 moves to a predetermined position on the path in the scanning direction X, the gear 39 meshes with a drive gear, and the rotational force of the drive gear is input into the carriage 31 via the gear 39. A predetermined drive mechanism of the carriage 31 is driven.

[0029] 3, the carriage 31 includes a sliding portion 61 that abuts and slides on rail surfaces 53-55, which are examples of flat surfaces of the guide member 50. In this embodiment, the sliding portion 61 is unitized as a sliding unit 60. A plurality of sliding units 60 are detachably attached to the carriage 31.

[0030] The multiple sliding units 60 include a first sliding unit 60 that presses the sliding portion 61 against the rail surface in the +Z direction, a second sliding unit 60 that presses the sliding portion 61 against the rail surface in the -Y direction, and a third sliding unit 60 that presses the sliding portion 61 against the rail surface in the +Y direction.

[0031] The rail portion 52 has rail surfaces 53 to 55 made of flat surfaces that become sliding surfaces along which the sliding portion 61 on the carriage 31 side slides when the carriage 31 moves in the scanning direction X. The rail portion 52 in this example has a rail surface 53 perpendicular to the vertical direction Z, and rail surfaces 54 and 55 perpendicular to the transport direction Y. In more detail, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the rail portion 52 has a first rail surface 53 made of a flat surface perpendicular to the vertical direction Z and facing the +Z direction, a second rail surface 54 made of a flat surface perpendicular to the transport direction Y and facing the +Y direction, and a third rail surface 55 made of a flat surface perpendicular to the transport direction Y and facing the -Y direction.

[0032] 3, when the sliding part 61 strongly presses the first rail surface 53 in the +Z direction, the carriage 31 tries to rotate and displace in the counterclockwise direction, so that the other sliding parts 61 tend to lift up from the rail surfaces 54, 55. When the sliding part 61 strongly presses the second rail surface 54 in the -Y direction, the carriage 31 tries to rotate and displace in the clockwise direction, so that the other sliding parts 61 tend to lift up from the rail surfaces 53, 55. When the sliding part 61 strongly presses the third rail surface 55 in the +Y direction, the carriage 31 tries to rotate and displace in the clockwise direction, so that the other sliding parts 61 tend to hit the rail surface 53 too strongly or tend to lift up from the rail surface 54.

[0033] By pressing the sliding part 61 against the second rail surface 54 in the -Y direction and pressing the sliding part 61 against the third rail surface 55 in the +Y direction, positional fluctuation of the carriage 31 in the transport direction Y is suppressed. In other words, the carriage 31 moving while being guided by the guide member 50 is positioned in the transport direction Y. Furthermore, by pressing the sliding part 61 against the first rail surface 53 in the vertical direction Z (+Z direction), positional fluctuation of the carriage 31 in the vertical direction Z is suppressed.

[0034] 3, the recording head 32 has a nozzle surface 32A parallel to an XY plane defined by the width direction X and the transport direction Y. That is, the recording head 32 has the nozzle surface 32A parallel to the recorded surface of the recording medium 23 transported on the support base 28 in the transport direction Y.

[0035] <Recording section configuration> FIG. 4 shows the carriage support part 37 with the guide member 50 removed. As shown in FIG. 4, the carriage 31 has a plurality of sliding parts 61. That is, the carriage 31 has a plurality of types of sliding parts 61 with different orientations including a sliding part 61 facing the vertical direction Z, a sliding part 61 facing the -Y direction, and a sliding part 61 facing the +Y direction. All of the plurality of types of sliding parts 61 with different orientations are assembled to the carriage 31 as a part of the sliding mechanism GS. The sliding mechanism GS includes a sliding unit 60 assembled to the carriage 31 by a sliding method. Then, by assembling the sliding unit 60 to the carriage 31, the sliding part 61 is assembled to a predetermined position of the carriage 31 in a predetermined orientation.

[0036] 4, the carriage support part 37 is provided with mounting parts 41 to 43. By mounting a sliding unit 60 having a sliding part 61 to the mounting parts 41 to 43, each sliding part 61 is mounted to the carriage support part 37 in a predetermined orientation.

[0037] The sliding unit 60 has a sliding part 61 and a slider 62 (casing) that is assembled in a state where the sliding part 61 is exposed. The sliding unit 60 is positioned at a predetermined position by being slidably inserted into the mounting parts 41 to 43, and in the positioned state, is fixed to the mounting parts 41 to 43 by screws 80, thereby being held in the predetermined position.

[0038] The carriage 31 includes a plurality of springs 81, 82 that urge the plurality of sliding parts 61, which have different pressing directions, against the corresponding rail surfaces 53 to 55. That is, the carriage support part 37 is stretched with a first spring 81 that urges in the transport direction Y and a second spring 82 that urges in an oblique direction having components in both the scanning direction X and the vertical direction Z. Note that each type of sliding part 61 that is arranged in the same direction may be provided with one or more springs that urge the sliding part 61 against the corresponding rail surfaces 53 to 55.

[0039] 4, a sensor 38B that optically reads a linear scale 38A constituting a linear encoder 38 is attached to the rear of the carriage support part 37. The sensor 38B outputs a detection signal including a number of pulses proportional to the moving distance of the carriage 31 in the scanning direction X. A belt fixing part 37C that fixes the timing belt 34 is provided to the rear of the carriage support part 37. The timing belt 34 fixed to the belt fixing part 37C is rotated forward and backward by the forward and reverse drive of the carriage motor 35, so that the carriage 31 can reciprocate in the scanning direction X.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 5, the recording head 32 is provided at the center of the bottom of the carriage 31. The recording head 32 has a nozzle surface 32A on the lower surface facing the support base 28 (see FIG. 2) where a plurality of nozzles (not shown) are opened. A plurality of nozzles (not shown) that eject liquid to perform recording on the recording medium 23 are arranged on the nozzle surface 32A. A plurality of nozzles are opened on the nozzle surface 32A so as to be aligned in one direction at regular intervals. The plurality of nozzles constitute a nozzle array NA. The nozzle openings are aligned in the transport direction Y of the recording medium 23 to constitute a plurality of nozzle arrays NA. The nozzles that constitute one nozzle array NA eject the same type of liquid. Of the nozzles that constitute one nozzle array NA, the nozzles located on the upstream side of the transport direction Y and the nozzles located on the downstream side of the transport direction Y are formed with a position shift in the width direction X. The plurality of nozzle arrays NA are aligned close to each other in the width direction X, two arrays at a time.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 6, the carriage support part 37 has three attachment parts 41-43. The three attachment parts 41-43 have attachment surfaces 41A-43A to which the sliding unit 60 is attached. The three attachment surfaces 41A-43A have different directions perpendicular to the surfaces. That is, the first attachment surface 41A is a surface oriented such that the direction perpendicular to the first attachment surface 41A is the +Z direction. The second attachment surface 42A is a surface oriented such that the direction perpendicular to the second attachment surface 42A is the -Y direction. The third attachment surface 43A is a surface oriented such that the direction perpendicular to the third attachment surface 43A is the +Y direction. The first mounting surface 41A and the second mounting surface 42A are formed on the lower part of the carriage support part 37, and the third mounting surface 43A is formed on the upper part of the carriage support part 37.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 6, a sliding unit 60 is detachably provided on each of three types of mounting surfaces 41A to 43A having different orientations. The sliding unit 60 in this embodiment is detachably attached to the carriage 31. As shown in FIG. 7 in detail, the sliding unit 60 is mounted in a state in which it can slide along a slide portion 44 formed on the carriage 31. In this example, the sliding unit 60 can be attached and detached by sliding in the scanning direction X relative to the slide portion 44. The sliding unit 60 is fixed to the carriage 31 by a screw 80 in a state in which it is attached to the slide portion 44, and is thereby prevented from moving in the scanning direction X and coming off.

[0043] 7 and 8, the sliding unit 60 has a slider 62 that mounts a sliding part 61, an impregnated member 63, and a pressing member 64. The slider 62 is detachably provided on the carriage 31. When the sliding part 61 wears out, the sliding unit 60 can be replaced by simply replacing the slider 62, making it easy to replenish the lubricant GR and replace the impregnated member 63.

[0044] 7 and 8, the slider 62 is inserted into the sliding portion 44 in the scanning direction X and fixed with a screw 80 in the scanning direction X. The slider 62 has a gripping portion 62B. The gripping portion 62B has a hole 621 (see FIG. 9). The hole 621 is used, for example, to hook a jig or the like and remove the slider 62. The gripping portion 62B also has an anti-slip portion 622 (see FIG. 9).

[0045] A plurality of sliding units 60 are assembled to the carriage 31. A plurality of sliders 62 are provided to the carriage 31, and each slider 62 has the same shape. A common slider 62 may be used between a plurality of sliding parts 61 that are pressed against the rail surfaces 53 to 55 in different directions. In this case, the manufacturing cost of the carriage 31 is reduced by standardizing the parts of the slider 62. In addition, a common sliding unit 60 may be used between the same plurality of sliding parts 61. In this case, the manufacturing cost of the carriage 31 is further reduced by standardizing the parts of the sliding unit 60.

[0046] As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the carriage 31 includes a sliding part 61 and an impregnated member 63 impregnated with a lubricant GR. The lubricant GR includes grease. The carriage 31 further includes a reservoir 65 for storing the lubricant GR to be supplied to the impregnated member 63. In this embodiment, the sliding part 61, the impregnated member 63, and the reservoir 65 are configured as a sliding unit 60 arranged together in a single member. The sliding part 61 can be replaced together with the sliding unit 60.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the carriage 31 includes an impregnated member 63 impregnated with a lubricant GR on at least one side of the sliding part 61 in the scanning direction X, and a pressing member 64 that presses the impregnated member 63 toward the guide member 50 from the side opposite the guide member 50 with respect to the impregnated member 63. In this embodiment, the carriage 31 includes impregnated members 63 impregnated with a lubricant GR on both sides of the sliding part 61 in the scanning direction X. The impregnated members 63 on both sides are pressed toward the guide member 50 by the pressing member 64 from the side opposite the guide member 50. The impregnated member 63 impregnated with the lubricant GR is, for example, a felt material impregnated with the lubricant GR. The lubricant GR is, for example, grease. The grease is a semi-liquid oil at room temperature. The lubricant GR may be oil that is liquid at room temperature, or may include a mixture of grease and oil. The positions and number of the impregnated members 63 may be on either side of the sliding portion 61 in the scanning direction X, rather than on both sides of the sliding portion 61. In this example, the impregnated members 63 may be made of a felt material impregnated with the lubricant GR.

[0048] The pressing force of the pressing member 64 is smaller than the pressing force that the carriage 31 applies to the guide member 50. Here, the pressing force that the carriage 31 applies to the guide member 50 is a first pressing force F, and the pressing force of the pressing member 64 is a second pressing force f. The first pressing force F with which the carriage 31 presses the rail surfaces 53 to 55 refers to a pressing force based on the weight of the recording unit 30, the biasing forces of the springs 81, 82, etc., and the moment due to these weights and biasing forces. The pressing member 64 is, for example, a spring. When the pressing member 64 is a spring, it may be, for example, a leaf spring as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, or a coil spring capable of biasing the impregnated member 63.

[0049] The pressing force of the pressing member 64 may be less than half the pressing force applied by the carriage 31 to the guide member 50. For example, the second pressing force f of the pressing member 64 may be less than 1 / 20 to 1 / 2 of the first pressing force F applied by the carriage 31 to the guide member 50. The second pressing force f of the pressing member 64 may be significantly smaller than the first pressing force F, for example, less than 1 / 20 to 1 / 5 of the first pressing force F. The second pressing force f of the pressing member 64 may be, for example, about 1 / 10 of the first pressing force F.

[0050] By setting the second pressing force f of the pressing member 64 to a value smaller than the first pressing force F, it becomes easier to prevent the carriage 31 from floating up relative to the guide member 50 and becoming unstable in its posture. In addition, it becomes easier to prevent the impregnated member 63 from being pressed excessively hard, resulting in excessive discharge of the lubricant GR.

[0051] In this embodiment, the sliding units 60 are disposed at a plurality of locations on the carriage 31. When the pressing member 64 is a common component among the plurality of sliding units 60, the urging force of the pressing member 64 is smaller than the minimum load among the loads applied from the carriage 31 to the rail surfaces 53 to 55. On the other hand, when the urging force of the pressing member 64 is changed to a different pressing force at each location of the plurality of sliding units 60, the pressing force f of each pressing member 64 is set to be smaller than the load applied to each carriage 31. Even if the loads of the carriages 31 received by the sliding mechanism GS are different, it is sufficient that all the pressing forces of the pressing members 64 are smaller than the minimum load from the carriage 31.

[0052] Here, if the pressing member 64 presses the impregnated member 63 against the rail surfaces 53-55 with excessive force, the carriage 31 rotates due to being pressed against the rail surfaces 53-55 with the excessive force, and its posture deviates from the correct posture, and the other sliding parts 61 float above the rail surfaces 53-55 and do not come into contact. Also, if the pressing member 64 strongly presses the impregnated member 63 against the rail surfaces 53-55 with excessive force, the lubricant GR impregnated in the impregnated member 63 will seep out excessively. This causes early lubricant shortage, increases the sliding load of the sliding parts 61 against the rail surfaces 53-55, and impairs the durability of the carriage 31. On the other hand, if the sliding parts 61 do not come into contact with the rail surfaces 53-55, the lubricant GR cannot be supplied to the sliding parts 61. In this case as well, the sliding load of the sliding portion 61 on the rail surfaces 53 to 55 increases, and the durability of the carriage 31 is impaired.

[0053] In particular, when the impregnated member 63 is made of a material that easily absorbs the liquid lubricant GR, such as cloth or fiber, it is easily affected by humidity, making it difficult to control the contact pressure between the sliding part 61 and the rail surfaces 53 to 55. The pressing member 64 that presses the impregnated member 63 toward the guide member 50 from the surface of the impregnated member 63 opposite the guide member 50 may be any member capable of pressing, and may be a spring such as a leaf spring, or a sheet or film made of elastic synthetic resin.

[0054] The pressing member 64 presses almost the entire area of ​​the impregnated member 63 in a direction intersecting the scanning direction X. In this example, in which the impregnated member 63 is made of a flexible felt material, the impregnated member 63 may be pressed from the back side by a portion (tip) of the pressing member 64 made of a leaf spring that extends linearly in a direction intersecting the scanning direction X. In this way, almost the entire width of the impregnated member 63 in a direction intersecting the scanning direction X is brought into contact with the guide member 50.

[0055] In this way, the sliding unit 60 may have a structure that pushes out the impregnated member 63 made of felt material with a constant force. The impregnated member 63 that supplies the lubricant GR is disposed near the front and rear of the sliding part 61 of the carriage 31 in the scanning direction X, and the impregnated member 63 is pressed against the rail surfaces 53-55 of the guide member 50. In detail, a pressing member 64 with a weak elastic force is placed on the center of the impregnated member 63 made of felt material on the side opposite to the side facing the rail surfaces 53-55, and the impregnated member 63 is pressed by the weak elastic force of the pressing member 64.

[0056] For example, when the guide member 50 is a cylindrical guide shaft, the sliding part provided to surround the guide shaft inserted into the inserted part on the carriage side hits strongly in one direction and weakly in the opposite direction, so that the carriage and the guide shaft are adjusted to a position where they hit appropriately. In contrast, in the configuration of this embodiment in which the guide member 50 is a guide rail, if the sliding part 61 is misaligned in the perpendicular direction to the rail surfaces 53 to 55, the impact will be excessively strong or there will be poor contact. For this reason, it is important to manage the contact pressure between the sliding part 61 and the rail surfaces 53 to 55.

[0057] In this embodiment, the pressing member 64 biases the impregnated member 63 in the same direction as the load applied to the rail surfaces 53-55 of the carriage 31, such as the carriage 31's own weight, the spring biasing force, and the moment of the spring biasing force. This prevents the contact between the sliding surfaces (rail surfaces) of the multiple sliding parts 61 from being excessively strong or causing poor contact. The biasing force with which the pressing member 64 biases the impregnated member 63 may be set to a strength smaller than the load applied to the rail surfaces 53-55 of the carriage 31.

[0058] In this embodiment, the felt material constituting the impregnated member 63 is pushed out from the back side by the pressing member 64. Since the biasing force (spring force) of the pressing member 64 can be controlled, the impregnated member 63 made of felt material can always be brought into contact with the rail surfaces 53-55, and there is no risk of the impregnated member 63 (e.g., felt material) being pressed against at least one of the rail surfaces 53-55 with excessive force, causing the carriage 31 to rotate from the normal position and resulting in rotational deviation. Therefore, the sliding part 61 of the carriage 31 does not float from the rail surfaces 53-55.

[0059] The sliding unit 60 has a structure for preventing the impregnated member 63 from falling off. The surface of the slider 62 opposite to the surface facing the guide member 50 has a holding part 78 for holding the impregnated member 63, and an opening 72A formed in a position of the holding part 78 facing the guide member 50. Two sides facing in the scanning direction X of the outer periphery of the impregnated member 63 are supported by the outer edge of the opening 72A. The central part of the impregnated member 63 in the scanning direction X is pressed by the pressing member 64 and comes into contact with the guide member 50.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 8, the impregnated member 63 is held on the slider 62 by covering the peripheral portion of the impregnated member 63 from the rail surface 53 (54, 55) side with the holding portion 78. The impregnated member 63 is exposed so as to bulge from the opening 72A towards the rail surface 53 (54, 55) side when the pressing member 64 presses the central portion from the rear surface. In this embodiment, the holding portion 78 formed on the slider 62 covers the peripheral portion of the impregnated member 63 from the rail surface 53 (54, 55) side. This prevents the impregnated member 63 from falling off the slider 62.

[0061] Since the sliding resistance becomes large if the sliding portion 61 is simply slid on the rail surfaces 53-55, an impregnating member 63 is provided to supply the lubricant GR. The impregnating member 63 is, for example, a felt material impregnated with grease as the lubricant GR, and when pressed against the rail surfaces 53-55 with a predetermined pressing force by the pressing member 64, the lubricant GR seeps out and is supplied to the rail surfaces 53-55.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 8, the carriage 31 may have a storage section 65. In this embodiment, the sliding unit 60 has the storage section 65. This is because the lubricant GR impregnated in the felt material alone is insufficient for the service life of the recording device 11. The storage section 65 is located next to the impregnated member 63 in the scanning direction X. The storage section 65 has a storage recess 73 (see FIG. 9) recessed so that the lubricant GR can be stored in the slider 62, the lubricant GR stored in the storage recess 73, and a groove section 75 (see FIG. 9) that communicates the storage recess 73 with the storage space in which the impregnated member 63 is stored. When the lubricant GR in the felt material is consumed, the liquid lubricant GR is supplied to the impregnated member 63 from the storage section 65 through the groove section 75 by capillary action or the like. In this manner, the lubricant GR in the reservoir 65 is supplied to the impregnated member 63, and the lubricant GR is further supplied from the impregnated member 63 to the rail surfaces 53-55.

[0063] 8, the sliding mechanism GS has an aligning mechanism AS that allows the contact portion 61A to follow the rail surfaces 53-55 (sliding surfaces) even if the rail surfaces 53-55 (sliding surfaces) have curved portions such as undulating. The sliding unit 60 and the sliding portion 61 are separate bodies and are provided so as to be swingable about an axis parallel to at least a direction intersecting with the scanning direction X with respect to the slider.

[0064] The sliding portion 61 has a contact portion 61A that contacts the guide member 50 over a predetermined length in the scanning direction X, and a protrusion 61B that contacts the carriage 31 on the rear surface at an intermediate position in the scanning direction X of the contact portion 61A.

[0065] Since the rear surface of the sliding part 61 is a convex curved surface, the protrusion 61B formed on the rear surface of the sliding part 61 makes point contact or line contact with the frame surface 44A of the carriage 31. The protrusion 61B of the sliding part 61 may be formed, for example, in a convex spherical shape (see FIG. 10). If it is a convex spherical shape, it can also swing with respect to the slider 62 about an axis parallel to the scanning direction X.

[0066] Therefore, the sliding part 61 can swing around the point contact part or contact part of the protrusion 61B as a fulcrum C (see Figs. 13 and 14). Therefore, even if the rail surfaces 53 to 55 (sliding surfaces) are curved, the sliding part 61 can follow the rail surfaces 53 to 55 while maintaining a wide contact area with the rail surfaces 53 (54, 55) with the contact part 61A. Therefore, the abutment part of the sliding part 61 is reliably abutted against the rail surfaces 53 to 55 to stabilize the posture of the carriage.

[0067] 8 and 9, the sliding portion 61 has a recess 61C in the center in the scanning direction X that does not come into contact with the guide member 50. In other words, the contact portion 61A is divided into two parts separated by the recess 61C in the scanning direction X. It is possible to reduce the sliding resistance of the carriage 31 by reducing the contact area while stabilizing the posture by increasing the distance of the contact portion 61A in the scanning direction X.

[0068] Next, a detailed configuration of the sliding unit 60 will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. In Fig. 9 to Fig. 12, the longitudinal direction of the sliding unit 60 is designated as Dx, the transverse direction is designated as Dy, and the thickness direction is designated as Dz. For example, in the sliding unit 60 mounted along the rail surface 53, the longitudinal direction Dx coincides with the scanning direction X, the transverse direction Dy coincides with the transport direction Y, and the thickness direction Dz coincides with the vertical direction Z.

[0069] 9, a sliding part 61 is attached to the center in the longitudinal direction Dx of a first surface, which is the sliding surface side of the sliding unit 60. The contact part 61A of the sliding part 61 is divided into two parts on both sides of a recess 61C formed in the center in the longitudinal direction Dx.

[0070] 9, the impregnated member 63 has a central portion of its back surface pressed by the tip of a pressing member 64 with both peripheral portions in the scanning direction X held by holding portions 78. The sliding unit 60 has a reservoir 65 that stores lubricant GR at a position aligned with the holding portion 78 in the scanning direction X. A groove 75 that guides the lubricant GR from the reservoir 65 to the impregnated member 63 held by the holding portion 78 is provided between the reservoir 65 and the holding portion 78.

[0071] The sliding unit 60 has a gripping portion 62B at one end in the longitudinal direction Dx, which extends in the scanning direction X. A hole 621 and an anti-slip portion 622 are formed in the gripping portion 62B. Furthermore, a locking portion 62C extends from the tip of the sliding unit 60 on the opposite side to the gripping portion 62B in the scanning direction X. When the sliding unit 60 is slid onto the slide portion 44 and inserted to the end position, the locking portion 62C is inserted into a hole 45 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) on the carriage 31 side, thereby positioning the tip side. Furthermore, the sliding unit 60 has a support portion 62D extending to a second surface side, which is the surface opposite to the first surface, in the thickness direction Dz intersecting with the direction in which the gripping portion 62B extends. A screw insertion hole 623 is formed in the support portion 62D, through which the shaft portion of the screw 80 can be inserted.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 10, a protrusion 61B having a convex spherical surface is formed on the back side of the center of the sliding part 61 in the scanning direction X. When the sliding unit 60 is inserted into the sliding part 44, the protrusion 61B abuts the frame surface 44A (see FIG. 8), which is the bottom surface of the sliding part 44, with the convex spherical surface. The frame surface 44A is a flat surface. The protrusion 61B makes a point contact with the frame surface 44A with the convex spherical surface, and the sliding part 61 can swing around the point of point contact. The slider 62 is provided with a recess 74 at a position next to the accommodation hole 72 in the longitudinal direction Dx. The recess 74 functions as an attachment part to which the base 64A of the pressing member 64 is attached. When the base 64A is attached to the recess 74, the tip 64B of the pressing member 64 presses the impregnated member 63 from the back side. In addition, the recess 74 in this example is provided at a position facing the accommodating recess 73 on the surface of the slider 62 opposite to the surface on which the accommodating recess 73 is recessed.

[0073] Next, the detailed structure of the slider 62 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 11, the slider 62 has, in its slider body 62A, an accommodation hole 71 in which the sliding part 61 is accommodated, an accommodation hole 72 having an opening 72A that exposes the impregnated member 63, and an accommodation recess 73 that serves as a storage part 65 that stores the lubricant GR. The slider 62 has a plurality of restricting parts 76 and a plurality of protruding parts 77 on the inner wall surface of the accommodation hole 71 in which the sliding part 61 is accommodated. The plurality of restricting parts 76 restrict the range in which both ends of the sliding part 61 in the longitudinal direction Dx can be displaced toward the rail surface 53 (54, 55) (see FIG. 14) in the thickness direction Dz when the sliding part 61 (see FIG. 9) is assembled in the accommodation hole 71 of the slider 62. The plurality of protruding parts 77 also function as a retainer for the sliding part 61 assembled in the accommodation hole 71 of the slider 62. The plurality of restricting portions 76 and the plurality of convex portions 77 define a swing allowance of the sliding portion 61 with the point contact portion of the protrusion portion 61B as a fulcrum C (see FIG. 14). As shown in FIG. 11, a groove portion 75 that communicates the accommodation hole 72 and the accommodation recess 73 is formed between the accommodation hole 72 and the accommodation recess 73. The slider 62 has the above-mentioned grip portion 62B and the locking portion 62C at both ends in the longitudinal direction Dx. The slider 62 also has the above-mentioned support portion 62D that extends from a base portion of the grip portion 62B in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the grip portion 62B and has a screw insertion hole 623 formed therein.

[0074] Next, the operation of the recording device 11 will be described. Since the impregnating members 63 are provided on both sides of the sliding part 61 in the scanning direction X, the lubricant GR is supplied to the rail surfaces 53 to 55. For example, in Fig. 8, when the carriage 31 moves forward in the +X direction, the lubricant GR is supplied to the rail surface 53 from the impregnating member 63 located downstream in the traveling direction (left side in Fig. 8). Then, the sliding part 61 slides on the rail surface 53 (54, 55) to which the lubricant GR has been supplied, so that the lubricant GR is supplied between the rail surface 53 (54, 55) and the sliding part 61.

[0075] 8, when the carriage 31 moves in the -X direction, the lubricant GR is supplied to the rail surface 53 (54, 55) from the impregnating member 63 located downstream in the traveling direction (right side in FIG. 8). Then, the sliding part 61 slides on the rail surface 53 (54, 55) to which the lubricant GR has been supplied, so that the lubricant GR is supplied between the rail surface 53 (54, 55) and the sliding part 61. In this manner, in this embodiment, the impregnating member 63 is disposed on both sides of the sliding part 61 in the scanning direction X, so that the lubricant GR can be reliably supplied to the rail surface 53 both when the carriage 31 moves forward and backward. This also applies when the sliding part 61 of the sliding mechanism GS slides on the other rail surfaces 54, 55.

[0076] Furthermore, the impregnated member 63 is pressed toward the guide member 50 by the pressing member 64 from the side opposite to the side facing the guide member 50. Therefore, even if the posture of the carriage 31 deviates from the correct posture, the impregnated member 63 is pressed by the pressing member 64, and therefore the impregnated member 63 is unlikely to lift off the rail surface 53 consisting of the flat surface of the guide member 50. Therefore, the impregnated member 63 can reliably slide on the rail surface 53 (54, 55), and the lubricant GR is reliably supplied to the rail surface 53 (54, 55).

[0077] In addition, the load of the recording unit 30 due to the weight of the recording unit 30, the biasing force of the springs 81 and 82 for pressing the sliding part 61 against the rail surfaces 53 to 55, and the moment generated when the carriage 31 tries to rotate due to these weights and biasing forces is applied to the rail surfaces 53 to 55 via the sliding part 61. When the pressing force of the pressing member 64 is set to a value smaller than the load of the recording unit 30, particularly a value smaller than half the load of the recording unit 30, the load applied to the rail surfaces 53 to 55 of the recording unit 30 due to the pressing force of the pressing member 64 becomes excessively large, causing the carriage 31 to try to rotate and shift in posture, and it is possible to prevent other sliding parts 61 from floating up from the rail surfaces 53 to 55. That is, all the sliding parts 61 abut against the rail surfaces 53 to 55 with an appropriate abutment pressure. As a result, the posture of the carriage 31 is stabilized when the carriage 31 reciprocates in the scanning direction X during recording. In addition, since the lubricant GR is reliably supplied, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the load when the carriage 31 moves in the scanning direction X along the guide member 50 due to an increase in the sliding resistance between the sliding portion 61 and the rail surfaces 53 to 55 caused by a shortage of the lubricant GR can be avoided. Therefore, for example, the carriage 31 can move in a stable posture and at a stable speed. As a result, recording can be performed on the recording medium 23 with high recording accuracy.

[0078] Furthermore, the sliding unit 60 includes an aligning mechanism AS that allows the sliding part 61 to follow the curved rail surfaces 53-55 even if the rail surfaces 53-55 are curved, such as undulating. For example, as shown in Fig. 13, when the carriage 31 moves along the flat rail surface 53 (54, 55), the sliding part 61 is held in a steady position in which the contact parts 61A are parallel to the rail surface, and the two contact parts 61A both contact the rail surface 53 (54, 55) to slide.

[0079] Also, as shown in Fig. 14, if the rail surface 53 (54, 55) is curved, such as undulating, the sliding part 61 swings around the fulcrum C to follow the rail surface 53 (54, 55). That is, as shown by the solid line in Fig. 14, the sliding part 61 rotates clockwise around the fulcrum C to follow the rail surface 53 (54, 55). Also, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 14, the sliding part 61 rotates counterclockwise around the fulcrum C to follow the rail surface 53 (54, 55). Even if the rail surface 53 (54, 55) is curved, such as undulating, the posture of the carriage 31 during movement is stable.

[0080] 13, the sliding part 61 has a sufficient swinging margin to swing about the fulcrum C until it engages with a plurality of protrusions 77 protruding from a position a short distance away from its back surface. When the sliding unit 60 is removed from the carriage 31, the sliding part 61 engages with the plurality of protrusions 77, providing a retaining function to prevent the sliding part 61 from coming off the slider 62. As a result, the sliding part 61 can be supported so as to be swingable, and is also retained when the sliding unit 60 is removed.

[0081] 15, the lubricant GR stored in the storage portion 65 is replenished to the impregnated member 63 through the groove portion 75. For this reason, it is difficult for the lubricant GR impregnated in the impregnated member 63 to become insufficient. Also, the sliding unit 60 needs to be replaced less frequently during the useful life of the recording device 11.

[0082] The impregnated member 63 is pressed against the rail surface 53 (54, 55) by the pressing member 64. The base 64A of the pressing member 64 is attached to the recess 74, and the tip 64B of the pressing member 64 presses against the approximate center of the impregnated member 63 in the scanning direction X. When the impregnated member 63 and the rail surface 53 (54, 55) attempt to separate, the pressing force of the pressing member 64 causes the impregnated member 63 to protrude more from the opening 72A, so that the impregnated member 63 can follow while maintaining the state of being pressed against the rail surface 53 (54, 55). Therefore, even if the carriage 31 attempts to rotate due to the curvature of the rail surface 53 (54, 55) or an excessive load applied to the rail surface 53 of the recording unit 30, causing the other sliding parts 61 to rise up on the other rail surfaces 54, 55, the impregnated member 63 can be maintained in contact with the rail surface 53 (54, 55).

[0083] Furthermore, the impregnated member 63 is held by a holding portion 78 in which the peripheral portions of two sides facing the scanning direction X are inclined in a direction toward the rail surface 53 (54, 55) as they approach the opening 72A. Therefore, the impregnated member 63, whose central portion on the back surface is pressed by the pressing member 64, can be caused to bulge in a curved manner from the opening 72A. For example, if the cross section of the holding portion 78 is rectangular, the impregnated member 63 may bend at a corner of the rectangular cross section of the holding portion 78, and the fibers of, for example, the felt material may become dense around the fold, making it difficult for the lubricant GR to penetrate.

[0084] Furthermore, even if the openings 72A have the same opening size, it is possible to ensure a relatively wide projected area when the portion of the impregnated member 63 that bulges out from the opening 72A is projected onto the opposing rail surfaces 53 to 55. In other words, even if the opening size of the openings 72A is the same, it is possible to ensure a relatively wide contact area where the impregnated member 63 can come into contact with the rail surfaces 53 to 55.

[0085] Maintenance such as refilling the reservoir 65 with lubricant GR and replacing the sliding part 61 is performed by removing the sliding unit 60 from the carriage 31. The sliding unit 60 is equipped with the sliding part 61, the impregnated member 63, and the pressing member 64. Therefore, by removing the sliding unit 60 from the carriage 31, the sliding part 61, the impregnated member 63, and the pressing member 64 can be removed all at once.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 16, the screw 80 is first loosened and removed, and then the gripping portion 62B is gripped and the sliding unit 60 is slid in the removal direction in the scanning direction X to remove it from the carriage 31. Also, a tool or wire can be hooked on a hole 621 formed in the gripping portion 62B to pull it out. For example, even in a narrow space where the worker cannot reach, the sliding unit 60 can be removed from the carriage 31 using a tool or wire. During maintenance, the sliding portion 61 and the impregnated member of the sliding unit 60 are maintained, and the lubricant GR is replenished in the reservoir 65. When replacing the sliding unit 60, a new sliding unit 60 is prepared.

[0087] Then, the replaced sliding unit 60 is attached to the carriage 31 by sliding it in the scanning direction X along the slide portion 44. After being attached to the carriage 31, the screw 80 is fastened to the screw hole 46 on the carriage 31 side using a tool such as a screwdriver (see FIG. 7).

[0088] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The recording device 11 includes a recording head 32 that records on a recording medium 23 that is transported in a transport direction D, a carriage 31 that mounts the recording head 32 and scans in a scanning direction X that intersects with the transport direction D, and a guide member 50 having rail surfaces 53-55 that are an example of a flat surface that guides the carriage 31 in the scanning direction X. The carriage 31 includes a sliding portion 61 that slides in contact with the guide member 50, an impregnated member 63 that is impregnated with a lubricant GR on at least one side of the sliding portion 61 in the scanning direction X, and a pressing member 64 that presses the impregnated member 63 toward the guide member 50 from the surface of the impregnated member 63 opposite the guide member 50. With this configuration, the impregnated member 63 is pressed toward the guide member 50 by the pressing member 64, so that the impregnated member 63 is prevented from moving away from the guide member 50. Therefore, compared to a configuration without the pressing member 64, the lubricant GR can be more reliably supplied from the impregnated member 63 to the rail surfaces 53-55 of the guide member 50 on which the sliding portion 61 slides. It is possible to prevent the sliding resistance of the carriage 31 from increasing due to a stagnation in the supply of the lubricant GR to the guide member 50.

[0089] (2) The pressing force of the pressing member 64 is smaller than the pressing force that the carriage 31 applies to the guide member 50. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the carriage 31 from being displaced from the appropriate posture due to the pressing force of the pressing member 64.

[0090] (3) The pressing force of the pressing member 64 is less than half the pressing force that the carriage 31 applies to the guide member 50. This prevents the carriage 31 from floating up and becoming unstable. In addition, it prevents the sliding portion 61 and the impregnated member 63 from strongly contacting the guide member 50 and causing the lubricant GR to be excessively discharged from the impregnated member 63.

[0091] (4) The recording device 11 has a slider 62 that mounts a sliding portion 61, an impregnated member 63, and a pressing member 64. The slider 62 is detachably provided on the carriage 31. Therefore, when the sliding portion 61 wears out, it is sufficient to replace only the slider 62. In addition, it is easy to replenish the lubricant GR and replace the impregnated member 63.

[0092] (5) The carriage 31 is provided with a plurality of sliders 62, and the plurality of sliders 62 have the same shape. Therefore, by standardizing the components of the plurality of sliders 62, the manufacturing cost of the recording device 11 can be reduced.

[0093] (6) The slider 62 and the sliding part 61 are separate bodies. The sliding part 61 is provided so as to be swingable about an axis parallel to at least a direction intersecting the scanning direction X with respect to the slider 62. With this configuration, even if the sliding surface of the guide member 50 is curved, the sliding part 61 can change its posture by following the curved sliding surface, so that the abutment part 61A of the sliding part 61 can be reliably abutted against the guide member 50 when the carriage 31 moves in the scanning direction X. Therefore, the carriage 31 can be held in a stable posture.

[0094] (7) The sliding portion 61 includes a contact portion 61A that contacts the guide member 50 at a predetermined length in the direction along the scanning direction X, and a protrusion portion 61B having a convex curved surface that contacts the carriage 31 on the back surface of the contact portion 61A at an intermediate position in the scanning direction X. With this configuration, the sliding portion 61 can be supported so as to be swingable with a simple configuration. Therefore, a guide structure that guides the carriage 31 movably in the scanning direction X by the guide member 50 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0095] (8) The contact portion 61A of the sliding portion 61 has a recess 61C in the center in the scanning direction X that does not contact the guide member 50. According to this configuration, the contact portion 61A of the sliding portion 61 is divided into multiple regions separated by the recesses in the scanning direction X. Therefore, the distance in the scanning direction X of the contact portion 61A of the sliding portion 61 is increased to stabilize the posture, while the contact area is reduced, thereby reducing the sliding resistance of the carriage 31.

[0096] (9) The impregnated members 63 are disposed on both sides of the sliding portion 61 in the scanning direction X. With this configuration, the lubricant GR can be supplied from the impregnated members 63 to between the sliding portion 61 and the guide member 50 both when the carriage 31 moves back and forth and when it moves back.

[0097] (10) The slider 62 is provided on the surface opposite to the surface facing the guide member 50, and has a holding portion 78 that holds the impregnated member 63, and an opening 72A formed in the holding portion 78 at a position facing the guide member 50. Two sides of the outer periphery of the impregnated member 63 that face the scanning direction X are supported by the outer edge of the opening 72A, and the center of the impregnated member 63 in the scanning direction X is pressed by the pressing member 64 to abut against the guide member 50. This prevents the impregnated member 63 from falling off the slider 62.

[0098] (11) The pressing member 64 presses the impregnated member 63 with a portion extending linearly in a direction intersecting the scanning direction X. This makes it possible to bring the entire width or a region close to the entire width of the impregnated member 63 in the direction intersecting the scanning direction X into contact with the guide member 50.

[0099] (12) The storage portion 65 that stores the lubricant GR is provided at a position aligned with the holding portion 78 in the scanning direction X, and a groove portion 75 that guides the lubricant GR from the storage portion 65 to the impregnated member 63 held by the holding portion 78 is provided between the storage portion 65 and the holding portion 78. Thus, the lubricant GR can be supplied from the storage portion 65 that stores the lubricant GR to the impregnated member 63. Compared to a configuration without the storage portion 65, the carriage 31 can be moved stably without a large load for a long period of time without replenishment of the lubricant GR.

[0100] The above embodiment can be modified to the following modified examples. Further modified examples can be appropriately combined with the above embodiment and the following modified examples, or further modified examples can be appropriately combined with each other.

[0101] The pressing force (second pressing force) of the pressing member 64 may be larger than half of the pressing force (first pressing force) applied by the carriage 31 to the guide member 50, so long as the pressing force (second pressing force) is smaller than the pressing force (first pressing force).

[0102] The reservoir 65 may be disposed above the impregnated member 63. The reservoir 65 may be disposed above the sliding portion 61. The storage section 65 may be omitted.

[0103] The convex curved surface of the protrusion 61B of the sliding portion 61 may be semi-cylindrical rather than convex spherical. In this case, the arc surface (convex curved surface) of the semi-cylinder is brought into contact with the frame surface 44A on the carriage 31 side.

[0104] The sliding portion 61 may be fixed to the slider 62 so as not to be able to swing. The sliding direction may be the transport direction Y instead of the scanning direction X. Instead of using a sliding system, the sliding unit 60 may be configured to be detachably attached in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the carriage 31 side.

[0105] Although the sliding unit 60 is assembled to the carriage 31 with the multiple sliding parts 61 facing three directions, the multiple sliding parts 61 may face only two directions. For example, the multiple sliding parts 61 may be provided on the carriage 31 so as to face two directions, the +Z direction and the -Y direction. Also, the multiple sliding parts 61 may be provided on the carriage 31 so as to face two directions, the +Z direction and the +Y direction. Also, a configuration in which only the sliding parts facing one direction slide on the guide member 50 is possible.

[0106] The multiple sliders 62 do not all need to be common parts. Only some of the multiple sliders 62 may be common parts. The guide member 50 may be separate from the main frame.

[0107] A spring may be provided to bias the sliding portion 61 in the vertical direction Z relative to the rail surface 53. Only two of the sliding portion 61, the impregnated member 63, and the storage portion may be integrally assembled to the carriage 31. For example, the impregnated member 63 and the storage portion 65 may be integrally configured, and these and the sliding portion 61 may be separate bodies.

[0108] The sliding portion 61, the impregnated member 63, and the reservoir portion may be assembled separately to the carriage 31. The technical concepts and effects obtained from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described below.

[0109] (A) A recording device includes a recording head that records on a recording medium transported in a transport direction, a carriage that carries the recording head and scans in a scanning direction intersecting the transport direction, and a guide member having a flat surface that guides the carriage in the scanning direction, and the carriage includes a sliding part that slides in contact with the guide member, an impregnated member impregnated with a lubricant on at least one side of the sliding part in the scanning direction, and a pressing member that presses the impregnated member toward the guide member from the surface of the impregnated member opposite the guide member.

[0110] According to this configuration, the impregnated member is pressed toward the guide member by the pressing member, so that the impregnated member is prevented from moving away from the guide member. This makes it possible to more reliably supply lubricant from the impregnated member to the surface of the guide member on which the sliding portion slides. It is possible to prevent the sliding resistance of the carriage from increasing due to a stagnation in the supply of lubricant to the guide member.

[0111] (B) In the above recording apparatus, the pressing force of the pressing member may be smaller than the pressing force applied by the carriage to the guide member. According to this configuration, the pressing force of the pressing member is smaller than the pressing force applied by the carriage to the guide member, so that it is possible to prevent the carriage from being displaced from the appropriate posture due to the pressing force of the pressing member.

[0112] (C) In the above recording apparatus, the pressing force of the pressing member may be less than half the pressing force applied by the carriage to the guide member. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the carriage from becoming unstable due to floating up, etc. Also, it is possible to prevent the sliding portion and the impregnated member from strongly abutting against the guide member, causing the lubricant to be excessively discharged from the impregnated member.

[0113] (D) The recording device may have a slider that carries the sliding portion, the impregnated member, and the pressing member, and the slider may be detachably provided on the carriage. With this configuration, when the sliding portion becomes worn, it is necessary to replace only the slider. It is easy to replenish the lubricant and replace the impregnated member.

[0114] (E) In the above recording apparatus, the carriage may be provided with a plurality of sliders, and the plurality of sliders may have the same shape. According to this configuration, the parts of the multiple sliders can be standardized, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the recording device.

[0115] (F) In the above recording device, the slider and the sliding portion may be separate bodies, and the sliding portion may be provided so as to be swingable relative to the slider about an axis that is parallel to at least a direction intersecting the scanning direction.

[0116] According to this configuration, even if the sliding surface of the guide member is curved, the sliding part can change its posture to follow the curved sliding surface, so that the abutment part of the sliding part can reliably abut against the guide member when the carriage moves in the scanning direction, thereby maintaining the carriage in a stable posture.

[0117] (G) In the above recording device, the sliding portion may include a contact portion that contacts the guide member at a predetermined length in a direction along the scanning direction, and a protrusion portion having a convex curved surface on a back surface of the contact portion at an intermediate position in the scanning direction that contacts the carriage.

[0118] According to this configuration, the sliding portion can be supported so as to be able to swing with a simple configuration, and therefore a guide structure for guiding the carriage movably in the scanning direction by the guide member can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0119] (H) In the above recording device, the contact portion of the sliding portion may have a recess in a center portion in the scanning direction that does not contact the guide member. According to this configuration, the contact portion of the sliding part is divided into multiple regions separated by the recess in the scanning direction, so that the distance in the scanning direction of the contact portion of the sliding part is increased to stabilize the posture, while the contact area is reduced, thereby reducing the sliding resistance of the carriage.

[0120] (I) In the above recording apparatus, the impregnated members may be disposed on both sides of the sliding portion in the scanning direction. According to this configuration, the lubricant can be supplied from the impregnated member to between the sliding member and the guide member both when the carriage is moving back and forth and when it is moving back.

[0121] (J) In the above recording device, a holding portion is provided on a surface of the slider opposite to a surface facing the guide member, the holding portion holding the impregnated member, and an opening is formed in the holding portion at a position facing the guide member, two sides of the outer periphery of the impregnated member facing the scanning direction are supported on the outer edges of the openings, and a central portion of the impregnated member in the scanning direction is pressed by the pressing member to abut against the guide member.

[0122] This configuration can prevent the impregnated member from falling off the slider. (K) The pressing member may press the impregnated member with a portion that extends linearly in a direction intersecting the scanning direction.

[0123] According to this configuration, the pressing member presses the impregnated member with the portion extending in a direction intersecting the scanning direction, so that it is possible to abut the entire width or nearly the entire width of the impregnated member in the direction intersecting the scanning direction against the guide member.

[0124] (L) A storage section for storing the lubricant may be provided at a position aligned with the holding section in the scanning direction, and a groove section for guiding the lubricant from the storage section to the impregnated member held by the holding section may be provided between the storage section and the holding section.

[0125] According to this configuration, the lubricant can be supplied to the impregnated member from the reservoir that stores the lubricant. Compared to a configuration without a reservoir, the carriage can move stably without a large load for a long period of time without replenishing the lubricant. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 11...recording device, 12...casing, 15...storage section, 16...opening, 20...transport section, 21...feed section, 22...transport roller pair, 23...recording medium, 24...core member, 25...roll body, 26...first holding section, 27...second holding section, 28...support stand, 30...recording section, 31...carriage, 32...recording head, 34...timing belt, 35...carriage motor, 36...carriage body, 37...carriage motor Carriage support portion, 41...first attached portion, 41A...first attached surface, 42...second attached portion, 42A...second attached surface, 43...third attached portion, 43A...third attached surface, 44...slide portion, 44A...frame surface, 50...guide member, 51...frame main body, 52...rail portion, 53...first rail surface which is an example of a flat surface, 54...second rail surface which is an example of a flat surface, 55...an example of a flat surface A third rail surface, 60...sliding unit, 61...sliding portion, 61A...contact portion, 61B...projection portion, 61C...recess, 62...slider, 62A...slider body, 62B...gripping portion, 62C...locking portion, 62D...support portion, 621...hole, 622...anti-slip portion, 623...screw insertion hole, 63...impregnated member, 64...pressure member, 65...storage portion, 71...accommodating hole, 72...accommodating hole, 72A...opening, 7 3...accommodation recess, 74...recess, 75...groove portion, 77...convex portion, 78...holding portion, GS...sliding mechanism, AS...aligning mechanism, GR...lubricant, X...scanning direction, Y...conveying direction, Z...vertical direction, D...conveying direction, Dx...longitudinal direction, Dy...short direction, Dz...thickness direction, F...first pressing force which is an example of a pressing force applied by the carriage to the guide member, f...second pressing force which is an example of a pressing force of the pressing member.

Claims

1. a recording head for recording on a recording medium conveyed in a conveying direction; a carriage on which the recording head is mounted and which scans in a scanning direction intersecting the transport direction; a guide member having a flat surface that guides the carriage in the scanning direction, The carriage includes: a sliding portion that slides in contact with the guide member; an impregnated member impregnated with a lubricant on at least one side of the sliding portion in the scanning direction; a pressing member that presses the impregnating member toward the guide member from a surface of the impregnating member opposite to the guide member, 2. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing force of said pressing member is smaller than the pressing force applied by said carriage to said guide member.

2. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing force of the pressing member is smaller than half the pressing force applied by the carriage to the guide member.

3. a recording head for recording on a recording medium conveyed in a conveying direction; a carriage on which the recording head is mounted and which scans in a scanning direction intersecting the transport direction; a guide member having a flat surface that guides the carriage in the scanning direction, The carriage includes: a sliding portion that slides in contact with the guide member; an impregnated member impregnated with a lubricant on at least one side of the sliding portion in the scanning direction; a pressing member that presses the impregnating member toward the guide member from a surface of the impregnating member opposite to the guide member, The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the impregnated members are disposed on both sides of the sliding portion in the scanning direction.

4. a recording head for recording on a recording medium conveyed in a conveying direction; a carriage on which the recording head is mounted and which scans in a scanning direction intersecting the transport direction; a guide member having a flat surface that guides the carriage in the scanning direction, The carriage includes: a sliding portion that slides in contact with the guide member; an impregnated member impregnated with a lubricant on at least one side of the sliding portion in the scanning direction; a pressing member that presses the impregnating member toward the guide member from a surface of the impregnating member opposite to the guide member, a pressing member that presses the impregnated member with a portion that extends linearly in a direction intersecting the scanning direction;

5. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a slider on which the sliding portion, the impregnated member and the pressing member are mounted, the slider being detachably provided on the carriage.

6. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the carriage is provided with a plurality of sliders, the plurality of sliders having the same shape.

7. The slider and the sliding portion are separate bodies, 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the sliding portion is provided so as to be swingable relative to the slider about an axis parallel to at least a direction intersecting the scanning direction.

8. a recording head for recording on a recording medium conveyed in a conveying direction; a carriage on which the recording head is mounted and which scans in a scanning direction intersecting the transport direction; a guide member having a flat surface for guiding the carriage in the scanning direction; a slider that is detachably provided on the carriage, The carriage includes: a sliding portion that slides in contact with the guide member; an impregnated member impregnated with a lubricant on at least one side of the sliding portion in the scanning direction; a pressing member that presses the impregnating member toward the guide member from a surface of the impregnating member opposite to the guide member, The slider includes the sliding portion, the impregnated member, and the pressing member, The slider and the sliding portion are separate bodies, The sliding portion is The slider is provided so as to be swingable about an axis parallel to at least a direction intersecting the scanning direction, a contact portion that contacts the guide member with a predetermined length in the scanning direction; a protrusion having a convex curved surface that comes into contact with the carriage, the protrusion being provided on a rear surface of the contact portion at an intermediate position in the scanning direction.

9. 9. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the contact portion of the sliding portion has a recess in a center portion in the scanning direction that does not contact the guide member.

10. a recording head for recording on a recording medium conveyed in a conveying direction; a carriage on which the recording head is mounted and which scans in a scanning direction intersecting the transport direction; a guide member having a flat surface for guiding the carriage in the scanning direction; a plurality of sliders detachably provided on the carriage; The carriage includes: a sliding portion that slides in contact with the guide member; an impregnated member impregnated with a lubricant on at least one side of the sliding portion in the scanning direction; a pressing member that presses the impregnating member toward the guide member from a surface of the impregnating member opposite to the guide member, The plurality of sliders have the same shape, and each of the sliders is equipped with the sliding portion, the impregnated member, and the pressing member; a holding portion provided on a surface of each of the plurality of sliders opposite to a surface facing the guide member, the holding portion holding the impregnated member; an opening formed in the holding portion at a position facing the guide member, Two sides of the outer periphery of the impregnating member facing each other in the scanning direction are supported by outer edges of an opening, a central portion of the impregnated member in the scanning direction is pressed by the pressing member and comes into contact with the guide member.

11. a recording head for recording on a recording medium conveyed in a conveying direction; a carriage on which the recording head is mounted and which scans in a scanning direction intersecting the transport direction; a guide member having a flat surface for guiding the carriage in the scanning direction; a slider that is detachably provided to the carriage, The carriage includes: a sliding portion that slides in contact with the guide member; an impregnated member impregnated with a lubricant on at least one side of the sliding portion in the scanning direction; a pressing member that presses the impregnating member toward the guide member from a surface of the impregnating member opposite to the guide member, The slider includes the sliding portion, the impregnated member, and the pressing member, The slider and the sliding portion are separate bodies, the sliding portion is provided to be swingable about an axis parallel to at least a direction intersecting the scanning direction with respect to the slider, a holding portion provided on a surface of the slider opposite to a surface facing the guide member, the holding portion holding the impregnated member; an opening formed in the holding portion at a position facing the guide member, Two sides of the outer periphery of the impregnating member facing each other in the scanning direction are supported by outer edges of an opening, a central portion of the impregnated member in the scanning direction is pressed by the pressing member and comes into contact with the guide member.

12. A recording device as described in claim 10 or claim 11, characterized in that it has a storage section for storing the lubricant at a position aligned with the holding section in the scanning direction, and a groove section is provided between the storage section and the holding section for guiding the lubricant from the storage section to the impregnated member held by the holding section.

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