Printer

Abstract

To detect a regulation member without processing a discrimination pattern on a surface of the regulation member.SOLUTION: A printer comprises: a fulcrum with a supporting surface that supports a recording medium; an ink head disposed above the supporting surface, which discharges ink downward; a conveying device that conveys the recording medium supported by the supporting surface in a predetermined conveying direction X; a regulation member 72A disposed above the supporting surface, which regulates that the recording medium is lifted from the supporting surface when conveyed by the conveying device; and a sensor disposed above the regulation member 72A, which can detect a first color. The regulation member 72A comprises a first through hole 72H1 penetrating in a vertical direction, and at least a portion R1 around the first through hole 72H1 is configured to have the first color.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, printers have been known that include a platen on which a recording medium is placed, an ink head that ejects ink onto the recording medium placed on the platen, and a conveying device that conveys the recording medium. Some of these printers include a member that suppresses lifting of both ends in the width direction of the recording medium being conveyed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a recording device that includes a medium pressing member that can adjust the position in the width direction according to the width of the recording medium. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-78967 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to Patent Document 1, the position of the medium pressing member can be adjusted by visually checking the edge of the recording medium through multiple holes provided in the medium pressing member. However, it is actually performed to check whether a member that suppresses the floating of the medium is at least attached using a sensor of the printer. For example, it is possible to determine whether the regulating member is attached by attaching a sticker with a pattern that can be identified by a sensor to the surface of the regulating member that regulates the floating of the medium, and detecting the presence of the sticker with a sensor. Since a high-performance sensor and advanced image analysis are required to identify the regulating member itself, the above-mentioned means are effective for easily detecting the regulating member.

[0005] However, if a sticker is affixed to the surface of the regulating member, when the sticker is turned over, problems may occur such as the turned over sticker coming into contact with the ink head passing above the regulating member. In addition, forming a pattern on the surface of the regulating member by means of painting or the like may have similar risks, and it is preferable to detect the regulating member without processing an identification pattern on the surface of the regulating member.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and its object is to provide a printer that is capable of detecting a regulating member that regulates the floating of a recording medium, and that is capable of detecting the regulating member without processing an identification pattern onto the surface of the regulating member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The printer disclosed herein includes a support table having a support surface for supporting a recording medium, an ink head disposed above the support surface and ejecting ink downward, a transport device for transporting the recording medium supported on the support surface in a predetermined transport direction, a regulating member disposed above the support surface and regulating the recording medium from floating up from the support surface when transported by the transport device, and a sensor disposed above the regulating member and capable of detecting a first color. The regulating member has a first through hole penetrating in the vertical direction, and at least a portion of the periphery of the first through hole is configured to be the first color.

[0008] According to the printer, the sensor capable of detecting the first color can detect the boundary between the first through hole and the surrounding area of ​​the first through hole configured in the first color. Therefore, the first through hole and its surrounding area can function as an identification pattern to be identified by the sensor. Therefore, according to the printer, the regulating member can be detected without processing an identification pattern on the surface of the regulating member. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a printer according to an embodiment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a front view of the ink head unit and the cutting head unit. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a front view of the ink head unit and the cutting head unit. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the printer. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the structure around the platen. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the structure around the platen. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a part of the structure around the platen. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the upper and lower plates. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] [Printer configuration] An inkjet printer 100 with a cutting head (hereinafter, referred to as printer 100) according to one embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 100 according to this embodiment is a so-called print & cut machine capable of printing and cutting a recording medium 5. It should be noted that the embodiment described here is 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] In the following description, left, right, top, and bottom refer to the left, right, top, and bottom as seen from a user in front of the printer 100. The side of the printer 100 approaching the user is the front, and the side moving away from the user is the rear. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. The symbol Y in the drawings represents the main scanning direction. In this embodiment, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. The symbol X in the drawings represents the sub-scanning direction. The sub-scanning direction X is a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction Y. In this embodiment, the sub-scanning direction X is the front-rear direction. In addition, the rear corresponds to the upstream side of the sub-scanning direction X, and the front corresponds to the downstream side of the sub-scanning direction X. The main scanning direction Y, the sub-scanning direction X, and the up-down direction are perpendicular to each other. However, the above directions are merely defined for convenience and should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner.

[0012] The recording medium 5 is, for example, formed in a long length and wound in a roll for use. The recording medium 5 may be a sheet-like one obtained by cutting a roll into a predetermined length. The recording medium 5 is, for example, a recording paper. However, the recording medium 5 is not limited to a recording paper. For example, the recording medium 5 includes a sheet formed from a resin material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyester, a seal material formed from a mount and a release paper laminated on the mount and coated with an adhesive, and the like. The recording medium 5 of this embodiment is, for example, a polyvinyl chloride sheet material. The polyvinyl chloride sheet material is, for example, composed of a mount (substrate) formed from plain paper, a release paper formed from polyvinyl chloride, and an adhesive disposed between the mount and the release paper. The ink ejected from the ink head 22 (see FIG. 2A) is fixed on the release paper. The materials of the mount and the release paper are not limited to those mentioned above, but the substrate and the release paper are typically formed from different materials. In this specification, "cutting" and "cutting" include cutting the entire thickness of the recording medium 5 (for example, cutting both the backing paper and release paper of the sealing material) and cutting only a portion of the thickness of the recording medium 5 (for example, cutting only the release paper without cutting the backing paper of the sealing material).

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, the printer 100 includes a base member 12, legs 11, a platen 16 (see also Fig. 4) that supports a recording medium 5, an ink head unit 20, a cutting head unit 30, a carriage movement device 40, a medium transport device 55, and a control device 90. The legs 11 support the base member 12 and are provided on the lower surface of the base member 12. The base member 12 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The base member 12 is provided with a casing 12a that extends in the main scanning direction Y.

[0014] The platen 16 is an example of a support table that supports the recording medium 5. The platen 16 supports the recording medium 5 when printing on the recording medium 5 and cutting the recording medium 5. The recording medium 5 is placed on the platen 16. As shown in FIG. 4, the platen 16 has a support surface 16P that supports the recording medium 5. The support surface 16P is formed flat. Printing on the recording medium 5 and cutting of the recording medium 5 are performed on the platen 16. The platen 16 extends in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. The length of the platen 16 in the main scanning direction Y is longer than the length of the platen 16 in the sub-scanning direction X. The platen 16 is provided on the base member 12 (see FIG. 1). The platen 16 is provided in the center of the base member 12.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 6, the platen 16 is formed with a first guide groove 16A into which a part of a holding member 76 (here, a protrusion 76C described later) described later is fitted. The first guide groove 16A is located below the support surface 16P. The first guide groove 16A is formed in the lower surface of the front end portion of the platen 16. The first guide groove 16A is recessed upward. The first guide groove 16A extends in the main scanning direction Y. The first guide groove 16A is formed over the entire platen 16 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 6, the platen 16 is formed with a second guide groove 16B into which a part of the upper plate 72 (here, the locking portion 74 described later) is fitted. The second guide groove 16B is formed in the support surface 16P. The second guide groove 16B is recessed downward from the support surface 16P. The second guide groove 16B extends in the primary scanning direction Y. The second guide groove 16B is formed over the entire platen 16 in the primary scanning direction Y. The second guide groove 16B is located behind the first guide groove 16A. The second guide groove 16B is located in front of a grit roller 57 described later. The second guide groove 16B is formed with a locking protrusion 16E into which a part of the upper plate 72 (here, the locking portion 74) is locked. The locking protrusion 16E extends backward. The locking protrusion 16E extends in the primary scanning direction Y. The locking protrusion 16E is located below the support surface 16P. The locking projection 16E is formed over the entirety of the platen 16 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 6, the printer 100 includes a guide member 19. The guide member 19 is disposed in front of the platen 16. The guide member 19 is supported by the base member 12 (see FIG. 1). The guide member 19 guides the recording medium 5 conveyed from the platen 16 when the recording medium 5 moves from the upstream side to the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction X. An upper surface 19A of the guide member 19 is inclined obliquely downward from the rear to the front. The upper surface 19A is formed in a substantially arc shape when viewed from the main scanning direction Y. The upper surface 19A of the guide member 19 is positioned below the support surface 16P.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 100 includes a central wall 14 that extends in the main scanning direction Y and in the up-down direction. The central wall 14 is supported by a base member 12. The central wall 14 is disposed above a platen 16. A gap is formed between the central wall 14 and the platen 16, allowing the recording medium 5 to pass through. The printer 100 includes a guide rail 15. The guide rail 15 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The guide rail 15 is provided on the central wall 14. The guide rail 15 is disposed above the platen 16.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2A, the ink head unit 20 includes a first carriage 21 and a plurality of ink heads 22. The first carriage 21 is engaged with the guide rail 15. The first carriage 21 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 15. The ink heads 22 are mounted on the first carriage 21. The ink heads 22 are configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y with the movement of the first carriage 21. Here, five ink heads 22 are mounted on the first carriage 21. However, the number of ink heads 22 is not limited to five. The ink heads 22 are provided above the support surface 16P and eject ink downward. The ink heads 22 have nozzles (not shown) that eject ink onto the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 16. The ink heads 22 print a predetermined image onto the recording medium 5.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2A, the cutting head unit 30 includes a second carriage 31 and a cutting head 38. The cutting head 38 includes a solenoid 32 and a cutter 33. The second carriage 31 is engaged with the guide rail 15. The second carriage 31 is disposed to the side (here, to the left) of the first carriage 21 with respect to the main scanning direction Y. The second carriage 31 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 15. The cutting head 38 is mounted on the second carriage 31. The cutter 33 cuts the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 16. The solenoid 32 is controlled by a control device 90 (see FIG. 1). When the solenoid 32 is turned ON / OFF, the cutter 33 moves in the vertical direction to come into contact with the recording medium 5 or move away from the recording medium 5. The cutter 33 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y in accordance with the movement of the second carriage 31.

[0021] The second carriage 31 is equipped with a sensor 95. The sensor 95 is a sensor capable of distinguishing colors that differ in brightness to a certain degree or more. The sensor 95 is, for example, a camera. The sensor 95 is provided above a regulating plate 72A of the suppressing member 70, which will be described later. The sensor 95 is configured to detect at least black and white and to distinguish between black and white. Black is an example of a first color, and white is an example of a second color, but the first color and the second color are not limited as long as they are colors that can be distinguished by a known sensor. The performance, type, etc. of the sensor 95 are also not limited as long as they can distinguish between at least the first color and the second color. The sensor 95 is a sensor that detects whether the suppressing member 70 is attached to the printer 100. The sensor 95 is also a sensor that detects crop marks (not shown) that are printed on the recording medium 5 during printing and serve as a reference for the position during cutting.

[0022] The carriage moving device 40 is a mechanism for moving the first carriage 21 of the ink head unit 20 and the second carriage 31 of the cutting head unit 30 in the main scanning direction Y relative to the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 16. The carriage moving device 40 moves the first carriage 21 and the second carriage 31 in the main scanning direction Y. The carriage moving device 40 is also a sensor moving device for moving the sensor 95 in the main scanning direction Y. The configuration of the carriage moving device 40 is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 1, the carriage moving device 40 includes a first pulley 41, a second pulley 42, an endless belt 43, and a carriage motor 44. The first pulley 41 is provided on the left end side of the guide rail 15. The second pulley 42 is provided on the right end side of the guide rail 15. The belt 43 is wound around the first pulley 41 and the second pulley 42. The belt 43 is fixed to the upper part of the back surface of the second carriage 31 (see FIG. 2A). The second pulley 42 is connected to a carriage motor 44. However, the carriage motor 44 may be connected to the first pulley 41. Here, the carriage motor 44 is driven to rotate the second pulley 42, and the belt 43 runs between the first pulley 41 and the second pulley 42. As a result, the second carriage 31 moves in the main scanning direction Y. That is, the carriage motor 44 moves the second carriage 31 in the main scanning direction Y. As will be described later, the first carriage 21 moves in the main scanning direction Y in conjunction with the movement of the second carriage 31. The carriage motor 44 indirectly moves the first carriage 21 in the main scanning direction Y via the second carriage 31. The carriage motor 44 is controlled by a control device 90 (see FIG. 1).

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2A, a first connecting member 24 made of a magnet is provided on the left side of the first carriage 21. A second connecting member 34 made of a magnet is fixed on the right side of the second carriage 31. The first connecting member 24 is detachably connected to the second connecting member 34. In this embodiment, the first connecting member 24 and the second connecting member 34 utilize magnetic force. However, the first connecting member 24 and the second connecting member 34 are not limited to those that utilize magnetic force, and may have other configurations such as an engagement member. A first receiving bracket 25 formed in an L-shape is provided on the right side of the first carriage 21.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 2A, a left side frame 7L and a right side frame 7R are disposed on the left and right sides of the platen 16, respectively. A locking device 35 for locking the ink head unit 20 in a standby position is provided on the right side frame 7R. The locking device 35 includes a second receiving metal fitting 36 that is hooked onto the first receiving metal fitting 25, and a locking solenoid 37 (see Fig. 3) that moves the second receiving metal fitting 36 between a locked position (see Fig. 2B) and an unlocked position (see Fig. 2A). The locking solenoid 37 is controlled by a control device 90.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2A, when a predetermined image is printed on the recording medium 5 by the ink head 22, the second receiving metal fitting 36 is set to the unlocked position. When the second carriage 31 of the cutting head unit 30 moves to the right and the second connecting member 34 comes into contact with the first connecting member 24, the second carriage 31 and the first carriage 21 are connected. As a result, the ink head unit 20 can move in the main scanning direction Y together with the cutting head unit 30. That is, the carriage motor 44 is driven to move the first carriage 21 and the second carriage 31 in the main scanning direction Y. On the other hand, when the recording medium 5 is cut by the cutter 33, the ink head unit 20 is positioned at the standby position and the second receiving metal fitting 36 of the locking device 35 is set to the locked position as shown in FIG. 2B. This prevents the ink head unit 20 from moving in the main scanning direction Y. When the second carriage 31 moves to the left, the second connecting member 34 and the first connecting member 24 move away from each other, and the connection between the second carriage 31 and the first carriage 21 is released. As a result, with the ink head unit 20 waiting in the waiting position, only the cutting head unit 30 can move in the main scanning direction Y. That is, when the carriage motor 44 is driven, only the second carriage 31 moves in the main scanning direction Y.

[0026] The medium transport device 55 transports the recording medium 5 supported on the support surface 16P of the platen 16 in a sub-scanning direction X. The sub-scanning direction X is the transport direction of the recording medium 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the medium transport device 55 includes a plurality of grit rollers 57, a feed motor 58 (see FIG. 3), a plurality of pinch roller units 60, a holding shaft 45, and a lever 46.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4, the grit roller 57 is provided on the platen 16. The grit roller 57 is embedded in the platen 16 so that the top of the grit roller 57 is exposed to the outside. In this embodiment, the printer 100 has eight grit rollers 57. The number of the grit rollers 57 is not limited to eight. The grit rollers 57 are arranged in parallel in the main scanning direction Y. The grit roller 57 sandwiches the recording medium 5 between itself and a pinch roller 62 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later. The feed motor 58 (see FIG. 3) is connected to the grit roller 57. The feed motor 58 is controlled by the control device 90 (see FIG. 1). When the feed motor 58 is driven to rotate the grit roller 57 while the recording medium 5 is sandwiched between the grit roller 57 and the pinch roller 62, the recording medium 5 is transported in the sub-scanning direction X. In this embodiment, the recording medium 5 is sandwiched between the grit roller 57 and the pinch roller 62 and moves from the upstream side to the downstream side or from the downstream side to the upstream side.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 6, the pinch roller unit 60 includes a pinch roller 62 and a support member 64. The pinch roller unit 60 is disposed above the platen 16. The pinch roller 62 presses the recording medium 5 from above. The pinch roller 62 is configured to be disposed above the grit roller 57 so as to face the grit roller 57 in the vertical direction. The support member 64 rotatably supports the pinch roller 62. The support member 64 supports the pinch roller 62 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The support member 64 is rotatably supported by a holding shaft 45 (see FIG. 1) extending in the main scanning direction Y.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, the holding shaft 45 is disposed below the guide rail 15. The holding shaft 45 is disposed above the platen 16. The lever 46 is connected to the right end of the holding shaft 45. By pushing down the lever 46, the holding shaft 45 rotates, and the pinch roller 62 can be moved closer to the grit roller 57. On the other hand, by pushing up the lever 46, the holding shaft 45 rotates, and the pinch roller 62 can be moved away from the grit roller 57.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, the printer 100 includes a suppressing member 70 that suppresses the floating of the recording medium 5. The suppressing member 70 suppresses the recording medium 5 supported by the platen 16 from floating up from the support surface 16P when the recording medium 5 is transported by the medium transport device 55. The suppressing member 70 includes a right suppressing member 70R that suppresses the floating of the right edge of the recording medium 5, and a left suppressing member 70L that suppresses the floating of the left edge of the recording medium 5. The right suppressing member 70R and the left suppressing member 70L have the same configuration except that they are line-symmetrical with respect to a straight line extending in the sub-scanning direction X in a plan view, so the right suppressing member 70R will be described below. The right suppressing member 70R is provided so as to be slidable relative to the platen 16. The right suppressing member 70R is supported by the platen 16 so as to be movable in the main scanning direction Y. The right suppressing member 70R is configured to be able to change its position relative to the platen 16 depending on the length (widthwise length) of the recording medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 5, a part of the right suppression member 70R is disposed above the recording medium 5. As shown in FIG.

[0031] 7, the right suppression member 70R includes an upper plate 72 that suppresses floating of the recording medium 5, a holding member 76 that holds the upper plate 72 on the platen 16, and a lower plate 85 provided on the rear surface of the upper plate 72. In this embodiment, the upper plate 72 and the holding member 76 are formed separately, but they may also be formed integrally.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 7, the upper plate 72 extends in the sub-scanning direction X. The upper plate 72 is formed, for example, from a metal material. The upper plate 72 is formed, for example, by bending a metal plate. The upper plate 72 includes a regulating plate 72A extending in the sub-scanning direction X and a side plate portion 72B extending downward from a front end of the regulating plate 72A. The regulating plate 72A is provided above the support surface 16P of the platen 16 and is an example of a regulating member that regulates the lifting of the recording medium 5 conveyed by the medium conveying device 55. However, the regulating member that regulates the lifting of the recording medium 5 is not limited to the flat plate-shaped regulating plate 72A. The regulating plate 72A extends in the sub-scanning direction X. Here, the upper plate 72 is painted black. However, it is sufficient that at least a part of the regulating plate 72A of the upper plate 72 is painted black. The paint range will be described later. The regulating plate 72A includes a left side portion 72AL that is spaced apart from the support surface 16P, and a right side portion 72AR that is provided with a lower plate 85 and placed on the support surface 16P of the platen 16 via the lower plate 85. The left side portion 72AL does not contact the support surface 16P. In other words, a gap is formed between the left side portion 72AL and the support surface 16P, allowing the recording medium 5 to pass through.

[0033] A locking portion 74 is formed at the rear end of the regulating plate 72A to be locked in the second guide groove 16B (see FIG. 6) formed in the platen 16. The locking portion 74 is locked to a locking projection 16E (see FIG. 6) of the second guide groove 16B. The locking portion 74 is formed, for example, by bending. The front end of the regulating plate 72A is connected to the side plate portion 72B. A part of the side plate portion 72B is located below the support surface 16P. The side plate portion 72B includes a first portion 72BL extending in the vertical direction, a second portion 72BM extending rearward from a lower end of the first portion 72BL, and a third portion 72BN extending upward from a rear end of the second portion 72BM. The first portion 72BL, the second portion 72BM, and the third portion 72BN form a recessed portion 72BD (see also FIG. 8) in which the holding member 76 is locked. In this embodiment, an arm portion 76B (described later) of the holding member 76 is held in the recess 72BD.

[0034] The lower plate 85 is provided below the regulating plate 72A of the upper plate 72. The lower plate 85 is configured in a flat plate shape and is provided on the back surface of the right side portion 72AR of the regulating plate 72A. The lower plate 85 is in surface contact with the support surface 16P. Therefore, the recording medium 5 cannot pass between the lower plate 85 and the support surface 16P. The thickness of the lower plate 85 is thicker than the thickness of the recording medium 5. Here, the lower plate 85 is formed of an unpainted stainless steel plate.

[0035] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the right-side suppression member 70R. As shown in FIG. 10, the right side portion 72AR of the regulating plate 72A has a first through hole 72H1 and a second through hole 72H2 that penetrate in the up-down direction. The first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 are both configured to have a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 are arranged side by side in the primary scanning direction Y. Here, the second through hole 72H2 is arranged to the right of the first through hole 72H1. The first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 each have a pair of outlines (hereinafter, the pair of outlines of the first through hole 72H1 is represented by the symbols L1L and L1R, and the pair of outlines of the second through hole 72H2 is represented by the symbols L2L and L2R) that extend in the secondary scanning direction X perpendicular to the primary scanning direction Y. The first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 each having a rectangular shape also have a pair of outlines extending in the primary scanning direction Y.

[0036] The first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 are both provided above the lower plate 85. The first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 are both overlapped with a part of the lower plate 85 when viewed from above. The entire upper surface of the regulating plate 72A including the periphery of the first through hole 72H1 and the periphery of the second through hole 72H2 is painted black. Hereinafter, the area of ​​the regulating plate 72A that is configured in black is also referred to as the black area R1, but in this embodiment, the black area R1 is the entire upper surface of the regulating plate 72A. However, it is sufficient that the black area R1 is at least present on the sensing line LS (described later) of the sensor 95 among the periphery of the first through hole 72H1 and the periphery of the second through hole 72H2. The black region R1 may be divided into a region surrounding the first through hole 72H1 and a region surrounding the second through hole 72H2, and each of the regions surrounding the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 may be divided into a plurality of regions. As described above, the black region R1 is colored black by painting here. However, the method of coloring the black region R1 black is not limited to painting.

[0037] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the lower plate 85. The lower plate 85 has a white region R2 formed in white. The white region R2 is formed at least in the region 85B1 overlapping the first through hole 72H1 and the region 85B2 overlapping the second through hole 72H2 when viewed from above in the lower plate 85. The region 85B1 and the region 85B2 are visible from above through the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2, respectively. As shown in FIG. 11, the white region R2 is formed as one rectangular region including the region 85B1 and the region 85B2. However, the white region R2 may be formed by a region of any shape including the region 85B1 and a region of any shape including the region 85B2. In this embodiment, the white region R2 is formed in white by attaching a white sticker 86 to the lower plate 85. However, the method of forming the white region R2 in white is not limited, and may be, for example, painting. Alternatively, the lower plate 85 may be made of a white material (for example, white resin) so that the color of the white region R2 is white.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 11, a double-sided tape 87 is attached to a part of the lower plate 85 outside the white region R2. The upper plate 72 and the lower plate 85 are attached to each other by the double-sided tape 87. The seal 86 is thinner in the vertical direction than the double-sided tape 87. By joining the upper plate 72 and the lower plate 85 so that the white region R2 is located below the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2, a pattern P1 is formed in which two rectangular white regions R2 are arranged inside the black region R1, as shown in FIG. 10. The method of joining the upper plate 72 and the lower plate 85 is not limited to joining by the double-sided tape 87, as long as it does not affect the plate thickness of the suppression member 70. The method of joining the upper plate 72 and the lower plate 85 may be joining by, for example, adhesive, magnetic force, or the like.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 6, the holding member 76 is located at the front end of the upper plate 72. The holding member 76 is located below the support surface 16P of the platen 16. The holding member 76 is held between the platen 16 and the side plate portion 72B of the upper plate 72. The holding member 76 holds the front end of the regulating plate 72A of the upper plate 72 on the platen 16. The holding member 76 is formed of, for example, a resin material. As shown in FIG. 9, the holding member 76 includes a holding portion 76A extending in the main scanning direction Y, an arm portion 76B extending obliquely downward from the left end of the holding portion 76A toward the right, and a protruding portion 76C extending upward from the holding portion 76A. The holding portion 76A is held by the platen 16. The holding portion 76A holds the upper plate 72. The holding portion 76A has a cutout portion 76AL formed therein to hold the upper plate 72. The notch 76AL is formed on the right side of the holding portion 76A. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the holding portion 76A holds the side plate portion 72B of the upper plate 72. More specifically, the holding portion 76A holds the first portion 72BL of the side plate portion 72B. As shown in FIG. 9, the arm portion 76B extends so that the distance (here, the vertical distance) between the holding portion 76A and the holding portion 76A gradually increases as it moves rightward from the left end to the right end of the holding portion 76A. The arm portion 76B is configured to be elastically deformable in the vertical direction relative to the holding portion 76A. The arm portion 76B biases the side plate portion 72B of the upper plate 72. The arm portion 76B is held by the side plate portion 72B. In this embodiment, the arm portion 76B held by the recess 72BD biases the side plate portion 72B downward, thereby biasing the regulating plate 72A downward toward the platen 16. As shown in Fig. 9, the protrusion 76C is provided at the rear of the holding portion 76A. The protrusion 76C extends in the primary scanning direction Y. As shown in Fig. 6, the protrusion 76C is fitted into the first guide groove 16A of the platen 16. The protrusion 76C is guided by the first guide groove 16A. The holding member 76 is configured to be movable in the primary scanning direction Y along the first guide groove 16A.

[0040] When the suppression member 70 is attached to the platen 16, the arm portion 76B of the holding member 76 urges the side plate portion 72B of the upper plate 72 downward. As a result, the regulating plate 72A connected to the side plate portion 72B is urged downward toward the platen 16. At this time, the lower plate 85 provided on the back surface of the right side portion 72AR of the regulating plate 72A contacts the support surface 16P of the platen 16, but the left side portion 72AL (see FIG. 7) of the regulating plate 72A does not contact the support surface 16P, so that the recording medium 5 can pass between the left side portion 72AL and the support surface 16P. The left side portion 72AL of the regulating plate 72A is disposed above the recording medium 5 so as to cover the right end portion of the recording medium 5, and suppresses the recording medium 5 from floating up.

[0041] When changing the position of the suppression member 70, the user lifts the second inclined portion 73F of the regulating plate 72A. Since the arm portion 76B of the holding member 76 elastically deforms upward, the lower plate 85 moves away from the support surface 16P of the platen 16. When the lower plate 85 is appropriately separated from the support surface 16P, the position of the suppression member 70 can be changed. At this time, the upper plate 72, the lower plate 85, and the holding member 76 move together. Then, after moving the upper plate 72 to a desired position on the platen 16, the regulating plate 72A is lowered, so that the arm portion 76B urges the side plate portion 72B of the upper plate 72 downward. As a result, the regulating plate 72A is urged toward the platen 16, and the lower plate 85 comes into contact with the support surface 16P. This fixes the suppression member 70 to the platen 16.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 90 is connected to the ink head 22, the solenoid 32 of the cutting head unit 30, the locking solenoid 37, the carriage motor 44, and the feed motor 58, and controls the operations of these devices. The control device 90 is also connected to a sensor 95, and receives data from the sensor 95. The configuration of the control device 90 is not particularly limited. The control device 90 is, for example, a microcomputer. The hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited, but it may include, for example, an interface (I / F) that receives print data and the like from an external device such as a host computer, a central processing unit (CPU) that executes instructions of a control program, a read only memory (ROM) that stores the program executed by the CPU, a random access memory (RAM) used as a working area for expanding the program, and a storage device such as a memory that stores the above program and various data.

[0043] The control device 90 includes a determination unit 91 that determines whether the suppression member 70 is attached to the platen 16, and a warning unit 92 that issues a warning when it is determined that the suppression member 70 is not attached to the platen 16. The control device 90 may include other control units, but illustration and description thereof are omitted here. The determination unit 91 includes a first processing unit 91A and a second processing unit 91B. The first processing unit 91A is configured to extract a pattern including the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 based on data obtained by the sensor 95 discriminating between black and white. The second processing unit 91B determines that the suppression member 70 is attached when the pattern extracted by the first processing unit 91A matches a previously registered pattern. In this embodiment, the first processing unit 91A calculates the width W1 of the first through hole 72H1, the width W2 of the second through hole 72H2, and the distance D1 between the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 in the main scanning direction Y (see FIG. 10 for all of them) based on the data obtained by the sensor 95 discriminating between black and white. The second processing unit 91B determines that the suppressing member 70 is attached when the width W1 of the first through hole 72H1, the width W2 of the second through hole 72H2, and the distance D1 between the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 calculated by the first processing unit 91A all match the preregistered lengths. The warning unit 92 issues a warning when the determining unit 91 determines that the suppressing member 70 is not attached to the platen 16, but the warning method is not particularly limited. The warning method may be, for example, a warning text display on a screen or a buzzer.

[0044] [Detection of restraining members] The process of detecting the presence or absence of the right-side suppression member 70R will be described below. In this embodiment, the position of the right-side suppression member 70R in the main scanning direction Y can change depending on the width of the recording medium 5. Therefore, the printer 100 does not go as far as measuring the position of the right-side suppression member 70R in the main scanning direction Y, but instead determines whether the right-side suppression member 70R is attached to the platen 16. The determination of the presence or absence of the left-side suppression member 70L is performed with the left and right reversed from that of the right-side suppression member 70R.

[0045] In this embodiment, the sensor 95 is mounted on the second carriage 31 and can be moved in the main scanning direction Y together with the second carriage 31. A line LS in FIG. 10 indicates a sensing line of the sensor 95. The sensing line LS is a set of points that are virtually set directly below the movement path of the sensor 95 and are detected by the sensor 95. The sensing line LS extends in the main scanning direction Y. The sensor 95 identifies the black area R1 and the white area R2 on the sensing line LS while moving in the main scanning direction Y. Here, the sensor 95 identifies the black area R1 and the white area R2 in the right part on the sensing line LS while moving from the center side to the right peripheral side of the platen 16. The first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 are arranged on the sensing line LS of the sensor 95. The sensor 95 detects the pattern P1 formed on the regulating plate 72A of the right suppression member 70R by the black area R1 and the two rectangular white areas R2.

[0046] In detecting the pattern P1, first, the outer outline L1L of the first through hole 72H1 on the left side is specified based on the detection data of the sensor 95. At the left boundary of the first through hole 72H1, the black area R1 switches to the white area R2, so it is possible to specify the outer outline L1L of the left side of the first through hole 72H1. Next, while the sensor 95 continues to move rightward, the width W1 of the first through hole 72H1 in the main scanning direction Y is calculated. The calculation of the width W1 of the first through hole 72H1 in the main scanning direction Y is performed by specifying the outer outline L1R of the right side of the first through hole 72H1 based on the detection data of the sensor 95. At the right boundary of the first through hole 72H1, the white area R2 switches to the black area R1, so it is possible to specify the outer outline L1R of the right side of the first through hole 72H1.

[0047] Next, while the sensor 95 continues to move rightward, a distance D1 between the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 in the main scanning direction Y is calculated. The method of calculating the distance D1 is similar to the method of calculating the width W1 of the first through hole 72H1 in the main scanning direction Y. Furthermore, while the sensor 95 continues to move rightward, a width W2 of the second through hole 72H2 in the main scanning direction Y is calculated. The method of calculating the width W2 is also similar to the method of calculating the width W1 of the first through hole 72H1 in the main scanning direction Y, etc.

[0048] In this embodiment, a pattern in which the width of the first through hole 72H1, the width of the second through hole 72H2, and the distance between the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 are each a predetermined length (specifically, W1, W2, and D1, respectively) is registered in the printer 100, and the pattern P1 matches this pattern. When the pattern P1 that matches the registered pattern is extracted based on detection by the sensor 95, the printer 100 determines that the right-side suppressing member 70R is attached to the platen 16. The same applies to the left-side suppressing member 70L.

[0049] [Effects of the embodiment] The effects of this embodiment will be described below. In this embodiment, the suppressing member 70 includes a restricting plate 72A provided above the support surface 16P of the platen 16, and a lower plate 85 provided below the restricting plate 72A. The restricting plate 72A includes a first through hole 72H1 penetrating in the vertical direction, and an area including the periphery of the first through hole 72H1 (here, the entire upper surface of the restricting plate 72A) is configured as a black area R1. A part of the lower plate 85 overlaps with the first through hole 72H1. The area 85B1 overlapping with the first through hole 72H1 is configured in white and constitutes a part of the white area R2. With this configuration, the black area R1 and the area 85B1 that is a part of the white area R2 visible through the first through hole 72H1 can form a pattern P1 including black and white that can be identified by the sensor 95. This allows the suppressing member 70 to be detected.

[0050] Moreover, according to this configuration, the white region R2 is provided on the lower plate 85 provided below the regulating plate 72A, and is not formed on the regulating plate 72A as the surface of the suppressing member 70. For example, if a white region is formed by sticking a sticker on the surface of the suppressing member, when the sticker is turned over, there is a risk of a problem such as the turned over sticker coming into contact with the ink head passing above the suppressing member. In addition, there is a similar risk when a pattern is formed on the surface of the suppressing member by means of painting, for example. Therefore, it is preferable to be able to detect the suppressing member without processing an identification pattern on the surface of the suppressing member. In this embodiment, the above configuration makes it possible to detect the suppressing member 70 without processing an identification pattern on the surface of the suppressing member 70.

[0051] The sensor 95 is provided above the regulating plate 72A and may be configured to distinguish at least the first color and the second color, but in this embodiment, the first color is black and the second color is white. Since white and black are a color combination that can be easily distinguished even by an inexpensive sensor and simple image processing, the combination of the first color and the second color can reduce the cost of the sensor 95 and the load of image processing in the printer 100. As described above, the first color does not have to be black, and the second color does not have to be white. For example, even if the second color is yellow, it is as easy to extract the pattern P1 as if it were white. Also, contrary to this embodiment, the first color may be white and the second color may be black.

[0052] In this embodiment, the regulating plate 72A further includes a second through hole 72H2 that penetrates in the vertical direction and overlaps with another region 85B2 in the white region R2 of the lower plate 85 when viewed from above. The printer 100 determines that the suppressing member 70 is attached when a pattern P1 including the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 extracted based on the data of the sensor 95 matches a preregistered pattern. This configuration reduces the risk of erroneously determining whether or not the suppressing member 70 is attached. In the case where only the first through hole 72H1 is present (when there is only one through hole), only a pattern having one white region R2 can be formed by the black region R1 and the first through hole 72H1. Therefore, for example, if a user or the like attaches a white sticker to the sensing region of the sensor 95, the possibility of erroneously determining that the suppressing member 70 is attached increases even when the suppressing member 70 is not attached. However, by providing the second through hole 72H2 in addition to the first through hole 72H1, the possibility of accidentally detecting a pattern similar to the registered pattern as described above is greatly reduced, and therefore the risk of erroneously determining the presence or absence of the suppression member 70 can be reduced.

[0053] More specifically, the printer 100 according to the present embodiment is configured to determine that the suppression member 70 is attached when the width W1 of the first through hole 72H1, the width W2 of the second through hole 72H2, and the distance D1 between the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 calculated in the main scanning direction Y all match the previously registered lengths. With this configuration, it is possible to greatly reduce the possibility that a pattern similar to a registered pattern is accidentally detected, and since only one-dimensional data related to the length in the main scanning direction Y is processed, the load of image processing on the printer 100 can be reduced. In order to facilitate such image processing, in this embodiment, the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 each have a pair of external lines L1L, L1R and L2L, L2R extending in a direction (here, the sub-scanning direction X) perpendicular to the sensing direction of the sensor 95 (here, the main scanning direction Y), and both are arranged side by side in the sensing direction of the sensor 95 (the main scanning direction Y). According to such shapes and arrangements of the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2, it is possible to easily calculate the width W1 of the first through hole 72H1, the width W2 of the second through hole 72H2, and the distance D1 between the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2.

[0054] In this embodiment, the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 are configured to be rectangular, but the shapes of the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 are not limited, and may be, for example, circular or semicircular long holes at both front and rear ends. Other through holes may be formed in the regulating plate 72A. In this embodiment, the pattern P1 including the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2 is a one-dimensional pattern, but may be a two-dimensional pattern. The pattern P1 may be detected by a stationary sensor having a planar sensing range, rather than by the moving sensor 95. In such a case, for example, the sensing direction of the sensor 95 may be a direction other than the main scanning direction Y.

[0055] In this embodiment, the second color area (here, the white area R2) is formed by attaching a second color sticker 86 to the lower plate 85. With this configuration, the second color area can be easily formed. Since the outline of the second color area detected by the sensor 95 is determined by the first through hole 72H1 and the second through hole 72H2, the sticker 86 does not need to be attached with high accuracy. The sticker 86 is covered by the upper plate 72 except for the areas 85B1 and 85B2. Therefore, the sticker 86 is unlikely to be turned over due to an accident such as a user touching it. Even if the sticker 86 is turned over, the turned over sticker 86 is held down by the upper plate 72 and does not protrude above the surface of the suppression member 70. The second color may be the color of the material of the lower plate 85, for example, the silver color of stainless steel, as long as it can be distinguished from the first color by the sensor 95. The sticker 86 may be a color sheet attached by an adhesive or the like. The color sheet may not be entirely colored, but only the portions overlapping the first through-hole 72H1 and the second through-hole 72H2 may be colored in the second color.

[0056] In this embodiment, the suppression member 70 is supported by the platen 16 so as to be movable in the main scanning direction Y, and the printer 100 includes a carriage moving device 40 as a sensor moving device that moves the sensor 95 in the main scanning direction Y. With this configuration, the sensor 95 can be moved to a location where the pattern P1 on the suppression member 70 can be detected, in accordance with the position of the suppression member 70 in the main scanning direction Y. In particular, the sensor 95 is provided on the second carriage 31 that moves in the main scanning direction Y for the actual cutting operation. Therefore, there is no need to provide a special sensor moving device, and the configuration of the printer 100 can be simplified. Note that, when the width of the recording medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y is fixed, or when the difference in width in the main scanning direction Y due to the type of recording medium 5 is small, one or both of the pair of suppression members 70 may be configured to be immovable in the main scanning direction.

[0057] A preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the above-described embodiment is merely illustrative, and the present invention can be embodied in various other forms. For example, the object visible through the first through hole 72H1 or the second through hole 72H2 of the regulating plate 72A is not limited to the white region R2 formed in the lower plate 85. The object visible through the first through hole 72H1 or the second through hole 72H2 may be, for example, the support surface 16P of the platen 16. In this case, the first through hole 72H1 or the second through hole 72H2 is provided above the support surface 16P. In addition, the part of the support surface 16P that overlaps with the first through hole 72H1 or the second through hole 72H2 when viewed from above is configured to be a second color (for example, white). The lower plate 85 may not be present, and may be provided at a position that does not overlap with the first through hole 72H1 or the second through hole 72H2. With such a configuration, it is possible to detect whether the suppression member 70 is attached.

[0058] Alternatively, the object visible through the first through hole 72H1 or the second through hole 72H2 may be a color sheet attached to the lower surface of the regulating plate 72A, at least the portion overlapping the through hole (the first through hole 72H1 or the second through hole 72H2) being configured to be a second color (e.g., white). With such a configuration, it is also possible to detect whether the suppression member 70 is attached.

[0059] The sensor 95 only needs to be configured to be able to detect the first color, and does not need to be able to detect the second color seen through the first through hole 72H1 or the second through hole 72H2. The sensor 95 only needs to be able to distinguish the presence or absence of the first through hole 72H1 or the second through hole 72H2 by detecting that the portion of the first through hole 72H1 or the second through hole 72H2 is not configured to be the first color.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the right suppression member 70R and the left suppression member 70L are symmetrical with respect to a straight line extending in the sub-scanning direction X in a plan view, but this is not limited to this. The shapes of the pair of suppression members provided at both ends in the width direction of the recording medium may be different. Furthermore, the number of suppression members is not limited to one pair (two), and may be one, or three or more.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the printer 100 is equipped with the cutting head 38, but the printer may be a printer with only a printing function, without the cutting head 38. The printer is not limited to a shuttle head type printer in which the ink head moves in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium, but may be a line head type printer in which the ink head is fixed. The configuration of the printer to which the present invention is applied is not particularly limited. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 5 Recording media 16 Platen (support) 22 Ink head 38 Cutting Head 40 Carriage moving device (sensor moving device) 55 Media transport device (transport device) 70 Restraining member 70L Left side restraining member 70R Right side suppression member 72 Upper Plate 72A Restriction plate (restriction member) 72H1 1st through hole 72H2 2nd through hole 85 Lower plate (lower member) 86 Stickers (Color Sheets) 90 Control device 91 Judgment unit (judgment device) 91A First Processing Section 91B Second Processing Section 95 Sensors 100 Inkjet printer (printer) R1 black area R2 white area

Claims

1. a support table having a support surface for supporting a recording medium; an ink head disposed above the support surface and configured to eject ink downward; a conveying device that conveys the recording medium supported on the support surface in a predetermined conveying direction; a regulating member provided above the support surface and configured to regulate the recording medium from rising above the support surface when the recording medium is conveyed by the conveying device; A lower member provided below the restricting member; a sensor provided above the regulating member and capable of detecting a first color and a second color and distinguishing between the first color and the second color; the restricting member includes a first through hole penetrating in a vertical direction, and at least a part of a periphery of the first through hole is configured to be the first color; the lower member is at least partially overlapped with the first through hole when viewed from above, A portion of the lower member overlapping with the first through hole is configured to have the second color. Printer.

2. a portion of the lower member overlapping with the first through hole is configured to have the second color by attaching a color sheet of the second color to the lower member; The printer of claim 1 .

3. A support table having a support surface for supporting a recording medium; an ink head disposed above the support surface and configured to eject ink downward; a conveying device that conveys the recording medium supported on the support surface in a predetermined conveying direction; a regulating member provided above the support surface and configured to regulate the recording medium from rising above the support surface when the recording medium is conveyed by the conveying device; A color sheet attached to the lower surface of the regulating member; a sensor provided above the regulating member and capable of detecting a first color and a second color and distinguishing between the first color and the second color; the restricting member includes a first through hole penetrating in a vertical direction, and at least a part of a periphery of the first through hole is configured to be the first color; the color sheet is attached to the lower surface of the regulating member so that a portion of the color sheet overlaps the first through hole, and at least the portion of the color sheet overlapping the first through hole is configured to be the second color. Printer.

4. A support table having a support surface for supporting a recording medium; an ink head disposed above the support surface and configured to eject ink downward; a conveying device that conveys the recording medium supported on the support surface in a predetermined conveying direction; a regulating member provided above the support surface and configured to regulate the recording medium from rising above the support surface when the recording medium is conveyed by the conveying device; a sensor provided above the regulating member and capable of detecting a first color and a second color and distinguishing between the first color and the second color; the restricting member includes a first through hole penetrating in a vertical direction, and at least a part of a periphery of the first through hole is configured to be the first color; The first through hole is provided above the support surface, A portion of the support surface overlapping with the first through hole when viewed from above is configured to be the second color. Printer.

5. one of the first color and the second color is black and the other is white; The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A determination device connected to the sensor is further provided, the restricting member further includes a second through hole penetrating in a vertical direction, and at least a part of a periphery of the second through hole is also configured in the first color; The determination device includes: a first processing unit that extracts a pattern including the first through hole and the second through hole based on data of the first color detected by the sensor; and a second processing unit that determines that the restricting member is attached when the pattern extracted by the first processing unit matches a preregistered pattern. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. the first processing unit calculates a width of the first through hole, a width of the second through hole, and a distance between the first through hole and the second through hole in a predetermined width direction based on data of the first color detected by the sensor; the second processing unit is configured to determine that the regulating member is attached when the width of the first through hole, the width of the second through hole, and the distance between the first through hole and the second through hole calculated by the first processing unit all match pre-registered lengths. The printer of claim 6.

8. The first through hole and the second through hole each have a pair of outlines extending in a direction perpendicular to the width direction, and are arranged side by side in the width direction. The printer of claim 7.

9. The regulating member is supported by the support base so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, a sensor moving device for moving the sensor in the orthogonal direction, The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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