Inkjet recording device

Abstract

To provide an inkjet recording device reduced in cost.SOLUTION: An inkjet recording device 1 comprises a recording part 5, a head unit 51, a frame 53 and an angle adjustment mechanism 8. The angle adjustment mechanism 8 comprises an angle adjustment member 81, an energizing member 82 and an operating member 83. The angle adjustment member 81 contacts the head unit 51 and can rotate with an adjustment rotary shaft 811 extending in parallel to a unit rotary shaft 54 of the head unit 51 as a center. The energizing member 82 energizes the angle adjustment member 81 in a direction in which the member is rotated in a first direction R1. The operating member 83 contacts the angle adjustment member 81 and rotates the angle adjustment member 81 in a second direction R2 that is the opposite direction of the first direction R1 against energizing force of the energizing member 82. The angle adjustment member 81 is constituted of a plurality of combined shaft members.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] An inkjet recording device includes a head unit having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink, and a recording section that holds the head unit and records an image on a recording medium such as paper. In order to record an image at a predetermined position on the recording medium, it is necessary to properly position the head unit relative to the recording section. An example of such an inkjet recording device is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0003] The conventional inkjet recording device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a head assembly having a plurality of nozzle holes for ejecting ink, and a mounting portion on which the head assembly is mounted. The head assembly is rotatable relative to the mounting portion around a first end side in the longitudinal direction. An angle adjustment mechanism is disposed on a second end side of the mounting portion opposite to the first end side of the head assembly. The angle adjustment mechanism can adjust the angle of the head assembly relative to the mounting portion by rotating an angle adjustment member that contacts the head assembly to push the head assembly. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-121514 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the case of the conventional technology, the angle adjustment member is formed as a single member by a method such as cutting out a metal material or die casting, which has caused a problem of high cost for the inkjet recording apparatus.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording apparatus which is manufactured at low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the inkjet recording device of the present invention includes a recording section, a head unit, a frame, and an angle adjustment mechanism. The recording section records an image on a recording medium. The head unit is held by the recording section and includes a recording head having a plurality of nozzles that eject ink onto the recording medium. The frame is provided on the recording section, and the head unit is connected to the frame so as to be rotatable about a unit rotation axis disposed at one end of the head unit. The angle adjustment mechanism is disposed at the other end of the frame opposite to the unit rotation axis, and rotates the head unit about the unit rotation axis. The angle adjustment mechanism includes an angle adjustment member, a biasing member, and an operating member. The angle adjustment member contacts the head unit and is rotatable about an adjustment rotation axis extending parallel to the unit rotation axis. The biasing member contacts the angle adjustment member and biases the angle adjustment member in a direction to rotate it in a first direction. The operating member comes into contact with the angle adjustment member and rotates the angle adjustment member in a second direction opposite to the first direction against the biasing force of the biasing member. The angle adjustment member is formed by combining a plurality of shaft materials. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the configuration of the present invention, since the angle adjustment member is configured by combining a plurality of shaft materials, the angle adjustment mechanism can be formed from inexpensive materials, which makes it possible to reduce the cost of the inkjet recording apparatus. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic sectional front view of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a plan view of a recording unit of the inkjet recording apparatus of FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view showing the periphery of an angle adjustment mechanism of a printing unit of an inkjet printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the angle adjustment mechanism and its periphery in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 4 is a perspective view of the periphery of an angle adjustment member and an operation member of the angle adjustment mechanism of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 4 is a plan view of the periphery of the angle adjustment member and the operation member of FIG. 3. [Figure 7] 4 is a front view of the periphery of the angle adjustment member and the operation member of FIG. 3. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the periphery of an angle adjustment mechanism of a printing unit of an inkjet printing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 9 is a plan view of the periphery of the angle adjustment member and the operation member in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 9 is a plan view of the periphery of the angle adjustment member in FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an inkjet recording device 1 of an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a recording unit 5 of the inkjet recording device 1 of Fig. 1. The inkjet recording device 1 is, for example, an inkjet recording printer. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the inkjet recording device 1 includes a device main body 2, a paper supply unit 3, a paper transport unit 4, a recording unit 5, a drying unit 6, and a control unit 7.

[0012] The paper supply unit 3 stores a plurality of sheets of paper (recording medium) S, and separates and sends out the sheets of paper S one by one during recording. The paper transport unit 4 transports the sheets of paper S sent out from the paper supply unit 3 to the recording unit 5 and drying unit 6, and then discharges the sheets of paper S after recording and drying to the paper discharge unit 21. When double-sided recording is performed, the paper transport unit 4 distributes the sheets of paper S after recording and drying on the first side to the reversing transport unit 44 by the branching unit 43, and then switches the transport direction to reversing the sheets of paper S and transports them again to the recording unit 5 and drying unit 6.

[0013] The paper conveying section 4 includes a first belt conveying section 41 and a second belt conveying section 42. The first belt conveying section 41 has a first conveying belt 411 formed in an endless shape. The second belt conveying section 42 has a second conveying belt 421 formed in an endless shape. The first belt conveying section 41 and the second belt conveying section 42 adsorb and hold the paper S on the outer surface (upper surface) of the upper side of the first conveying belt 411 and the second conveying belt 421, respectively, and convey the paper S. The first belt conveying section 41 is disposed below the recording section 5 and conveys the paper S. The second belt conveying section 42 is disposed downstream of the first belt conveying section 41 in the paper conveying direction, and is disposed in the drying section 6 and conveys the paper S.

[0014] The recording unit 5 faces the paper S, which is adsorbed and held on the upper surface of the first transport belt 411 and transported, and is disposed above the first transport belt 411 with a predetermined gap therebetween. As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 5 holds head units 51B, 51C, 51M, and 51Y corresponding to four colors, black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, respectively. Each head unit of each color has a line-type inkjet recording head 52. In each head unit of each color, multiple recording heads 52 (e.g., three (52a, 52b, 52c)) are arranged in a staggered pattern along the paper width direction Dw, which is perpendicular to the paper transport direction Dc.

[0015] The recording head 52 has a plurality of ink ejection nozzles 521 at its bottom. The plurality of ink ejection nozzles 521 are arranged in a row along the paper width direction Dw, and can eject ink over the entire recording area on the paper S. That is, the recording head 52 has a plurality of ink ejection nozzles 521 that eject ink onto the paper S. The recording unit 5 sequentially ejects ink from each of the recording heads 52 of the four color head units 51B, 51C, 51M, and 51Y toward the paper S transported by the first transport belt 411, and records a full-color image or a monochrome image on the paper S.

[0016] The drying unit 6 is disposed downstream of the recording unit 5 in the paper transport direction, and is provided with a second belt transport unit 42. The paper S on which an ink image has been recorded in the recording unit 5 is adsorbed and held by the second transport belt 421 in the drying unit 6, and the ink is dried while being transported.

[0017] The control unit 7 includes a CPU, a memory unit, and other electronic circuits and electronic components (all not shown). The CPU controls the operation of each component provided in the inkjet recording device 1 based on control programs and data stored in the memory unit to perform processing related to the functions of the inkjet recording device 1. The paper supply unit 3, paper transport unit 4, recording unit 5, and drying unit 6 each receive commands individually from the control unit 7 and perform recording on the paper S in cooperation with each other. The memory unit is configured by a combination of a non-volatile storage device such as a program ROM (Read Only Memory) or data ROM (not shown) and a volatile storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0018] Next, the configuration of the recording unit 5 of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 will be further described with reference to Fig. 2. Since the four head units 51B, 51C, 51M, and 51Y have the same basic configuration, in the following description, the identification symbols "B", "C", "M", and "Y" representing each color may be omitted unless there is a particular need to specify otherwise.

[0019] In addition to the four head units 51, the recording section 5 includes a frame 53, a unit rotation shaft 54, and an angle adjustment mechanism 8.

[0020] The frame 53 holds the four head units 51B, 51C, 51M, and 51Y. The head units 51B, 51C, 51M, and 51Y are arranged side by side along the paper transport direction Dc so that their longitudinal directions are parallel to the paper width direction Dw. The frame 53 is formed, for example, of a rectangular parallelepiped box, and houses the four head units 51B, 51C, 51M, and 51Y therein. The bottom surface of the frame 53 faces the top surface of the first transport belt 411, and has an opening (not shown) for ejecting ink onto the paper S.

[0021] The unit rotation shaft 54 ​​is disposed at one end 51r of the head unit 51 in the longitudinal direction (paper width direction Dw), for example, at the rear end of the recording unit 5. The rotation axis of the unit rotation shaft 54 ​​is normal to the upper surface of the first conveyor belt 411 and extends in the vertical direction.

[0022] Each of the four head units 51 is connected to the frame 53 so as to be rotatable about a unit rotation shaft 54. The other end 51f side of the head unit 51 in the longitudinal direction (paper width direction Dw) can rotate about the unit rotation shaft 54 ​​in a rotation direction Ra in which the head unit 51 moves upstream in the paper transport direction Dc, or in a rotation direction Rb in which the head unit 51 moves downstream.

[0023] The angle adjustment mechanism 8 is disposed on the other end 51f side opposite the unit rotation shaft 54 ​​of the head unit 51, for example, at the front end of the recording unit 5. The angle adjustment mechanism 8 rotates the head unit 51 in the rotation direction Ra or the rotation direction Rb around the unit rotation shaft 54. This allows the angle adjustment mechanism 8 to adjust the angle of the head unit 51 with respect to the frame 53 of the recording unit 5, and makes it possible to properly position the head unit 51 with respect to the recording unit 5.

[0024] Next, the configuration of the angle adjustment mechanism 8 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 7. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the periphery of the angle adjustment mechanism 8 of the recording unit 5 of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the periphery of the angle adjustment mechanism 8 of Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are perspective views, plan views, and front views of the periphery of the angle adjustment member 81 and operation member 83 of the angle adjustment mechanism 8 of Fig. 3.

[0025] The angle adjustment mechanism 8 is disposed, for example, on the front side of the recording unit 5, i.e., on the front side of the inkjet recording device 1. This allows the angle adjustment mechanism 8 to be operated from the front side of the inkjet recording device 1. The angle adjustment mechanism 8 includes an angle adjustment member 81, a biasing member 82, and an operating member 83.

[0026] The angle adjustment member 81 is disposed close to the front surface of the head unit 51. The angle adjustment member 81 is a longitudinal member extending in the left-right direction. The angle adjustment member 81 has an adjustment rotation shaft 811, a biasing contact portion 812, an operation contact portion 813, and a head contact portion 814.

[0027] The adjustment rotation shaft 811 is disposed approximately in the center of the longitudinal direction of the angle adjustment member 81. The adjustment rotation shaft 811 extends in the vertical direction parallel to the unit rotation shaft 54. The lower part of the adjustment rotation shaft 811 is connected to the frame 53. The angle adjustment member 81 is rotatable with respect to the frame 53 within a substantially horizontal plane around the adjustment rotation shaft 811.

[0028] The biasing contact portion 812 and the operation contact portion 813 are disposed at both longitudinal ends of the angle adjustment member 81. The biasing contact portion 812 comes into contact with the biasing member 82. The operation contact portion 813 comes into contact with the operation member 83. The head contact portion 814 is disposed near the longitudinal center of the angle adjustment member 81, on the operation contact portion 813 side relative to the adjustment rotation shaft 811. The head contact portion 814 protrudes toward the head unit 51, i.e., toward the rear. The head contact portion 814 of the angle adjustment member 81 comes into contact with the head unit 51.

[0029] The biasing member 82 is formed of, for example, a compression coil spring, and is disposed between the biasing contact portion 812 of the angle adjustment member 81 and the front side wall 531 of the frame 53. One end of the coil of the biasing member 82 is connected to an inner boss portion 531a formed on the front side wall 531 and extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the adjustment rotation shaft 811. The other end of the coil of the biasing member 82 is connected to a screw 812a inserted into the biasing contact portion 812 and extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the adjustment rotation shaft 811. This brings the biasing member 82 into contact with the angle adjustment member 81. The biasing member 82 biases the angle adjustment member 81 in a direction to rotate it in the first direction R1 (see FIG. 4).

[0030] The operating member 83 is configured, for example, in the form of a rotating knob, and is rotatably supported on the front side wall 531 of the frame 53. The operating member 83 is configured, for example, using a shaft material, and the rotation axis extends in a direction intersecting with the axial direction of the adjustment rotation shaft 811. One end of the operating member 83 protrudes to the front side of the front side wall 531, and can be rotated. The other end of the operating member 83 contacts the operation contact portion 813 of the angle adjustment member 81 from a direction intersecting with the axial direction of the adjustment rotation shaft 811. That is, the operating member 83 contacts the angle adjustment member 81.

[0031] The operating member 83 has a shaft portion 83x having a male thread formed on its outer peripheral surface attached to an outer boss portion 531b of the front side wall 531 having a female thread formed on its inner peripheral surface. When the operating member 83 is rotated about an axis extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the adjustment rotation shaft 811, the operating member 83 moves along the axis in a direction approaching or moving away from the angle adjustment member 81. When the operating member 83 is moved in a direction approaching the angle adjustment member 81, the operating member 83 rotates the angle adjustment member 81 in a second direction R2 (see FIG. 4) opposite to the first direction R1 against the biasing force of the biasing member 82.

[0032] The head unit 51 is biased by a biasing mechanism (not shown) so as to rotate in a rotation direction Rb in Fig. 4. The head contact portion 814 of the angle adjustment member 81 is disposed at a position opposed to the biasing force applied to the head unit 51 by the biasing mechanism, and comes into contact with the head unit 51.

[0033] 4, when the operation member 83 is rotated and moved in a direction D1 away from the angle adjustment member 81, the head unit 51 rotates in a rotational direction Ra due to the biasing force applied to the head unit 51 by a biasing mechanism (not shown). At this time, the angle adjustment member 81 rotates in a first direction R1 due to the biasing force of the biasing member 82. On the other hand, when the operation member 83 is rotated and moved in a direction D2 approaching the angle adjustment member 81, the angle adjustment member 81 rotates in a second direction R2 against the biasing force applied to the head unit 51 by the biasing mechanism, and the head unit 51 rotates in a rotational direction Rb.

[0034] The angle adjustment member 81 is configured by combining a plurality of shaft materials, the first shaft 81A and the second shaft 81B. With this configuration, the angle adjustment mechanism 8 can be formed from inexpensive materials. This makes it possible to reduce the cost of the inkjet recording device 1.

[0035] The first shaft 81A has a biasing contact portion 812 and an operation contact portion 813 at both ends in the axial direction. That is, the first shaft 81A is provided with an adjustment rotation shaft 811, and a biasing member 82 and an operation member 83 contact each other at both ends sandwiching the adjustment rotation shaft 811.

[0036] The second shaft 81B has a head contact portion 814 at one end in the axial direction, and a fastening protrusion 815 at the other end for connecting to the first shaft 81A. That is, the second shaft 81B is fixed to the first shaft 81A and contacts the head unit 51.

[0037] The angle adjustment member 81 is configured by combining the first shaft 81A having the above-mentioned configuration and the second shaft 81B having the above-mentioned configuration. With this configuration, the angle adjustment member 81 can be formed from two shaft materials. That is, the number of parts can be reduced, and the cost of the inkjet recording device 1 can be reduced.

[0038] The first shaft 81A has a fastening hole 816. The fastening hole 816 is disposed near the center of the first shaft 81A in the longitudinal direction, and closer to the operation contact portion 813 than the adjustment rotation shaft 811. The fastening hole 816 extends in a direction intersecting with the axial direction of the adjustment rotation shaft 811. A female thread portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the fastening hole 816.

[0039] The second shaft 81B has a fastening protrusion 815. The fastening protrusion 815 is disposed at an axial end of the second shaft 81B. The fastening protrusion 815 extends in a direction intersecting with the axial direction of the adjustment rotation shaft 811. A male thread portion is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the fastening protrusion 815.

[0040] The fastening projection 815 is inserted into the fastening hole 816. This causes the male thread of the fastening projection 815 to mesh with the female thread of the fastening hole 816, and the second shaft 81B is fixed to the first shaft 81A. With this configuration, the first shaft 81A and the second shaft 81B can be easily connected and fixed. In other words, there is no need to separately prepare other members related to connecting and fixing the two shaft members, and it is possible to reduce the number of parts.

[0041] The operating member 83 includes a positioning portion 831. The positioning portion 831 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is located rearward of the front side wall 531. The outer periphery of the positioning portion 831 has a plurality of recesses 831a and a plurality of protrusions 831b that are continuous in the circumferential direction. The positioning portion 831 rotates together with the operating member 83. That is, the positioning portion 831 rotates about an axis that extends in a direction intersecting with the adjustment rotation shaft 811.

[0042] The frame 53 includes a protrusion 532. The protrusion 532 is disposed below the positioning portion 831 of the operating member 83 and faces the positioning portion 831. The protrusion 532 protrudes upward toward the positioning portion 831. The protrusion 532 is made of a sheet-like elastic member such as synthetic resin (e.g., PET). The protrusion 532 sequentially engages with the multiple recesses 831a as the positioning portion 831 rotates.

[0043] According to this configuration, when the positioning portion 831 rotates, the protrusion 532 rides up onto the convex portion 831b while elastically deforming, and engages with the concave portion 831a. As a result, when the operating member 83 is rotated, a clicking sensation can be obtained every time the protrusion 532 engages with the concave portion 831a. Therefore, the operability of adjusting the angle of the head unit 51 is improved.

[0044] Next, the configuration of the angle adjustment mechanism 8 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8 to Fig. 10. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the periphery of the angle adjustment mechanism 8 of the recording unit 5 of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of the second embodiment. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the periphery of the angle adjustment member 81 and the operation member 84 in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the periphery of the angle adjustment member 81 in Fig. 8.

[0045] The angle adjustment mechanism 8 includes an operating member 84. The operating member 84 includes a positioning portion 841. The outer periphery of the positioning portion 841 has a plurality of recesses 841a and a plurality of protrusions 841b that are continuous in the circumferential direction. The positioning portion 841 is made of a sheet-like elastic member such as synthetic resin (e.g., PET).

[0046] The frame 53 includes a protrusion 533. The protrusion 533 is disposed below the positioning portion 841 of the operating member 84, and faces the positioning portion 841. The protrusion 533 protrudes upward toward the positioning portion 841. The protrusion 533 sequentially engages with the multiple recesses 841a as the positioning portion 841 rotates. At this time, the positioning portion 841 elastically deforms so that the convex portions 841b ride on the protrusion 533 and engage with the protrusion 533 at the recesses 841a.

[0047] As described above, either the positioning portion or the protrusion may be made of an elastic material.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 10, the protrusion 533 is inclined with respect to the rotation plane 841c (see Fig. 9) of the positioning portion 841. This configuration allows the positioning portion 841 to be easily deformed elastically. This reduces the load when rotating the operating member 84, improving operability. In addition, it is possible to extend the life of the sheet-like positioning portion 841.

[0049] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0050] The present invention can be used in an inkjet recording apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1 Inkjet recording device 5 Recording section 8 Angle adjustment mechanism 51 Head Unit 52 Recording head 53 Frames 54 Unit Rotation Axis 81 Angle adjustment member 81A 1st shaft 81B 2nd shaft 82 Pressing member 83, 84 Operating member 521 Ink ejection nozzle 532, 533 Protrusion 811 Adjustment Rotation Axis 815 Fastening protrusion 816 Fastening hole 831, 841 Positioning part 831a, 841a Recess 831b, 841b convex part 841c Surface of revolution R1 1st direction R2 2nd direction S Paper (recording medium)

Claims

1. a recording unit that records an image on a recording medium; a head unit held by the recording section and including a recording head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink onto the recording medium; a frame provided in the recording section, to which the head unit is connected so as to be rotatable about a unit rotation axis disposed at one end of the head unit; an angle adjustment mechanism that is disposed on the other end side of the head unit opposite to the unit rotation shaft and rotates the head unit around the unit rotation shaft; Equipped with The angle adjustment mechanism includes: an angle adjustment member that is in contact with the head unit and is rotatable about an adjustment rotation axis that extends parallel to the unit rotation axis; a biasing member that contacts the angle adjustment member and biases the angle adjustment member in a direction to rotate the angle adjustment member in a first direction; an operating member that comes into contact with the angle adjustment member and rotates the angle adjustment member in a second direction opposite to the first direction against the biasing force of the biasing member; Equipped with The angle adjustment member is a first shaft provided with the adjustment rotation shaft, the biasing member and the operating member contacting each other at both ends of the adjustment rotation shaft; a second shaft fixed to the first shaft and in contact with the head unit; It is composed of a combination of The first shaft has a fastening hole having a female thread formed on an inner circumferential surface thereof, The second shaft has a male thread formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof and a fastening protrusion to be inserted into the fastening hole.

2. The operating member has a plurality of circumferentially continuous recesses and a plurality of protrusions on an outer periphery thereof, and is provided with a positioning portion that rotates about an axis extending in a direction intersecting with the adjustment rotation axis; the frame includes a protrusion that sequentially engages with the plurality of recesses as the positioning portion rotates, 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the positioning portion and the protrusion is made of an elastic material.

3. An inkjet recording device as described in Claim 2, characterized in that the protrusion portion is inclined with respect to the rotation surface of the positioning portion.

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