Printer and cutting device

Abstract

To provide a printer which achieves lower costs, and to provide a cutting device.SOLUTION: A printer includes: a support stand 11; a transport device which transports a medium supported by the support stand 11; a print head; and a guide rail 91 which has a surface 91a facing the support stand 11 and with which the print head engages. The transport device includes a driving roller, a rail 30, and a pinch roller unit 40. The driving roller is provided at the support stand 11 and rotates in a transport direction. The rail 30 is provided so as to face the support stand 11 and extends in a Y direction. The pinch roller unit 40 includes a pinch roller 41 and engages with the rail 30. The rail 30 comprises a plurality of short rails 30A, 30B which are disposed arranged in the Y direction. The short rails 30A, 30B have respective positioning surfaces butted with the surface 91a, which faces the support stand 11, of the guide rail 91.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer and a cutting device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, printers and cutting devices equipped with a conveyance device for conveying media have been known. Media is an object to be printed or cut. As a printer equipped with a media conveyance device, a printer with a cutting head having both a print head and a cutting head is also known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printer with a cutting head including a drive roller embedded in a platen, a pair of side pinch roller units arranged to face the drive roller and holding both end portions of the media, and a center pinch roller unit arranged to face the drive roller and holding the central portion of the media.

[0003] In the printer with a cutting head disclosed in Patent Document 1, the pair of side pinch roller units and the plurality of center pinch roller units are slidably provided with respect to a shaft extending to the outside of the platen in the width direction of the media so that the position in the width direction of the media can be changed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The long shaft extending to the outside of the platen as described above is preferably formed as straight as possible. However, it is difficult to form such a so-called long member straight unless it is configured to have high rigidity. Furthermore, high precision in the machining of the member is also required. Therefore, the cost of the member for engaging the pinch roller unit has tended to be high.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such points, and an object thereof is to provide a printer and a cutting device having a rail with which a pinch roller unit engages, the position of which is accurately positioned and which has a lower cost.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The printer disclosed herein includes a support base that supports a medium, a transport device that transports the medium supported by the support base in a predetermined transport direction, a print head provided so as to face the support base, and a guide rail that has a surface facing the support base and extends in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the transport direction and with which the print head engages. The transport device includes a drive roller provided on the support base and extending in the orthogonal direction and rotating in the transport direction, a rail provided so as to face the support base and extending in the orthogonal direction, and a pinch roller unit engaged with the rail. The pinch roller unit includes a pinch roller that can be brought into contact with or separated from the drive roller. The rail is composed of a plurality of short rails arranged side by side in the orthogonal direction. Each of the plurality of short rails has a positioning surface applied to the surface of the guide rail facing the support base.

[0008] Also, the cutting device disclosed herein includes a support base for supporting a medium, a conveying device for conveying the medium supported by the support base in a predetermined conveying direction, a cutting head provided so as to face the support base, and a guide rail having a surface facing the support base and extending in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, with the cutting head engaged therewith. The conveying device includes a drive roller provided on the support base and extending in the orthogonal direction and rotating in the conveying direction, a rail provided so as to face the support base and extending in the orthogonal direction, and a pinch roller unit engaged with the rail. The pinch roller unit includes a pinch roller capable of contacting or separating from the drive roller. The rail is constituted by a plurality of short rails arranged side by side in the orthogonal direction. Each of the plurality of short rails has a positioning surface applied to the surface of the guide rail facing the support base.

[0009] According to the above printer and cutting device, the rail engaged with the pinch roller unit is constituted by a plurality of short rails arranged side by side in the orthogonal direction. Since the rail is thus divided into a plurality of short rails, high rigidity and high machining accuracy are not required for each individual short rail. Therefore, the cost of the rail can be suppressed, and as a result, the cost of the printer and the cutting device can be suppressed. Further, by applying the positioning surfaces of the plurality of short rails to the surface of the guide rail facing the support base, the position of the rail with respect to the support base can be accurately positioned.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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Figure 8

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Figure 10

Figure 11

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Figure 14

[0011] [Configuration of Inkjet Printer with Cutting Head] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printer 10 with a cutting head (hereinafter, printer 10) according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 according to this embodiment is a device that performs printing and cutting on a sheet-like medium 5. The medium 5 may be, for example, a sealing material composed of a mount and a release paper laminated on the mount and coated with an adhesive, or may be a recording paper, a resin sheet, or the like. The medium 5 is capable of at least one of printing and cutting, and any medium that can be conveyed by a conveying device 20 described later is sufficient and is not particularly limited.

[0012] The printer 10 includes a platen 11 that supports the medium 5, a conveying device 20 that conveys the medium 5 supported by the platen 11 in a predetermined conveying direction, a print head 70 that performs printing on the medium 5, a cutting head 80 that cuts the medium 5, and a head moving device 90 that moves the print head 70 and the cutting head 80.

[0013] As will be described in detail later, the print head 70 and the cutting head 80 are configured to be movable in the illustrated Y direction. Further, the medium 5 is conveyed in the illustrated X direction. Hereinafter, the Y direction is also referred to as the main scanning direction, and the X direction is also referred to as the sub-scanning direction. The main scanning direction Y corresponds to the width direction of the medium 5, and the sub-scanning direction X corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the medium 5. The main scanning direction Y is, here, the left-right direction. The sub-scanning direction X is, here, the front-rear direction. The main scanning direction Y, the sub-scanning direction X, and the up-down direction Z are orthogonal to each other. The medium 5 is supplied from a supply roll (not shown) provided on the back side of the printer 10, conveyed forward by the conveying device 20, and then wound up by a take-up roll (not shown) provided on the front side of the printer 10. The illustrated X1 direction is the downstream side of the sub-scanning direction X, which is the conveying direction of the medium 5. The X1 direction is, here, the front. The illustrated X2 direction is the upstream side of the sub-scanning direction X, which is the conveying direction of the medium 5. The X2 direction is, here, the rear. However, these directions are for convenience of explanation and do not limit the installation mode of the printer 10. The reference signs F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent the front, rear, left, right, up, and down of the printer 10, respectively.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying device 20 includes a plurality of grit rollers 21, a feed motor (not shown), and a plurality of pinch roller units 40. The plurality of grit rollers 21 are respectively provided on the platen 11 and rotate in the sub-scanning direction X when driven by the feed motor. The plurality of pinch roller units 40 are provided above the platen 11. Each pinch roller unit 40 includes a pinch roller 41 that can contact or separate from the grit roller 21. The pinch roller 41 is a member that presses the medium 5 from above. When the pinch roller 41 is lowered and the grit roller 21 rotates with the medium 5 sandwiched between the pinch roller 41 and the grit roller 21, the medium 5 is conveyed to the downstream X1 side or the upstream X2 side in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0015] In this embodiment, the conveying device 20 is provided with an overall lifting mechanism 60 that raises or lowers all the pinch rollers 41 simultaneously. Further, in this embodiment, each pinch roller unit 40 is provided with an operating member 45 (see FIG. 9) that individually raises and lowers only its own pinch roller 41 separately from the overall lifting mechanism 60. The detailed configuration of the conveying device 20 will be described later. Note that the conveying device 20 includes a much larger number of grit rollers 21 and pinch roller units 40, but illustration thereof is omitted in FIG. 1.

[0016] The head moving device 90 is configured to move the print head 70 and the cutting head 80 in the main scanning direction Y. FIGS. 2 and 3 are front views of the print head 70 and the cutting head 80. Among them, FIG. 2 shows a state in which a first carriage 95 on which the print head 70 is mounted and a second carriage 96 on which the cutting head 80 is mounted are connected. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the first carriage 95 and the second carriage 96 are separated. When the first carriage 95 and the second carriage 96 are connected, the head moving device 90 moves both of them integrally. Further, when the first carriage 95 and the second carriage 96 are separated, the head moving device 90 moves only the second carriage 96 alone.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the head moving device 90 includes a guide rail 91, a belt 92, and a scan motor (not shown). The guide rail 91 is provided above the platen 11. The guide rail 91 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The print head 70 and the cutting head 80 are slidably engaged with the guide rail 91 via the first carriage 95 and the second carriage 96, respectively. A belt 92 extending in the main scanning direction Y is fixed to the upper part of the back surface of the second carriage 96. The belt 92 is connected to the scan motor. When the scan motor rotates, the belt 92 travels in the main scanning direction Y. Thereby, the second carriage 96 moves in the main scanning direction Y.

[0018] The first carriage 95 and the second carriage 96 are connected or separated by connecting members 95a and 96a. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connecting members 95a and 96a have a first connecting member 95a provided on the first carriage 95 and a second connecting member 96a provided on the second carriage 96. The first connecting member 95a is provided on the left side portion of the first carriage 95. The second connecting member 96a is provided on the right side portion of the second carriage 96. In the present embodiment, the connecting members 95a and 96a connect the first carriage 95 and the second carriage 96 using magnetic force. One of the first connecting member 95a and the second connecting member 96a includes a magnet, and the other includes a magnetic body that is attracted to the magnet. However, the connecting members 95a and 96a are not limited to those using magnetic force, and may have other configurations such as engaging members. The first carriage 95 and the second carriage 96 are connected when the first connecting member 95a and the second connecting member 96a come into contact with each other.

[0019] On the right side of the first carriage 95, a receiving fitting 95b formed in an L shape is provided. Further, near the right end of the guide rail 91, a locking device 97 for fixing the first carriage 95 is provided. The locking device 97 includes a hook 98 that is hooked on the receiving fitting 95b, and a locking solenoid 99 that moves the hook 98 between a locked position (see FIG. 3) and an unlocked position (see FIG. 2).

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, when printing is performed by the print head 70, the hook 98 is set to the unlocked position. When the second carriage 96 moves to the right and the first connecting member 95a and the second connecting member 96a come into contact with each other, the second carriage 96 and the first carriage 95 are connected. As a result, the first carriage 95 can move in the main scanning direction Y together with the second carriage 96. The head moving device 90 moves the print head 70 and the cutting head 80 in the main scanning direction Y in a state where the first carriage 95 and the second carriage 96 are connected.

[0021] When cutting with the cutting head 80, as shown in FIG. 3, the first carriage 95 is positioned at the standby position at the right end of the movable range, and the hook 98 of the locking device 97 is set to the locked position. As a result, the movement of the first carriage 95 is blocked. When the second carriage 96 moves leftward in this state, the first connecting member 95a and the second connecting member 96a are separated, and the connection between the second carriage 96 and the first carriage 95 is released. As a result, the second carriage 96 can move in the main scanning direction Y while the first carriage 95 is waiting at the standby position.

[0022] The print head 70 is mounted on the first carriage 95. The print head 70 is provided so as to face the platen 11. The print head 70 is provided on the downstream X1 side in the sub-scanning direction X with respect to the grit roller 21 and the pinch roller unit 40. The print head 70 discharges ink and performs printing on the medium 5. The print head 70 includes a plurality of ink heads 71. A plurality of nozzles (not shown) for discharging ink are formed on the lower surfaces of the plurality of ink heads 71, respectively. The number of the ink heads 71 is not particularly limited, and the type and color of the ink discharged by the ink heads 71 are not limited either.

[0023] The cutting head 80 is mounted on the second carriage 96. The cutting head 80 is also provided on the downstream X1 side in the sub-scanning direction X with respect to the grit roller 21 and the pinch roller unit 40 and faces the platen 11. The cutting head 80 includes a cutter 81 and a solenoid 82. When the solenoid 82 is turned ON / OFF, the cutter 81 moves in the vertical direction Z and contacts or separates from the medium 5. The cutter 81 cuts the medium 5 by contacting the medium 5.

[0024] [Configuration of the conveying device] Hereinafter, the configuration of the conveyance device 20 will be described in detail. As described above, the conveyance device 20 includes a plurality of grit rollers 21 that rotate in the sub-scanning direction X, and a plurality of pinch roller units 40 that press the media 5 from above. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the main part of the conveyance device 20 from the front side. FIG. 5 is a front view of the printer 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of grit rollers 21 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. Each grit roller 21 extends in the main scanning direction Y.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 4, a part of each of the plurality of grit rollers 21 is embedded in the platen 11 so as to be exposed on the platen 11. As described above, each grit roller 21 is connected to a feed motor (not shown), and rotates in the sub-scanning direction X by driving the feed motor. Each grit roller 21 drives the media 5 supported by the platen 11 to move in the downstream X1 direction in the sub-scanning direction X and in the upstream X2 direction, which is the reverse direction of the X1 direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the length of the rightmost grit roller 21 in the main scanning direction Y is set to be longer than that of the other grit rollers 21. This is because the position of the right end of the media 5 varies depending on the width of the media 5. Here, although the number of grit rollers 21 is plural, the grit roller 21 may be a single long grit roller in the main scanning direction Y.

[0026] A plurality of pinch roller units 40 are provided to face the grit roller 21. Here, each of the plurality of pinch roller units 40 faces one grit roller 21. However, for example, when the length of one grit roller 21 in the main scanning direction Y is long, a plurality of pinch roller units 40 may be arranged to face one grit roller 21. Each pinch roller unit 40 is configured to be able to change its position in the main scanning direction Y in accordance with the position of the grit roller 21 in the main scanning direction Y. The pinch roller units 40 other than the rightmost pinch roller unit 40 are adjusted in their positions in the main scanning direction Y during the manufacture of the printer 10 and are positioned at positions facing one grit roller 21 respectively. Thus, these pinch roller units 40 are arranged at predetermined positions in the main scanning direction Y as shown in FIG. 5. The position of the rightmost pinch roller unit 40 in the main scanning direction Y is changed by the user in accordance with the width of the medium 5.

[0027] In the present embodiment, the pinch roller units 40 at both ends in the main scanning direction Y are configured to press the medium 5 with a higher load than the other pinch roller units 40. If the pressing forces of all the pinch roller units 40 are equal, in the case of a narrow-width medium 5, the rightmost one or several pinch roller units 40 from the right end simply do not hold down the medium 5. In this case, there is no particular need to move the rightmost pinch roller unit 40 in the main scanning direction Y. However, in the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, the pinch roller units 40 at both ends are assumed to hold down both ends of the medium 5 with a high load. Therefore, there is a particular need to move the rightmost pinch roller unit 40 in the main scanning direction Y in accordance with the width of the medium 5. As shown in FIG. 5, on the front side of the printer 10, a mark 22 indicating a guide for the position of the pinch roller unit 40 according to the width of the medium 5 is displayed.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the conveying device 20 includes a pinch rail 30 with which a plurality of pinch roller units 40 engage. The plurality of pinch roller units 40 are slidable along the pinch rail 30 in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 4, the pinch rail 30 is provided above the platen 11 so as to face the platen 11 and extends in the main scanning direction Y.

[0029] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of the conveying device 20. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the pinch rail 30 is a flat plate-like member extending in the main scanning direction Y and the vertical direction Z. However, as shown in FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the pinch rail 30 is composed of a plurality of first short rails 30A arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y and a plurality of second short rails 30B. The pinch rail 30 is an aggregate of the plurality of first short rails 30A and the plurality of second short rails 30B. As shown in FIG. 5, the first short rails 30A and the second short rails 30B are alternately arranged in the main scanning direction Y here. Although details of the first short rails 30A and the second short rails 30B will be described later, as shown in FIG. 6, the plurality of first short rails 30A and the plurality of second short rails 30B are respectively applied to the front panel 12 of the printer 10 and fastened to the front panel 12 by bolts B1. The plurality of first short rails 30A and the plurality of second short rails 30B are separately attached to the front panel 12. The position of the pinch rail 30 in the sub-scanning direction X is determined by being applied to the front panel 12. As shown in FIG. 6, the front panel 12 is a member to which the guide rail 91 of the head moving device 90 is fixed and is made strong and precise.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 6, a guide rail 91 is fixed to the front panel 12. The guide rail 91 is provided above the pinch rail 30. The plurality of first short rails 30A and the plurality of second short rails 30B that constitute the pinch rail 30 are applied to the surface of the platen 11 of the guide rail 91 that faces it, here the lower surface 91a. Although details will be described later, hereinafter, the surfaces of the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B that are applied to the lower surface 91a of the guide rail 91 are also referred to as positioning surfaces 34A1 and 34B1, respectively. The position of the pinch rail 30 in the vertical direction Z is determined by the positioning surfaces 34A1 and 34B1 being applied to the lower surface 91a of the guide rail 91. The guide rail 91 has high rigidity and high dimensional accuracy in order to smoothly slide the first carriage 95 and the second carriage 96. Further, the guide rail 91 is positioned with high precision with respect to the platen 11 so that the distance between the print head 70 and the cutting head 80 and the platen 11 becomes a predetermined distance. Therefore, the guide rail 91 is used for positioning the pinch rail 30 in the vertical direction Z.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6, the pinch rail 30 has an engaged portion 32 with which the pinch roller unit 40 engages. The engaged portion 32 is provided at the lower end of the pinch rail 30. The engaged portion 32 of the pinch rail 30 as an aggregate of the plurality of first short rails 30A and the plurality of second short rails 30B is configured by arranging each engaged portion 32A of the plurality of first short rails 30A and each engaged portion 32B of the plurality of second short rails 30B side by side in the main scanning direction Y. The pinch roller unit 40 moves in the main scanning direction Y by sliding along the engaged portion 32 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0032] [Configuration of the First Short Rail and the Second Short Rail] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B. In the following description of the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B, when referring to directions, the directions when the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B are attached to the printer 10 are appropriately used. As shown in FIG. 7, both the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B are configured in a flat plate shape extending in the main scanning direction Y and the vertical direction Z. The first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B are here formed by resin molding. However, the materials of the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B are not particularly limited. The first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B may be formed, for example, by aluminum die casting.

[0033] The first short rail 30A includes a flat plate-shaped planar portion 31A, an engaged portion 32A provided at the lower end of the planar portion 31A, a plurality of through holes 33A each penetrating the planar portion 31A in the sub-scanning direction X, and a plurality of protruding portions 34A provided at the upper end of the planar portion 31A. The flat plate-shaped planar portion 31A has a front surface 31A1 and a back surface 31A2. When the first short rail 30A is attached to the printer 10, the back surface 31A2 is applied to the front panel 12 of the printer 10. The engaged portion 32A is a portion where the pinch roller unit 40 is engaged. The engaged portion 32A is configured in a columnar shape having an axis extending in the main scanning direction Y. The plurality of through holes 33A are holes through which bolts B1 are inserted when the first short rail 30A is fixed to the front panel 12. The plurality of through holes 33A each penetrate the front surface 31A1 and the back surface 31A2 of the planar portion 31A. The plurality of through holes 33A are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y.

[0034] The plurality of protrusions 34A are provided at the upper end of the flat portion 31A so as to be arranged in the main scanning direction Y, and each protrudes upward from the upper end of the flat portion 31A. The upper surfaces of the plurality of protrusions 34A form the discontinuous upper surface of the first short rail 30A. The upper surfaces of the plurality of protrusions 34A are configured to be flat and substantially parallel to the engaged portion 32A. The upper surfaces of the plurality of protrusions 34A are, here, a plurality of positioning surfaces 34A1 that are applied to the lower surface 91a of the guide rail 91. The second short rail 30B also includes a flat portion 31B (more specifically, a front surface 31B1 and a rear surface 31B2), an engaged portion 32B, a plurality of through holes 33B, and a plurality of protrusions 34B similar to those of the first short rail 30A.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 7, the second short rail 30B has a different length in the main scanning direction Y from that of the first short rail 30A. Here, the length of the second short rail 30B in the main scanning direction Y is configured to be shorter than the length of the first short rail 30A in the main scanning direction Y. The height in the vertical direction Z of the first short rail 30A is the same as the height in the vertical direction Z of the second short rail 30B. More specifically, the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B have the same height of the engaged portion, the same height of the flat portion, the same height of the protrusion, and the same position in the vertical direction Z of the through hole.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 7, the diameter of the engaged portion 32A of the first short rail 30A is formed to be larger than the thickness of the flat portion 31A in the sub-scanning direction X. The engaged portion 32A protrudes in the front-rear direction more than the flat portion 31A. Also, the engaged portion 32A protrudes outward in the main scanning direction Y from the flat portion 31A, here, to the left and right. The engaged portion 32B of the second short rail 30B is configured in the same manner. The thickness of the flat portion 31B of the second short rail 30B in the sub-scanning direction X is the same as the thickness of the flat portion 31A of the first short rail 30A in the sub-scanning direction X. The diameter of the engaged portion 32B of the second short rail 30B is the same as the diameter of the engaged portion 32A of the first short rail 30A.

[0037] The plurality of through holes 33A of the first short rail 30A are arranged at equal intervals. The pitch of the plurality of through holes 33A of the first short rail 30A is the same as the pitch of the screw holes 12a (see FIG. 6) to which the bolts B1 are fastened on the front panel 12. Although not shown, the front panel 12 is provided with screw holes 12a at the same pitch as the plurality of through holes 33A of the first short rail 30A. The pitch of the plurality of through holes 33B of the second short rail 30B is the same as the pitch of the plurality of through holes 33A of the first short rail 30A. With such a configuration, the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B can be attached to the front panel 12. Note that since the length of the second short rail 30B in the main scanning direction Y is shorter than that of the first short rail 30A, the number of through holes 33B of the second short rail 30B is smaller than the number of through holes 33A of the first short rail 30A.

[0038] Also, the distance between the through hole 33A (for example, the right - end through hole 33A) at the end of the first short rail 30A in the main scanning direction Y and the end portion (for example, the right - end portion of the engaged portion 32A) of the engaged portion 32A in the same direction is half of the pitch of the screw hole 12a. Also in the second short rail 30B, the distance between the through hole 33B (for example, the left - end through hole 33B) at the end of the main scanning direction Y and the end portion (for example, the left - end portion of the engaged portion 32B) of the engaged portion 32B in the same direction is half of the pitch of the screw hole 12a. With such a configuration, the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B can be arranged without a gap in the main scanning direction Y.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 7, around the plurality of through holes 33A of the first short rail 30A, counterbores 35A for sinking the heads of the bolts B1 are formed. The counterbores 35A are provided on the front surface 31A1 side of the flat portion 31A. Similarly, the second short rail 30B also has counterbores 35B formed around each through hole 33A on the front surface 31B1 side of the flat portion 31B. The through holes 33A and counterbores 35A of the first short rail 30A and the through holes 33B and counterbores 35B of the second short rail 30B are the same and correspond to the bolts B1.

[0040] The first short rail 30A as a component often warps so as to bulge in any of the normal directions of the flat surface portion 31A (in FIG. 7, forward or backward). In the present embodiment, the direction of the countersinks 35A is aligned so that the convex side surface of the first short rail 30A becomes the front surface 31A1. The countersinks 35A may be formed by resin molding, and in that case, the warping direction is controlled during molding. Alternatively, the countersinks 35A may be formed by cutting after resin molding, and in that case, the surface for machining the countersinks 35A is determined by looking at the warping direction of the first short rail 30A during molding. The same applies to the second short rail 30B.

[0041] In the first short rail 30A, the plurality of protruding portions 34A are each provided above the through hole 33A. Therefore, the positioning surface 34A1 and the through hole 33A are arranged in the vertical direction. Also, the number of the positioning surfaces 34A1 is the same as the number of the through holes 33A. The second short rail 30B is configured in the same manner. Therefore, the number of the positioning surfaces 34B1 of the second short rail 30B is smaller than the number of the positioning surfaces 34A1 of the first short rail 30A.

[0042] As described above, the plurality of first short rails 30A and the plurality of second short rails 30B are each separately screwed to the front panel 12. Here, the plurality of first short rails 30A and the plurality of second short rails 30B are alternately arranged in the main scanning direction Y. However, the plurality of first short rails 30A and the plurality of second short rails 30B do not have to be alternately arranged in the main scanning direction Y. For fixing the first short rail 30A to the front panel 12, for example, while pressing the positioning surface 34A1 against the lower surface 91a of the guide rail 91, the bolt B1 inserted through the through hole 33A is tightened. Thereby, the positions of the first short rail 30A in the sub-scanning direction X and the vertical direction Z are determined. The same applies to the second short rail 30B.

[0043] The other short rails adjacent to one fixed short rail are aligned so as to be continuous with the fixed short rail in the main scanning direction Y. For such alignment, the through holes and the countersinks may be provided with play for the bolt B1. Specifically, the adjacent short rails are aligned such that the ends of the engaged portions contact each other. The engaged portion 32A of the first short rail 30A and the engaged portion 32B of the second short rail 30B protrude outward in the main scanning direction Y from the flat portions 31A and 31B. Therefore, it is possible to bring the engaged portions 32A and 32B into contact with each other. By the adjacent engaged portions contacting each other, a continuous engaged portion 32 is formed.

[0044] Regarding the warping direction, the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B are each fixed with the concave back surfaces 31A2 and 31B2 facing the front panel 12. The first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B each have through holes 33A and 32B formed in the central portion in the main scanning direction Y. Therefore, by fastening the bolt B1 inserted through the central through holes 33A and 32B to the front panel 12, the warping of the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B is corrected.

[0045] [Configuration of pinch roller unit] Next, the configuration of the pinch roller unit 40 will be described. As described above, the pinch roller unit 40 is a unit for pressing or releasing the medium 5, and includes a pinch roller 41 for pressing the medium 5. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the pinch roller unit 40 from the front side. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the pinch roller unit 40 from the rear side. FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pinch roller unit 40. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the pinch roller unit 40 longitudinally cut in the sub-scanning direction X. Further, FIG. 12 is a rear view of the printer 10, showing a plurality of pinch roller units 40 as viewed from the rear side. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the pinch roller unit 40 includes a pinch roller 41, a main body portion 50 engaged with the pinch rail 30, a roller holder 42 that is swingably supported by the main body portion 50 and supports the pinch roller 41, a swing shaft 43 of the roller holder 42, a spring 44 that biases the roller holder 42, and an operation member 45 that moves the roller holder 42 up and down. Here, the pinch roller 41, the roller holder 42, the swing shaft 43, and the spring 44 are directly or indirectly supported by the main body portion 50. As shown in FIG. 9, in the present embodiment, the operation member 45 is supported by the rear panel 13 of the printer 10. However, the operation member 45 may be supported by the main body portion 50. Note that the illustration of the operation member 45 is omitted in FIGS. 8 and 11.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 8, the main body portion 50 is formed in a hollow box shape. The main body portion 50 includes a front wall 50F, a left side wall 50L, a right side wall 50R, and an upper wall 50U. An internal space 50s (see FIG. 11) is formed inside the front wall 50F, the left side wall 50L, the right side wall 50R, and the upper wall 50U. The roller holder 42 is accommodated in the internal space 50s. Further, the internal space 50s houses a simultaneous lifting cam 61 (to be described in detail later) of the overall lifting mechanism 60.

[0047] The front wall 50F is provided with a front opening 51 through which the front end portion of the roller holder 42 passes. As shown in FIG. 9, the rear end portion of the main body portion 50 is open, forming a rear opening 52 through which the rear end portion of the roller holder 42 passes. The front end portion of the roller holder 42 protrudes outside the internal space 50s from the front opening 51. The rear end portion of the roller holder 42 protrudes outside the internal space 50s from the rear opening 52.

[0048] The upper wall 50U extends from the front end of the main body portion 50 to the central portion in the sub-scanning direction X. The upper wall 50U is provided with an engagement groove 53 and an upper surface opening 54. As shown in FIG. 6, the engagement groove 53 is a groove that engages with the engaged portion 32 of the pinch rail 30. As shown in FIG. 8, the engagement groove 53 is provided near the front end of the upper wall 50U. The engagement groove 53 is configured in a cylindrical hole shape corresponding to the engaged portion 32 of the pinch rail 30 and extends in the main scanning direction Y. The engagement groove 53 cuts through the upper wall 50U to the left and right. The engagement groove 53 reaches the left side wall 50L and the right side wall 50R. When the main body portion 50 is attached to the pinch rail 30, the engagement groove 53 cut through on the left and right is attached to the engaged portion 32 of the pinch rail 30.

[0049] The upper surface opening 54 is provided behind the engagement groove 53. The upper surface opening 54 is cut out at the rear end of the upper wall 50U. As shown in FIG. 11, the upper surface opening 54 is an opening for inserting the simultaneous lifting and lowering cam 61 into the internal space 50s of the main body portion 50.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 8, the left side wall 50L and the right side wall 50R each have a left support arm 50L1 and a right support arm 50R1 that protrude upward from the rear end portion. The left side wall 50L and the right side wall 50R are each configured in an L shape by the left support arm 50L1 and the right support arm 50R1 extending upward from the rear end portion. The left support arm 50L1 and the right support arm 50R1 are provided side by side in the main scanning direction Y. On the upper surfaces of the left support arm 50L1 and the right support arm 50R1, grooves 50L2 and 50R2 are provided so as to extend in the main scanning direction Y and the vertical direction Z, respectively.

[0051] Between the left support arm 50L1, the right support arm 50R1, and the upper wall 50U, the upper part is open. Among the left side wall 50L and the right side wall 50R, a pair of cam bearing portions 55a are formed at the left and right positions of the space where the upper part is open. The pair of cam bearing portions 55a are respectively substantially circular through holes that penetrate the left side wall 50L and the right side wall 50R in the left-right direction. The upper part of the pair of cam bearing portions 55a is open. The pair of cam bearing portions 55a are parts that receive the shaft portion 61a (described later) of the simultaneous lifting cam 61. The pair of cam bearing portions 55a, the open space between the pair of cam bearing portions 55a, and the space below the upper surface opening 54 (hereinafter, the cam accommodation space 55b) constitute a cam accommodation portion 55 that accommodates the simultaneous lifting cam 61.

[0052] Near the front lower corners of the left side wall 50L and the right side wall 50R, a pair of swing bearing portions 56 are provided. The pair of swing bearing portions 56 are respectively through holes that penetrate the left side wall 50L and the right side wall 50R in the main scanning direction Y.

[0053] A spring locking member 57 is spanned between the left support arm 50L1 and the right support arm 50R1. The spring locking member 57 is formed in a flat plate shape and is inserted into the groove 50L2 at the upper end of the left support arm 50L1 and the groove 50R2 at the upper end of the right support arm 50R1. However, the left support arm 50L1, the right support arm 50R1, and the spring locking member 57 may be integrally formed. The spring locking member 57 has two spring locking portions 57a. Here, the spring locking portion 57a is a through hole that penetrates the spring locking member 57 in the sub-scanning direction X. The pair of spring locking portions 57a are provided side by side in the main scanning direction Y.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 8, a pair of rotation stoppers 58 are formed on the back surfaces of the left side wall 50L and the right side wall 50R. The pair of rotation stoppers 58 are grooves formed on the back surfaces of the left side wall 50L and the right side wall 50R, respectively, and extending in the main scanning direction Y. The pair of rotation stoppers 58 are recessed forward from the back surfaces of the left side wall 50L and the right side wall 50R. As shown in FIG. 6, a folded portion 13a of the rear panel 13 of the printer 10 that is folded forward is inserted into the pair of rotation stoppers 58. Thereby, the main body 50 is prevented from rotating in the front-rear direction.

[0055] The roller holder 42 is housed in the internal space 50s of the main body 50 and is swingably supported by a swing shaft 43. As shown in FIG. 8, the swing shaft 43 is inserted into a pair of swing bearing portions 56. The swing shaft 43 extends in the main scanning direction Y at the front lower portion of the pinch roller unit 40.

[0056] The roller holder 42 is a member that supports the pinch roller 41 so as to be able to approach or separate from the grit roller 21. The roller holder 42 swings in a state where the pinch roller 41 is supported, thereby approaching or separating the pinch roller 41 from the grit roller 21. As shown in FIG. 11, the roller holder 42 has a plate-like shape extending in the sub-scanning direction X. Approximately two-thirds of the front side of the roller holder 42 is a flat portion 42a that takes a substantially horizontal posture in the internal space 50s of the main body 50. The portion of the roller holder 42 behind the flat portion 42a is an arm portion 42b that is refracted upward. The arm portion 42b is further refracted so that the rear end portion becomes substantially horizontal again. As shown in FIG. 11, the roller holder 42 includes a roller support portion 42c, a swing shaft insertion portion 42d, a simultaneous lifting cam receiving portion 42e, a spring locking portion 42f, and an individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g. Among these, the roller support portion 42c, the swing shaft insertion portion 42d, the simultaneous lifting cam receiving portion 42e, and the spring locking portion 42f are provided on the flat portion 42a. The individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g is provided on the arm portion 42b.

[0057] The roller support portion 42c is provided at the front end portion of the flat portion 42a, that is, the front end portion of the roller holder 42. The roller support portion 42c includes a rotation shaft 42c1 extending in the main scanning direction. The roller support portion 42c supports the pinch roller 41 so as to be rotatable around the rotation shaft 42c1. Thereby, the pinch roller 41 is rotatable in the sub-scanning direction X. The pinch roller 41 is a cylindrical member. The axis of the pinch roller 41 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The pinch roller 41 is arranged to face the grit roller 21 by being supported by the roller holder 42. Further, the pinch roller 41 approaches or separates from the grit roller 21 as the roller holder 42 swings.

[0058] The swing shaft insertion portion 42d is provided behind the roller support portion 42c. The swing shaft insertion portion 42d is a through hole penetrating in the main scanning direction Y, and the swing shaft 43 is inserted therethrough. The roller holder 42 is configured to be swingable around the swing shaft 43. When the roller holder 42 swings around the swing shaft 43, the pinch roller 41 supported at the front end portion of the roller holder 42 moves in the vertical direction Z. Specifically, when the portion behind the swing shaft 43 of the roller holder 42 is pushed downward, the pinch roller 41 disposed in front of the swing shaft 43 moves upward. When the portion behind the swing shaft 43 of the roller holder 42 is pulled upward, the pinch roller 41 moves downward. Note that the portion of the flat portion 42a behind the swing shaft insertion portion 42d is configured to be longer than the portion in front of the swing shaft insertion portion 42d.

[0059] The simultaneous lifting cam receiving portion 42e is provided behind the swing shaft insertion portion 42d in the flat portion 42a. Here, the distance of the simultaneous lifting cam receiving portion 42e from the swing shaft insertion portion 42d is configured to be longer than the distance of the pinch roller 41 from the swing shaft insertion portion 42d. The simultaneous lifting cam receiving portion 42e is a portion that is pushed by the simultaneous lifting cam 61. As shown in FIG. 11, the simultaneous lifting cam receiving portion 42e is located below the cam accommodation space 55b. Therefore, when the simultaneous lifting cam 61 is accommodated in the pinch roller unit 40, it is disposed above the simultaneous lifting cam receiving portion 42e. The simultaneous lifting cam receiving portion 42e is recessed with a curved surface downward so that the simultaneous lifting cam receiving portion 42e slides with respect to the simultaneous lifting cam 61 when the simultaneous lifting cam 61 rotates. When the simultaneous lifting cam 61 rotates and the simultaneous lifting cam receiving portion 42e is pushed downward, the pinch roller 41 moves upward.

[0060] The spring locking portion 42f is provided further behind the simultaneous lifting cam receiving portion 42e in the flat portion 42a. The spring locking portion 42f is configured to be able to hook the lower end hooks 44d (see FIG. 10) provided at the lower ends of the pair of springs 44. When the spring locking portion 42f is pulled upward as the spring 44 contracts, the pinch roller 41 moves downward.

[0061] An individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g is provided at the rear end portion of the arm portion 42b. The individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g is a substantially horizontal flat surface provided at the rear end portion of the arm portion 42b. The individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g is a portion that is pushed by the operation member 45. Although it will be described in detail later, when the user operates the operation member 45, the operation member 45 pushes the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g downward. When the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g is pushed downward, the pinch roller 41 moves upward.

[0062] A pair of springs 44 are locked to a pair of spring locking portions 57a of a spring locking member 57 and a spring locking portion 42f of a roller holder 42. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 10, the springs 44 are arranged vertically, and an upper end hook 44u provided at the upper end of the spring 44 is hooked on the spring locking portion 57a. A lower end hook 44d provided at the lower end of the spring 44 is hooked on the spring locking portion 42f of the roller holder 42. The spring 44 is locked to the spring locking portions 57a and 42f in an extended state. Therefore, the spring 44 pulls the spring locking portion 42f upward. As a result, the spring 44 biases the pinch roller 41 downward. When the simultaneous lifting and lowering cam 61 or the operating member 45 does not press the roller holder 42, the pinch roller 41 is pushed downward by the restoring force of the spring 44.

[0063] The operating member 45 is a member that moves the pinch roller 41 closer to or away from the grit roller 21. The operating member 45 is provided for each pinch roller unit 40 and individually raises and lowers the pinch roller 41 of the provided pinch roller unit 40. In the present embodiment, the operating member 45 moves the pinch roller 41 closer to or away from the grit roller 21 by swinging the roller holder 42 holding the pinch roller 41 according to a user's operation.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 9, the operation member 45 is provided above the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g of the roller holder 42 so as to be able to contact the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g. Here, the operation member 45 is provided on the rear panel 13 of the printer 10. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the rear panel 13 is provided on the upstream X2 side in the sub-scanning direction X from the pinch roller 41 and is exposed in the X2 direction. The operation members 45 of the respective pinch roller units 40 provided on the rear panel 13 are visible from the rear side of the printer 10. The operation members 45 of the respective pinch roller units 40 can be operated from the rear. In the present embodiment, the operation member 45 is provided at the rearmost position among the respective parts of the pinch roller unit 40, but it is sufficient that it is provided at least behind the pinch roller 41 and can be manually operated by the user. As shown in FIG. 9, the operation member 45 has a plate-like shape extending along a vertical plane.

[0065] FIG. 13 is a rear view of the pinch roller unit 40. As shown in FIG. 13, the operation member 45 includes a cam portion 45a, a lever 45b, and a rotation shaft 45c. The rotation shaft 45c is provided on the rear panel 13 and extends in the sub-scanning direction X. The cam portion 45a is supported by the rotation shaft 45c so as to be rotatable around the rotation shaft 45c. The cam portion 45a is an eccentric cam having an outer peripheral portion whose distance from the rotation shaft 45c varies depending on the rotation position. Here, the cam portion 45a has a substantially triangular shape in a rear view, and the rotation shaft 45c is provided at a position offset from the center of the cam portion 45a. The cam portion 45a has a contact portion 45a1 that contacts or separates from the roller holder 42 according to the rotation position. The contact portion 45a1 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the cam portion 45a, specifically, at one vertex of the substantially triangular cam portion 45a. Here, the contact portion 45a1 is a plane formed by notching the vertex. As shown in FIG. 13, in a rear view, the vertex of the substantially triangle provided with the contact portion 45a1 is the vertex farthest from the rotation shaft 45c. Therefore, the distance of the contact portion 45a1 from the rotation shaft 45c is longer than other portions of the cam portion 45a. The contact portion 45a1 can be brought into contact with the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g of the roller holder 42 by rotating the operation member 45. FIG. 14 is a rear view of the pinch roller unit 40 when the operation member 45 is in contact with the roller holder 42. As shown in FIG. 14, the contact portion 45a1 contacts the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g of the roller holder 42 by rotating the operation member 45 in the direction A shown in the figure.

[0066] The lever 45b extends along the side facing the contact portion 45a1 of the cam portion 45a. The extending direction of the lever 45b is substantially parallel to the extending direction of the contact portion 45a1. The lever 45b extends in the above-described direction and protrudes to the outside of the cam portion 45a. The lever 45b is connected to the cam portion 45a and is an example of a gripping portion capable of rotating the cam portion 45a. The user can grip the lever 45b to rotate the operating member 45. Here, the lever 45b is integrally formed with the cam portion 45a. However, the lever 45b may be configured as a separate part and attached to the cam portion 45a. The cam portion 45a and the lever 45b constitute an operating portion capable of moving the pinch roller 41 in a direction away from the grit roller 21 by pressing the contact portion 45a1 against the roller holder 42.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 9, the back panel 13 is provided with a stopper mounting portion 13b to which the stopper 46 can be detachably attached. The stopper 46 is attached to the stopper mounting portion 13b by the user when necessary. The stopper 46 is removed from the stopper mounting portion 13b when it is no longer needed. Here, the stopper mounting portion 13b is a screw hole. The stopper 46 is a screw that meshes with the stopper mounting portion 13b. The stopper mounting portion 13b is provided on the movement path of the lever 45b. The stopper 46 is a member that prevents the operating member 45 from returning from the position shown in FIG. 14 to the position shown in FIG. 13. The method of using the stopper 46 will be described later.

[0068] [Configuration of the overall lifting mechanism] The overall lifting mechanism 60 is a mechanism that lifts all the pinch rollers 41 of the plurality of pinch roller units 40 simultaneously. The overall lifting mechanism 60 is configured to be able to move all the pinch rollers 41 of the plurality of pinch roller units 40 closer to or away from the grit roller 21. The overall lifting mechanism 60 can hold all the pinch rollers 41 in a state separated from the grit roller 21. As will be described later, the overall lifting mechanism 60 is also configured to be able to release the holding of each pinch roller 41 by each operating member 45 of the plurality of pinch roller units 40 simultaneously.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 8, the overall lifting mechanism 60 includes a plurality of simultaneous lifting cams 61 housed in each pinch roller unit 40, a shaft 62 connected to the plurality of simultaneous lifting cams 61, and a pinch roller lever 63 (see FIG. 1) for rotating the shaft 62. As shown in FIG. 9, the shaft 62 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The shaft 62 is a rectangular shaft in the axial direction view. The shaft 62 is provided so as to pass at least above the entire area in the main scanning direction Y of the platen 11. Although not shown, the pinch roller lever 63 is connected to the shaft 62. By raising and lowering the pinch roller lever 63, the shaft 62 can be rotated around its axis. Further, the overall lifting mechanism 60 includes a mechanism for fixing the pinch roller lever 63 and the shaft 62 (not shown). The shaft 62 is inserted through the plurality of simultaneous lifting cams 61, and the plurality of simultaneous lifting cams 61 rotate together with the rotation of the shaft 62.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 8, the simultaneous lifting cam 61 includes a pair of shaft portions 61a, an eccentric portion 61b, and a shaft hole 61c. The eccentric portion 61b is accommodated in the cam accommodation space 55b of the pinch roller unit 40. The pair of shaft portions 61a extend left and right from the eccentric portion 61b respectively and are attached to the cam bearing portion 55a. The shaft hole 61c penetrates the pair of shaft portions 61a and the eccentric portion 61b in the main scanning direction Y. The shaft hole 61c is a hole having a rectangular shape corresponding to the shaft 62 in the axial direction view. Since the cross sections of the shaft 62 and the shaft hole 61c are rectangularly configured, when the shaft 62 rotates, the simultaneous lifting cam 61 rotates together with the shaft 62 without slipping relative to the shaft 62.

[0071] The shaft portion 61a is formed in a cylindrical shape corresponding to the cam bearing portion 55a. The shaft portion 61a is inserted from above into the cam bearing portion 55a that is open upward. The shaft hole 61c is formed so as to be centered with the shaft portion 61a. Therefore, when the shaft 62 rotates, the shaft portion 61a rotates without eccentricity. The shaft portion 61a rotates along the inner peripheral surface of the cam bearing portion 55a.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 11, the eccentric portion 61b is configured as an eccentric cam. The pair of shaft portions 61a and the eccentric portion 61b are configured as one part and are continuous. The eccentric portion 61b includes a protruding portion 61b1 that protrudes radially outward from the shaft portion 61a in the axial direction view. As shown in FIG. 11, when the eccentric portion 61b is located at a rotational position where the protruding portion 61b1 extends rearward, the protruding portion 61b1 is not in contact with the roller holder 42. Such a state is a state in which the pinch roller lever 63 is operated and the pinch roller 41 is lowered. When the pinch roller 41 cannot be lowered any further by hitting the medium 5 or the grit roller 21, the eccentric portion 61b is separated from the roller holder 42. At this time, the pinch roller 41 is pushed downward by the contraction force of the spring 44. In addition, in order to obtain the pressing force of the pinch roller 41, the distance from the swing shaft insertion portion 42d of the spring locking portion 42f is set longer than the distance from the swing shaft insertion portion 42d of the pinch roller 41. Thereby, based on the principle of the lever, a pressing force stronger than the contraction force of the spring 44 can be obtained.

[0073] The protruding portion 61b1 is formed such that the distance from the center of the shaft hole 61c (the rotation center of the unison lifting cam 61) varies depending on the circumferential position, and has a contact portion 61b2 that can contact the unison lifting cam receiving portion 42e in a state where the pinch roller 41 has completely descended. By operating the pinch roller lever 63 to rotate the shaft 62 in the B direction of FIG. 10, the contact portion 61b2 can be brought into contact with the unison lifting cam receiving portion 42e. Thereby, the roller holder 42 is pushed downward by the unison lifting cam 61. Then, the position of the unison lifting cam receiving portion 42e descends against the contraction force of the spring 44, and the pinch roller 41 rises. Further, if the pinch roller lever 63 is fixed, the pinch roller 41 is held in a state of being separated from the grit roller 21.

[0074] As described above, the overall lifting mechanism 60 includes a shaft 62 as an overall swing member that swings all the roller holders 42 and a plurality of simultaneous lifting cams 61. The overall lifting mechanism 60 also includes a pinch roller lever 63 that is connected to the shaft 62 as the overall swing member and is configured to operably control the shaft 62 as the overall swing member and the plurality of simultaneous lifting cams 61. The overall lifting mechanism 60 is configured to be able to move all the pinch rollers 41 of the plurality of pinch roller units 40 closer to or away from the grit roller 21 and to hold all the pinch rollers 41 in a state separated from the grit roller 21.

[0075] [Simultaneous Release of Individual Lifting and Individual Holding of Pinch Rollers] Hereinafter, the individual lifting of the pinch roller 41 and the simultaneous release of the individual holding of the pinch roller 41 will be described. When the pinch roller 41 is not lifted by the overall lifting mechanism 60, basically all the pinch rollers 41 are lowered by the biasing force of the spring 44 and are in contact with the media 5 or the grit roller 21. The vertical position of the pinch roller 41 in the state of being in contact with the media 5 or the grit roller 21 is hereinafter also referred to as the down position Pd (see FIG. 10). As shown in FIG. 10, when the pinch roller 41 is located at the down position Pd, the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g of the roller holder 42 is located at the first position P1. Printing and cutting are usually performed with all the pinch rollers 41 located at the down position Pd.

[0076] However, during printing or cutting, there may be a case where it is desired to lift some of the pinch rollers 41 to separate them from the media 5. For example, when unexpected floating occurs in a part of the media 5, it is necessary to lift the pinch roller 41 on the path of the floating in order to avoid collision with the floating of the media 5. In the present embodiment, in such a case, the operating member 45 of the pinch roller unit 40 can be operated to lift the pinch roller 41.

[0077] When the pinch roller 41 is not lifted by the operating member 45, the operating member 45 is positioned at the position shown in FIG. 13. Hereinafter, the position of the operating member 45 at this time is referred to as the separated position R1. As shown in FIG. 13, at the separated position R1, the operating member 45 is separated from the roller holder 42. In the state shown in FIG. 13, the pinch roller 41 is lowered and presses the media 5 from above. At the separated position R1, the lower end of the operating member 45 is located above the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g at the first position P1. As shown in FIG. 10, since the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g moves below the first position P1, the pinch roller 41 is movable in a state where the operating member 45 is located at the separated position R1. The pinch roller 41 is normally lowered by the overall lifting mechanism 60 during printing or cutting. Also, the pinch roller 41 is separated from the media 5 or the grit roller 21 by the overall lifting mechanism 60, for example, when replacing the media 5. As shown in FIG. 13, at the separated position R1, the lever 45b faces downward.

[0078] When the user wants to individually raise the pinch roller 41, the user rotates the lever 45b upward (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 14) from the state shown in FIG. 13. As shown in FIG. 14, when the lever 45b is rotated until it becomes substantially horizontal, the contact portion 45a1 that is substantially parallel to the lever 45b also becomes substantially horizontal. At this time, the contact portion 45a1 moves below the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g at the first position P1. Therefore, the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g is pushed downward by the operating member 45. Hereinafter, the position of the operating member 45 at this time is also referred to as the holding position R2. The operating member 45 is configured to move between the holding position R2 and the separated position R1 in response to the operation of the lever 45b. The position P2 in FIG. 10 is the position of the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g in a state where the operating member 45 is moved to the holding position R2. Hereinafter, the position of this individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g is also referred to as the second position P2. As shown in FIG. 10, when the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g moves to the second position P2, the pinch roller 41 rises from the down position Pd and moves to the individual up position Pi.

[0079] When the operating member 45 is positioned at the holding position R2, the contact portion 45a1 receives an upward force from the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g. Due to this force, a frictional force acts between the contact portion 45a1 and the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g. Therefore, the operating member 45 is held at the holding position R2. The pinch roller 41 is held at the individual up position Pi, in other words, in a state separated from the grit roller 21, when the operating member 45 is positioned at the holding position R2. The pinch roller unit 40 is configured such that the pinch roller 41 can be held in a state separated from the grit roller 21 by operating the operating member 45.

[0080] In addition, at the holding position R2, the contact portion 45a1 is substantially parallel to the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g. Therefore, the contact portion 45a1 receives only a substantially upward force from the roller holder 42. Therefore, it is difficult for the operating member 45 to come off from the holding position R2, and the pinch roller 41 is stably held at the individual up position Pi. Also, as shown in FIG. 10, in the present embodiment, the distance from the swing shaft insertion portion 42d of the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g is set to be longer than the distance from the swing shaft insertion portion 42d of the spring locking portion 42f. Therefore, based on the principle of a lever, the pinch roller 41 can be lifted with a small force. After that, when it is desired to lower the pinch roller 41 individually, the operating member 45 may be returned to the separated position R1.

[0081] Such individual holding of the pinch roller 41 can also be released all at once by the overall lifting mechanism 60. As described above, when a plurality of simultaneous lifting cams 61 are rotated by the upward operation of the pinch roller lever 63, all the pinch rollers 41 rise. The position Pt in FIG. 10 is the position of the pinch roller 41 when lifted by the overall lifting mechanism 60. Hereinafter, this position of the pinch roller 41 is also referred to as the simultaneous up position Pt. As shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, the simultaneous up position Pt is above the individual up position Pi. At that time, the position P3 (referred to as the third position P3) of the individual lifting cam receiving portion 42g corresponding to the simultaneous up position Pt of the pinch roller 41 is below the second position P2. Therefore, when the pinch roller 41 is moved to the simultaneous up position Pt by the overall lifting mechanism 60, the operating member 45 and the roller holder 42 are separated. When the simultaneous lifting cam 61 as the overall swinging member is pressed against the simultaneous lifting cam receiving portion 42e by the operation of the pinch roller lever 63, the roller holder 42 is configured to move away from the operating member 45 (specifically, the contact portion 45a1 in the state where the operating member 45 is located at the holding position R2) at the holding position R2.

[0082] When the contact portion 45a1 of the operating member 45 separates from the roller holder 42, the operating member 45 is configured to return from the holding position R2 to the separated position R1 by its own weight. As shown in FIG. 14, the lever 45b of the operating member 45 is located to the right of the cam portion 45a and is kept substantially horizontal at the holding position R2. When the operating member 45 separates from the roller holder 42 from this state, the operating member 45 rotates counterclockwise (in the direction opposite to the A direction) in a rear view. As a result, the operating member 45 moves to the separated position R1. Thereby, the holding of the individual pinch rollers 41 by the operating member 45 is released.

[0083] In this way, the individual holding of the pinch rollers 41 by the pinch roller unit 40 is released by holding all the pinch rollers 41 at the simultaneous up position Pt by the overall lifting mechanism 60. Then, all the pinch rollers 41 are brought into the up state by the overall lifting mechanism 60 while releasing the individual up state.

[0084] [How to Use the Stopper] In this embodiment, by attaching the stopper 46 to the stopper mounting portion 13b, the individual holding state of the pinch roller 41 can also be maintained. By maintaining the individual holding state of the pinch roller 41, for example, the pinch roller 41 that needs to be constantly separated from the medium 5 can be separated from the medium 5 without operating the operating member 45 each time.

[0085] When using the stopper 46, first position the operating member 45 at the holding position R2. Then, attach the stopper 46 to the stopper mounting portion 13b. Then, as shown in FIG. 14, the stopper 46 is disposed below the lever 45b at the holding position R2. Therefore, the stopper 46 prevents the operating member 45 from moving to the separated position R1. As a result, the pinch roller 41 is maintained in an individual up state. When the user no longer needs to maintain the pinch roller 41 in an individual up state, the user can also release the individual up state of the pinch roller 41 by removing the stopper 46. Note that the stopper 46 does not need to maintain the operating member 45 at the holding position R2. It is sufficient for the stopper 46 to prevent the operating member 45 from moving to the separated position R1. The pinch roller 41 only needs to be separated from the grit roller 21 in a state where the stopper 46 is attached to the stopper mounting portion 13b and the movement of the operating member 45 is blocked by the stopper 46.

[0086] [Operational Effects of This Embodiment] Hereinafter, the operational effects exhibited by the printer 10 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0087] [Operational Effects of the Split Pinch Rail] First, the effects of the divided pinch rail 30 will be described. Conventionally, a member (referred to as an engaged member) with which a pinch roller unit is movably engaged in the main scanning direction was not divided as in this embodiment and was formed as a single part. The engaged member was formed, for example, by cutting out a metal material by machining. In order for the pinch roller unit to slide smoothly, it is preferable that the engaged member be formed as straight as possible. Therefore, the engaged member was configured to have high rigidity and high dimensional accuracy. Therefore, the engaged member was formed of, for example, a high-strength metal or with a large thickness and was manufactured to have high dimensional accuracy. Therefore, its cost was high. This tendency was more prominent as the length of the engaged member in the main scanning direction was longer.

[0088] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the pinch rail 30 is divided into a plurality of short rails 30A and 30B arranged in the main scanning direction Y. Since the lengths of the plurality of short rails 30A and 30B in the main scanning direction Y are shorter than the entire length of the pinch rail 30, bending can be reduced even without having the rigidity as in the case of forming the pinch rail 30 as a single part. Also, since the lengths of the individual short rails 30A and 30B in the main scanning direction Y are short, dimensional errors are small even without machining with high precision. Therefore, the cost of the pinch rail 30 can be suppressed. As a result, the cost of the printer 10 can be suppressed.

[0089] In this embodiment, the plurality of short rails 30A and 30B are formed by resin molding. Since high rigidity and high dimensional accuracy are not required for the individual short rails 30A and 30B, it is possible to form the short rails 30A and 30B with, for example, resin in this way. Therefore, the cost can be significantly reduced compared to the case of forming the pinch rail 30 by cutting out stainless steel, for example. In addition, the cost can be similarly reduced even when the plurality of short rails 30A and 30B are formed by aluminum die casting.

[0090] In this embodiment, the plurality of short rails 30A and 30B include a plurality of (which may be one) first short rails 30A and a plurality of (which may be one) second short rails 30B whose lengths in the main scanning direction Y are different from those of the first short rails 30A. By preparing a plurality of types of short rails 30A and 30B having different lengths in the main scanning direction Y, a method of dividing the pinch rail can be applied to printers having various lengths in the main scanning direction Y. In addition, for printers having various lengths in the main scanning direction Y, the short rails as components can be made common.

[0091] In this embodiment, the guide rail 91 with which the print head 70 and the cutting head 80 are engaged has a surface (here, the lower surface 91a) facing the platen 11, and the positioning surfaces 34A1 and 34B1 of the plurality of short rails 30A and 30B are in contact with the lower surface 91a of the guide rail 91. Thereby, as described above, the position of the pinch rail 30 in the vertical direction Z is more accurately positioned. By making the position of the pinch rail 30 in the vertical direction Z with respect to the platen 11 more accurate, the variation among the forces with which the plurality of pinch rollers 41 press the medium 5 respectively becomes smaller. In this embodiment, since the pinch rail 30 is divided into a plurality of short rails 30A and 30B, it is possible to apply the pinch rail 30 to the guide rail 91 more accurately and easily. If the pinch rail is not divided into a plurality of short rails, for example, due to distortion of the pinch rail, it may not be possible to accurately apply the pinch rail to the guide rail. Also, such an application operation is difficult because the pinch rail is long. On the other hand, in the case of this embodiment, since the lengths of the individual short rails 30A and 30B in the main scanning direction Y are short, the distortion of the individual short rails 30A and 30B is small, and the pinch rail 30 can be applied to the guide rail 91 more accurately. Also, the application operation is easy. In addition, the application of the pinch rail 30 to the front panel 12 is also more accurate and easy because the pinch rail 30 is divided into a plurality of short rails 30A and 30B.

[0092] In this embodiment, the short rails 30A and 30B include a plurality of protruding portions 34A that protrude upward more than other portions, and a positioning surface 34A1, which is the upper surface of the protruding portion 34A, constitutes the discontinuous upper surface of the short rails 30A and 30B. According to such a configuration, the positioning accuracy of the positioning surfaces 34A1 and 34B1 with respect to the engaged portions 32A and 32B can be improved. For example, if the upper surface of the first short rail 30A is formed as a continuous surface, the length of such an upper surface in the main scanning direction Y becomes long. Since the first short rail 30A is a resin molded product here, when the length of the upper surface in the main scanning direction Y becomes long, correspondingly, the position of the upper surface in the vertical direction Z with respect to the engaged portion 32A is likely to vary. On the other hand, in this embodiment, by providing a plurality of protruding portions 34A that protrude upward more than other portions, the length of the positioning surface 34A1 in the main scanning direction Y is shortened. Therefore, the variation in the position of the positioning surface 34A1 in the vertical direction Z with respect to the engaged portion 32A is reduced. The same applies to the second short rail 30B. When the accuracy of the distance between the engaged portion 32A and the positioning surface 34A1 and the accuracy of the distance between the engaged portion 32B and the positioning surface 34B1 are increased, the positions of the plurality of engaged portions 32A and 32B in the vertical direction Z become more aligned. As a result, the linearity of the entire engaged portion 32 is improved, and the pinch roller unit 40 can be moved more smoothly along the pinch rail 30. Also, the accuracy of the position of the pinch roller 41 in the vertical direction Z with respect to the platen 11 is increased.

[0093] In this embodiment, the engaged portions 32A of the first short rail 30A and the engaged portions 32B of the second short rail 30B each protrude outward in the main scanning direction Y from other portions of the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B. According to such a configuration, when the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y, the engaged portion 32A and the engaged portion 32B can be brought into contact with each other. As a result, the engaged portion 32 can be made to continue without interruption. For example, when the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y, if the flat portions 31A and 31B come into contact with each other and the engaged portions 32A and 32B do not come into contact with each other, the engaged portion 32 will become discontinuous. In such a state, there is a possibility that the smooth sliding of the pinch roller unit 40 will be hindered. In this embodiment, by protruding the engaged portions 32A and 32B outward in the main scanning direction Y from other portions of the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B, such a problem is prevented.

[0094] Also, in this embodiment, as described above, the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B are fixed to the front panel 12 after aligning their warping directions so as to bulge on the side opposite to the side of the front panel 12. Therefore, the warping of the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B is corrected. Such correction of warping is possible because the rigidity of the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B is not very high.

[0095] [Operation and Effect of a Pinch Roller Unit with Individually Movable Pinch Rollers] Next, the operation effect of the pinch roller unit 40 in which the pinch rollers 41 can be individually raised and lowered will be described. As described above, in the present embodiment, each pinch roller unit 40 includes an operation member 45 configured to be able to individually separate the pinch roller 41 from the grit roller 21. Therefore, for example, when a part of the media 5 floats from the platen 11, the pinch roller 41 provided at a location where a part of the media 5 where the floating occurs passes can be raised. Thereby, for example, a problem such as the media 5 getting caught by being entangled with the pinch roller 41 can be avoided. And, as for the entire printer 10, the media 5 can be continuously held down. Further, since the floating of the media 5 is often eliminated by separating the pinch roller 41 near the location where the floating of the media 5 occurs from the media 5, in such a case, after the floating is eliminated, the pinch roller 41 separated from the media 5 can be brought into contact with the media 5 again.

[0096] Situations where it is necessary to individually raise and lower the pinch rollers 41 as described above often occur during printing or cutting. However, a print head 70 and a cutting head 80 are provided on the downstream X1 side of the plurality of pinch roller units 40, and the print head 70 or the cutting head 80 is running and driving during printing or cutting. Therefore, the operation of operating the pinch roller unit 40 from the downstream X1 side in the sub-scanning direction X is dangerous and basically impossible. Also, temporarily stopping printing or cutting is likely to affect print quality or cutting quality. In the case of printing, if the printing operation is temporarily stopped, for example, the printing state may change before and after the temporary stop. In the case of cutting, if the cutting operation is temporarily stopped, for example, the penetration of ink into the media 5 progresses and the dimensions of the media 5 change, and there is a risk that the cutting position will shift before and after the temporary stop. Also, interrupting printing or cutting reduces the productivity of printing or cutting.

[0097] Therefore, in the present embodiment, the operation member 45 is provided in the upstream X2 direction in the sub-scanning direction X with respect to the pinch roller 41 and is configured to be operable by the user. According to such a configuration, the user can perform an individual lifting operation of the pinch roller 41 from the upstream X2 side in the sub-scanning direction X. Therefore, even during printing or cutting, the user is not exposed to the danger caused by the running and driving of the print head 70 and the cutting head 80. Therefore, the individual lifting operation of the pinch roller 41 can be performed without interrupting the printing or cutting operation. That is, according to the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, the lifting of each of the plurality of pinch rollers 41 can be performed at a desired timing including during printing and cutting.

[0098] Furthermore, the pinch roller unit 40 according to the present embodiment includes a roller holder 42 that swings while supporting the pinch roller 41 to move the pinch roller 41 closer to or away from the grit roller 21. The operation member 45 is configured to move the pinch roller 41 in the vertical direction Z by contacting or separating from the roller holder 42 to swing the roller holder 42. More specifically, the operation member 45 includes a cam portion 45a having a contact portion 45a1 that contacts or separates from the roller holder 42 according to the rotational position, and a lever 45b that is connected to the cam portion 45a and is capable of rotating the cam portion 45a. According to such a configuration, the user can move the pinch roller 41 by a simple operation of gripping the lever 45b and rotating the cam portion 45a.

[0099] The printer 10 according to the present embodiment further includes an overall lifting mechanism 60 that can move all pinch rollers 41 closer to or away from the grit roller 21 and hold all the pinch rollers 41 in a state separated from the grit roller 21. In the present embodiment, the individual holding of the pinch rollers 41 by the pinch roller unit 40 is released by holding all the pinch rollers 41 by the overall lifting mechanism 60. According to such a configuration, the individual holding states of the pinch rollers 41 can be released all at once by operating the overall lifting mechanism 60. Therefore, the work of releasing the holding state of the pinch rollers 41 is simplified. In addition, it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting to release the holding state.

[0100] More specifically, in the present embodiment, when the simultaneous lifting cam 61 abuts against the roller holder 42 by operating the pinch roller lever 63 and the roller holder 42 is held by the simultaneous lifting cam 61, the roller holder 42 is configured to move away from the operating member 45 located at the holding position R2. Here, when the roller holder 42 is held by the simultaneous lifting cam 61, the roller holder 42 moves downward from the operating member 45 at the holding position R2. When the operating member 45 moves away from the roller holder 42, the operating member 45 moves from the holding position R2 to the separated position R1. As a result, the individual holding of the pinch rollers 41 by the operating member 45 is released. According to such a configuration, since a special member for connecting the overall lifting mechanism 60 and each operating member 45 is not required, the simultaneous release of the individual holding of the pinch rollers 41 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0101] Furthermore, in the release of the holding state, the operating member 45 is configured to move from the holding position R2 to the separated position R1 by its own weight. According to such a configuration, the holding state of the pinch rollers 41 can be released all at once with a simpler configuration. Note that the configuration for the operating member 45 to move from the holding position R2 to the separated position R1 after leaving the roller holder 42 is not limited to the one based on its own weight. For example, after the operating member 45 moves away from the roller holder 42, the operating member 45 may move from the holding position R2 to the separated position R1 by the force of an elastic body such as a spring.

[0102] The printer 10 according to this embodiment further includes a stopper 46 that prevents the operation member 45 from moving to the separated position R1, and a stopper mounting portion 13b to which the stopper 46 can be attached and detached. The pinch roller 41 is configured to be separated from the grit roller 21 in a state where the stopper 46 is attached to the stopper mounting portion 13b and the operation member 45 is prevented from moving by the stopper 46. According to such a configuration, by attaching the stopper 46 to the stopper mounting portion 13b, each pinch roller 41 can also be individually maintained in a state separated from the grit roller 21. By maintaining the state in which each pinch roller 41 is separated from the grit roller 21, for example, the pinch roller 41 that is desired to be constantly separated from the medium 5 can be separated from the medium 5 without operating the operation member 45 each time. Further, when it is no longer necessary, the stopper 46 can be removed to release the holding state of the pinch roller 41.

[0103] [Other Embodiments] As described above, a preferred embodiment has been described. However, the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the technology disclosed herein can be implemented in various other forms.

[0104] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the plurality of short rails 30A and 30B were configured in a flat plate shape, but the shape of the short rail and the pinch rail as an aggregate thereof is not particularly limited. The short rail and the pinch rail may be configured, for example, in a prismatic shape or a cylindrical shape. The short rail does not necessarily have to be applied to and positioned on the guide rail with which the carriage engages, nor does it have to be fixed to the front panel. The positioning method and fixing method of the short rail are not limited.

[0105] In the above-described embodiment, the quantities of the first short rail 30A and the second short rail 30B were both plural, but the quantity of one of them may be one or zero. Also, the quantities of both may be one. The pinch rail may be constituted by a plurality of short rails arranged side by side in the main scanning direction. For example, the pinch rail may be constituted by arranging one type of short rail side by side in the main scanning direction.

[0106] In the above-described embodiment, the plurality of short rails 30A and 30B were arranged so as to be in contact with each other in the main scanning direction Y, and the pinch rail 30 was continuous in the main scanning direction Y, but the pinch rail may be provided so as to extend intermittently in the main scanning direction. The pinch rail may be constituted by a plurality of short rails arranged side by side in the main scanning direction and does not have to be continuous. The "pinch rail extending in the main scanning direction" includes a pinch rail constituted by a plurality of short rails continuously arranged in the main scanning direction and a pinch rail constituted by a plurality of short rails intermittently arranged in the main scanning direction. For example, the pinch rail may intermittently exist within a range where it is necessary to slide the pinch roller unit and may not exist in other places. Also, when it is not necessary for the user to move the pinch roller unit, the pinch rail may be provided intermittently and used only for adjusting the position of the pinch roller unit during printer manufacturing.

[0107] A media conveyance device for conveying media includes, for example, a support base for supporting the media and a conveyance device for conveying the media supported by the support base in a predetermined conveyance direction. The conveyance device may include a first split rail, a second split rail, a first pinch roller unit, and a second pinch roller unit. The first split rail is provided on the support base and extends in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. A drive roller that rotates in the conveyance direction and a member provided to face the support base and extending in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction may be provided. The second split rail is provided side by side with the first split rail in the orthogonal direction and may extend in the orthogonal direction. The first pinch roller unit includes a first pinch roller that can contact or disengage from the drive roller and may be engaged with the first split rail so as to be movable in the orthogonal direction along the first split rail. The second pinch roller unit includes a second pinch roller that can contact or disengage from the drive roller and may be engaged with the second split rail so as to be movable in the orthogonal direction along the second split rail. According to such a media conveyance device, since the first split rail is provided in the sliding range of the first pinch roller unit, the second split rail is provided in the sliding range of the second pinch roller unit, and a gap may be provided between the first split rail and the second split rail, it is possible to reduce the members related to the rails compared to providing a long rail with which the first pinch roller unit and the second pinch roller unit are engaged. Also, the cost of the media conveyance device can be reduced.

[0108] In the above-described embodiment, the pinch roller 41 is moved up and down by the cam portion 45a of the operation member 45, but the moving method of the pinch roller is not limited. The pinch roller may be moved in the vertical direction, for example, along a slide guide or the like. Alternatively, the pinch roller may be moved, for example, by inserting and removing a wedge-shaped member between the support member of the pinch roller and another member. In the above-described embodiment, the pinch roller 41 rises when the operation member 45 abuts, but it may also fall when the operation member 45 abuts. For example, the pinch roller may be biased upward by an elastic member and move downward when the operation member abuts. In the above-described embodiment, the roller holder 42 swings around the swing shaft 43 to move the pinch roller 41 in the vertical direction Z. However, for example, the pinch roller may be moved in the vertical direction by the roller holder moving in the vertical direction (for example, sliding).

[0109] In the above-described embodiment, the printer 10 includes the overall lifting mechanism 60 that moves all the pinch rollers 41 of the plurality of pinch roller units 40 in the vertical direction Z, but it may not include the overall lifting mechanism. Even when including the overall lifting mechanism, the printer may not be configured such that the individual holding states of the pinch rollers are all released by operating the overall lifting mechanism. The printer may include another mechanism for releasing the individual holding states of the pinch rollers all at once, or may not include a mechanism for releasing the individual holding states of the pinch rollers all at once.

[0110] In the above-described embodiment, the operation member 45 is provided only in the upstream X2 direction in the sub-scanning direction X with respect to the print head 70, the cutting head 80, and the pinch roller 41. However, the pinch roller unit may be provided on the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction with respect to the pinch roller and may further include another operation member that can be operated from the front of the printer.

[0111] The device according to the above-described embodiment was a printer with a cutting head, but the technology disclosed herein can also be applied to devices other than printers with a cutting head. Devices to which the technology disclosed herein is applied may be, for example, printers that include a print head for printing on media but do not include a cutting head, or cutting devices that include a cutting head for cutting media but do not include a print head. Even when the device to which the technology is applied is a printer with a cutting head, its configuration is not limited to that shown in the embodiment. The device to which the technology disclosed herein is applied may be, for example, a media conveyance device that does not include a head for processing media such as a print head or a cutting head.

[0112] In addition, the embodiments described herein do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. For example, the configuration of the pinch roller unit and the configuration of the overall lifting mechanism described above are merely examples and do not limit the present invention.

[0113] [Other inventions] As described in Patent Document 1, a long shaft extending to the outside of the platen is preferably formed as straight as possible so that the pinch roller unit can slide smoothly. However, it is difficult to form such a so-called long member straight unless it is configured to have high rigidity. Furthermore, high machining accuracy is required for the member. Therefore, the cost of the member that slidably engages the pinch roller unit tends to be high.

[0114] The other inventions described below have been made in view of such points, and the purpose thereof is to provide a media conveyance device that can change the position of the pinch roller unit in the width direction of the media and has a lower cost. Another purpose is to provide a printer and a cutting device including such a media conveyance device.

[0115] The first media conveyance device includes a support base for supporting a media, and a conveyance device for conveying the media supported by the support base in a predetermined conveyance direction. The conveyance device includes a drive roller, a rail, and a pinch roller unit. The drive roller is provided on the support base and extends in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, and rotates in the conveyance direction. The rail is provided so as to face the support base and extends in the orthogonal direction. The pinch roller unit includes a pinch roller that can be brought into contact with or separated from the drive roller, and is engaged with the rail so as to be movable in the orthogonal direction along the rail. The rail is composed of a plurality of short rails arranged side by side in the orthogonal direction.

[0116] According to the first media conveyance device described above, the rail with which the pinch roller unit is engaged so as to be slidable in the orthogonal direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the media is composed of a plurality of short rails arranged side by side in the orthogonal direction. Since the rail is thus divided into a plurality of short rails, high rigidity and high machining accuracy are not required for each individual short rail. Therefore, the cost of the rail can be suppressed, and as a result, the cost of the media conveyance device can be suppressed.

[0117] The second media conveyance device is the same as the first media conveyance device, except that the plurality of short rails include one or more first short rails, and one or more second short rails having a different length in the orthogonal direction from the first short rails.

[0118] A third invention is a printer including a print head provided so as to face the support base, and the first or second media conveyance device.

[0119] A fourth invention is, in the printer of the third invention, It further includes a guide rail that has a surface facing the support table and extends in the orthogonal direction, with which the print head engages. Each of the plurality of short rails has a positioning surface that is applied to the surface of the guide rail facing the support table.

[0120] The fifth invention is a cutting device including a cutting head provided to face the support table and the first or second media conveyance device.

[0121] The sixth invention is, in the cutting device of the fifth invention, it further includes a guide rail that has a surface facing the support table and extends in the orthogonal direction, with which the cutting head engages. Each of the plurality of short rails has a positioning surface that is applied to the surface of the guide rail facing the support table.

Explanation of Signs

[0122] 5 Media 10 Inkjet printer with cutting head 11 Platen (support table) 20 Conveyance device 21 Grit roller (drive roller) 30 Pinch rail 30A First short rail 30B Second short rail 70 Print head 80 Cutting head 90 Head moving device 91 Guide rail X Sub-scanning direction (conveyance direction) Y Main scanning direction (orthogonal direction)

Claims

1. A support base for supporting a medium, A conveying device for conveying the medium supported by the support base in a predetermined conveying direction, A print head provided so as to face the support base, A guide rail having a surface facing the support base, extending in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, and engaged with the print head, comprising: The conveying device is, A drive roller provided on the support base, extending in the orthogonal direction, and rotating in the conveying direction, A rail provided so as to face the support base and extending in the orthogonal direction, A pinch roller unit including a pinch roller capable of contacting or separating from the drive roller and engaged with the rail, The rail is composed of a plurality of short rails arranged side by side in the orthogonal direction, The plurality of short rails each have a positioning surface applied to the surface of the guide rail facing the support base, a printer.

2. The plurality of short rails are, One or more first short rails, One or more second short rails having a different length in the orthogonal direction from the first short rails, including, The printer according to claim 1.

3. A support base for supporting a medium, A conveying device for conveying the medium supported by the support base in a predetermined conveying direction, A cutting head provided so as to face the support base, A guide rail having a surface facing the support base, extending in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, and engaged with the cutting head, comprising: The conveying device is, A drive roller provided on the support base, extending in the orthogonal direction, and rotating in the conveying direction, A rail provided so as to face the support base and extending in the orthogonal direction, A pinch roller unit including a pinch roller capable of contacting or separating from the drive roller and engaged with the rail, The rail is composed of a plurality of short rails arranged side by side in the orthogonal direction, The plurality of short rails each have a positioning surface applied to the surface of the guide rail facing the support base, a cutting device.

4. The plurality of short rails are, One or more first short rails, One or more second short rails having a different length in the orthogonal direction from the first short rails, including, The cutting device according to claim 3.

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