Holding Unit

Abstract

To make prints on printed matters having various shapes and rotatably held.SOLUTION: A holding unit 100 is detachably provided at a rotation support member 70 and rotatably holds a second printed matter 5C in a printer 10 including: an ink head 34; and the rotation support member 70 which rotatably supports a first printed matter 5B. The holding unit 100 includes: a first holding part 110A and a second holding part 110B which hold the second printed matter 5C; a driven roller 122 which is rotatably supported by first support rollers 74 and second support rollers 78 of the rotation support member 70 and rotates in conjunction with rotation of the first support roller 74 and the second support roller 78; and a transmission roller 124 which rotates the first holding part 110A in conjunction with the rotation of the driven roller 122.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a holding unit, and more particularly to a holding unit that rotatably holds a printing substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet printer that includes an inkjet head, a print medium holder that rotatably holds a print medium (i.e., a print target) having at least a portion of a cylindrical outer periphery, and a holder drive that moves the print medium holder. By rotating the print medium supported by the print medium holder, an image or the like is printed on the outer periphery of the print medium. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6005471 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, in the inkjet printer described in Patent Document 1, a cylindrical printing object is placed on a rubber ring provided on a shaft, and the printing object that comes into contact with the rubber ring rotates as the shaft rotates. In other words, the inkjet printer described in Patent Document 1 can only rotate printing objects that have at least a part of their outer periphery in a cylindrical shape, which places great restrictions on the shape of printable printing objects.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a holding unit that is capable of printing on printing materials of various shapes that are rotatably held. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The holding unit according to the present invention is a holding unit for a printer including an ink head movable in a main scanning direction and ejecting ink, and a rotation support member rotatably supporting a first substrate having at least a portion of a cylindrical outer periphery and disposed below the ink head, the holding unit being detachably mounted on the rotation support member and rotatably holding a second substrate. The rotation support member includes a storage case, a first shaft rotatably mounted in the storage case, extending in the main scanning direction and rotatably supporting the first substrate, a second shaft mounted in the storage case, extending in the main scanning direction, disposed a predetermined distance away from the first shaft in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction and rotatably supporting the first substrate, and a drive mechanism for rotating the first shaft. The holding unit has a first holding portion that holds one end of the second substrate in the main scanning direction and is rotatably arranged, a second holding portion that holds the other end of the second substrate in the main scanning direction and is rotatably arranged, a driven roller that is rotatably supported on the first shaft and the second shaft of the rotating support member and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first shaft and the second shaft, and a transmission roller that rotates the first holding portion in conjunction with the rotation of the driven roller.

[0007] According to the holding unit of the present invention, the transmission roller connected to the first holding part that holds one end of the second substrate in the main scanning direction is linked to the rotation of the driven roller that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first support roller and the second support roller of the rotation support member. That is, the driving mechanism rotates the first shaft, and the transmission roller rotates the first holding part. Here, the second substrate is held by the first holding part and the second holding part that are rotatably provided in the holding unit. Therefore, the second substrate and the second holding part also rotate when the first holding part rotates. In this way, while the second substrate is rotatably held by the holding unit, ink can be ejected from the ink head of the printer to print on the second substrate. In addition, since the holding unit is detachably provided on the rotation support member, by removing the holding unit from the rotation support member, ink can be ejected from the ink head to print on the first substrate while the first substrate is rotatably supported by the rotation support member. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a holding unit capable of printing on second printing materials of various shapes that are rotatably held. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a printer according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view illustrating an internal configuration of a printer according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating an internal configuration of a printer according to an embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a rotation support member is arranged on a table according to an embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which a rotation support member is arranged on a table according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a holding unit is attached onto a rotating support member according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a side view showing a state in which a holding unit is attached onto a rotating support member according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is another side view showing the state in which the holding unit is attached onto the rotating support member according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a holding unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a holding unit according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a holding unit and a printer using the same according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described here is, of course, not intended to limit the present invention in any particular way. Also, the same reference numerals are used for members and parts that perform the same function, and duplicated descriptions are omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a printer 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of the printer 10 according to the present embodiment. Here, the symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings indicate the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom of the printer 10, respectively. Furthermore, the symbols X, Y, and Z indicate the sub-scanning direction, main scanning direction, and height direction, respectively. For example, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. The sub-scanning direction X intersects with the main scanning direction Y in a plan view, and is perpendicular here. The sub-scanning direction X is, for example, the front-rear direction. The height direction Z is the up-down direction. However, these directions are merely defined for the convenience of explanation, and do not limit the present invention or the installation mode of the printer 10 in any way.

[0012] The printer 10 is an inkjet printer. However, there is no particular limitation on the printing method of the printer 10. The printer 10 may be, for example, a dot impact printer, a laser printer, or a thermal printer.

[0013] The printer 10 according to the present embodiment is capable of printing on a recording medium 5A (see FIG. 2) supported by a table 48 (see FIG. 2) described later. Furthermore, the printer 10 is also capable of printing on a first printing substrate 5B (see FIG. 4A) using a rotating support member 70 (see FIG. 4A) described later. Furthermore, the printer 10 is also capable of printing on a second printing substrate 5C (see FIG. 5) using a holding unit 100 (see FIG. 5) described later. Here, FIG. 2 shows a state in which the recording medium 5A is supported by the table 48. The recording medium 5A shown in FIG. 2 has a flat surface that extends in at least a part of the recording medium 5A in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. The recording medium 5A is, for example, a recording paper. However, the recording medium 5A is not limited to a recording paper. For example, the recording medium 5A includes a sheet formed of a resin material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyester, a metal plate, a glass plate, a wooden plate, and other objects having a relatively large thickness. The recording medium 5A may also be a three-dimensional object such as a smartphone case. In FIG. 3, the recording medium 5A is omitted.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 4A, the first substrate 5B is a three-dimensional object having at least a part of its outer periphery in a cylindrical shape. Here, the part of the first substrate 5B refers to the part that contacts the rotary support member 70 (more specifically, the first support roller 74 and the second support roller 78 described later). The first substrate 5B includes a three-dimensional object having an internal space, such as a cylindrical or tubular three-dimensional object. The type of the first substrate 5B is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a bottle or a cup. The material forming the first substrate 5B is also not particularly limited. The first substrate 5B may be made of glass, resin, or wood.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 5, the second printing material 5C is a three-dimensional object having, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Here, the second printing material 5C has at least a first surface that contacts the first holding portion 110A (see FIG. 8) of the holding unit 100, and a second surface that is parallel to the first surface and contacts the second holding portion 110B (see FIG. 8). The first surface and the second surface are, for example, flat surfaces, but may also be curved surfaces. The second printing material 5C includes a three-dimensional object having a space inside. The type of the second printing material 5C is not particularly limited. In addition, the material forming the second printing material 5C is not particularly limited. The second printing material 5C may be made of glass, resin, or wood.

[0016] 2, the printer 10 includes a base member 60, a main body case 12 (see FIG. 1) attached to the base member 60, a carriage movement mechanism 20, an ink head unit 30, a table movement mechanism 38, and a table unit 40. The printer 10 includes a main body frame 14 that supports the carriage movement mechanism 20 and the ink head unit 30.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, a front cover 13C is provided at the center of the front of the main body case 12. The front cover 13C is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the main body case 12. A window 13W is provided in the front cover 13C. The window 13W is formed, for example, from a transparent acrylic plate. An operator can view the inside of the main body case 12 through the window 13W. A base member 60 (see FIG. 2) is attached to the lower part of the main body case 12. The base member 60 supports the main body case 12.

[0018] 2, the base member 60 includes a bottom wall 61 constituting the bottom surface, a left wall 62 located to the left and above the bottom wall 61, a right wall 63 located to the right and above the bottom wall 61, a left wall 64 connecting the bottom wall 61 and the left wall 62 and extending in the vertical direction Z, and a right wall 65 connecting the bottom wall 61 and the right wall 63 and extending in the vertical direction Z. The table unit 40 moves on the bottom wall 61 in the sub-scanning direction X. The left wall 62 and the right wall 63 support the main body frame 14.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the main body frame 14 is provided on the base member 60. The main body frame 14 has a left base wall 15L extending upward from a left wall 62 of the base member 60, a right base wall 15R extending upward from a right wall 63 of the base member 60, and a support wall 16 connecting the upper end of the left base wall 15L and the upper end of the right base wall 15R. The left base wall 15L is located to the left of the table unit 40. The right base wall 15R is located to the right of the table unit 40. The support wall 16 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The support wall 16 is disposed above the base member 60. The printer 10 is configured to allow the table unit 40 to pass through, and has an opening 14H penetrating in the sub-scanning direction X. The opening 14H is surrounded and formed by the main body frame 14 and the base member 60.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 has a guide rail 18 provided on the support wall 16. The guide rail 18 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The guide rail 18 is provided along the front surface of the support wall 16. The guide rail 18 is disposed above the opening 14H. The guide rail 18 is disposed above the table unit 40. A head carriage 32 of the ink head unit 30, which will be described later, is slidably provided on the guide rail 18. The guide rail 18 guides the movement of the head carriage 32 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage movement mechanism 20 is a mechanism for moving the head carriage 32 in the main scanning direction Y relative to a table 48 of the table unit 40 (described later). The carriage movement mechanism 20 moves the head carriage 32 in the main scanning direction Y. The configuration of the carriage movement mechanism 20 is not particularly limited. The carriage movement mechanism 20 includes a left pulley 21, a right pulley 22, an endless belt 23, and a head carriage motor 24. The left pulley 21 is provided to the left of the left end of the guide rail 18. The right pulley 22 is provided to the right of the right end of the guide rail 18. The left pulley 21 and the right pulley 22 are fixed to the main body frame 14. The belt 23 is wound around the left pulley 21 and the right pulley 22. The head carriage motor 24 is connected to the right pulley 22. However, the head carriage motor 24 may be connected to the left pulley 21. In this case, the head carriage motor 24 is driven to rotate the right pulley 22, causing the belt 23 to run between the left pulley 21 and the right pulley 22.

[0022] The ink head unit 30 is disposed inside the main body case 12 (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 2, the ink head unit 30 is disposed above the table unit 40. The ink head unit 30 includes an ink head 34, a head carriage 32 on which the ink head 34 is mounted, a case 31 attached to the head carriage 32, and a light irradiation device 35.

[0023] 2, the head carriage 32 is attached to the belt 23. The head carriage 32 is slidably engaged with the guide rail 18. The head carriage 32 is disposed above a table 48. The belt 23 is driven by the head carriage motor 24, and as the head carriage 32 moves in the main scanning direction Y, the ink head 34 and the light irradiation device 35 mounted on the head carriage 32 move in the main scanning direction Y.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, the ink head 34 is formed in a shape in which the length in the sub-scanning direction X is longer than the length in the main scanning direction Y. The ink heads 34 are formed in the same shape and size. The ink heads 34 are configured to be able to eject ink onto the recording medium 5A (see FIG. 2) placed on the table 48, the first print substrate 5B (see FIG. 4A) supported by the rotation support member 70, and the second print substrate 5C (see FIG. 5) held by the holding unit 100. The ink head 34 is provided with a plurality of nozzles (not shown) that eject ink and are arranged in the sub-scanning direction X. The ink ejected from the nozzles of the ink head 34 is, for example, a photocurable ink. An example of the photocurable ink is an ultraviolet-curable ink. The ultraviolet-curable ink has a property of being cured when irradiated with ultraviolet light. In this embodiment, the ink head unit 30 is provided with three ink heads 34, but is not limited thereto.

[0025] The light irradiation device 35 is a device that irradiates light (e.g., ultraviolet light) to the light-curable ink (e.g., ultraviolet-curable ink) ejected onto the recording medium 5A, the first substrate 5B, and the second substrate 5C. As shown in FIG. 3, the light irradiation device 35 is disposed to the left of the ink head 34. The light irradiation device 35 is fixed to the head carriage 32 (see FIG. 2). In this embodiment, the light irradiation device 35 is disposed to the left of the ink head 34, but is not limited to this. The light irradiation device 35 may be disposed to the right of the ink head 34. Furthermore, the light irradiation device 35 may be provided on both the left and right of the ink head 34.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, the table unit 40 is configured to be movable in the sub-scanning direction X along a first slide rail 51 and a second slide rail 52 of the table moving mechanism 38, which will be described later. The table unit 40 includes a table 48 on which the recording medium 5A or a rotary support member 70, which will be described later, is placed, and a table carriage 49 that supports the table 48 so as to be movable in the sub-scanning direction X. The table 48 is formed in a rectangular shape whose length in the sub-scanning direction X is shorter than its length in the main scanning direction Y. Note that the length of the table 48 in the sub-scanning direction X may be longer than its length in the main scanning direction Y, or the length of the sub-scanning direction X may be the same as the length of the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 2, the table 48 is disposed below the support wall 16. The table 48 is disposed below the ink head unit 30. The table 48 is provided at the upper end of the table carriage 49. The table carriage 49 is slidably supported by the first slide rail 51 (see also FIG. 3) and the second slide rail 52 (see FIG. 3). The table carriage 49 is provided to be movable in the sub-scanning direction X along a first slide rail 51 and a second slide rail 52. The table carriage 49 is configured to be able to move the table 48 in the up-down direction Z by an elevating mechanism (not shown).

[0027] The table moving mechanism 38 is a mechanism for moving the table 48 of the table unit 40 in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. 3, the table moving mechanism 38 includes a first slide rail 51 and a second slide rail 52 that support the table unit 40 movably in the sub-scanning direction X, and a moving device 41 that moves the table unit 40 in the sub-scanning direction X. The first slide rail 51 and the second slide rail 52 extend in the sub-scanning direction X. The first slide rail 51 and the second slide rail 52 are arranged in parallel. The first slide rail 51 and the second slide rail 52 are provided on a left side wall 64 (see FIG. 2) and a right side wall 65 (see FIG. 2) of the base member 60, respectively.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, the moving device 41 is disposed on the bottom wall 61 of the base member 60. The moving device 41 includes a front pulley 42, a rear pulley 43, an endless belt 44, and a drive motor 45. The front pulley 42 is provided on the front side of the bottom wall 61. The rear pulley 43 is provided on the rear side of the bottom wall 61. The belt 44 is wound around the front pulley 42 and the rear pulley 43. The drive motor 45 is connected to the rear pulley 43. However, the drive motor 45 may be connected to the front pulley 42. Here, the drive motor 45 is driven to rotate the rear pulley 43, so that the belt 44 runs between the front pulley 42 and the rear pulley 43. A table carriage 49 (see also FIG. 2) is attached to the belt 44. Therefore, when the belt 44 runs by the drive motor 45, the table carriage 49 moves in the sub-scanning direction X along the first slide rail 51 and the second slide rail 52. That is, the moving device 41 can move the table 48 in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0029] As described above, the printer 10 according to this embodiment is capable of printing on a first substrate 5B (see FIG. 4A) and a second substrate 5C (see FIG. 5) each having at least a portion of a cylindrical outer periphery, in addition to the recording medium 5A (see FIG. 2). The first substrate 5B is supported by a rotating support member 70 (see FIG. 4A) fixed to a table 48. The second substrate 5C is held by a holding unit 100 (see FIG. 5) attached to the rotating support member 70.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4A, the rotation support member 70 rotatably supports the first substrate 5B. The rotation support member 70 is removably fixed to the table 48. The rotation support member 70 is disposed below the ink head 34 (see FIG. 2). The rotation support member 70 is configured to be movable in the sub-scanning direction X and the up-down direction Z in association with the movement of the table 48. The rotation support member 70 is fixed to the table 48 when printing on the first substrate 5B, and is removed from the table 48 when printing on the recording medium 5A (see FIG. 2). The rotation support member 70 is fixed to the table 48 when printing on the second substrate 5C using the holding unit 100 (see FIG. 5). The rotational support member 70 has a rectangular storage case 71 with a portion of its top surface open, a first shaft 72 extending in the main scanning direction Y, a plurality of first support rollers 74 provided on the first shaft 72, a second shaft 76 extending in the main scanning direction Y, a plurality of second support rollers 78 provided on the second shaft 76, and a drive mechanism 80 that rotates the first shaft 72.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 4B, the entire storage case 71 overlaps with the table 48 in a plan view. That is, the storage case 71 does not protrude outside the table 48 in a plan view. As shown in Fig. 4A, the storage case 71 has a bottom surface 71A, a front surface 71B extending upward from the front end of the bottom surface 71A, a left surface 71C extending upward from the left end of the bottom surface 71A, a right surface 71D extending upward from the right end of the bottom surface 71A, and a rear surface 71E extending upward from the rear end of the bottom surface 71A and connecting the rear end of the left surface 71C and the rear end of the right surface 71D. The storage case 71 has an opening 71H.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 4B, the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76 extend in the main scanning direction Y. The first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76 are rotatably supported by the housing case 71. In this embodiment, the left end of the first shaft 72 and the left end of the second shaft 76 are rotatably supported by the left surface 71C of the housing case 71, and the right end of the first shaft 72 and the right end of the second shaft 76 are rotatably supported by the right surface 71D of the housing case 71. The first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76 rotatably support the first substrate 5B. In this embodiment, the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76 rotatably support the first substrate 5B indirectly via the first support roller 74 and the second support roller 78. The first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76 are exposed to the outside through the opening 71H of the housing case 71. The second shaft 76 is disposed at a predetermined distance LX1 (see FIG. 6) from the first shaft 72 in the sub-scanning direction X. That is, the relative positional relationship between the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76 is constant. The first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76 are disposed in parallel. As shown in FIG. 6, the diameter RZ1 of the first shaft 72 and the diameter RZ2 of the second shaft 76 are set to be the same. Note that the diameter RZ1 of the first shaft 72 and the diameter RZ2 of the second shaft 76 may be different. For example, the diameter RZ1 of the first shaft 72 may be smaller than the diameter RZ2 of the second shaft 76. The center 72C of the first shaft 72 is located below the center 76C of the second shaft 76. As a result, the position of the upper end of the first support roller 74 provided on the first shaft 72 is the same as the position of the upper end of the second support roller 78 provided on the second shaft 76.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4B, the first support roller 74 is an anti-slip member that suppresses the first substrate 5B supported by the first shaft 72 from slipping relative to the rotating first shaft 72. The first support roller 74 is detachably provided on the first shaft 72. That is, the position of the first support roller 74 is changeable. The first support roller 74 supports the first substrate 5B. The second support roller 78 is an anti-slip member that suppresses the first substrate 5B supported by the second shaft 76 from slipping relative to the rotating second shaft 76. The second support roller 78 is detachably provided on the second shaft 76. That is, the position of the second support roller 78 is changeable. The second support roller 78 supports the first substrate 5B. The first support roller 74 and the second support roller 78 are disposed at the same position with respect to the main scanning direction Y. In this embodiment, the diameter RX of the first support roller 74 and the diameter RY of the second support roller 78 are different. The diameter RX of the first support roller 74 is larger than the diameter RY of the second support roller 78 .

[0034] As shown in FIG. 4A, the drive mechanism 80 is provided in the housing case 71. The drive mechanism 80 is configured to rotate the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76. The drive mechanism 80 is configured to rotate the first printing material 5B by rotating the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76. The drive mechanism 80 includes a drive motor 80A, a first gear 81 connected to the drive motor 80A, a second gear 82 meshing with the first gear 81, a third gear 83 (see FIG. 4B) integrally formed with the second gear 82, a fourth gear 84 meshing with the third gear 83, a support shaft 85 integrally formed with the fourth gear 84, a first idler pulley 86, a second idler pulley 87, and a conveyor belt 88. The drive motor 80A is housed in the housing case 71. The drive motor 80A is disposed rearward of the first shaft 72. The first gear 81 is located outside the housing case 71. The first gear 81 is located to the right of the right surface 71D of the housing case 71. The second gear 82 and the third gear 83 are provided on a rotating shaft 80B extending rightward from the right surface 71D of the housing case 71. The fourth gear 84 is provided on a support shaft 85 extending rightward from the right surface 71D of the housing case 71. The first idler pulley 86 and the second idler pulley 87 extend rightward from the right surface 71D of the housing case 71. The first shaft 72 is located between the support shaft 85 and the second idler pulley 87. The second shaft 76 is located between the first idler pulley 86 and the second idler pulley 87. The conveyor belt 88 is wound around the support shaft 85, the first idler pulley 86, the right end 76R of the second shaft 76, the second idler pulley 87, and the right end 72R of the first shaft 72. By driving the drive motor 80A, the conveyor belt 88 runs and the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76 rotate. As a result, the first substrate 5B supported by the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76 rotates, for example, in the direction of the arrow R in FIG. 4A.In this embodiment, since the diameter RX of the first support roller 74 is larger than the diameter RY of the second support roller 78 disposed forward of the first support roller 74, the drive mechanism 80 is configured to forward rotate the first substrate 5B so that a predetermined portion of the first substrate 5B comes into contact with the second support roller 78 and then with the first support roller 74. That is, the first substrate 5B is rotated by rotating the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76 in the direction of the arrow R in Fig. 4A (counterclockwise direction when viewed from right to left with respect to the main scanning direction Y).

[0035] As shown in FIG. 5, the holding unit 100 rotatably holds the second substrate 5C. In this embodiment, the holding unit 100 rotatably holds a plurality (three) of the second substrates 5C. The holding unit 100 is detachably provided on the rotating support member 70. The holding unit 100 is configured to be movable in the sub-scanning direction X and the up-down direction Z in association with the movement of the table 48. The holding unit 100 is fixed to the rotating support member 70 when printing on the second substrate 5C, and is detached from the rotating support member 70 when printing on the recording medium 5A (see FIG. 2) or the first substrate 5B (see FIG. 4A). The holding unit 100 has a frame-shaped support frame 102, a guide member 104 extending in the main scanning direction Y, a movable body 106 movable in the main scanning direction Y along the guide member 104, a fixing member 109 that fixes the movable body 106 to the guide member 104, a holding portion 110 that holds the second printing material 5C, and a rotation mechanism 120 that rotates the holding portion 110.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5, the support frame 102 is fixed to the housing case 71 of the rotation support member 70. As shown in FIG. 8, the support frame 102 has a bottom surface 102A, a front surface 102B extending upward from the front end of the bottom surface 102A, a left surface 102C extending upward from the left end of the bottom surface 102A, a right surface 102D extending upward from the right end of the bottom surface 102A, and a rear surface 102E extending upward from the rear end of the bottom surface 102A and connecting the rear end of the left surface 102C and the rear end of the right surface 102D. A rectangular opening 102H is formed in the approximate center of the bottom surface 102A. A rectangular first through hole 102X is formed in the bottom surface 102A to the right of the opening 102H, and a rectangular second through hole 102Y is formed to the left of the opening 102H.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 8, the support frame 102 has a first support plate 102L and a second support plate 102M provided on the right surface 102D side, and a third support plate 102N provided on the left surface 102C. As shown in FIG. 9, the first support plate 102L and the third support plate 102N are fixed to the bottom surface 102A of the support frame 102. The second support plate 102M is fixed to the first support plate 102L and the right surface 102D. The first support plate 102L is formed in an L-shaped cross section, and rotatably supports a first shaft 122A on which a driven roller 122 described later of the rotation mechanism 120 is provided together with the right surface 102D. The second support plate 102M is formed in a U-shaped cross section, and rotatably supports a second shaft 124A on which a transmission roller 124 described later of the rotation mechanism 120 is provided. The third support plate 102N is formed in an L-shaped cross section, and rotatably supports a third shaft 128A, on which an auxiliary roller 128 (described later) is provided, together with the left surface 102C.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 8, the guide member 104 includes a first guide shaft 104A extending in the primary scanning direction Y and a second guide shaft 104B extending in the primary scanning direction Y. The first guide shaft 104A and the second guide shaft 104B are supported by the support frame 102. In this embodiment, the left end of the first guide shaft 104A and the left end of the second guide shaft 104B are supported by the left surface 102C of the support frame 102, and the right end of the first guide shaft 104A and the right end of the second guide shaft 104B are supported by the right surface 102D of the support frame 102. The second guide shaft 104B is disposed at a predetermined distance LX2 from the first guide shaft 104A in the sub-scanning direction X. That is, the relative positional relationship between the first guide shaft 104A and the second guide shaft 104B is constant. The first guide shaft 104A and the second guide shaft 104B are disposed in parallel to each other. The first guide shaft 104A and the second guide shaft 104B overlap with the opening 102H in a plan view.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 8, the moving body 106 is located between the driven roller 122 and the auxiliary roller 128 in the main scanning direction Y. That is, the moving body 106 is located to the left of the driven roller 122 and to the right of the auxiliary roller 128. The moving body 106 is provided so as to be movable in the main scanning direction Y along the guide member 104. The moving body 106 includes a first moving body 106A, a second moving body 106B, and a third moving body 106C, and these moving bodies 106 are configured to have the same shape. The number of moving bodies 106 may be one or two, or may be four or more. In this embodiment, the first moving body 106A is located to the left of the driven roller 122. The second moving body 106B is located to the left of the first moving body 106A. The third moving body 106C is located to the left of the second moving body 106B. The first moving body 106A, the second moving body 106B, and the third moving body 106C are provided so as to be movable in the main scanning direction Y along the first guide shaft 104A and the second guide shaft 104B. As shown in FIG. 9, the first moving body 106A has a first bearing 116A that connects the second holding portion 110B and the third holding portion 110C described later. The first bearing 116A is an example of a bearing. The second moving body 106B has a second bearing 116B that connects the fourth holding portion 110D and the fifth holding portion 110E described later. The third moving body 106C has a third bearing 116C that holds the sixth holding portion 110F described later.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 7, the movable body 106 includes a base portion 107 extending in the sub-scanning direction X, and a pillar portion 108 extending upward from approximately the center of the base portion 107 in the sub-scanning direction X. A first upper arm portion 107AA extending backward and a first lower arm portion 107AB positioned below the first upper arm portion 107AA are provided at the rear end of the base portion 107. The first upper arm portion 107AA and the first lower arm portion 107AB form a first recessed groove 107A that engages with the first guide shaft 104A. The first recessed groove 107A is recessed toward the front. A vertical distance (spacing) L1 between the first upper arm portion 107AA and the first lower arm portion 107AB is equal to or longer than the diameter of the first guide shaft 104A. The front end of the base portion 107 is provided with a second upper arm portion 107BA extending forward, and a second lower arm portion 107BB located below the second upper arm portion 107BA. A second groove 107B that engages with the second guide shaft 104B is formed by the rear portion of the second upper arm portion 107BA and the rear portion of the second lower arm portion 107BB. The second groove 107B is recessed toward the rear. A vertical distance (spacing) L2 between the front portion of the second upper arm portion 107BA and the front portion of the second lower arm portion 107BB is shorter than the diameter of the second guide shaft 104B. The distance L2 is shorter than the distance L1. The second upper arm portion 107BA and the second lower arm portion 107BB are configured to be elastically deformable. The second upper arm portion 107BA of the base portion 107 has an insertion hole 107C formed therein, which penetrates the second upper arm portion 107BA and communicates with the second recessed groove 107B. By fastening the fixing member 109 to the insertion hole 107C, the second upper arm portion 107BA is displaced in a direction approaching the second lower arm portion 107BB, and the second guide shaft 104B is sandwiched between the second upper arm portion 107BA and the second lower arm portion 107BB. In this manner, the moving body 106 is firmly fixed to the second guide shaft 104B. In this embodiment, the first moving body 106A to the third moving body 106C are fixed to the second guide shaft 104B by the fixing member 109, respectively. A holding portion 110 is rotatably supported by the pillar portion 108.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 8, the holding unit 110 holds the end of the second substrate 5C in the main scanning direction Y. The holding unit 110 includes a first holding unit 110A that holds the right end (corresponding to the end on one side in the main scanning direction Y) of the second substrate 5C located on the right side, a second holding unit 110B that holds the left end (corresponding to the end on the other side in the main scanning direction Y) of the second substrate 5C located on the right side, a third holding unit 110C that holds the right end of the second substrate 5C located in the center, a fourth holding unit 110D that holds the left end of the second substrate 5C located in the center, a fifth holding unit 110E that holds the right end of the second substrate 5C located on the left side, and a sixth holding unit 110F that holds the left end of the second substrate 5C located on the left side. The first holding unit 110A to the sixth holding unit 110F are provided rotatably. The second substrate 5C located on the right side is rotatably held by the first holding part 110A and the second holding part 110B. The second substrate 5C located in the center is rotatably held by the third holding part 110C and the fourth holding part 110D. The second substrate 5C located on the left side is rotatably held by the fifth holding part 110E and the sixth holding part 110F. The positions of the first holding part 110A to the sixth holding part 110F in the vertical direction Z and the position in the sub-scanning direction X are the same. The first holding part 110A to the sixth holding part 110F are arranged on a straight line extending in the main scanning direction Y. The first holding part 110A to the sixth holding part 110F have the same shape except for the mounting positions and orientations. The first holding portion 110A to the sixth holding portion 110F each have a head portion 111 that contacts the right end or the left end of the second substrate 5C, and a shaft portion 112 connected to the head portion 111. The head portion 111 is made of, for example, a rubber material. The shaft portion 112 extends in the main scanning direction Y.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 9, the first holding portion 110A is rotatably supported by the second support plate 102M of the support frame 102. The first holding portion 110A is connected to the second shaft 124A on which the transmission roller 124 is provided. More specifically, the shaft portion 112 of the first holding portion 110A is inserted into the insertion hole 124AH formed in the second shaft 124A. The first holding portion 110A rotates together with the transmission roller 124. The first holding portion 110A protrudes leftward from the transmission roller 124. The protruding length of the first holding portion 110A from the second shaft 124A in the main scanning direction Y is configured to be changeable. The head portion 111 of the first holding portion 110A contacts the right end of the second printing material 5C located on the right side. Head portion 111 of first holding portion 110A is an example of a first head, and shaft portion 112 of first holding portion 110A is an example of a first shaft portion.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 9, the second holding part 110B is rotatably supported by the first moving body 106A. The shaft part 112 of the second holding part 110B is inserted into the insertion hole 116AH of the first bearing 116A provided on the first moving body 106A. The second holding part 110B protrudes to the right from the first moving body 106A. The protruding length of the second holding part 110B from the first moving body 106A in the main scanning direction Y is configured to be changeable. The head part 111 of the second holding part 110B contacts the left end of the second printing material 5C located on the right side. The second holding part 110B rotates together with the first holding part 110A via the second printing material 5C located on the right side. The head part 111 of the second holding part 110B is an example of a second head, and the shaft part 112 of the second holding part 110B is an example of a second shaft part.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 9, the third holding part 110C is rotatably supported by the first moving body 106A. The shaft part 112 of the third holding part 110C is inserted into the insertion hole 116AH of the first bearing 116A provided on the first moving body 106A. The third holding part 110C protrudes leftward from the first moving body 106A. The protruding length of the third holding part 110C from the first moving body 106A in the main scanning direction Y is configured to be changeable. The head part 111 of the third holding part 110C contacts the right end of the second printing material 5C located in the center. The third holding part 110C is connected to the second holding part 110B via the first bearing 116A, so it rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the second holding part 110B. That is, the third holding part 110C rotates together with the first holding part 110A via the second printing material 5C located on the right side. Since the second holding portion 110B and the third holding portion 110C do not have their own driving source, they can rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the first holding portion 110A only when the first holding portion 110A and the second holding portion 110B are holding the second printing material 5C located on the right side.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 9, the fourth holding part 110D is rotatably supported by the second moving body 106B. The shaft part 112 of the fourth holding part 110D is inserted into the insertion hole 116BH of the second bearing 116B provided on the second moving body 106B. The fourth holding part 110D protrudes to the right from the second moving body 106B. The protruding length of the fourth holding part 110D from the second moving body 106B in the main scanning direction Y is configured to be changeable. The head part 111 of the fourth holding part 110D contacts the left end of the second printing material 5C located in the center. The fourth holding part 110D rotates together with the third holding part 110C via the second printing material 5C located in the center.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 9, the fifth holding part 110E is rotatably supported by the second moving body 106B. The shaft part 112 of the fifth holding part 110E is inserted into an insertion hole 116BH provided in the second moving body 106B. The fifth holding part 110E protrudes leftward from the second moving body 106B. The protruding length of the fifth holding part 110E from the second moving body 106B in the main scanning direction Y is configured to be changeable. The head part 111 of the fifth holding part 110E contacts the right end of the second substrate 5C located on the left side. The fifth holding part 110E is connected to the fourth holding part 110D via the second bearing 116B, so that it rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the fourth holding part 110D. That is, the fifth holding part 110E rotates together with the first holding part 110A via the second substrate 5C located in the center and the second substrate 5C located on the right side. In addition, since the fourth holding portion 110D and the fifth holding portion 110E do not have their own driving source, they can rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the first holding portion 110A only when the first holding portion 110A and the second holding portion 110B are holding the second substrate 5C located on the right side and the third holding portion 110C and the fourth holding portion 110D are holding the second substrate 5C located in the center.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 9, the sixth holding part 110F is rotatably supported by the third moving body 106C. The shaft part 112 of the sixth holding part 110F is inserted into the insertion hole 116CH of the third bearing 116C provided on the third moving body 106C. The sixth holding part 110F protrudes to the right from the third moving body 106C. The protruding length of the sixth holding part 110F from the third moving body 106C in the main scanning direction Y is configured to be changeable. The head part 111 of the sixth holding part 110F contacts the left end of the second printing material 5C located on the left side. The sixth holding part 110F rotates together with the fifth holding part 110E via the second printing material 5C located on the left side. In addition, since the sixth holding portion 110F does not have its own driving source, it can rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the first holding portion 110A only when the second substrate 5C located on the right side is held by the first holding portion 110A and the second holding portion 110B, the second substrate 5C located in the center is held by the third holding portion 110C and the fourth holding portion 110D, and the second substrate 5C located on the left side is held by the fifth holding portion 110E and the sixth holding portion 110F.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 6, the rotation mechanism 120 has a driven roller 122 and a transmission roller 124. The driven roller 122 is located between the first guide shaft 104A and the second guide shaft 104B. The driven roller 122 is located forward of the first guide shaft 104A. The driven roller 122 is located rearward of the second guide shaft 104B. As shown in FIG. 8, the driven roller 122 is located to the right of the opening 102H. The driven roller 122 is rotatably supported by the right surface 102D and the first support plate 102L of the support frame 102. As shown in FIG. 9, a part of the driven roller 122 penetrates the first through hole 102X formed in the bottom surface 102A. That is, a part of the driven roller 122 is located below the bottom surface 102A through the first through hole 102X. As shown in FIG. 6, when the holding unit 100 is attached to the rotary support member 70, the driven roller 122 is configured to be rotatable on the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76 of the rotary support member 70. Here, the driven roller 122 contacts the first support roller 74 and the second support roller 78. That is, the driven roller 122 is configured to be rotatable on the first support roller 74 and the second support roller 78. The driven roller 122 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76. Therefore, the rotation of the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76 causes the driven roller 122 to rotate around the first axis 122A. In this manner, the driving force of the drive motor 80A of the drive mechanism 80 is transmitted to the driven roller 122.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 6, the transmission roller 124 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the driven roller 122. As shown in FIG. 9, the transmission roller 124 is provided at a position where it contacts the driven roller 122. The transmission roller 124 is disposed on the driven roller 122. In this embodiment, the diameter of the transmission roller 124 is smaller than the diameter of the driven roller 122. The transmission roller 124 is supported by the second support plate 102M of the support frame 102. An insertion hole 124AH is formed in the second shaft 124A on which the transmission roller 124 is provided, and the shaft portion 112 of the first holding portion 110A is connected (inserted) into the insertion hole 124AH. The transmission roller 124 rotates the first holding portion 110A in conjunction with the rotation of the driven roller 122. As a result, when the second substrate 5C is held by the first holding unit 110A and the second holding unit 110B, the second substrate 5C located on the right side can be rotated. After rotating the second substrate 5C, for example, by changing the height of the table 48 in the vertical direction Z, the distance between the second substrate 5C and the ink head 34 can be adjusted to an appropriate distance.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 8, the holding unit 100 has an auxiliary roller 128. The auxiliary roller 128 is located between the first guide shaft 104A and the second guide shaft 104B. The auxiliary roller 128 is located forward of the first guide shaft 104A. The auxiliary roller 128 is located rearward of the second guide shaft 104B. The auxiliary roller 128 is located to the left of the opening 102H. The auxiliary roller 128 is rotatably supported by the left surface 102C and the third support plate 102N of the support frame 102. As shown in FIG. 9, a part of the auxiliary roller 128 penetrates the second through hole 102Y formed in the bottom surface 102A. That is, a part of the auxiliary roller 128 is located below the bottom surface 102A through the second through hole 102Y. The auxiliary roller 128 is configured to be rotatable with the first support roller 74 and the second support roller 78 of the rotation support member 70 when the holding unit 100 is attached to the rotation support member 70. The auxiliary roller 128 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first support roller 74 and the second support roller 78. Here, the auxiliary roller 128 contacts the first support roller 74 and the second support roller 78. Therefore, the rotation of the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76 causes the auxiliary roller 128 to rotate around the third axis 128A. The auxiliary roller 128 has the same shape as the driven roller 122.

[0051] As described above, the holding unit 100 of this embodiment is configured to be detachable from the rotation support member 70 that rotatably supports the first printing object 5B, which is a three-dimensional object with at least a part of its outer periphery shaped like a cylinder, by the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76, and the second printing object 5C held by the holding unit 100 can be rotated by the drive mechanism 80 that rotates the first shaft 72 of the rotation support member 70. That is, the transmission roller 124 connected to the first holding part 110A that holds one end of the second printing object 5C in the main scanning direction Y is linked to the rotation of the driven roller 122 that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first support roller 74 and the second support roller 78 of the rotation support member 70. As a result, the drive mechanism 80 rotates the first shaft 72, and the transmission roller 124 rotates the first holding part 110A. Here, the second substrate 5C is held by the first holding part 110A and the second holding part 110B rotatably provided in the holding unit 100. Therefore, when the first holding part 110A rotates, the second substrate 5C and the second holding part 110B also rotate. In this way, since the second substrate 5C held by the first holding part 110A and the second holding part 110B by the holding unit 100 is configured to be rotatable, after ink is ejected from the ink head 34 of the printer 10 to print on the second substrate 5C, the second substrate 5C can be rotated by a desired angle to perform the next printing. As a result, even if the second substrate 5C cannot be rotatably supported by the rotation support member 70, the second substrate 5C can be rotatably held by the drive mechanism 80 of the rotation support member 70. Furthermore, since the holding unit 100 is removably attached to the rotating support member 70, by removing the holding unit 100 from the rotating support member 70, the first substrate 5B can be rotatably supported by the rotating support member 70 while ink is ejected from the ink head 34 to print on the first substrate 5B as well.

[0052] In the holding unit 100 of this embodiment, the transmission roller 124 is provided at a position where it contacts the driven roller 122. This makes it possible to easily transmit the driving force of the driven roller 122 to the transmission roller 124. In addition, the arrangement of the transmission roller 124 and the driven roller 122 is simplified, and it is possible to prevent the holding unit 100 from becoming large.

[0053] The holding unit 100 of this embodiment has a support frame 102 that supports the driven roller 122, the transmission roller 124, and the first holding part 110A, a guide member 104 that is held by the support frame 102 and extends in the main scanning direction Y, and a first moving body 106A that is provided so as to be movable in the main scanning direction Y along the guide member 104. The second holding part 110B is provided so as to be rotatable on the first moving body 106A. With this configuration, since the first moving body 106A can be moved in the main scanning direction Y along the guide member 104, the interval between the first holding part 110A and the second holding part 110B in the main scanning direction Y can be adjusted, and various second substrates 5C having different lengths in the main scanning direction Y can be used.

[0054] The holding unit 100 of this embodiment has a fixing member 109 that fixes the first moving body 106A to the guide member 104. This allows the second printing material 5C to be held more reliably by the first holding part 110A and the second holding part 110B.

[0055] In the holding unit 100 of this embodiment, the first holding part 110A has a head 111 that contacts one end of the second substrate 5C in the main scanning direction Y and a shaft part 112 that is connected to the head 111 and rotates together with the transmission roller 124, and the second holding part 110B has a head 111 that contacts the other end of the second substrate 5C in the main scanning direction Y and a shaft part 112 that is connected to the head 111 and rotatably supported by the first moving body 106A. With this configuration, the second substrate 5C can be held so as to be sandwiched between the head 111 of the first holding part 110A and the head 111 of the second holding part 110B, so that the configuration of the first holding part 110A and the second holding part 110B can be simplified.

[0056] In the holding unit 100 of this embodiment, the first moving body 106A is formed with an insertion hole 116AH that extends in the main scanning direction Y and into which the second holding part 110B is inserted, and the second holding part 110B is provided so that the length of its protrusion in the main scanning direction Y from the first moving body 106A can be changed. With this configuration, the length of the second holding part 110B in the main scanning direction Y can be adjusted, and various second substrates 5C having different lengths in the main scanning direction Y can be used.

[0057] In the holding unit 100 of this embodiment, the guide member 104 includes a first guide shaft 104A extending in the primary scanning direction Y and a second guide shaft 104B extending in the primary scanning direction Y and disposed a predetermined distance away from the first guide shaft 104A in the sub-scanning direction X, and the first moving body 106A has a first groove 107A that engages with the first guide shaft 104A and a second groove 107B that engages with the second guide shaft 104B. With this configuration, the first moving body 106A can be moved more easily in the primary scanning direction Y and the first moving body 106A can be held more reliably. Furthermore, by engaging the first guide shaft 104A and the second guide shaft 104B with the first groove 107A and the second groove 107B, respectively, the first moving body 106A is configured to be movable in the primary scanning direction Y along the guide member 104, so that the first moving body 106A can be easily attached and detached to the first guide shaft 104A and the second guide shaft 104B.

[0058] The holding unit 100 of this embodiment has a third holding part 110C that holds one end of the second substrate 5C in the main scanning direction Y at the center and is rotatably provided on the first moving body 106A, a second moving body 106B that is movably provided in the main scanning direction Y along the guide member 104, and a fourth holding part 110D that holds the other end of the second substrate 5C in the main scanning direction Y at the center and is rotatably provided on the second moving body 106B, and the third holding part 110C is configured to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the second holding part 110B. According to this configuration, the second substrate 5C located on the right side is held by the first holding part 110A and the second holding part 110B, and the second substrate 5C located in the center is held by the third holding part 110C and the fourth holding part 110D. Here, since the third holding part 110C rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the second holding part 110B, the second substrate 5C located on the right side and the second substrate 5C located in the center also rotate when the first holding part 110A rotates. In this way, while the holding unit 100 holds the second substrates 5C so that they can be rotated separately, ink can be ejected from the ink head 34 to print on the second substrates 5C.

[0059] In the holding unit 100 of this embodiment, the first moving body 106A has a first bearing 116A that connects the second holding part 110B and the third holding part 110C. This makes it possible to easily link the second holding part 110B and the third holding part 110C.

[0060] The holding unit 100 of this embodiment has a table 48 on which the rotation support member 70 is placed, and is equipped with a table unit 40 that is movable in the sub-scanning direction X, and the table unit 40 is configured to be able to move the table 48 in the up-down direction Z. With this configuration, after rotating the second substrate 5C, the distance between the ink head 34 and the second substrate 5C in the up-down direction Z can be easily adjusted.

[0061] In the holding unit 100 of this embodiment, the rotation support member 70 has a plurality of first support rollers 74 provided on the first shaft 72 and rotatably supporting the first substrate 5B, and a plurality of second support rollers 78 provided on the second shaft 76 and rotatably supporting the first substrate 5B. With this configuration, the first substrate 5B can be more reliably supported.

[0062] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention can be embodied in various other forms.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, the holding unit 100 rotatably held the second substrate 5C, but for example, the first substrate 5B shown in Figure 4A has flat surfaces at both ends in the main scanning direction Y, so that the first substrate 5B can be rotatably held by the first holding portion 110A and the second holding portion 110B of the holding unit 100.

[0064] In the embodiment described above, the holding unit 100 rotatably holds three second substrates 5C, but it is possible to hold more second substrates 5C by increasing the number of movable bodies 106 and holding parts 110. Furthermore, when the length of the second substrate 5C in the main scanning direction Y is relatively long and only one or two second substrates 5C can be held, the movable body 106 can be removed from the guide member 104 to ensure space for holding the second substrate 5C.

[0065] In the above-described embodiment, the rotation mechanism 120 is provided at the right end of the support frame 102, but it may be provided at the left end of the support frame 102. When the rotation mechanism 120 is provided at the left end of the support frame 102, the auxiliary roller 128 is provided at the right end of the support frame 102.

[0066] In the above-described embodiment, the rotary support member 70 rotatably supports the first substrate 5B by the multiple first support rollers 74 and the multiple second support rollers 78, but is not limited thereto. For example, the rotary support member 70 may not have the first support rollers 74 and the second support rollers 78, and may be configured to rotatably support the first substrate 5B by the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76. That is, the first substrate 5B may be placed directly on the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76 and directly rotatably supported by the first shaft 72 and the second shaft 76. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 5B 1st printed material 5C 2nd printing material 10 Printers 34 Ink head 48 Tables 70 Rotating support member 72 1st Shaft 74 First support roller 76 2nd Shaft 78 Second Support Roller 80 Drive Mechanism 100 holding units 102 Support frame 106 Mobile 110A 1st holding part 110B 2nd holding part 122 Driven roller 124 Transmission roller

Claims

1. an ink head that is movable in a main scanning direction and ejects ink; A rotation support member that rotatably supports a first printing material having at least a portion of a cylindrical outer circumferential shape and is disposed below the ink head; A holding unit that is detachably provided on the rotation support member and rotatably holds a second printing material, The rotation support member is A storage case, a first shaft that is rotatably provided in the storage case, extends in the main scanning direction, and rotatably supports the first printing material; a second shaft provided in the housing, extending in the main scanning direction, and disposed a predetermined distance away from the first shaft in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, and rotatably supporting the first substrate; a drive mechanism for rotating the first shaft, The holding unit includes: a first holding section that holds one end of the second substrate in the main scanning direction and is rotatably provided; a second holding section that holds an end portion of the second substrate on the other side in the main scanning direction and is rotatably provided; a driven roller that is rotatably supported by the first shaft and the second shaft of the rotation support member and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first shaft and the second shaft; a transmission roller that rotates the first holding portion in conjunction with the rotation of the driven roller.

2. The holding unit according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission roller is provided at a position where it contacts the driven roller.

3. a support frame supporting the driven roller, the transmission roller, and the first holding portion; a guide member held by the support frame and extending in the main scanning direction; a first movable body that is movable in the main scanning direction along the guide member, The holding unit according to claim 1 , wherein the second holding portion is rotatably provided on the first moving body.

4. The holding unit according to claim 3 , further comprising a fixing member for fixing the first moving body to the guide member.

5. the first holding portion has a first head portion that contacts one end of the second substrate in the main scanning direction, and a first shaft portion that is connected to the first head portion and rotates together with the transmission roller, The holding unit according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the second holding portion has a second head portion that contacts the other end of the second substrate in the main scanning direction, and a second shaft portion that is connected to the second head portion and rotatably supported by the first movable body.

6. an insertion hole extending in the main scanning direction and into which the second holding portion is inserted is formed in the first movable body; The holding unit according to claim 3 , wherein the second holding portion is provided so as to be capable of changing a protruding length in the main scanning direction from the first moving body.

7. the guide member includes a first guide shaft extending in the main scanning direction, and a second guide shaft extending in the main scanning direction and disposed a predetermined distance away from the first guide shaft in the sub-scanning direction, The holding unit according to claim 3 , wherein the first movable body has a first groove that engages with the first guide shaft and a second groove that engages with the second guide shaft.

8. The holding unit is configured to rotatably hold a plurality of the second substrates; The second printing material is held by the first holding portion and the second holding portion, The holding unit includes: a third holding section that holds one end of the second printing material in the main scanning direction and is rotatably provided on the first moving body; a second movable body provided to be movable in the main scanning direction along the guide member; a fourth holding portion that holds an end portion of the other of the second substrates in the main scanning direction and is rotatably provided on the second moving body; The holding unit according to claim 3 , wherein the third holding portion is configured to rotate in conjunction with rotation of the second holding portion.

9. The holding unit according to claim 8 , wherein the first moving body has a bearing that connects the second holding portion and the third holding portion.

10. a table unit having a table on which the rotation support member is placed and movable in the sub-scanning direction; The holding unit according to claim 1 , wherein the table unit is configured so that the table can be moved in a vertical direction.

11. The rotation support member is A plurality of first support rollers provided on the first shaft and rotatably supporting the first substrate; The holding unit according to claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of second support rollers provided on the second shaft and configured to rotatably support the first substrate.

Images