Printing device and conveying device

Abstract

To provide a printer and a conveying device that reduce a loss of tension applied to a medium, which is caused by a frictional load at a bent portion of a medium, as compared with a conventional one.SOLUTION: A printer 1 includes a supply unit 5, a printing unit 6, a conveying unit 7, a tensioning unit 60, and a rotating body 75. The tensioning unit 60 is disposed higher than the supply unit 5, is supported so as to be swingable about an axis extending in an axial direction, on an upstream side from the conveying unit 7 in a conveying direction F, comes into contact with a second surface of a medium M, which is opposite a first surface thereof, to bend the medium M, thereby tensioning the medium M. The rotating body 75 is supported so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the axial direction, on an upstream side from the conveying unit 7 in the conveying direction F and on a downstream side from an upstream end of the tensioning unit 60 in the conveying direction F. In the rotating body 75, a nip point 89 at which the medium M is nipped by rollers 71, 72 and an upper end of the rotating body 75 are positioned at the same height, and the rotating body comes into contact with the second surface of the medium M.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing device and a conveying device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, the printing device described in Patent Document 1 includes a pair of a conveying roller and a counter roller, a first guide roller, a second guide roller, and a spring. The pair of the conveying roller and the counter roller presses with the medium interposed therebetween. The long medium is pulled out from the roll body and enters between the conveying roller and the counter roller. The first guide roller and the second guide roller are disposed between the roll body and the conveying roller. The second guide roller is an auxiliary rotating body and is disposed on the downstream side of the first guide roller in the conveying direction of the medium. The spring applies tension to the medium by pressing the second guide roller downward. The medium bends along the outer peripheral surface of the second guide roller and is applied with tension from the second guide roller.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above printing device, the tension applied to the medium from the second guide roller is lost due to the frictional load between the medium and the second guide roller. Thus, in the above printing device, there is a problem that the tension applied to the medium from the second guide roller deviates from the intended tension due to the frictional load at the bent portion of the medium.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a printing device and a conveying device that reduce the loss of tension applied to the medium due to the frictional load at the bent portion of the medium more than before.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The printing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a supply unit that supplies a long medium, a printing unit that is disposed above the supply unit and prints an image on a first surface of the medium fed out from the supply unit, a pair of rollers that rotate around an axis extending in the axial direction, and nip-convey the medium from the supply unit toward the printing unit in the conveyance direction by the pair of rollers, a conveyance unit provided upstream of the printing unit in the conveyance direction, a tension applying unit that is disposed above the supply unit and is swingably supported around an axis extending in the axial direction upstream of the conveyance unit in the conveyance direction, abuts against a second surface opposite to the first surface of the medium, bends the medium, and applies tension to the medium, and a rotating body that is rotatably supported around an axis extending in the axial direction downstream of the conveyance unit in the conveyance direction and downstream of the upstream end of the tension applying unit in the conveyance direction, wherein a nip point where the medium is sandwiched by the pair of rollers and an upper end of the rotating body are located at the same height, and the rotating body that abuts against the second surface of the medium are provided. The printing apparatus receives, by the rotating body, a part of a bent portion where the medium bends from the supply unit to the conveyance unit. Generally, rolling friction is smaller than sliding friction. Therefore, the printing apparatus can reduce, more than conventionally, the loss of tension applied to the medium due to the frictional load at the bent portion of the medium, as compared with the case where all of the bent portions of the medium are received by the tension applying unit.

[0007] The printing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention includes a supply unit that supplies a long medium, a printing unit that is disposed above the supply unit and prints an image on a first surface of the medium fed out from the supply unit, a pair of rollers that rotate around an axis extending in the axial direction, and nip-convey the medium from the supply unit toward the printing unit in a conveyance direction by the pair of rollers, a conveyance unit provided upstream of the printing unit in the conveyance direction, a tension applying unit that is disposed above the supply unit and is swingably supported around an axis extending in the axial direction upstream of the conveyance unit in the conveyance direction, abuts against a second surface opposite to the first surface of the medium, bends the medium, and applies tension to the medium, and a rotating body that is rotatably supported around an axis extending in the axial direction upstream of the conveyance unit in the conveyance direction and downstream of an end portion of the tension applying unit in the conveyance direction, abuts against the second surface of the medium, and disposes the medium in a horizontal region with respect to a nip point where the medium is sandwiched by the pair of rollers. The printing apparatus receives a part of a bent portion where the medium bends from the supply unit to the conveyance unit by the rotating body. Generally, rolling friction is smaller than sliding friction. Therefore, the printing apparatus can reduce the loss of tension applied to the medium due to the frictional load at the bent portion of the medium more than in the case where all of the bent portions of the medium are received by the tension applying unit.

[0008] The printing apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention includes a supply unit that supplies a long medium, a printing unit that is disposed above the supply unit and prints an image on a first surface of the medium fed from the supply unit, a pair of rollers that rotate around an axis extending in the axial direction, and nip-convey the medium from the supply unit toward the printing unit in the conveyance direction by the pair of rollers, a conveyance unit provided upstream of the printing unit in the conveyance direction, a tension applying unit that is disposed above the supply unit and is swingably supported around an axis extending in the axial direction upstream of the conveyance unit in the conveyance direction, abuts against a second surface opposite to the first surface of the medium, bends the medium, and applies tension to the medium, and a rotating body that is rotatably supported around an axis extending in the axial direction downstream of the conveyance unit in the conveyance direction and downstream of an end portion of the tension applying unit in the conveyance direction, wherein an upper end of the rotating body is located above a virtual line segment connecting a nip point where the medium is sandwiched by the pair of rollers and an upper end of the tension applying unit, and the rotating body abuts against the second surface of the medium. The printing apparatus receives a part of a bent portion where the medium bends from the supply unit to the conveyance unit with the rotating body. Generally, rolling friction is smaller than sliding friction. Therefore, the printing apparatus can reduce the loss of tension applied to the medium due to the frictional load at the bent portion of the medium more than in the case where all of the bent portions of the medium are received by the tension applying unit.

[0009] The conveying device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention includes a supply unit that supplies a long medium, a pair of rollers that rotate around an axis extending in the axial direction, and the medium is conveyed from the supply unit to the printing unit that prints an image on the medium by the pair of rollers. A conveying unit provided on the upstream side in the conveying direction, disposed above the supply unit, and swingably supported around an axis extending in the axial direction on the upstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the conveying unit, and printed by the printing unit. A tension applying unit that abuts against the second surface on the opposite side of the first surface of the medium to bend the medium and apply tension to the medium; and on the upstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the conveying unit, and on the downstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the upstream end in the conveying direction of the tension applying unit, a rotating body rotatably supported around an axis extending in the axial direction, wherein the nip point that sandwiches the medium with the pair of rollers and the upper end of the rotating body are located at the same height, and the rotating body that abuts against the second surface of the medium. The conveying device receives a part of the bent portion where the medium bends from the supply unit to the conveying unit with the rotating body. Generally, rolling friction is smaller than sliding friction. Therefore, the conveying device can reduce the loss of tension applied to the medium due to the frictional load at the bent portion of the medium more than in the case where all the bent portions of the medium are received by the tension applying unit.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] A printing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in order with reference to the drawings. The drawings referred to are used to explain the technical features that can be adopted by the present invention, and the configuration of the described apparatus and the like are not limited thereto, but are merely illustrative examples. In the description of this embodiment, the lower left side, upper right side, lower right side, upper left side, upper side, and lower side of FIG. 1 are respectively defined as the front side, rear side, right side, left side, upper side, and lower side of the printing apparatus 1. The left-right direction is also referred to as the axial direction J and the width direction W.

[0012] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the schematic configuration of the printing apparatus 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 1 includes a housing 2, a display unit 3, and an operation unit 4. The housing 2 has a front wall 24, a right wall 25, a rear wall 26, a left wall 29, a lower wall 27, an upper wall 28, and a cover 23. The housing 2 is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped that can be placed on a desk. An outlet 21 and an opening 22 are formed in the housing 2. The outlet 21 is formed in the front wall 24 of the housing 2 in a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction when viewed from the front. The opening 22 is formed in the lower rear part of the right wall 25 of the housing 2 in a rectangular shape when viewed from the right side. The cover 23 is a plate in the shape of a rectangle when viewed from the right side, and is rotatably supported at the lower rear part of the right side of the housing 2 between a closed position that closes the opening 22 (illustrated by a solid line in FIG. 1) and an open position that releases the opening 22 (illustrated by a dashed-dotted line in FIG. 1). The display unit 3 is provided at the upper right front of the front wall 24 of the housing 2 and displays an image. The operation unit 4 is a plurality of buttons provided below the display unit 3 among the upper right front of the front wall 24 of the housing 2 for inputting various instructions. The display unit 3 and the operation unit 4 are provided above the outlet 21.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the printing apparatus 1 houses a conveyance device 45, a partition wall 55, a printing unit 6, and a fixing unit 40 inside a housing 2. The printing apparatus 1 is an inkjet printer that performs printing on a long-sized medium M. The medium M is, for example, long and wound in a roll around a cylindrical paper tube K. The conveyance device 45 includes a supply unit 5, conveyance units 7, 10, 15, 19, a support unit 80, a tension applying unit 60, and a rotating body 75. The supply unit 5 is provided in a space surrounded by a partition wall 55 and a rear wall 26 shown in FIG. 2, to the left of a cover 23 in a closed position shown by a solid line in FIG. 1, and at the lower rear part of the printing apparatus 1. The supply unit 5 holds a roll R. The supply unit 5 of the present embodiment includes a shaft portion 51 and a magazine 52. The shaft portion 51 extends in the left-right direction and is inserted into the paper tube K of the roll R. The magazine 52 is a support base in a U-shape when viewed from the front. The magazine 52 rotatably supports both left and right end portions of the shaft portion 51 around the axis around which the shaft portion 51 extends in the left-right direction. The shaft portion 51 is removably supported by the magazine 52. The magazine 52 is removably supported by the printing apparatus 1. When the user replaces the roll R, the cover 23 shown in FIG. 1 is placed in an open position, the magazine 52 shown in FIG. 2 is taken out from inside the housing 2, and the replacement operation of the roll R is performed. The partition wall 55 has a first wall portion 56 extending upward from a lower wall 27 of the housing 2 and a second wall portion 57 extending rearward from the upper end of the first wall portion 56, and partitions the internal space of the housing 2. The second wall portion 57 is spaced apart from the rear wall 26 of the housing 2 in the front-rear direction.

[0014] The printing unit 6 prints an image on the medium M supplied from the supply unit 5. The printing unit 6 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of nozzles 70 that discharge a liquid G in a discharge direction, and is an inkjet head that performs printing on the medium M by discharging the liquid G from the plurality of nozzles 70. The discharge direction of the present embodiment is downward, and the printing unit 6 is provided above the conveyance path Q of the medium M with the plurality of nozzles 70 facing downward. The conveyance path Q is a path along which the medium M is conveyed from the supply unit 5 until it is discharged to the outside of the housing 2 from a discharge port 21. The liquid G is supplied from a tank 20 disposed inside the housing 2 to the printing unit 6 via a tube (not shown).

[0015] The conveying unit 7 conveys the medium M in the conveying direction F from the supply unit 5 towards the printing unit 6 and in the return direction B opposite to the conveying direction F. The conveying direction F is the direction along the conveying path Q from the supply unit 5 towards the printing unit 6. The conveying direction F intersects the left-right direction which is the extending direction of the rotation axis of the roll R, and is a direction that changes according to the position on the conveying path Q. The conveying direction F from the supply unit 5 to the tension applying unit 60 is a direction that changes according to the remaining amount of the medium M. When the remaining amount of the medium M is the initial value, that is, the remaining amount value immediately after the roll R is replaced, it is generally upward. The conveying direction F from the tension applying unit 60 to the discharge port 21 is generally forward. That is, in the printing apparatus 1, the medium M bends at the portion where it contacts the tension applying unit 60, and the conveying direction F changes from upward to forward.

[0016] The conveying unit 7 has a conveying roller 71 that rotates around a shaft J1 extending in the axial direction J and a pinch roller 72 that rotates around a shaft J2 extending in the axial direction J, and nips and conveys the medium M in the conveying direction F from the supply unit 5 towards the printing unit 6 with the rollers 71 and 72. The axial direction J is the left-right direction. The conveying unit 7 is provided on the upstream side of the printing unit 6 in the conveying direction F and on the downstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the supply unit 5. That is, the conveying unit 7 is provided between the printing unit 6 and the supply unit 5 in the conveying path Q of the medium M.

[0017] The conveying unit 10 is provided on the downstream side of the conveying unit 7 in the conveying direction F, and conveys the medium M in the conveying direction F and the return direction B. The conveying unit 10 in this embodiment rotates the roll R held by the supply unit 5, conveys the medium M in the return direction B, and winds it onto the roll R. The conveying unit 10 in this embodiment detachably engages with the shaft portion 51 of the supply unit 5. The conveying unit 10 rotates the roll R held by the supply unit 5, conveys the medium M in the conveying direction F, and feeds out the medium M from the roll R towards the printing unit 6.

[0018] The support unit 80 is provided on the downstream side of the transport unit 7 in the transport direction F and on the upstream side of the transport unit 10 in the transport direction F, and supports the tension applying unit 60 and the rotating body 75. The tension applying unit 60 abuts against the second surface M2 of the medium M opposite to the first surface M1, bends the medium M, and applies tension to the medium M. The tension is a tension acting in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the medium M. The tension applying unit 60 is disposed above the supply unit 5 and is swingably supported around a shaft J3 extending in the axial direction J on the upstream side of the transport unit 7 in the transport direction F. The tension applying unit 60 is provided between the transport unit 7 and the transport unit 10 in the transport path Q. The rotating body 75 is rotatably supported around a shaft J4 extending in the axial direction J on the upstream side of the transport unit 7 in the transport direction F and on the downstream side of the upstream end of the tension applying unit 60 in the transport direction F, that is, the lower end of the tension applying unit 60.

[0019] The transport unit 15 is provided below the printing unit 6 and on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the transport unit 7, and transports the medium M in the transport direction F. The transport unit 15 includes a driving roller 13, a driven roller 14, and an endless belt 16. The driving roller 13 and the driven roller 14 are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The endless belt 16 is wound around the driving roller 13 and the driven roller 14. As the endless belt 16 rotates, the driven roller 14 rotates. The upper end of the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt 16 is substantially at the same vertical position as the nip point 89 where the medium M is nipped by the transport unit 7 and faces the plurality of nozzles 70 of the printing unit 6. The upper end of the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt 16 transports the medium M transported between the transport unit 7 and the transport unit 19 in the transport direction F in a state of being adsorbed to the endless belt 16 from below by static electricity or negative pressure.

[0020] The fixing unit 40 is disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the printing unit 6 and on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the transport unit 19. The fixing unit 40 is a halogen heater and has a halogen lamp 41, a reflector 42, and a housing 43. An opening 44 is formed in the lower wall of the housing 43 along the left-right direction. The fixing unit 40 radiates infrared light through the opening 44 and heats the medium M passing directly below the opening 44. Thereby, the liquid G discharged onto the medium M by the printing unit 6 is fixed to the medium M.

[0021] The conveying unit 19 is provided on the downstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the printing unit 6 and the fixing unit 40, and on the upstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the discharge port 21, and conveys the medium M in the conveying direction F and the return direction B. The conveying unit 19 has a conveying roller 17 that rotates about an axis extending in the left-right direction and a pinch roller 18, and performs nip conveyance by sandwiching the medium M vertically between the conveying roller 17 and the pinch roller 18.

[0022] In the printing apparatus 1, when a printing process is executed, the control unit of the printing apparatus 1 drives the conveying units 7, 10, 15, 19 to convey the medium M. The printing apparatus 1 adjusts the driving amounts of the conveying units 7, 10 so that tension is applied to the medium M by the tension applying unit 60. The control unit of the printing apparatus 1 drives the printing unit 6 in synchronization with the conveyance of the medium M to discharge the liquid G onto the medium M. The control unit of the printing apparatus 1 drives the halogen lamp 41 to fix the liquid G on the medium M to the medium M. The medium M is discharged from the discharge port 21 to the outside of the housing 2.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the tension applying unit 60, the rotating body 75, and the shaft body 76 of the conveying device 45 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the tension applying unit 60 includes a swing shaft 61, a swing member 62, a tension applying portion 65, and a biasing member 79. The swing shaft 61 extends in the axial direction J. The swing shaft 61 is provided at the downstream end of the swing member 62 in the conveying direction F, that is, the upper end portion of the swing member 62. The swing member 62 is supported so as to be swingable about the swing shaft 61 and has an outer peripheral surface 64 that contacts the second surface M2 of the medium M. The outer peripheral surface 64 of the swing member 62 is arc-shaped about an axis V5 extending in the axial direction J. The swing member 62 is arc-shaped convex rearward in a right-side view. The outer peripheral surface 64 of the swing member 62 is the back surface of the swing member 62. The diameter of the swing member 62 is larger than the diameter of the swing shaft 61. The swing member 62 includes a planar contact portion 63 that can contact the medium M at the upstream end of the outer peripheral surface 64 in the conveying direction F, that is, the lower end portion. The distance from the axis V5 to the contact portion 63 is substantially the same throughout the entire extension range of the contact portion 63. That is, no unevenness is formed on the contact portion 63.

[0024] The swing member 62 is swingable back and forth between a position P1 and a position P4 about a swing axis 61. The position P1 is a standby position and is the rear end of the swingable range of the swing member 62. When the control unit of the printing apparatus 1 finishes the process of conveying the medium M in the conveying direction F, or when the medium M is conveyed in the return direction B, for example, the control unit controls the conveying units 7 and 10 to dispose the swing member 62 at the position P1. When the swing member 62 is at the position P1, the medium M is in a lifted state where it is partially separated from the swing member 62. When the swing member 62 is at the position P1, the contact portion 63 of the swing member 62 is located at the rearmost position and contacts the medium M. When the swing member 62 is at the position P1, the tension applying unit 60 does not apply tension to the medium M. The position P2 is a position where the swing member 62 swings slightly forward from the position P1. The position P3 is a functional position. When the control unit of the printing apparatus 1 executes the process of conveying the medium M in the conveying direction F, for example, the control unit controls the conveying units 7 and 10 to dispose the swing member 62 at the position P3. When the swing member 62 is at the position P3, the portion above the contact portion 63 of the swing member 62 is located at the rearmost position. When the swing member 62 is at the position P3, the tension applying unit 60 applies tension to the medium M. The position P4 is a position where the swing member 62 swings forward from the position P3 and is the front end of the swingable range.

[0025] The tension applying portion 65 is plate-shaped and extends rearward from the central portion in the left-right direction on the front surface of the swing member 62. A hole 66 penetrating in the left-right direction is formed at the front end portion of the tension applying portion 65. The biasing member 79 biases the swing member 62 toward the side where the medium M is disposed. The biasing member 79 is a coil spring as an example. One end portion of the biasing member 79 is fixed to the hole 66 of the tension applying portion 65, and the other end portion is fixed to the mounting portion 82 of the support portion 80. The mounting portion 82 is an L-shaped hook provided on the support portion 80. The biasing member 79 biases the tension applying portion 65 downward and rearward, thereby biasing the swing member 62 counterclockwise in a right side view about the swing axis 61.

[0026] The rotating body 75 and the tension applying unit 60 have the following positional relationship. In a virtual plane perpendicular to the rotation center of the rotating body 75, a virtual circle V2 is defined that is inscribed in the rotating body 75, the swing axis 61, and the outer peripheral surface 64 of the swing member 62 arranged at a predetermined position and has a center V3 on the supply unit 5 side with respect to the swing axis 61. The predetermined position is, for example, position P3. When the medium M is conveyed in the conveyance direction F while tension is applied from the tension applying unit 60, the bent portion M3 of the medium M is arranged along the virtual circle V2. The axis J3, which is the rotation center of the swing axis 61, is arranged in a region on the opposite side of the conveyance unit 7 side with respect to a virtual line V1 that extends vertically from the downstream end of the rotating body 75 in the conveyance direction F, that is, the right end of the rotating body 75, among the regions inside the virtual circle V2. The center V3 of the virtual circle V2 is arranged below the swing axis 61 and in a region on the conveyance unit 7 side with respect to the virtual line V1 among the regions inside the virtual circle V2. The radius of the virtual circle V2 is preferably equal to or larger than the diameter of the paper tube K of the long-shaped medium M in order to prevent peeling from occurring on the medium M such as a die-cut label. This is because it is assumed that no peeling occurs when the long-shaped medium M is wound around the roll R, so it is considered that no peeling will occur even through a path having a radius equal to or larger than the diameter of the paper tube K.

[0027] The rotating body 75 is provided separately from the swing axis 61 and is provided on the downstream side of the swing axis 61 in the conveyance direction F. The rotating body 75 has the nip point 89 that sandwiches the medium M between the rollers 71 and 72 and the upper end 78 of the rotating body 75 positioned at the same height and contacts the second surface M2 of the medium M. The rotating body 75 arranges the medium M in a horizontal region with respect to the nip point 89 that sandwiches the medium M between the rollers 71 and 72. That is, the medium M in the portion M4 between the nip point 89 and the rotating body 75 extends horizontally. The upper end 78 of the rotating body 75 is positioned above a virtual line segment V4 that connects the nip point 89 that sandwiches the medium M between the rollers 71 and 72 and the upper end 58 of the tension applying unit 60.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the rotating body 75 is cylindrical and extends along the axis J4 of the rotating body 75. The rotating body 75 includes three cylindrical bodies 77. The three cylindrical bodies 77 have the same shape as each other and are arranged side by side without gaps in the left - right direction. The shaft body 76 extends along the axis and is inserted through each of the three cylindrical bodies 77. The shaft body 76 rotatably supports each of the three cylindrical bodies 77 with respect to the shaft body 76.

[0029] The support portion 80 is U - shaped with an open upper part when viewed from the back. The support portion 80 has a concave portion 81 that is recessed downward and a pair of left - right partition plate portions 74. The support portion 80 arranges the rotating body 75 and the tension applying portion 60 in the concave portion 81. The pair of left - right partition plate portions 74 are arranged at the left end and the right end of the concave portion 81 respectively. The shaft body 76 is inserted through the pair of left - right partition plate portions 74. Three cylindrical bodies 77 are arranged between the pair of left - right partition plate portions 74, and the three cylindrical bodies 77 are positioned in the left - right direction by the pair of left - right partition plate portions 74. A plate body 85 is fixed to the right surface of the support portion 80. The plate body 85 supports the right end of the shaft body 76. The support portion 80 supports the swing shaft 61 of the tension applying portion 60 behind the rotating body 75.

[0030] The swing member 62 includes, in addition to the contact portion 63, an upper portion 68, a central portion 69, and a convex portion 67. The upper portion 68 is planar and extends in the left - right direction at the upper part of the swing member 62. The central portion 69 is planar and extends in the left - right direction between the upper portion 68 and the contact portion 63. The convex portion 67 is at the center of the outer peripheral surface 64 in the width direction W parallel to the axial direction J is provided in え withThe convex portion 67 extends in a strip shape from the upper end of the swing member 62 to the contact portion 63 in the vertical direction. The distance from the axis V5, which forms the center of the arc of the outer peripheral surface 64 of the swing member 62, to the convex portion 67 is longer than each of the distances from the axis V5 to the upper portion 68 and to the central portion 69. The distance from the axis V5 to the convex portion 67 is substantially equal to the distance from the axis V5 to the contact portion 63. The extending range of the convex portion 67 in the left-right direction is narrower than the extending range of the cylindrical body 77 disposed at the center portion in the left-right direction. The conveying unit 7 conveys the medium M with the center in the width direction W of the medium M being the center in the width direction W of the swing member 62. When the swing member 62 is at the position P3, the convex portion 67 of the swing member 62 contacts the center portion in the width direction W of the medium M, applying tension to the medium M. Thereby, the medium M is conveyed in the conveying direction F in a state of being extended from the center portion in the width direction W of the medium M toward the end portion in the width direction W of the medium M.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5, when the swing member 62 is at the position P1, the contact portion 63 is located at the rearmost position, and the contact portion 63 contacts the medium M. The contact portion 63 protrudes rearward from the central portion 69, and there is a step at the boundary between the contact portion 63 and the central portion 69. The convex portion 67 has a tapered shape in which the distance from the axis V5 is the largest at the center portion in the left-right direction, and the distance from the axis V5 becomes smaller toward the left-right end portions of the convex portion 67.

[0032] In the printing apparatus 1 and the conveying apparatus 45 of the above embodiment, the supply unit 5, the printing unit 6, the conveying unit 7, the tension applying unit 60, the swing shaft 61, the swing member 62, the contact portion 63, the outer peripheral surface 64, the convex portion 67, the biasing member 79, the rotating body 75, the shaft body 76, and the cylindrical body 77 are each an example of a supply unit, a printing unit, a conveying unit, a tension applying unit, a swing shaft, a swing member, a contact portion, an outer peripheral surface, a convex portion, a biasing member, a rotating body, a shaft body, and a cylindrical body. The conveying direction F, the medium M, the first surface M1, the second surface M2, the virtual line V1, the virtual circle V2, and the virtual line segment V4 are each an example of the conveying direction, the medium, the first surface, the second surface, the virtual line, the virtual circle, and the virtual line segment of the present invention. The rollers 71 and 72 are an example of a pair of rollers of the present invention.

[0033] The printing apparatus 1 of the above-described embodiment includes a supply unit 5, a printing unit 6, a conveyance unit 7, a tension applying unit 60, and a rotating body 75. The supply unit 5 supplies a long medium M. The printing unit 6 is disposed above the supply unit 5 and prints an image on the first surface M1 of the medium M fed out from the supply unit 5. The conveyance unit 7 has a roller 71 that rotates around a shaft J1 extending in the axial direction J and a roller 72 that rotates around a shaft J2 extending in the axial direction J, and nips and conveys the medium M in the conveyance direction F from the supply unit 5 toward the printing unit 6 with the rollers 71 and 72. The conveyance unit 7 is provided on the upstream side of the printing unit 6 in the conveyance direction F. The tension applying unit 60 is disposed above the supply unit 5 and is swingably supported around a shaft J3 extending in the axial direction J on the upstream side of the conveyance unit 7 in the conveyance direction F, abuts against the second surface M2 on the side opposite to the first surface M1 of the medium M, bends the medium M, and applies tension to the medium M. The rotating body 75 is rotatably supported around a shaft extending in the axial direction J on the upstream side of the conveyance unit 7 in the conveyance direction F and on the downstream side of the upstream end of the tension applying unit 60 in the conveyance direction F. The rotating body 75 is positioned such that the nip point 89 where the medium M is sandwiched by the rollers 71 and 72 and the upper end 78 of the rotating body 75 are at the same height and abuts against the second surface M2 of the medium M. The rotating body 75 abuts against the second surface M2 of the medium M and disposes the medium M in a horizontal region with respect to the nip point 89 where the medium M is sandwiched by the rollers 71 and 72. The upper end 78 of the rotating body 75 is positioned above with respect to the virtual line segment V4 connecting the nip point 89 where the medium M is sandwiched by the rollers 71 and 72 and the upper end 58 of the tension applying unit 60, and abuts against the second surface M2 of the medium M. The printing apparatus 1 receives a part of the bent portion M3 where the medium M bends from the supply unit 5 to the conveyance unit 7 with the rotating body 75. Generally, rolling friction is smaller than sliding friction. Therefore, the printing apparatus 1 can reduce the loss of tension applied to the medium M due to the frictional load at the bent portion M3 of the medium M more than in the case where the entire bent portion M3 of the medium M is received by the tension applying unit 60.

[0034] The tension applying unit 60 of the printing apparatus 1 includes a swing shaft 61, a swing member 62, and a biasing member 79. The swing shaft 61 extends in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction F. The swing member 62 is supported so as to be swingable about the swing shaft 61 and has an outer peripheral surface 64 that contacts the second surface M2. The biasing member 79 biases the swing member 62 toward the side where the medium M is disposed. The rotating body 75 is provided separately from the swing shaft 61 and is provided on the downstream side of the swing shaft 61 in the conveyance direction F. The printing apparatus 1 can increase the curvature in the conveyance direction F of the bent portion M3 defined by the rotating body 75 and the tension applying unit 60 as compared with the case where the swing shaft 61 and the rotating body 75 are integrally provided.

[0035] The swing shaft 61 of the printing apparatus 1 is provided at the downstream end of the swing member 62 in the conveyance direction F. When the swing shaft 61 is disposed at the downstream end of the swing member 62 in the conveyance direction F, the medium M contacts the upstream end of the outer peripheral surface 64 of the swing member 62 in the conveyance direction F and the rotating body 75. The tension applying unit 60 can swing in a state where the upstream end of the outer peripheral surface 64 of the swing member 62 in the conveyance direction F contacts the medium M. Therefore, the printing apparatus 1 can more easily control the tension applied to the medium M as compared with the case where the swing shaft 61 is disposed at the upstream end of the swing member 62 in the conveyance direction F.

[0036] The rotation center of the swing shaft 61 of the printing apparatus 1 is disposed in a region on the side opposite to the conveyance unit 7 side of the virtual circle V2 with respect to a virtual line V1 extending vertically from the downstream end of the rotating body 75 in the conveyance direction F among the regions inside the virtual circle V2. The virtual circle V2 is inscribed in the rotating body 75, the swing shaft 61, and the outer peripheral surface 64 of the swing member 62 disposed at a predetermined position in a virtual plane perpendicular to the rotation center of the rotating body 75 and has a center on the supply unit 5 side with respect to the swing shaft 61. The printing apparatus 1 can dispose the rotating body 75 and the tension applying unit 60 relatively close to each other, and can reduce the size of the printing apparatus 1 as compared with an apparatus in which the rotating body 75 and the tension applying unit 60 are located at relatively distant positions.

[0037] The swing member 62 of the printing apparatus 1 includes a convex portion 67 at the center of the outer peripheral surface 64 in the width direction W parallel to the axial direction J. The conveying unit 7 conveys the medium M with the center of the width direction W of the medium M being the center of the width direction W of the swing member 62. The printing apparatus 1 can bring the convex portion 67 of the swing member 62 into contact with the medium M regardless of the length of the medium M in the width direction W. Therefore, the printing apparatus 1 can stably apply tension to the medium M regardless of the length of the medium M in the width direction W.

[0038] The swing member 62 of the printing apparatus 1 includes a planar contact portion 63 that can contact the medium M at the upstream end of the outer peripheral surface 64 in the conveying direction F. The printing apparatus 1 can avoid the tension being partially concentrated and applied as compared with the case where there are irregularities at the upstream end of the outer peripheral surface 64 in the conveying direction F. Thereby, the printing apparatus 1 can suppress the occurrence of perforation breakage due to a large force being partially applied, for example, when a perforated medium M is conveyed.

[0039] The rotating body 75 of the printing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of cylindrical bodies 77 extending along the axis J4 of the rotating body 75. The printing apparatus 1 includes a shaft body 76 that extends along the axis J4 and is inserted through each of the plurality of cylindrical bodies 77, and supports each of the plurality of cylindrical bodies 77 rotatably with respect to the shaft body 76. Since the printing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of cylindrical bodies 77, it can rotate the number of cylindrical bodies 77 corresponding to the length of the medium M in the width direction W. When the length of the medium M in the width direction W is relatively short, the printing apparatus 1 can rotate only a part of the plurality of cylindrical bodies 77, and can reduce the loss caused by the rolling friction of the cylindrical bodies 77 as compared with the case where the rotating body 75 always rotates over the entire area of the entire width direction W. In the printing apparatus 1, the joints of the plurality of cylindrical bodies 77 are not arranged at the portion where the center portion of the width direction W of the medium M contacts. Therefore, the printing apparatus 1 can suppress the problems caused by the adjacent portions of the plurality of cylindrical bodies 77 being arranged at the portion where the center portion of the width direction W of the medium M contacts.

[0040] The rotating body 75 of the printing apparatus 1 is composed of a cylindrical tubular body 77. The printing apparatus 1 is a shaft body 76 that extends along the axis J4 and is inserted through the rotating body 75, and includes a shaft body 76 that rotatably supports the rotating body 75 with respect to the shaft body 76. The printing apparatus 1 can avoid the concentration of load at the end of the shaft body 76 that supports the rotating body 75 compared to the case where the rotating body 75 and the shaft body 76 are integrally configured.

[0041] The outer peripheral surface 64 of the swing member 62 of the printing apparatus 1 is arc-shaped centered on the axis V5 extending in the axial direction J. The diameter of the swing member 62 is larger than the diameter of the swing shaft 61. The printing apparatus 1 can increase the curvature of the bent portion M3 of the medium M along the outer peripheral surface 64 of the swing member 62 compared to the case where the diameter of the swing member 62 is equal to or less than the diameter of the swing shaft 61.

[0042] The printing apparatus and the conveying apparatus of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the following modifications may be appropriately added.

[0043] The supply unit 5 only needs to be able to supply the long-shaped medium M, and the configuration may be changed as appropriate. The medium M may be fan-folded paper folded along the perforations engraved on the paper. The medium M does not have to have perforations, cuts, and breaks. The conveying unit 7 may convey the medium M by other conveying members such as a conveying belt. The conveying units 7, 10, 15, 19 may not be able to convey the medium M in the return direction B, or the configuration may be changed according to the configuration of the supply unit 5. At least one of the conveying units 10, 15, 19 may be omitted or the configuration may be changed as necessary.

[0044] The configuration of the printing unit 6 may be changed as appropriate, and may be an inkjet head capable of color printing, or a thermal head of an electrophotographic or thermal type. The fixing unit 40 may be omitted or the configuration may be changed according to the printing method of the printing apparatus 1. The printing apparatus 1 may include a cutting unit that cuts the printed medium M, a reading unit that reads the printed image, and the like.

[0045] The configurations of the tension applying portion 60 and the rotating body 75 may be appropriately changed. The type, mounting position, etc. of the biasing member 79 may be appropriately changed. The rocking shaft 61 may be provided at the central portion of the rocking member 62 in the conveying direction F or at the end portion on the upstream side of the conveying direction F. The rocking member 62 may not include the convex portion 67. The convex portion 67 may be provided at the end portion of the rocking member 62 in the width direction W. The rocking member 62 may be provided with irregularities at the end portion on the upstream side of the conveying direction F of the outer peripheral surface 64. The number of cylindrical bodies 77 included in the rotating body 75 may be appropriately changed. The plurality of cylindrical bodies 77 may not have the same shape as each other. The rotating body 75 and the shaft body 76 may be integrally formed. In that case, the printing apparatus 1 only needs to rotatably support the rotating body 75. The rotating body 75 may be provided integrally with the rocking shaft 61. The positional relationship between the rotating body 75 and the tension applying portion 60 may be appropriately changed. The outer peripheral surface 64 of the rocking member 62 may not be arc-shaped. The diameter of the rocking member 62 may be equal to or smaller than the diameter of the rocking shaft 61. The rotation center of the rocking shaft 61 may be arranged on the conveying unit 7 side with respect to the virtual line V1 in the region inside the virtual circle V2.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 6, the printing apparatus 1 may include a rotating body 91 instead of the rotating body 75. In FIG. 6, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those of the printing apparatus 1 in the above embodiment. The rotating body 91 is a member extending along the axis J4 of the rotating body 75. The rotating body 91 is cylindrical and is inserted through the shaft body 76. The rotating body 91 is disposed between the pair of left and right partition plate portions 74 and is positioned in the left-right direction by the pair of left and right partition plate portions 74. The rotating body 91 is rotatable with respect to the shaft body 76. In the printing apparatus 1 of the modification, since the rotating body 91 is a single member, there is no joint between the plurality of rotating bodies 75 that occurs in an apparatus having a plurality of rotating bodies 75, and the influence of the joint between the plurality of rotating bodies 75 on the conveyance of the medium M can be suppressed.

[0047] The lengths of the rotors 75 and 91 in the width direction W are shorter than the length of the medium M in the width direction W, and may be in contact with a part of the width direction W of the medium M. When the printing apparatus 1 can mount a plurality of types of media M having different lengths in the width direction W and aligns the position of the medium M in the width direction W with the center of the width direction W of the medium M, the rotors 75 and 91 may be arranged at the center position within the extendable range in the width direction W of the medium M. When aligning the position of the medium M in the width direction W at one end of the extendable range in the width direction W of the medium M, the rotors 75 and 91 may be arranged at one end portion of the extendable range in the width direction W of the medium M.

Explanation of Signs

[0048] 1: Printing apparatus, 5: Supply unit, 6: Printing unit, 7: Conveying unit, 45: Conveying device, 60: Tension applying unit, 61: Oscillation axis, 62: Oscillation member, 63: Contact portion, 64: Outer peripheral surface, 67: Protrusion, 71, 72: Roller, 75, 91: Rotor, 76: Shaft body, 77: Cylindrical body, 79: Biasing member, 89: Nip point, F: Conveying direction, J1, J2, J3, J4, V5: Axis, V1: Virtual line, V2: Virtual circle, V4: Virtual line segment

Claims

1. A supply unit for supplying a long medium, A printing unit disposed above the supply unit and printing an image on a first surface of the medium fed out from the supply unit, A pair of rollers that rotate around an axis extending in the axial direction, and a conveyance unit provided upstream of the printing unit in the conveyance direction for nipping and conveying the medium from the supply unit toward the printing unit by the pair of rollers, A tension applying unit disposed above the supply unit and swingably supported around an axis extending in the axial direction on the upstream side of the conveyance unit in the conveyance direction, contacting a second surface opposite to the first surface of the medium, bending the medium, and applying tension to the medium, A rotating body rotatably supported around an axis extending in the axial direction on the upstream side of the conveyance unit in the conveyance direction and downstream of the upstream end of the tension applying unit in the conveyance direction, wherein a nip point where the medium is sandwiched by the pair of rollers and the upper end of the rotating body are located at the same height, and the rotating body that contacts the second surface of the medium are provided, The tension applying unit includes A swing axis extending in the axial direction, A swing member swingably supported around the swing axis and having an outer peripheral surface that contacts the second surface, A biasing member that biases the swing member toward the side where the medium is disposed and has, The swing member includes a convex portion at a central portion in the width direction parallel to the axial direction of the outer peripheral surface, The conveyance unit conveys the medium with the center of the medium in the width direction as the center of the swing member in the width direction. A printing apparatus characterized by this.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotating body is provided separately from the swing axis and is provided downstream of the swing axis in the conveyance direction.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the swing shaft is provided at an end portion on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the swing member.

4. The center of rotation of the swing shaft is inscribed in the rotating body, the swing shaft, and the outer peripheral surface of the swing member disposed at a predetermined position in a virtual plane perpendicular to the center of rotation of the rotating body, and is located in a region inside a virtual circle centered on the supply unit side with respect to the swing shaft, and is disposed in a region on the side opposite to the conveying unit side with respect to a virtual line extending vertically from an end portion on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the rotating body among the rotating bodies. The printing apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the swing member includes a planar contact portion capable of contacting the medium at an end portion on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the outer peripheral surface.

6. The rotating body includes a plurality of cylindrical bodies extending along the axis of the rotating body. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a shaft body that extends along the axis and is inserted into each of the plurality of cylindrical bodies, and supports each of the plurality of cylindrical bodies rotatably with respect to the shaft body.

7. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rotating body is a member extending along the axis of the rotating body.

8. The rotating body is cylindrical. The printing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a shaft body that extends along the axis and is inserted into the rotating body, and supports the rotating body rotatably with respect to the shaft body.

9. The outer peripheral surface of the swing member is arc-shaped centering on an axis extending in the axial direction. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the diameter of the swing member is larger than the diameter of the swing shaft.

10. A supply unit that supplies a long medium A printing unit that is disposed above the supply unit and prints an image on a first surface of the medium fed from the supply unit; A conveying unit that has a pair of rollers that rotate around an axis extending in the axial direction, and nips and conveys the medium from the supply unit in a conveying direction toward the printing unit, and is provided upstream of the printing unit in the conveying direction; A tension applying unit that is disposed above the supply unit, is swingably supported around an axis extending in the axial direction on the upstream side of the conveying unit in the conveying direction, abuts against a second surface opposite to the first surface of the medium, bends the medium, and applies tension to the medium; A rotating body that is rotatably supported around an axis extending in the axial direction on the upstream side of the conveying unit in the conveying direction and on the downstream side of the upstream end of the tension applying unit in the conveying direction, wherein a nip point where the medium is sandwiched by the pair of rollers and the upper end of the rotating body are located at the same height, and the rotating body that abuts against the second surface of the medium is provided; The tension applying unit includes a swing axis extending in the axial direction; a swing member that is swingably supported around the swing axis and has an outer peripheral surface that abuts against the second surface; and a biasing member that biases the swing member toward the side where the medium is disposed. It has, The outer peripheral surface of the swing member is in an arc shape centered on an axis extending in the axial direction, and a printing apparatus characterized in that the diameter of the swing member is larger than the diameter of the swing axis.

11. A supply unit that supplies a long-shaped medium; A printing unit that is disposed above the supply unit and prints an image on a first surface of the medium fed from the supply unit; It has a pair of rollers that rotate around an axis extending in the axial direction, and the pair of rollers nip and convey the medium in the conveying direction from the supply unit toward the printing unit. It is a conveying unit provided on the upstream side of the printing unit in the conveying direction. It is disposed above the supply unit, is supported so as to be swingable around an axis extending in the axial direction on the upstream side of the conveying unit in the conveying direction, abuts against the second surface on the side opposite to the first surface of the medium, bends the medium, and applies tension to the medium. It is a tension applying unit. It is a rotating body that is rotatably supported around an axis extending in the axial direction on the upstream side of the conveying unit in the conveying direction and on the downstream side of the upstream end of the tension applying unit in the conveying direction. It abuts against the second surface of the medium and arranges the medium in a horizontal region with respect to the nip point where the medium is sandwiched by the pair of rollers. It is the rotating body. It includes. The tension applying unit is A swing shaft extending in the axial direction, A swing member that is supported so as to be swingable around the swing shaft and has an outer peripheral surface that abuts against the second surface, A biasing member that biases the swing member toward the side where the medium is disposed It has. The swing member includes a convex portion at the center in the width direction parallel to the axial direction of the outer peripheral surface. The conveying unit conveys the medium with the center in the width direction of the medium as the center in the width direction of the swing member. It is a printing apparatus characterized by this.

12. A supply unit that supplies a long medium, A printing unit that is disposed above the supply unit and prints an image on the first surface of the medium fed out from the supply unit, It has a pair of rollers that rotate around an axis extending in the axial direction, and the pair of rollers nip and convey the medium in the conveying direction from the supply unit toward the printing unit. It is a conveying unit provided on the upstream side of the printing unit in the conveying direction. disposed above the supply unit, supported so as to be swingable about an axis extending in the axial direction on the upstream side in the transport direction from the transport unit, contacting the second surface on the side opposite to the first surface of the medium, bending the medium, and applying tension to the medium, a tension applying unit a rotating body rotatably supported about an axis extending in the axial direction on the downstream side in the transport direction from the upstream side in the transport direction of the transport unit and the upstream end in the transport direction of the tension applying unit, with the upper end of the rotating body positioned above a virtual line segment connecting the nip point sandwiching the medium between the pair of rollers and the upper end of the tension applying unit, and the rotating body contacting the second surface of the medium comprising the tension applying unit a swing axis extending in the axial direction a swing member swingably supported about the swing axis and having an outer peripheral surface contacting the second surface a biasing member biasing the swing member toward the side where the medium is disposed having the swing member includes a convex portion at a central portion in the width direction parallel to the axial direction of the outer peripheral surface The transport unit transports the medium with the center in the width direction of the medium being the center in the width direction of the swing member. A printing apparatus characterized by this.

13. a supply unit for supplying a long medium having a pair of rollers rotating about an axis extending in the axial direction, and nipping and transporting the medium from the supply unit in the transport direction toward a printing unit that prints an image on the medium, a transport unit provided on the upstream side in the transport direction from the printing unit disposed above the supply unit, supported so as to be swingable about an axis extending in the axial direction on the upstream side in the transport direction from the transport unit, contacting the second surface on the side opposite to the first surface of the medium on which the image is printed by the printing unit, bending the medium, and applying tension to the medium, a tension applying unit A rotating body rotatably supported about an axis extending in the axial direction on the upstream side in the conveyance direction from the conveyance unit and on the downstream side in the conveyance direction from the end portion on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the tension applying unit, wherein a nip point where the medium is sandwiched between the pair of rollers and the upper end of the rotating body are located at the same height, and the rotating body that contacts the second surface of the medium is provided with The tension applying unit includes a swing shaft extending in the axial direction, a swing member swingably supported about the swing shaft and having an outer peripheral surface that contacts the second surface, and a biasing member that biases the swing member toward the side where the medium is disposed. It has The swing member is provided with a convex portion at the center in the width direction parallel to the axial direction of the outer peripheral surface. The conveyance unit is characterized in that the center in the width direction of the medium is the center in the width direction of the swing member, and the medium is conveyed.

Images