Ink ejection mechanism, printing apparatus, and method for fixing an inkjet head

Abstract

To provide an ink ejection mechanism, a printing device and a method for fixing an inkjet head that can readily fit the inkjet head to a carriage.SOLUTION: An ink ejection mechanism 5 includes: a carriage 7 moving in an orthogonal direction to a transportation direction of a recording medium 4; a head assembly disposed to the carriage 7 so as to be detachable and ejecting ink to the recording medium 4; and a fixing unit for pressing the head assembly from above to fix the head assembly to the carriage 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ink ejection mechanism, a printing apparatus, and a method for fixing an inkjet head.

Background Art

[0002] There is a widespread printing apparatus in which an inkjet head mounted on a carriage moves relative to a medium while the inkjet head ejects ink to form an image on the medium.

[0003] In such a printing apparatus, the inkjet head is replaced due to reasons such as failure or maintenance. In this case, when mounting a new inkjet head on the carriage, it is necessary to adjust the position of the inkjet head on the carriage.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a discharge direction position regulating mechanism that regulates the movement of a recording head (inkjet head) in the discharge direction of ink from the nozzles in order to adjust the position for fixing the recording head (inkjet head) to a mounting base (carriage).

[0005] In the printing apparatus of Patent Document 1, there are a plurality of recording heads that discharge the same color. After mounting the plurality of recording heads on a module base, they are mounted on the carriage for each module base. Then, the fixing and fine adjustment between the recording head and the module base are performed by a fixing portion constituted by screws.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, in the position adjustment described in Patent Document 1, workability may deteriorate when the recording head becomes larger or the number of recording heads increases. Also, an operator needs a tool suitable for the screw to finely adjust the mounting position of the recording head with the screw, and skilled techniques of the operator are required for the fine adjustment using the tool.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an ink ejection mechanism, a printing apparatus, and a method for fixing an inkjet head that can easily attach the inkjet head to a carriage.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] An ink ejection mechanism according to an aspect of the present invention includes a carriage that moves in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of a medium, an inkjet head that is detachably disposed on the carriage and ejects ink onto the medium, and a fixing unit that fixes the inkjet head to the carriage by pressing the inkjet head from above.

[0010] According to this configuration, since the fixing unit is used to fix the inkjet head to the carriage, the work of fastening the inkjet head and the carriage with screws as in the prior art becomes unnecessary. And since the fixing unit fixes the inkjet head to the carriage by pressing the inkjet head from above, the attachment of the inkjet head to the carriage can be easily performed.

[0011] In the above ink ejection mechanism, the fixing unit may include a first fixing portion that fixes the fixing unit to the carriage and a second fixing portion that fixes the inkjet head to the carriage. According to this configuration, the attachment of the inkjet head to the carriage can be easily performed by the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion.

[0012] In the above ink ejection mechanism, the first fixing portion is a male screw inserted into a hole formed in the fixing unit, and the male screw may be screwed into a female screw formed in the carriage. According to this configuration, an operator can easily attach the fixing unit to the carriage by screwing the male screw, which is the first fixing portion, into the female screw formed in the carriage.

[0013] In the above ink ejection mechanism, the second fixing portion may include an operation member provided outside a side surface portion of the fixing unit, and a head fixing member provided inside the fixing unit that presses the inkjet head from above in response to an operation on the operation member to fix the inkjet head to the carriage. According to this configuration, an operator can easily attach the inkjet head to the carriage via the fixing unit by operating the operation portion.

[0014] In the above ink ejection mechanism, the head fixing member may include a lever member that rotates in response to an operation on the operation member, and a pressing member attached to a lower end of the lever member via a biasing member that presses the inkjet head against the carriage. According to this configuration, an operator can easily attach the inkjet head to the carriage via the fixing unit by rotating the lever.

[0015] In the above ink ejection mechanism, the carriage may include a position adjustment portion that adjusts a horizontal position of the inkjet head on an upper surface of the carriage. According to this configuration, an operator can easily adjust the position of the inkjet head in the horizontal direction.

[0016] In the above ink ejection mechanism, the position adjustment portion may include a columnar rotating member that rotates about a central axis and has a contact surface that contacts a side surface of the inkjet head and whose thickness varies along a rotation direction. According to this configuration, an operator can easily adjust the position of the inkjet head in the horizontal direction by rotating the position adjustment portion.

[0017] In the above ink ejection mechanism, a pressure adjustment unit that supplies ink to the inkjet head after adjusting the pressure of the ink is disposed at the upper part of the inkjet head, and ink supply connection parts that can be detachably attached simultaneously may be coupled to a plurality of ink inflow parts of the pressure adjustment unit. According to this configuration, the attachment of the ink supply connection part to the pressure adjustment unit can be easily performed.

[0018] A printing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes the ink ejection mechanism described above.

[0019] A method for fixing an inkjet head according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for fixing an inkjet head that is detachably disposed on a carriage that moves in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of a medium and ejects ink onto the medium. The method includes: a first step of disposing the inkjet head on the carriage; a second step of disposing, from above the inkjet head, a fixing unit that fixes the inkjet head to the carriage on the carriage; a third step of fixing the fixing unit to the carriage by a first fixing part provided on the fixing unit; a fourth step of adjusting a horizontal position of the inkjet head on the upper surface of the carriage by a position adjustment part provided on the upper surface of the carriage; and a fifth step of fixing the inkjet head to the carriage by a second fixing part provided on the fixing unit. Head The method further includes: a fifth step of fixing the inkjet head to the carriage by a second fixing part provided on the fixing unit.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] An object of the present invention is to provide an ink ejection mechanism, a printing apparatus, and a method for fixing an inkjet head, which can easily attach the inkjet head to a carriage.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, the inkjet printer 1 of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printer 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an ink ejection mechanism 5 of the inkjet printer 1 shown in FIG. 1. In the following description, the main scanning direction (Y direction) is referred to as the "left - right direction", the sub - scanning direction (X direction in FIG. 1 etc.) orthogonal to the up - down direction (Z direction in FIG. 1 etc.) and the main scanning direction is referred to as the "front - back direction". Also, the Y1 - direction side in FIG. 1 etc., which is one side of the left - right direction, is referred to as the "right" side, the Y2 - direction side in FIG. 1 etc., which is the opposite side of the right side, is referred to as the "left" side, the X1 - direction side in FIG. 1 etc., which is one side of the front - back direction, is referred to as the "front" side, and the X2 - direction side in FIG. 1 etc., which is the opposite side of the front side, is referred to as the "rear" side. It is a schematic view of an ink ejection mechanism 5 of the inkjet printer 1. In the following description, the main scanning direction (Y direction) is referred to as the "left - right direction", the sub - scanning direction (X direction in FIG. 1 etc.) orthogonal to the up - down direction (Z direction in FIG. 1 etc.) and the main scanning direction is referred to as the "front - back direction". Also, the Y1 - direction side in FIG. 1 etc., which is one side of the left - right direction, is referred to as the "right" side, the Y2 - direction side in FIG. 1 etc., which is the opposite side of the right side, is referred to as the "left" side, the X1 - direction side in FIG. 1 etc., which is one side of the front - back direction, is referred to as the "front" side, and the X2 - direction side in FIG. 1 etc., which is the opposite side of the front side, is referred to as the "rear" side.

[0024] The inkjet printer 1 according to the present embodiment is, for example, an inkjet printer for business use, and performs printing on a recording medium 4 placed on a platen 3 using ink stored in an ink storage unit 2. The recording medium 4 is, for example, printing paper, fabric, or a resin film.

[0025] The ink ejection mechanism 5 of the inkjet printer 1 includes an inkjet head 6, a carriage 7, a carriage drive mechanism 8, and a guide rail 10. The inkjet printer 1 also includes a control device 12 for controlling the ink ejection mechanism 5.

[0026] The inkjet head 6 is detachably arranged on the carriage 7 and ejects ink supplied from the ink storage unit 2 to the recording medium 4 based on image data. As an example, the inkjet head 6 ejects ultraviolet - curable ink (UV ink) downward. A nozzle surface (ink ejection surface) on which a plurality of nozzles are arranged is formed on the lower surface of the inkjet head 6, and it is provided with a piezoelectric element for ejecting ink from the nozzles.

[0027] The carriage 7 moves in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording medium 4 (the sub-scanning direction which is the X direction in FIG. 1 etc., the main scanning direction which is the Y direction). More specifically, the carriage 7 mounts the inkjet head 6 and moves in the main scanning direction by the carriage drive mechanism 8 while being guided in the main scanning direction by the guide rail 10.

[0028] The carriage drive mechanism 8 includes, for example, two pulleys, a belt that is wound around the two pulleys and a part of which is fixed to the carriage 7, and a motor that rotates the pulley.

[0029] The control device 12 controls the motor included in the carriage drive mechanism 8 based on the image data, and outputs an ink ejection signal based on the image data to the inkjet head 6 to cause the inkjet head 6 to eject ink.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an assembly (hereinafter referred to as a "head assembly") 20 including the inkjet head 6 of the present embodiment.

[0031] In addition to the inkjet head 6, the head assembly 20 includes a pressure damper 22, a relay board 24, a relay cable 26, a flexible flat cable (hereinafter referred to as "FFC") 27, and an adjustment plate 28.

[0032] The pressure damper 22 is a pressure adjustment unit disposed above the inkjet head 6. Ink is supplied from the ink storage unit 2, and after adjusting the pressure of the ink, the ink is supplied to the inkjet head 6. Note that the pressure damper 22 is provided with a plurality of ink supply ports according to the type of color ejected by the inkjet head 6 and the number of nozzle rows, and supplies ink to the inkjet head 6.

[0033] The relay board 24 receives control signals such as head drive signals from the control device 12 via the relay cable 26. This control signal is output to the inkjet head 6 via the pressure damper 22 and the FFC 27.

[0034] The adjustment plate 28 is a fixing plate for attaching the inkjet head 6 to the carriage 7 regardless of the shape or type of the inkjet head 6. The inkjet head 6 is connected to the adjustment plate 28 using screws.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the process of attaching the head assembly 20 of the present embodiment to the carriage 7. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the fixing unit 30 of the present embodiment attaches the head assembly 20 to the carriage 7. Note that, in FIG. 5, a case where one head assembly 20 is fixed to the carriage 7 by the fixing unit 30 is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and two or more head assemblies 20 may be fixed to the carriage 7 by the respective fixing units 30. Further, the fixing unit 30 described below is also an example, and two or more fixing units 30 may be integrally formed as long as the basic configuration is the same.

[0036] The attachment of the head assembly 20 to the carriage 7 is performed by the fixing unit 30. The fixing unit 30 fixes the inkjet head 6 to the carriage 7 by pressing the head assembly 20 including the inkjet head 6 from above.

[0037] When the head assembly 20 is fixed to the carriage 7 by the fixing unit 30, an ink supply connection portion 32 for supplying ink is connected to the upper portion of the pressure damper 22. The relay cable 26 is connected to a port 29 provided in the carriage 7.

[0038] Further, the carriage 7 includes a position adjustment portion 34 on its upper surface. The position adjustment portion 34 is a member that adjusts the horizontal position of the inkjet head 6 on the upper surface of the carriage 7 and is operated by an operator. Note that an opening 45 is formed in the fixing unit 30 so that the fixing unit 30 and the position adjustment portion 34 do not interfere with each other when the fixing unit 30 is fixed to the carriage 7.

[0039] Next, with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8, the configuration of the fixing unit 30 and the fixing of the inkjet head 6 (head assembly 20) to the carriage 7 by the fixing unit 30 will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the first fixing portion 40 and the second fixing portion 42 of the fixing unit 30 of the present embodiment. FIG. 6(a) is a schematic side view of the first fixing portion 40, and FIG. 6(b) is a schematic side view of the second fixing portion 42. FIG. 7 is a top view of the second fixing portion 42 of the present embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic enlarged view showing before and after the operation on the operation member 50. FIG. 8(a) is a schematic enlarged view before lowering the operation member 50, and FIG. 8(b) is a schematic enlarged view in a state where the operation member 50 is lowered. Note that FIGS. 6 to 8 illustrate the configuration of the head assembly 20 with some parts omitted as appropriate.

[0040] The fixing unit 30 includes an upper surface portion 36, a side surface portion 38, a first fixing portion 40, and a second fixing portion 42 that fixes the inkjet head 6 to the carriage 7.

[0041] The upper surface portion 36 is formed with an opening 44 for protruding the upper part of the head assembly 20 and two insertion holes 46 for inserting the first fixing portion 40 (male screw). The side surface portion 38 is formed with four surfaces as an example so as to surround the head assembly 20.

[0042] The first fixing portion 40 is a member that fixes the fixing unit 30 to the carriage 7. The first fixing portion 40 of the present embodiment is a male screw having a length from the upper surface of the fixing unit 30 to the carriage 7. The male screw is inserted into the insertion hole 46 formed in the upper surface portion 36 of the fixing unit 30 and screwed into the female screw 49 formed in the carriage 7. The upper part of the male screw is a knob (handle) as an example, and an operator can easily attach the fixing unit 30 to the carriage 7 by grasping and rotating the knob.

[0043] In this embodiment, as an example, insertion holes 46 are formed at two opposing locations on the upper surface portion 36 of the fixing unit 30, and female threads 49 are formed on the upper surface of the carriage 7 so as to match this position. However, the number of the insertion holes 46 and the female threads 49 is not limited to this, and they may be formed at one or more locations.

[0044] Further, the fixing unit 30 of this embodiment is provided with a first fixing portion 40 on the front side where the operation member 50 described later is provided and on the back side opposite to the front side, but it is not limited to this. The first fixing portion 40 may be provided, for example, on the side surface side of the fixing unit 30. Further, the insertion hole 46 is a hole that penetrates the side surface portion 38 from top to bottom, and the first fixing portion 40 may penetrate inside the side surface portion 38. In this way, as long as the fixing unit 30 can be fixed to the carriage 7 by the first fixing portion 40, the position where the insertion hole 46 is formed is not limited.

[0045] The second fixing portion 42 is a member that fixes the inkjet head 6 to the carriage 7. The second fixing portion 42 of this embodiment includes an operation member 50 and a head fixing member 52.

[0046] The operation member 50 is provided outside the side surface portion 38 of the fixing unit 30 and is a lever that rotates in the vertical direction. The operation member 50 of this embodiment is connected to the central portion of a connecting member 56 that is sandwiched between two sets of head fixing members 52 via a fastening member 54. Both ends of the connecting member 56 are connected to link members 58 that constitute the head fixing member 52.

[0047] The head fixing member 52 is provided inside the fixing unit 30 and presses the head assembly 20 from above in response to an operation on the operation member 50 to fix the inkjet head 6 to the carriage 7. Two sets of the head fixing members 52 of this embodiment are provided along the opposing surfaces inside the fixing unit 30. The two sets of head fixing members 52 are connected in the vicinity of their ends by a connecting member 56 that extends in a direction orthogonal to the surface along which the fixing unit 30 extends.

[0048] By rotating the operation member 50 upward or downward, it becomes possible to simultaneously move the head fixing members 52 on both sides that are connected via the fastening member 54 and the connecting member 56.

[0049] The head fixing member 52 includes a pair of link members 58 along the opposing inner surfaces of the fixing unit 30, and two pressing members 60 on each side.

[0050] The link member 58 is connected to the other link member 58 by the connecting member 56. The link member 58 extends horizontally along the side surface portion 38 of the fixing unit 30, and springs 62, which are biasing members, are provided at two locations in a direction parallel to the extending direction. One end (the connecting member 56 side) of each spring 62 is connected to the upper side surface of the pressing member 60, and the other end of each spring 62 is connected to the link member 58.

[0051] The pressing member 60 includes a strut member 64 and a pressing member 66.

[0052] The strut member 64 rotates in response to an operation on the operation member 50. The pressing member 66 is attached to the lower end of the strut member 64 via the spring 62 and presses the inkjet head 6 against the carriage 7. More specifically, the strut member 64 extends downward from the link member 58, the spring 62 is connected to the upper side surface, and the pressing member 66 is provided at the lower end. And the strut member 64 has a rotation shaft 68 pivotally supported inside the side surface portion 38 of the fixing unit 30 and is a strut that rotates about the rotation shaft 68.

[0053] Also, as shown in the enlarged schematic view of FIG. 8, one end of the fastening member 54 is connected to the fastening hole 50a of the operation member 50, and the other end of the fastening member 54 is connected to the fastening hole 58a of the link member 58 via the connecting member 56. Note that the fastening hole 50a of the operation member 50 is formed in a protrusion on one end side rather than the central portion of the operation member 50. Also, a rotation shaft 50b of the operation member 50 is formed at one end of the operation member 50.

[0054] With the configuration of the second fixing portion 42 as described above, when an operator rotates the operating member 50 in the A direction of FIGS. 6 and 8 about the rotation axis 50b of the operating member 50, the fastening member 54 pulls the link member 58 in the B direction. As a result, the lever member 64 connected to the link member 58 via the spring 62 rotates in the C direction about the rotation axis 68. The pressing member 66 presses the inkjet head 6 (adjustment plate 28) against the carriage 7 along with the movement of the lever member 64 that rotates according to the operation on the operating member 50. By such an operation of the second fixing portion 42, the head assembly 20 is fixed to the carriage 7.

[0055] In addition, in the present embodiment, the head fixing members 52 are provided on two opposing surfaces of the fixing unit 30, and each head fixing member 52 includes two pressing members 60. Therefore, the fixing unit 30 presses the four corners of the adjustment plate 28 with the four pressing members 60.

[0056] As described above, in the fixing unit 30 of the present embodiment, the operator can easily fix the head assembly 20 (inkjet head 6) to the carriage 7 by operating the operating member 50. When releasing the fixing of the inkjet head 6 to the carriage 7, the operating member 50 is rotated upward from below.

[0057] Further, the head fixing member 52 includes a lever member 64 that rotates according to the operation on the operating member 50, and a pressing member 66 that is attached to the lower end of the lever member 64 via a spring 70 and presses the head assembly 20 against the carriage 7. In this way, the head fixing member 52 can fix the inkjet head 6 to the carriage 7 with a strong pressing force by a mechanism combining a spring and a lever.

[0058] FIG. 9 is an external perspective view of the position adjustment unit 34 of the present embodiment. FIG. 9(a) is an overall view including the inkjet head 6, and FIG. 9(b) is an enlarged view of the position adjustment unit 34.

[0059] The position adjustment unit 34 of the present embodiment includes a rotation operation member 72 operated by an operator and a columnar rotation member 74. The central axis of the rotation member 74 is coaxial with the central axis of the rotation operation member 72, and the rotation member 74 rotates by rotating the rotation operation member 72. Note that the rotation operation member 72 and the rotation member 74 are fixed to the carriage 7 by a support member 76 so as to be rotatable.

[0060] The rotation member 74 rotates about the central axis, and the thickness of the contact surface 74A that contacts the side surface of the head assembly 20 (adjustment plate 28 in the present embodiment) changes along the rotation direction. Specifically, the contact surface 74A of the rotation member 74 is formed in a spiral shape with a changing thickness. And, the adjustment plate 28 is provided with a contact portion 78 that contacts the contact surface 74A of the rotation member 74.

[0061] In addition, a rotation center portion 79 is provided at the position of the carriage 7 that is the point target with the inkjet head 6 interposed with respect to the contact portion 78.

[0062] With such a configuration, when the operator rotates the rotation operation member 72 in the direction in which the thickness of the rotation member 74 increases, the rotation member 74 presses the contact portion 78 of the adjustment plate 28. As a result, the head assembly 20 rotates in the horizontal direction about the rotation center portion 79 as the central axis, and the operator can easily adjust the position of the head assembly 20.

[0063] In addition, the four sides of the adjustment plate 28 may be in contact with the carriage 7 via a biasing member such as a spring. Thus, even if the head assembly 20 is pressed by the position adjustment unit 34, by rotating the rotation operation member 72 in the reverse direction, the head assembly 20 moves in the original direction by the biasing force of the biasing member, and fine adjustment of the head assembly 20 becomes possible.

[0064] Next, with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, the configuration of the ink supply connection portion 32 connected to the pressure damper 22 will be described. FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of the ink supply connection portion 32 of the present embodiment, FIG. 10(a) is an external view, and FIG. 10(b) is an exploded view of the upper part 32A and the lower part 32B. FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the coupling process between the ink supply connection portion 32 of the present embodiment and the ink inflow portion 96 provided in the pressure damper 22, FIG. 11(a) shows before coupling, FIG. 11(b) shows during coupling, and FIG. 11(c) shows the completion of coupling.

[0065] The ink supply connection portion 32 is a component for supplying ink to the pressure damper 22 and is detachably attachable to a plurality of ink inflow portions 96 of the pressure damper 22 at the same time.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 10, the ink supply connection portion 32 of the present embodiment has an upper part 32A and a lower part 32B. That is, the ink supply connection portion 32 is formed by fitting the upper part 32A and the lower part 32B together.

[0067] An ink supply passage 80 is provided in the upper part 32A. The ink supply passage 80 is connected to the ink inflow portion 96 of the pressure damper 22 and supplies ink to the pressure damper 22. The ink supply passages 80 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 are formed of two passages, and ink is supplied to the pressure damper 22 for each passage. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and those having ink supply passages 80 corresponding to the number of ink inflow portions 96 of the pressure damper 22 in the ink supply connection portion 32 are appropriately selected. Further, a check valve for preventing the ink from flowing backward is provided in the ink supply passage 80.

[0068] A space is formed in the lower surface member 82 of the lower part 32B so that the ink supply passage 80 and the ink inflow portion 96 of the pressure damper 22 can be connected. Further, coupling members 84A and 84B are arranged on the lower surface member 82 so as to overlap in the vertical direction.

[0069] The coupling member 84A is provided with a push button 86, and a claw portion 90A is provided on the opposite side of the push button 86 via a side plate 88A. Further, the coupling member 84B has a structure symmetrical to the coupling member 84A with respect to left and right, and a claw portion 90B is provided on the opposite side of the receiving plate 92 via a side plate 88B. The claw portions 90A and 90B are formed with inclined surfaces facing downward, and a horizontal surface is formed at the position of the upper end of the inclined surface.

[0070] Springs 94 are respectively arranged in the gaps between the back surface of the push button 86 of the coupling member 84A and the back surface of the claw portion 90B of the coupling member 84B, and between the back surface of the receiving plate 92 of the coupling member 84B and the back surface of the claw portion 90A of the coupling member 84A.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 11, claw portions 98C and 98D are formed in the ink inflow portion 96. The claw portions 98C and 98D are formed with inclined surfaces facing upward, and a horizontal surface is formed at the position of the lower end of the inclined surface. That is, the claw portions 98C and 98D are formed in a shape symmetrical to the shape of the claw portions 90A and 90B so as to be able to be fitted with the claw portions 90A and 90B of the ink supply connection portion 32.

[0072] Next, the coupling of the ink supply connection portion 32 and the ink inflow portion 96 of the pressure damper 22 will be described with reference to FIG. 11.

[0073] First, an operator pushes the ink supply connection portion 32 from above the ink inflow portion 96 (FIG. 11(a)). As a result, the claw portion 98C pushes the claw portion 90A toward the receiving plate 92, and the claw portion 98D pushes the claw portion 90B toward the push button 86. In this way, the claw portions 90A and 90B are pushed apart by the claw portions 98C and 98D (FIG. 11(b)).

[0074] Then, until the horizontal surfaces of the claw portions 90A and 90B come into contact with the horizontal surfaces of the claw portions 98C and 98D, when the ink supply connection portion 32 is pushed into the ink inflow portion 96, the claw portions 90A and 90B return to their original positions and close (FIG. 11(c)). Thereby, the ink supply connection portion 32 and the ink inflow portion 96 are coupled (locked). Therefore, the operator can easily attach the ink supply connection portion 32 to the pressure damper 22.

[0075] On the other hand, when releasing the connection between the ink supply connection portion 32 and the ink inflow portion 96, the operator pulls the ink supply connection portion 32 upward while pressing the push button 86. By pressing the push button 86A, the claw portions 90A and 90B will open, so the fitting between the claw portions 90A and 90B and the claw portions 98C and 98D is released, and the operator can easily remove the ink supply connection portion 32 from the ink inflow portion 96.

[0076] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the process of attaching the head assembly 20 of the present embodiment to the carriage 7.

[0077] First, in step S100, the head assembly 20 is placed at a predetermined position on the carriage 7.

[0078] In the next step S102, the fixing unit 30 is placed on the carriage 7 from above the head assembly 20.

[0079] In the next step S104, the fixing unit 30 is fixed to the carriage 7 by the first fixing portion 40 provided on the fixing unit 30.

[0080] In the next step S106, the horizontal position of the head assembly 20 on the upper surface of the carriage 7 is adjusted by the position adjusting portion 34 provided on the upper surface of the carriage 7.

[0081] In the next step S108, the head assembly 20 is fixed to the carriage 7 by the second fixing portion 42 provided on the fixing unit 30.

[0082] As described above, the present invention has been described using the above embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention, and the forms with such changes or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Also, the above embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

[0083] In the above-described embodiment, the form in which the inkjet head 6 is fixed to the carriage 7 via the adjustment plate 28 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the inkjet head 6 may be fixed to the carriage 7 without using the adjustment plate 28. In the case of this form, the second fixing portion 42 of the fixing unit 30 presses the upper end portion of the inkjet head 6 against the carriage 7.

[0084] Further, the configuration of the fixing unit 30 is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment. FIG. 13 shows the configuration of the fixing unit 30 according to another embodiment. The operation member 50 shown in FIG. 13 is fixed to the central portion of the connecting member 56 that connects two sets of head fixing members 52, and a rotation shaft 50A is provided obliquely downward in front of the fixing position with respect to the connecting member 56. Both ends of the connecting member 56 are connected to link members 58 that constitute the head fixing member 52 via fastening members 54. In this way, one end of the fastening member 54 is rotatably connected to the connecting member 56, and the other end is rotatably connected to the link member 58. Note that the link member 58 is located obliquely downward with respect to the connecting member 56.

[0085] In the configuration shown in FIG. 13, when the operator rotates the operation member 50 in the downward direction (A direction) from above, the connecting member 56 and the fastening member 54 move in the direction (B direction) of the operation member 50. Along with this, the link member 58 also moves in the B direction. When the link member 58 moves in the B direction, the lever member 64 connected to the link member 58 by the spring 62 rotates downward (C direction) about the rotation shaft 68, and the pressing member 66 presses the adjustment plate 28 against the carriage 7. On the other hand, by rotating the operation member 50 in the upward direction from below, the head fixing member 52 moves in the opposite direction to the above, and the fixing is released.

[0086] (Effect of the Embodiment) (1) The ink ejection mechanism 5 of this embodiment includes a carriage 7 that moves in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording medium 4, a head assembly 20 that is detachably disposed on the carriage 7 and ejects ink onto the recording medium 4, and a fixing unit 30 that fixes the head assembly 20 to the carriage 7 by pressing the head assembly 20 from above.

[0087] According to this embodiment, since the fixing unit 30 is used to fix the head assembly 20 to the carriage 7, the operation for fastening the head assembly 20 and the carriage 7 with screws as in the prior art becomes unnecessary. And since the fixing unit 30 fixes the head assembly 20 to the carriage 7 by pressing the head assembly 20 from above, the attachment of the head assembly 20 to the carriage 7 can be easily performed.

[0088] (2) The fixing unit 30 of this embodiment includes a first fixing portion 40 that fixes the fixing unit 30 to the carriage 7, and a second fixing portion 42 that fixes the head assembly 20 to the carriage 7. According to this embodiment, the attachment of the head assembly 20 to the carriage 7 can be easily performed by the first fixing portion 40 and the second fixing portion 42.

[0089] (3) The first fixing portion 40 of this embodiment is a male screw that is inserted into an insertion hole 46 formed in the fixing unit 30, and the male screw is screwed into a female screw 49 formed in the carriage 7. According to this embodiment, an operator can easily attach the fixing unit 30 to the carriage 7 by screwing the male screw 49, which is the first fixing portion 40, into the female screw formed in the carriage 7.

[0090] (4) The second fixing part 42 of this embodiment includes an operating member 50 provided outside the side surface 38 of the fixing unit 30, and a head fixing member 52 provided inside the fixing unit 30 that presses the head assembly 20 from above in response to an operation on the operating member 50 to fix the head assembly 20 to the carriage 7. According to this embodiment, an operator can easily attach the head assembly 20 to the carriage 7 via the fixing unit 30 by operating the operating part.

[0091] (5) The head fixing member 52 of this embodiment includes a lever member 64 that rotates in response to an operation on the operating member 50, and a pressing member 66 that is attached to the lower end of the lever member 64 via a spring 70 and presses the head assembly 20 against the carriage 7. According to this embodiment, an operator can easily attach the head assembly 20 to the carriage 7 via the fixing unit 30 by rotating the lever.

[0092] (6) The carriage 7 of this embodiment includes a position adjusting part 34 that adjusts the horizontal position of the head assembly 20 on the upper surface of the carriage 7. According to this configuration, the horizontal position of the head assembly 20 can be easily adjusted.

[0093] (7) The position adjusting part 34 of this embodiment includes a columnar rotating member 74 that rotates about a central axis and has a contact surface 74A that contacts the side surface of the head assembly 20 and whose thickness changes along the rotation direction. According to this embodiment, an operator can easily adjust the horizontal position of the head assembly 20 by rotating the position adjusting part 34.

[0094] (8) In the head assembly 20 of this embodiment, a pressure damper 22 that supplies ink to the head assembly 20 after adjusting the pressure of the ink is disposed at the upper part, and ink supply connection parts 32 that are simultaneously detachable are coupled to a plurality of ink inflow parts 96 of the pressure damper 22. According to this embodiment, the attachment of the ink supply connection part 32 to the pressure damper 22 can be easily performed.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0095] 1 Inkjet printer (printing device) 5 Ink ejection mechanism 6 Inkjet head 7 Carriage 22 Pressure damper (pressure adjustment unit) 30 Fixed unit 32 Ink supply connection part 34 Position adjustment unit 40 First fixing part 42 Second fixing part 50 Operating member 52 Head fixing member 64 Lever member 66 Pressing member 74 Rotating member 96 Ink inflow part

Claims

1. A carriage that moves in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the medium, An inkjet head that is detachably disposed on the carriage and discharges ink onto the medium, A fixing unit that fixes the inkjet head to the carriage by pressing the inkjet head from above, Comprising: The fixing unit is A first fixing portion that fixes the fixing unit to the carriage, A second fixing portion that fixes the inkjet head to the carriage, Comprising: The second fixing portion is An operation member provided outside the side surface of the fixing unit, A head fixing member provided inside the fixing unit that presses the inkjet head from above in response to an operation on the operation member to fix the inkjet head to the carriage, An ink discharge mechanism comprising.

2. The first fixing portion is a male screw inserted through a hole formed in the fixing unit, The male screw is screwed into a female screw formed in the carriage, The ink discharge mechanism according to claim 1.

3. The head fixing member is A lever member that rotates in response to an operation on the operation member, A pressing member attached to the lower end of the lever member via a biasing member that presses the inkjet head against the carriage, The ink discharge mechanism according to claim 1, comprising.

4. The carriage includes a position adjustment unit that adjusts the horizontal position of the inkjet head on the upper surface of the carriage, the ink discharge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The position adjustment unit includes a columnar rotating member that rotates about a central axis and has a thickness of a contact surface that contacts the side surface of the inkjet head changing along the rotation direction, the ink discharge mechanism according to claim 4.

6. The inkjet head has a pressure adjustment unit that supplies ink to the inkjet head after adjusting the pressure of the ink disposed at the upper part, An ink supply connection portion that is simultaneously detachable is coupled to a plurality of ink inflow portions of the pressure adjustment unit, the ink discharge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A printing apparatus comprising the ink discharge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A method for fixing an inkjet head that is detachably disposed on a carriage moving in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of a medium and discharges ink onto the medium, a first step of disposing the inkjet head on the carriage; a second step of disposing a fixing unit for fixing the inkjet head to the carriage above the inkjet head and on the carriage; a third step of fixing the fixing unit to the carriage by a first fixing portion provided on the fixing unit for fixing the fixing unit to the carriage; a fourth step of adjusting a horizontal position of the inkjet head on the upper surface of the carriage by a position adjusting portion provided on the upper surface of the carriage; a fifth step of fixing the inkjet head to the carriage by a second fixing portion provided on the fixing unit for fixing the inkjet head to the carriage; comprising: the second fixing portion an operation member provided outside a side surface portion of the fixing unit; a head fixing member provided inside the fixing unit, pressing the inkjet head from above in response to an operation on the operation member, and fixing the inkjet head to the carriage; A method for fixing an inkjet head, comprising the above components.

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