Inkjet printer

Abstract

To provide an inkjet printer in which an uneven portion can suppress more effectively than before, reaching of stray light from a light irradiation device to a nozzle surface.SOLUTION: An inkjet printer comprises: a platen 11 supporting a recording medium: an inkjet head 15 formed with a nozzle surface 15c formed with a nozzle ejecting ink hardened by being irradiated with light toward the recording medium supported on the platen 11; and a head base 14 mounted with the inkjet head 15. The head base 14 is mounted together with head base 14, on a carriage scanned with respect to the platen 11 and comprises an uneven portion for suppressing reaching of stray light from a UVLED lamp 16a irradiating ink adhering to the recording medium with light, the nozzle surfaces 15c, wherein the uneven portion is provided at a position facing a space on passages of the stray light from the UVLED lamp 16a toward the nozzle surface 15c of a space between the platen 11 and the head base.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet printer that ejects ink. [Background technology]

[0002] A known conventional inkjet printer includes a platen that supports a recording medium, an inkjet head having a nozzle surface formed with nozzles that eject ink that hardens when irradiated with light toward the recording medium supported by the platen, a carriage that mounts the inkjet head and scans relative to the platen, a light irradiation device mounted on the carriage that irradiates light onto the ink attached to the recording medium, and a cover mounted on the carriage to cover the light irradiation device (see Patent Document 1). The conventional cover includes an uneven portion for preventing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface, in a position facing the space on the path of the stray light from the light irradiation device to the nozzle surface within the space between the platen and the inkjet head. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-314304 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As a result of extensive research, the inventors of the present application have discovered that "the closer the uneven portion for preventing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface is positioned to the nozzle surface of the inkjet head, the more effectively the uneven portion can prevent stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface."

[0005] However, in conventional inkjet printers, the cover of the light irradiation device is equipped with an uneven portion for preventing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface, but the uneven portion for preventing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface is not positioned sufficiently close to the nozzle surface of the inkjet head, resulting in a problem in that the uneven portion is not able to sufficiently prevent stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet printer that can prevent stray light from a light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface by using unevenness more effectively than before. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The inkjet printer of the present invention comprises a platen that supports a recording medium, an inkjet head having a nozzle surface formed with nozzles that eject ink that hardens when irradiated with light, toward the recording medium supported by the platen, a light irradiation device that irradiates light onto the ink attached to the recording medium, and a carriage that carries the inkjet head and the light irradiation device and is scanned relative to the platen, and is characterized in that an uneven portion for preventing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface is provided in a portion closer to the nozzle surface than the light irradiation device in the direction in which the carriage is scanned relative to the platen, and the uneven portion is provided in a position in the space between the portion and the platen facing a space on the path of the stray light from the light irradiation device to the nozzle surface.

[0008] With this configuration, in the inkjet printer of the present invention, the uneven portion for preventing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface is positioned closer to the nozzle surface of the inkjet head than conventionally, and the uneven portion can therefore prevent stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface more effectively than conventionally.

[0009] The inkjet printer of the present invention may include a head base on which the inkjet head is mounted, and the carriage may mount the inkjet head by mounting the head base thereon, and the head base may include the portion.

[0010] In conventional inkjet printers, the cover of the light irradiation device is provided with an uneven portion for preventing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface, so when at least one of the inkjet head and the cover is installed on the carriage displaced from a predesigned position, the uneven portion of the cover displaces from a predesigned position with respect to the nozzle surface of the inkjet head, and as a result, the uneven portion is unable to effectively prevent stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface. In the inkjet printer of the present invention, the head base on which the inkjet head is mounted is provided with an uneven portion for preventing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface, so the possibility of the uneven portion displaced from a predesigned position with respect to the nozzle surface can be reduced more than in the past, and as a result, the uneven portion can more effectively prevent stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface than in the past.

[0011] In the inkjet printer of the present invention, the uneven portion is formed on a surface of the head base that faces the recording medium supported by the platen, and the distance between the recording medium supported by the platen and the surface of the head base that faces the recording medium may be shorter than the distance between the recording medium supported by the platen and the surface of the light irradiation device that faces the recording medium.

[0012] With this configuration, in the inkjet printer of the present invention, the surface of the light irradiation device that faces the recording medium is farther away from the recording medium supported by the platen than the surface of the head base that faces the recording medium, thereby reducing the possibility of the light irradiation device getting caught on the recording medium and causing a jam when the carriage is scanned relative to the platen. Also, in the inkjet printer of the present invention, the surface of the head base that faces the recording medium is closer to the surface of the light irradiation device that faces the recording medium in terms of the distance from the recording medium supported by the platen than the surface of the light irradiation device that faces the recording medium, and an uneven portion is formed on the surface of the head base that faces the recording medium, so that the uneven portion can effectively prevent stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface, compared to when an uneven portion is formed on the surface of the light irradiation device that faces the recording medium. Furthermore, in the inkjet printer of the present invention, with respect to the distance from the recording medium supported by the platen, the surface of the head base that faces the recording medium is closer than the surface of the light irradiation device that faces the recording medium, so the distance between the recording medium supported by the platen and the surface of the inkjet head that faces the recording medium, i.e., the head gap, is short, and as a result, print quality can be improved.

[0013] In the inkjet printer of the present invention, the carriage may include the portion.

[0014] In conventional inkjet printers, the cover of the light irradiation device is provided with an uneven portion for preventing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface, so that when at least one of the inkjet head and the cover is installed on the carriage displaced from a predesigned position, the uneven portion of the cover displaces from a predesigned position with respect to the nozzle surface of the inkjet head, and as a result, the uneven portion is unable to effectively prevent stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface. In the inkjet printer of the present invention, the carriage carrying the head base on which the inkjet head is mounted is provided with an uneven portion for preventing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface, so that the possibility of the uneven portion displaced from a predesigned position with respect to the nozzle surface can be reduced more than in the past, and as a result, the uneven portion can more effectively prevent stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface than in the past.

[0015] In the inkjet printer of the present invention, the portion may be formed of metal, and the uneven portion may be surface-treated by sandblasting.

[0016] With this configuration, in the inkjet printer of the present invention, unevenness that is finer than the grooves that form the uneven portion is formed on the surface of the uneven portion by sandblasting, so that stray light from the light irradiation device is scattered by the fine unevenness caused by sandblasting in the uneven portion, thereby preventing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface. As a result, stray light from the light irradiation device can be even more effectively prevented from reaching the nozzle surface.

[0017] In the inkjet printer of the invention, the portion may be formed of aluminum, and the uneven portion may have a surface made of anodized aluminum.

[0018] With this configuration, in the inkjet printer of the present invention, fine irregularities made from anodizing are formed on the surface of the uneven portion, so that stray light from the light irradiation device is scattered by the fine irregularities made from anodizing in the uneven portion, thereby preventing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface. As a result, stray light from the light irradiation device can be even more effectively prevented from reaching the nozzle surface.

[0019] In the inkjet printer of the present invention, the uneven portion may have a black surface.

[0020] With this configuration, in the inkjet printer of the present invention, the surface of the uneven portion is black, so that stray light from the light irradiation device is absorbed by the surface of the uneven portion, thereby preventing the stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface, and as a result, stray light from the light irradiation device can be further effectively prevented from reaching the nozzle surface.

[0021] In the inkjet printer of the present invention, the stray light may be light reflected by the recording medium supported by the platen.

[0022] In the inkjet printer of the present invention, the uneven portion may be surface-treated to have a matte finish.

[0023] With this configuration, in the inkjet printer of the present invention, fine irregularities are formed on the surface of the uneven portion, so that stray light from the light irradiation device is scattered by the fine irregularities on the surface of the uneven portion, thereby preventing the stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface. As a result, stray light from the light irradiation device can be further effectively prevented from reaching the nozzle surface. Effect of the Invention

[0024] The ink jet printer of the present invention can prevent stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface by using the uneven portion more effectively than ever before. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a front view of the vicinity of the head base shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a bottom view of the vicinity of the head base shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the inkjet printer shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 5 is a front cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the uneven portion shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] 7 is a front cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the uneven portion in an example different from the example shown in FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] First, the configuration of the inkjet printer according to this embodiment will be described.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printer 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0029] 1, the inkjet printer 10 includes a platen 11 that supports a recording medium 90 from below in the vertical direction indicated by the arrow Z, rails 12 that extend in the left-right direction indicated by the arrow Y that is perpendicular to the vertical direction, a carriage 13 that is disposed above the recording medium 90 supported by the platen 11 in the vertical direction and supported by the rails 12 so as to be movable in the left-right direction, a head base 14 mounted on the carriage 13, a plurality of inkjet heads 15 mounted on the head base 14, and two UV (Ultraviolet) LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamp units 16 mounted on the carriage 13 on both sides of the head base 14 in the left-right direction. The ink ejected by the inkjet head 15 is UV ink that hardens when irradiated with UV light.

[0030] Fig. 2 is a front view of the vicinity of the head base 14. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the vicinity of the head base 14. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 3. The carriage 13 is omitted in Figs. 2 to 4.

[0031] 2 to 4, the inkjet head 15 has a nozzle surface 15c on which a nozzle row 15b is formed, in which a plurality of nozzles 15a that eject ink downward in the vertical direction are arranged. The nozzle row 15b extends in the front-rear direction indicated by the arrow X, which is perpendicular to both the vertical direction and the left-right direction.

[0032] The UVLED lamp unit 16 includes a plurality of UVLED lamps 16a arranged in the left-right and front-rear directions as light irradiation devices that irradiate UV. The UVLED lamps 16a mainly irradiate UV in the direction indicated by the arrow 16b that is tilted with respect to the vertical direction so as to move away from the nozzle surface 15c.

[0033] The head base 14 has an uneven portion 14b in which a plurality of grooves 14a are arranged in the left-right direction between the inkjet head 15 and the UVLED lamp 16a in the left-right direction. The uneven portion 14b is for preventing stray light from the UVLED lamp 16a from reaching the nozzle surface 15c. The head base 14 has the uneven portion 14b at a position facing the space on the path of stray light from the UVLED lamp 16a to the nozzle surface 15c in the space between the platen 11. The groove 14a is open at the bottom in the vertical direction and extends in the front-rear direction. The depth of the groove 14a in the vertical direction is, for example, 2 mm. Among the surfaces forming the groove 14a, the surface 14c on the nozzle surface 15c side in the left-right direction is the surface into which stray light from the UVLED lamp 16a is likely to first enter among the surfaces forming the groove 14a. The head base 14 is formed of, for example, aluminum, and is manufactured by, for example, die casting. At least the uneven portion 14b of the head base 14 is surface-treated by sandblasting to form unevenness finer than the grooves 14a, and then at least the uneven portion 14b is anodized in black.

[0034] The inkjet head 15 and the UV LED lamp 16a are arranged side by side in the direction in which the carriage 13 scans relative to the platen 11, i.e., in the direction indicated by the arrow Y. The head base 14 is arranged between the inkjet head 15 and the UV LED lamp 16a in the direction indicated by the arrow Y.

[0035] It should be noted that the stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a is, for example, light reflected by the recording medium 90 supported by the platen 11.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the inkjet printer 10.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 5, the inkjet printer 10 is equipped with the inkjet head 15 described above, the UV LED lamp unit 16 described above, a carriage scanning device 17 that moves the carriage 13 (see FIG. 1) in the left-right direction along the rails 12 (see FIG. 1), i.e., in the main scanning direction, a medium transport device 18 that transports a recording medium 90 (see FIG. 1) in the front-back direction, i.e., in the sub-scanning direction, an operation unit 21 such as buttons through which various operations are input, a display unit 22 such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) that displays various information, a communication unit 23 which is a communication device that communicates with an external device via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet, or directly by wire or wirelessly without using a network, a memory unit 24 which is a non-volatile memory device such as a semiconductor memory or HDD (Hard Disk Drive) that stores various information, and a control unit 25 which controls the entire inkjet printer 10.

[0038] The control unit 25 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which programs and various data are stored in advance, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a working area for the CPU. The CPU executes the programs stored in the ROM or the storage unit 24.

[0039] Next, the operation of the inkjet printer 10 will be described.

[0040] When the control unit 25 receives the print data via the communication unit 23, it executes printing on the recording medium 90 based on the print data. That is, the control unit 25 executes printing on the recording medium 90 in the main scanning direction by moving the carriage 13 in the main scanning direction with the carriage scanning device 17, ejecting ink toward the recording medium 90 with the inkjet head 15, and irradiating light onto the ink attached to the recording medium 90 with the UV LED lamp unit 16, thereby executing printing on the recording medium 90 in the main scanning direction. Furthermore, when the control unit 25 executes printing on the recording medium 90 in the main scanning direction, the control unit 25 changes the printing position on the recording medium 90 in the sub-scanning direction by conveying the recording medium 90 in the sub-scanning direction with the medium conveying device 18 as necessary, and then executes printing on the recording medium 90 in the main scanning direction again.

[0041] Fig. 6 is a front cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the uneven portion 14b. In Fig. 6, the carriage 13 is omitted.

[0042] When light is emitted by the UVLED lamp unit 16, the light emitted by the UVLED lamp unit 16 may enter the space between the platen 11 and the head base 14, either directly or after being reflected by some object such as the recording medium 90, as shown by arrow 16c in Fig. 6. However, the light that enters the space between the platen 11 and the head base 14 is absorbed or reflected by the surface of the uneven portion 14b of the head base 14, thereby reducing the possibility that the light will reach the inkjet head 15.

[0043] In the above, among the surfaces forming the groove 14a, the surface 14c on the nozzle surface 15c side is perpendicular to the left-right direction. However, as shown in FIG. 7, the surface 14c may be inclined at an angle 14d other than 90° with respect to the left-right direction. Note that FIG. 7 does not show the carriage 13. The angle 14d of the surface 14c with respect to the left-right direction has an appropriate angle depending on various factors, such as the distance between the UV LED lamp 16a and the inkjet head 15, the height from the platen 11 to the inkjet head 15, and the range in which the uneven portion 14b can be installed on the head base 14.

[0044] As described above, in the inkjet printer 10, the uneven portion 14b, which is for preventing stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a from reaching the nozzle surface 15c, is positioned closer to the nozzle surface 15c of the inkjet head 15 than in the past, and therefore the uneven portion 14b can prevent stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a from reaching the nozzle surface 15c more effectively than in the past.

[0045] In conventional inkjet printers, the cover of the light irradiation device is provided with an uneven portion for preventing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface, so that when at least one of the inkjet head and the cover is placed on the carriage displaced from a predesigned position, the uneven portion of the cover displaces from a predesigned position relative to the nozzle surface of the inkjet head, and as a result, the uneven portion cannot effectively prevent stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface. In the inkjet printer 10, the head base 14 on which the inkjet head 15 is mounted is provided with an uneven portion 14b for preventing stray light from the UVLED lamp 16a from reaching the nozzle surface 15c, so that the possibility of the uneven portion 14b displaced from a predesigned position relative to the nozzle surface 15c can be reduced more than in the past, and as a result, the uneven portion 14b can more effectively prevent stray light from the UVLED lamp 16a from reaching the nozzle surface 15c.

[0046] The inkjet printer 10 can effectively prevent stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a from reaching the nozzle surface 15c, and therefore can effectively prevent ink adhering to the nozzle surface 15c from adhering to the nozzle surface 15c.

[0047] Because the inkjet printer 10 does not need to have a cover for covering the UVLED lamp 16a as in the conventional inkjet printer, the number of parts can be reduced, and as a result, manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0048] In the inkjet printer 10, the distance between the recording medium 90 supported by the platen 11 and the surface of the head base 14 that faces the recording medium 90 is shorter than the distance between the recording medium 90 supported by the platen 11 and the surface of the UVLED lamp 16a that faces the recording medium 90. With this configuration, in the inkjet printer 10, the surface of the UVLED lamp 16a that faces the recording medium 90 is farther away from the recording medium 90 supported by the platen 11 than the surface of the head base 14 that faces the recording medium 90, so that it is possible to reduce the possibility of the UVLED lamp 16a getting caught on the recording medium 90 and causing a jam when the carriage 13 is scanned relative to the platen 11. Furthermore, in the inkjet printer 10, the surface of the head base 14 that faces the recording medium 90 is closer in distance from the recording medium 90 supported by the platen 11 than the surface of the UVLED lamp 16a that faces the recording medium 90, and the uneven portion 14b is formed on the surface of the head base 14 that faces the recording medium 90, so that the uneven portion 14b can effectively prevent stray light from the UVLED lamp 16a from reaching the nozzle surface 15c, compared to a case in which an uneven portion is formed on the surface of the UVLED lamp 16a that faces the recording medium 90. Furthermore, in the inkjet printer 10, the surface of the head base 14 that faces the recording medium 90 is closer in distance from the recording medium 90 supported by the platen 11 than the surface of the UVLED lamp 16a that faces the recording medium 90, so that the distance between the recording medium 90 supported by the platen 11 and the nozzle surface 15c, which is the surface of the inkjet head 15 that faces the recording medium 90, i.e., the head gap, is short, and as a result, print quality can be improved.

[0049] In the inkjet printer 10, unevenness finer than that of the grooves 14a that form the uneven portion 14b is formed on the surface of the uneven portion 14b by sandblasting. Therefore, stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a is scattered by the fine unevenness caused by sandblasting in the uneven portion 14b, thereby preventing the stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a from reaching the nozzle surface 15c. As a result, it is possible to more effectively prevent the stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a from reaching the nozzle surface 15c.

[0050] In the present embodiment, the inkjet printer 10 has fine irregularities formed on the surface of the uneven portion 14b by sandblasting, but the surface of the uneven portion 14b does not have to have fine irregularities formed by sandblasting. If the inkjet printer 10 does not have fine irregularities formed on the surface of the uneven portion 14b by sandblasting, there is no need to sandblast the surface of the uneven portion 14b, and therefore manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0051] In the inkjet printer 10, fine irregularities made from anodizing are formed on the surface of the uneven portion 14b, so that stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a is scattered by the fine irregularities made from anodizing in the uneven portion 14b, thereby preventing the stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a from reaching the nozzle surface 15c. As a result, the stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a can be further effectively prevented from reaching the nozzle surface 15c.

[0052] In the present embodiment, the surface of the concave-convex portion 14b of the inkjet printer 10 is made of anodized aluminum, but the surface of the concave-convex portion 14b does not have to be made of anodized aluminum. If the surface of the concave-convex portion 14b of the inkjet printer 10 is not made of anodized aluminum, there is no need to subject the surface of the concave-convex portion 14b to anodizing treatment, and therefore manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0053] Note that the uneven portion 14b of the inkjet printer 10 may be surface-treated to have a matte finish by a method other than sandblasting or anodizing. When the uneven portion 14b of the inkjet printer 10 is surface-treated to have a matte finish, fine irregularities are formed on the surface of the uneven portion 14b, so that stray light from the UVLED lamp 16a is scattered by the fine irregularities on the surface of the uneven portion 14b, thereby preventing the stray light from the UVLED lamp 16a from reaching the nozzle surface 15c. As a result, the stray light from the UVLED lamp 16a can be more effectively prevented from reaching the nozzle surface 15c.

[0054] In the inkjet printer 10, because the surface of the uneven portion 14b is black, stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a is absorbed by the surface of the uneven portion 14b, thereby preventing the stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a from reaching the nozzle surface 15c. As a result, the stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a can be further effectively prevented from reaching the nozzle surface 15c.

[0055] In the present embodiment of the inkjet printer 10, the surface of the concave-convex portion 14b is formed black by anodizing, but it may also be formed black by a method other than anodizing, such as plating or painting.

[0056] In the present embodiment, the surface of the concave-convex portion 14b of the inkjet printer 10 is formed in black, but the surface of the concave-convex portion 14b may be formed in a color other than black, or the surface of the concave-convex portion 14b may not be colored. If the surface of the concave-convex portion 14b of the inkjet printer 10 is not colored, there is no need to perform a process for coloring the surface of the concave-convex portion 14b, and therefore the manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0057] In the present embodiment of the inkjet printer 10, the head base 14 is made of aluminum. However, in the inkjet printer 10, the head base 14 may be made of a metal other than aluminum, or the head base 14 may be made of a material other than metal, such as resin.

[0058] In this embodiment, the ink ejected by the inkjet head 15 is UV ink that is cured by being irradiated with UV light. However, the ink ejected by the inkjet head 15 may be ink that is cured by being irradiated with light other than UV light.

[0059] In the present embodiment, the inkjet printer 10 includes the uneven portion 14b on the head base 14. However, the uneven portion for preventing stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a from reaching the nozzle surface 15c may be provided at a location other than the head base 14 as long as it is provided at a portion closer to the nozzle surface 15c than the UV LED lamp 16a in the direction in which the carriage 13 scans relative to the platen 11, i.e., in the direction indicated by the arrow Y. For example, the inkjet printer 10 may include an uneven portion similar to the uneven portion 14b instead of the uneven portion 14b or in addition to the uneven portion 14b, at a position facing the space on the path of stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a to the nozzle surface 15c in the space between the carriage 13 and the platen 11. The inkjet printer 10 may also include an uneven portion on the inkjet head 15 for preventing stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a from reaching the nozzle surface 15c.

[0060] In the inkjet printer 10, when an uneven portion similar to the uneven portion 14b is provided instead of the uneven portion 14b at a position facing the space between the carriage 13 and the platen 11, which faces the space on the path of stray light from the UV LED lamp 16a to the nozzle surface 15c, the inkjet head 15 may be mounted directly on the carriage 13 without having a head base 14.

[0061] In this embodiment, the inkjet printer 10 transports the recording medium 90 in the sub-scanning direction relative to the platen 11, thereby moving the recording medium 90 in the sub-scanning direction relative to the inkjet head 15 and UVLED lamp unit 16. However, the inkjet printer 10 may be configured such that the platen 11 is extended in the sub-scanning direction more than that shown in Figure 1 to make it a so-called flatbed type inkjet printer, and the inkjet head 15 and UVLED lamp unit 16 may be moved in the sub-scanning direction relative to the recording medium 90 by providing a mechanism for moving the rail 12 and carriage 13 in the sub-scanning direction relative to the platen 11.

[0062] In each of the above-described embodiments, the present invention is employed in an inkjet printer that prints on a flat surface, but it may also be employed in an inkjet printer for 3D modeling. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10. Inkjet Printer 11 Platen 13 Carriage 14 Head base (part) 14b Uneven part 15 Inkjet head 15a Nozzle 15c Nozzle surface 16a UV LED lamp (light irradiation device) 90 Recording media

Claims

1. a platen for supporting a recording medium; an inkjet head having a nozzle surface formed with nozzles for ejecting ink, which is cured by irradiation with light, toward the recording medium supported by the platen; a light irradiation device that irradiates light onto the ink attached to the recording medium; a carriage that carries the inkjet head and the light irradiation device and is scanned relative to the platen; An inkjet printer comprising: a concave-convex portion for suppressing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface is provided in a portion closer to the nozzle surface than the light irradiation device in a first direction in which the carriage is scanned relative to the platen, the uneven portion is provided at a position facing a region on a path of the stray light from the light irradiation device to the nozzle surface, in a region between the portion and the platen, The uneven portion includes a plurality of grooves extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and arranged in the first direction, a range in the second direction in which the groove exists includes an entire range in the second direction in which the nozzle exists, The inkjet printer includes a head base on which the inkjet head is mounted, the carriage mounts the head base, thereby mounting the inkjet head; The inkjet printer, wherein the head base includes the portion.

2. a platen for supporting a recording medium; an inkjet head having a nozzle surface formed with nozzles for ejecting ink, which is cured by irradiation with light, toward the recording medium supported by the platen; a light irradiation device that irradiates light onto the ink attached to the recording medium; a carriage that carries the inkjet head and the light irradiation device and is scanned relative to the platen; An inkjet printer comprising: a concave-convex portion for suppressing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface is provided in a portion closer to the nozzle surface than the light irradiation device in a first direction in which the carriage is scanned relative to the platen, the uneven portion is provided at a position facing a region on a path of the stray light from the light irradiation device to the nozzle surface, in a region between the portion and the platen, The uneven portion includes a plurality of grooves extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and arranged in the first direction, a range in the second direction in which the groove exists includes a range in the second direction in which the nozzle exists, The inkjet printer includes a head base on which the inkjet head is mounted, the carriage mounts the head base, thereby mounting the inkjet head; the head base includes the portion, the concave-convex portion is formed on a surface of the head base that faces the recording medium supported by the platen, an inkjet printer, characterized in that the distance between the recording medium supported by the platen and a surface of the head base that faces the recording medium is shorter than the distance between the recording medium supported by the platen and a surface of the light irradiation device that faces the recording medium.

3. a platen for supporting a recording medium; an inkjet head having a nozzle surface formed with nozzles for ejecting ink, which is cured by irradiation with light, toward the recording medium supported by the platen; a light irradiation device that irradiates light onto the ink attached to the recording medium; a carriage that carries the inkjet head and the light irradiation device and is scanned relative to the platen; An inkjet printer comprising: a concave-convex portion for suppressing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface is provided in a portion closer to the nozzle surface than the light irradiation device in a first direction in which the carriage is scanned relative to the platen, the uneven portion is provided at a position facing a region on a path of the stray light from the light irradiation device to the nozzle surface, in a region between the portion and the platen, The uneven portion includes a plurality of grooves extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and arranged in the first direction, a range in the second direction in which the groove exists includes a range in the second direction in which the nozzle exists, The inkjet printer includes a head base on which the inkjet head is mounted, the carriage mounts the head base, thereby mounting the inkjet head; the head base includes the portion, The portion is formed of a metal, The inkjet printer is characterized in that the uneven portion is surface-treated by sandblasting.

4. a platen for supporting a recording medium; an inkjet head having a nozzle surface formed with nozzles for ejecting ink, which is cured by irradiation with light, toward the recording medium supported by the platen; a light irradiation device that irradiates light onto the ink attached to the recording medium; a carriage that carries the inkjet head and the light irradiation device and is scanned relative to the platen; An inkjet printer comprising: a concave-convex portion for suppressing stray light from the light irradiation device from reaching the nozzle surface is provided in a portion closer to the nozzle surface than the light irradiation device in a first direction in which the carriage is scanned relative to the platen, the uneven portion is provided at a position facing a region on a path of the stray light from the light irradiation device to the nozzle surface, in a region between the portion and the platen, The uneven portion includes a plurality of grooves extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and arranged in the first direction, a range in the second direction in which the groove exists includes a range in the second direction in which the nozzle exists, The inkjet printer includes a head base on which the inkjet head is mounted, the carriage mounts the head base, thereby mounting the inkjet head; the head base includes the portion, The inkjet printer is characterized in that the uneven portion is surface-treated to have a matte finish.

5. the portion is formed of aluminum; 5. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the uneven portion has a surface made of anodized aluminum.

6. 6. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the uneven portion has a black surface.

7. 7. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the stray light is light reflected by the recording medium supported by the platen.

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