Recording device

Abstract

To suppress contact between a recording medium and a recording surface of a recording head.SOLUTION: A printer 100 includes a recording head 1, a conveyance part 4 for conveying paper P, and a waveform-shaped applying mechanism 5. The conveyance part 4 has a plurality of upper rollers 41a arranged side by side in a scanning direction. The waveform-shaped applying mechanism 5 has seven corrugated plates 51. Each of the corrugated plates 51 has a pressing part 51a arranged between a nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1 and a platen 3 in a vertical direction. The pressing parts 51a are arranged between the upper rollers 41a and the recording head 1 in a conveyance direction, and in a passing region T1, T2 which end parts in the scanning direction of paper Pmin with a minimum width pass through and between one or more upper rollers 41a placed at the outside of the scanning direction than the passing region T1, T2 out of the places between the plurality of upper rollers 41a in the scanning direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording device for recording an image on a recording medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes an image recording device that includes a pair of conveying rollers (conveying section) that are arranged upstream in the conveying direction from a head (recording head) that records an image on paper (recording medium) and that conveys the paper to an area opposite the nozzles of the head, and multiple corrugated plates. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-115043 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the image recording device described in Patent Document 1, the upper roller of the conveying roller pair is a long roller that extends longitudinally along the width direction (orthogonal direction) of the paper. However, a configuration in which multiple short rollers are arranged in the width direction has the following problems: In a configuration in which multiple short rollers are arranged as the upper roller, when the width direction edge of the paper passes between adjacent rollers and adjacent corrugated plates, the edge may lift up and rub against the nozzles. In particular, when an image is recorded on the flap side of an envelope (recording medium) with a closed flap, if the width direction edge of the envelope is conveyed while passing between the multiple rollers that make up the upper roller, the edge of the envelope may bulge due to the folding of the flap. Since the bulged portion is no longer sandwiched between the upper roller and the lower roller, the envelope is conveyed to the area facing the nozzles of the head with the bulged edge. As a result, the bulging portion of the envelope comes into contact with the nozzle of the head, causing problems such as scratches on the nozzle of the head and soiling the envelope due to contact with the nozzle of the head.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus that can prevent contact between the recording medium and the recording surface of the recording head. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The recording device of the present invention includes a recording head having a recording surface for recording an image on a recording medium, a transport unit that transports the recording medium in a transport direction to an area facing the recording surface, a support member that supports the back surface of the recording medium opposite the surface facing the recording head, and a contact member that is arranged between the recording surface and the support member in a direction perpendicular to the recording surface and is capable of contacting the surface of the recording medium. The transport unit is arranged upstream of the recording head in the transport direction and has a plurality of rollers that are arranged side by side in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the perpendicular direction and that contact the surface of the recording medium, the contact member being arranged between the roller and the recording head in the transport direction and between two adjacent rollers in the orthogonal direction, and the contact member is arranged in a passing region through which an end of a recording medium that is smallest in width in the orthogonal direction among recording media that can be transported by the transport unit passes, and between at least one roller that is located outside the passing region in the orthogonal direction. and further comprising a corrugation mechanism that imparts to the recording medium a corrugated shape in which peaks approaching the recording surface and valleys that are farther from the recording surface than the peaks are aligned along the orthogonal direction, the contact member is a member that imparts the corrugated shape to the recording medium and is included in the corrugation mechanism, the corrugation mechanism includes a plurality of contact members that are arranged side by side along the orthogonal direction so as to impart the shapes of a plurality of valleys to the recording medium, the plurality of contact members being arranged at equal intervals along the orthogonal direction, at least one of the plurality of contact members having a valley imparting portion that imparts the shape of the valleys to the recording medium and a partial imparting portion that extends from the valley imparting portion in the orthogonal direction and imparts the shape of a portion between two adjacent valleys of the recording medium, the partial imparting portion being arranged between the at least one roller. There are. and a contact member that is arranged between the recording surface and the support member in a direction perpendicular to the recording surface and that is capable of contacting the surface of the recording medium, the contact member being arranged upstream of the recording head in the conveyance direction and having a plurality of rollers that are in contact with the surface of the recording medium and are arranged side by side in an orthogonal direction that is perpendicular to the conveyance direction and the perpendicular direction, the contact member being arranged upstream of the recording head in the conveyance direction and being in contact with the surface of the recording medium, the contact member being arranged upstream of the recording head in the conveyance direction and having a plurality of rollers that are in contact with the surface of the recording medium and that are arranged side by side in an orthogonal direction that is perpendicular to the conveyance direction and the perpendicular direction, the contact member being arranged upstream of the recording head in the conveyance direction and having a region between two of the rollers that are adjacent to each other in the orthogonal direction, the contact member being arranged upstream of the recording head in the conveyance direction and having a region between the rollers and the recording head that is in contact with the surface of the recording medium and that is capable of contacting the surface of the recording medium and that is capable of contacting the surface of the recording medium, the contact member being arranged upstream of the recording head in the conveyance direction and having a region between two of the rollers that are adjacent to each other in the orthogonal direction, the contact member being arranged upstream of the recording head in the conveyance direction and having a region through which an end of the orthogonal direction of a recording medium that is smallest in width in the orthogonal direction among the recording media that can be conveyed by the conveyance unit passes. the contact member is a member that imparts the corrugated shape to the recording medium and is included in the corrugated shape imparting mechanism, and the corrugated shape imparting mechanism includes a plurality of contact members that are arranged in the orthogonal direction to impart the shape of the plurality of valleys to the recording medium, and a plurality of first contact members that are arranged to impart the shape of the plurality of valleys to the recording medium, and a second contact member that is arranged closer to the recording surface than the first contact members in the perpendicular direction and is arranged to impart the shape of a portion of the recording medium between two adjacent valleys, and the second contact member is arranged between the at least one roller. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the recording device of the present invention, when a recording medium is conveyed, even if the edge of the recording medium in the perpendicular direction passes between the rollers, if a contact member is disposed between the rollers, the contact member can prevent the edge of the recording medium from floating. This makes it possible to prevent contact between the recording medium and the recording surface of the recording head. As a result, it is possible to prevent the recording surface from being scratched or soiled due to contact with the recording surface. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a main part of a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a side view of a main part of a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3]1. (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIA-IIIA in FIG. 1, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIB-IIIB in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the main parts of a printer according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 4, and FIG. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VB-VB in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the main parts of a printer according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a printer according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] First Embodiment A printer 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention (a "recording apparatus" of the present invention) includes a recording head 1, a carriage 2, a platen 3, a transport unit 4, a corrugated shape imparting mechanism 5, and a control device 11, as shown in FIG.

[0010] The recording head 1 is a serial type head that is mounted on the carriage 2 and can move back and forth together with the carriage 2 in the scanning direction (a direction perpendicular to the transport direction). The carriage 2 is supported by a carriage movement mechanism (not shown). When a carriage motor (not shown) is driven under the control of the control device 11, the carriage movement mechanism is driven and the carriage 2 moves in the scanning direction while supporting the recording head 1. By moving in this scanning direction, the recording head 1 can face the platen 3 over the entire scanning direction.

[0011] The recording head 1 has a plurality of nozzles 10 formed on its underside for ejecting ink, and has a nozzle surface 1a (the "recording surface" of the present invention) that records an image on paper (recording medium) P. The plurality of nozzles 10 are arranged in the transport direction to form nozzle rows 9. The recording head 1 has four nozzle rows 9 arranged in the scanning direction. The plurality of nozzles 10 eject black, yellow, cyan, and magenta ink in that order, starting from the nozzles forming the nozzle row 9 on the right side. The recording head 1 is connected to ink cartridges (not shown) via tubes or the like (not shown), and ink stored in the ink cartridges is supplied to the recording head 1.

[0012] 2, the platen 3 (the "support member" of the present invention) is disposed below the recording head 1 and the carriage 2. A sheet P is supported on the surface of the platen 3 facing the recording head 1.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the transport section 4 includes an upstream roller pair 41 arranged upstream of the recording head 1 in the transport direction, and a downstream roller pair 42 arranged downstream of the recording head 1 in the transport direction.

[0014] 1 and 2, the upstream roller pair 41 includes eight upper rollers 41a, one lower roller 41b, and four support frames 41c. The eight upper rollers 41a ("rollers" according to the present invention) are arranged at equal intervals along the scanning direction as shown in FIG. 1. The lower roller 41b is elongated in the scanning direction and is arranged so that its circumferential surface can come into contact with each of the circumferential surfaces of the eight upper rollers 41a. The eight upper rollers 41a and lower rollers 41b are each arranged so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the scanning direction.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3(a), the four support frames 41c are arranged side by side at equal intervals in the scanning direction. Each support frame 41c has two recesses 41c1 formed side by side in the scanning direction. Each recess 41c1 opens toward the conveying direction and the vertical direction. Each support frame 41c rotatably supports an upper roller 41a while disposing it in each recess 41c1. In this embodiment, the support frame 41c supports two upper rollers 41a, but may rotatably support three or more upper rollers 41a.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the downstream roller pair 42 includes eight upper rollers 42a and eight lower rollers 42b. The upper rollers 42a and the lower rollers 42b form pairs, and are arranged one above the other so that their peripheral surfaces are in contact with each other. That is, the downstream roller pair 42 has eight pairs, each consisting of one upper roller 42a and one lower roller 42b. The eight pairs are arranged at equal intervals in the scanning direction. The eight upper rollers 42a are supported by shafts 42ax extending in the scanning direction and are rotatable around the shafts 42ax. The eight lower rollers 42b are supported by shafts 42bx extending in the scanning direction and are rotatable around the shafts 42bx.

[0017] In this embodiment, when a conveyance motor (not shown) is driven under the control of the control device 11, the lower rollers 41b, 42b of each roller pair 41, 42 are driven, and the upper rollers 41a, 42a of each roller pair 41, 42 are driven. As each roller pair 41, 42 rotates while sandwiching the paper P, the paper P is conveyed in the conveyance direction along a conveyance path R (see FIG. 2) so as to pass through an area A on the surface of the platen 3 that faces the nozzle surface 1a. Area A, as indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, is a surface area of ​​the platen 3 that faces the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1 that moves in the scanning direction, and is a long, strip-shaped area equal to the entire length of the platen 3 in the scanning direction. The conveyance path R extends from a paper feed tray (not shown), through area A, to a paper output tray (not shown).

[0018] The upper roller 41a and the lower roller 41b of the upstream roller pair 41 and the lower roller 42b of the downstream roller pair 42 are rollers without protrusions formed on their outer circumferential surfaces, but the upper roller 42a of the downstream roller pair 42 is a spur roller with multiple protrusions formed on its outer circumferential surface. This makes it difficult for ink that lands on the surface of the paper P to adhere to the upper roller 42a.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the corrugation mechanism 5 includes seven corrugated plates 51, eight ribs 3a formed on the surface of the platen 3, seven corrugated spurs 52, and eight sets of one upper roller 42a and one lower roller 42b in the downstream roller pair 42.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the seven corrugated plates 51 are configured by bending a plate-like member, and each has a pressing portion 51a, a connecting portion 51b, and a horizontal portion 51c. The pressing portion ("contact member" according to the present invention) 51a is located at the downstream end of the corrugated plate 51 in the conveying direction, between the recording head 1 and the upstream roller pair 41, and is arranged so as to be able to contact the surface of the paper P that faces the recording head 1. In other words, the pressing portion 51a presses the paper P from above. The horizontal portion 51c extends along the conveying direction. The horizontal portion 51c is also located at the upstream end of the corrugated plate 51 in the conveying direction, and is arranged above the upstream roller pair 41. The connecting portion 51b extends vertically, is arranged at the center of the corrugated plate 51 in the conveying direction, and connects the horizontal portion 51c and the pressing portion 51a.

[0021] The seven corrugated plates 51 are arranged side by side in the scanning direction, as shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the three corrugated plates 51 arranged on the left side and the three corrugated plates 51 arranged on the right side are arranged at equal intervals from each other in the scanning direction. The distances in the scanning direction between the corrugated plate 51 arranged in the center in the scanning direction among the seven corrugated plates 51 and the two corrugated plates 51 adjacent to that corrugated plate 51 in the scanning direction are each equal to the distances in the scanning direction between the two corrugated plates 51 located at both ends in the scanning direction among the three corrugated plates 51 on the left or right side.

[0022] Here, the positions of the pressing portions 51a of the seven corrugated plates 51, one of which is located in the center in the scanning direction, and two corrugated plates 51s adjacent to it in the scanning direction, will be described. Of these two pressing portions 51a, the pressing portion 51a on the left in FIG. 1 is located between the second and third upper rollers 41a from the left in FIG. 1 of the eight upper rollers 41a, in the scanning direction, between the support frame 41c supporting the second upper roller 41a and the support frame 41c supporting the third upper roller 41a. Furthermore, the pressing portion 51a on the right in FIG. 1 is located between the sixth and seventh upper rollers 41a from the left in FIG. 1 of the eight upper rollers 41a, between the support frame 41c supporting the sixth upper roller 41a and the support frame 41c supporting the seventh upper roller 41a.

[0023] The paper feed tray in this embodiment is provided with a known side guide (not shown) that can align the center in the scanning direction of the paper P conveyed by the conveying unit 4 with the center in the scanning direction of the conveying path R. This side guide ensures that the center of the paper P conveyed by the conveying unit 4 is aligned with the center in the scanning direction of the platen 3 and the center in the scanning direction of the corrugated plate 51, which is located in the center in the scanning direction. When conveying paper Pmin, which has the smallest width in the scanning direction among the papers that can be conveyed by the conveying unit 4 in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, both ends in the scanning direction of the paper Pmin are sandwiched between the third and sixth upper rollers 41a and lower roller 41b from the left in FIG. 1 out of the eight upper rollers 41a. In other words, passing regions T1 and T2 through which both ends in the scanning direction of the paper Pmin pass are located in regions that overlap the third and sixth upper rollers 41a from the left in the scanning direction. On the other hand, when transporting the paper Pmax with the largest width, as shown in Figure 1, both ends of the paper Pmax in the scanning direction pass through a position where they overlap with the pressing portion 51a of the corrugated plate 51 that is outermost in the scanning direction among the seven corrugated plates 51.

[0024] In this way, the pressing portions 51a of the two corrugated plates 51s are disposed between the upper rollers 41a that are located outside the passing regions T1 and T2 in the scanning direction, among the multiple upper rollers 41a that are the regions between two adjacent upper rollers 41a in the scanning direction. Therefore, when a sheet of paper P slightly wider than the minimum width sheet Pmin is conveyed, or when the sheet of paper Pmin is conveyed slightly offset in the scanning direction, even if the edge of the sheet of paper P in the scanning direction passes between the upper rollers 41a that are located outside the passing regions T1 and T2 in the scanning direction, the edge is pressed by the pressing portions 51a of the corrugated plates 51s. In this state, the sheet of paper P can be conveyed to region A facing the recording head 1.

[0025] 1, the pressing portions 51a of the corrugated plate 51 located outside the corrugated plate 51s in the scanning direction are disposed between the upper rollers 41a in the scanning direction. In other words, the pressing portions 51a are disposed between all of the upper rollers 41a located outside the minimum-width paper Pmin in the scanning direction. This allows the pressing portions 51a to prevent the edge of the paper P from floating, even when the edge of the paper P in the scanning direction passes between any of the upper rollers 41a located outside the passing regions T1 and T2 in the scanning direction.

[0026] The passage area through which both ends of the minimum-width paper sheet Pmin pass may be located between the upper rollers 41a where the pressing portions 51a of the corrugated plate 51s are arranged. In this case, both ends of the minimum-width paper sheet Pmin can be pressed by the pressing portions 51a.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the eight ribs 3a extend from the upstream end of the platen 3 to beyond the center of the region A in the transport direction. The eight ribs 3a are arranged at equal intervals in the scanning direction so as to be positioned between adjacent corrugated plates 51 (pressing portions 51a). Two ribs 3a are arranged between the corrugated plate 51 located at the center of the seven corrugated plates 51 in the scanning direction and the two corrugated plates 51 adjacent to that corrugated plate 51 in the scanning direction. The corrugated plate 51 located at the center of the seven corrugated plates 51 in the scanning direction is positioned at the center of the two adjacent ribs 3a in the scanning direction. The eight ribs 3a are aligned with each pair of an upper roller 42a and a lower roller 42b in the scanning direction. Each rib 3a supports the back surface of the paper P from below.

[0028] 3(a), the upper end of each rib 3a is located above the pressing portion 51a of each corrugated plate 51 and below the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1. In this positional relationship, the upper ends of the eight ribs 3a support the paper P from below, and the pressing portions 51a of the seven corrugated plates 51 press the paper P from above, thereby imparting a corrugated shape to the paper P along the scanning direction. Specifically, the paper P is imparted with a corrugated shape in which multiple peaks Px approaching the nozzle surface 1a and multiple valleys Py that are farther away from the nozzle surface 1a than the peaks Px are lined up along the scanning direction.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1 , the seven corrugated spurs 52 are arranged downstream of the downstream roller pair 42 in the conveyance direction and press the paper P from above. The seven corrugated spurs 52 are arranged side by side in the scanning direction and are positioned in the same position as each of the seven corrugated plates 51 in the scanning direction. Between adjacent corrugated spurs 52 in the scanning direction, a pair of one upper roller 42a and one lower roller 42b is arranged. Between the corrugated spur 52 of the seven corrugated spurs 52 arranged in the center in the scanning direction and two corrugated spurs 521 adjacent to that corrugated spur 52 in the scanning direction, two pairs of one upper roller 42a and one lower roller 42b are arranged. The seven corrugated spurs 52 are supported by a shaft 52x extending in the scanning direction and are rotatable about the shaft 52x.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3(b), the contact point between the upper roller 42a and the lower roller 42b is located above the lower end of the corrugated spurs 52. In this positional relationship, the eight lower rollers 42b support the paper P from below, and the seven corrugated spurs 52 press the paper P from above, thereby imparting a corrugated shape to the paper P along the scanning direction. Specifically, similar to the corrugated shape imparted by the eight ribs 3a and the pressing portions 51a of the seven corrugated plates 51 (see FIG. 3(a)), the paper P is imparted with a corrugated shape in which multiple peaks Px and multiple valleys Py are lined up along the scanning direction.

[0031] The corrugation mechanism 5 applies a corrugated shape to the paper P along the scanning direction, thereby giving the paper P stiffness and realizing good transport.

[0032] Next, the electrical configuration of the printer 1 will be described. The operation of the printer 1 is controlled by a control device 11. The control device 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), flash memory, and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and controls the operation of the carriage motor, print head 1, transport motor, etc. Note that the control device 11 may be configured so that only the CPU performs various processes, or so that only the ASIC performs various processes, or so that the CPU and ASIC work together to perform various processes. The control device 11 may be configured so that a single CPU performs processes alone, or so that multiple CPUs share the processes. The control device 11 may be configured so that a single ASIC performs processes alone, or so that multiple ASICs share the processes.

[0033] Next, the operation when the paper P is transported will be described. When the paper P, which is slightly wider than the paper Pmin, is transported, one end of the paper P in the scanning direction passes between the second and third upper rollers 41a from the left in FIG. 1 out of the eight upper rollers 41a, and the other end passes between the sixth and seventh upper rollers 41a from the left in FIG. 1. After this, these ends come into contact with the pressing portion 51a of the corrugated plate 51s, and the ends are pressed down from above. Then, in this state, the paper P is transported in the transport direction. Therefore, even if the end of the paper P in the scanning direction floats upward, the end is pressed down by the pressing portion 51a of the corrugated plate 51s, so that the end of the paper P is less likely to come into contact with the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1.

[0034] Furthermore, even if, for some reason, the paper Pmin is conveyed slightly out of alignment in the scanning direction and one (left) edge of the paper Pmin in the scanning direction passes between the second and third upper rollers 41a from the left in FIG. 1, that edge will contact the pressing portion 51a of the corrugated plate 51s and be pressed down from above. At this time, the other (right) edge of the paper Pmin is sandwiched between the sixth upper roller 41a from the left and the lower roller 41b. The paper P is then conveyed in this state in the conveyance direction. Therefore, even if one edge of the paper P in the scanning direction floats upward, that edge is pressed down by the pressing portion 51a of the corrugated plate 51s in the same manner as described above, and therefore the edge of the paper P is less likely to come into contact with the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1.

[0035] As described above, according to the printer 100 of this embodiment, when the paper P is transported, even if the end of the paper P in the scanning direction passes between the upper rollers 41a, the pressing portion 51a of the corrugated plate 51s is disposed between the rollers, so that the pressing portion 51a can prevent the end of the paper P from floating. This makes it possible to prevent the paper P from coming into contact with the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1. As a result, it is possible to prevent the nozzle surface 1a from being damaged and the paper P from being soiled due to contact with the nozzle surface 1a (nozzles 10).

[0036] Furthermore, the pressing portion 51a of the corrugated plate 51s is disposed between adjacent support frames 41c in the scanning direction. As a result, even if the edge of the paper P in the scanning direction is lifted when the edge passes between two support frames 41c adjacent in the scanning direction, the pressing portion 51a can press the edge. Note that, as shown in FIG. 3A, in the support frame 41c of this embodiment, the lower end of the portion between the two recesses 41c1 where the upper rollers 41a are disposed is disposed below the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1. Therefore, even if the edge of the paper P that has lifted passes between two upper rollers 41a supported by one support frame 41c, the portion between the recesses 41c1 of the support frame 41c can press the edge.

[0037] The corrugated plate 51 is included in the corrugated shape imparting mechanism 5. This makes it possible to prevent the edges of the paper P from lifting and to impart a corrugated shape to the paper P, giving it strength. This allows for smooth transport of the paper P. Furthermore, since multiple pressing portions 51a are arranged in the scanning direction, it is possible to impart the shape of multiple valleys Py to the paper P.

[0038] In addition, the pressing portion 51a of the corrugated plate 51 is disposed between two adjacent ribs 8a in the scanning direction. This allows the pressing portion 51a to press the paper P supported from below by the ribs 8a, making it possible to prevent contact between the paper P and the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1 moving in the scanning direction.

[0039] Second Embodiment Next, a printer 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 4 and 5. The printer 200 according to this embodiment has the same configuration as the printer 100 according to the first embodiment except for the configuration of the upstream roller pair 241 and downstream roller pair 242, the arrangement of the seven corrugated plates 51 and seven corrugated spurs 52, and the configuration of the platen 203. Note that components similar to those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 4, the upstream roller pair 241 includes six upper rollers 241a, one lower roller 41b, and three support frames 241c. The six upper rollers 241a are arranged at equal intervals along the scanning direction as shown in Fig. 4. Each upper roller 241a is longer in the scanning direction than the above-mentioned upper roller 41a, and is arranged so that its circumferential surface can come into contact with the circumferential surface of the lower roller 41b. The six upper rollers 241a and lower rollers 41b are each arranged so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the scanning direction.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5(a), the three support frames 241c are arranged side by side at equal intervals in the scanning direction. Each support frame 241c has two recesses 241c1 formed side by side in the scanning direction. Each recess 241c1 is open toward the conveying direction and the vertical direction. Each support frame 241c rotatably supports an upper roller 241a while disposing the upper roller 241a in each recess 241c1. In other words, each support frame 241c supports two upper rollers 241a.

[0042] 4, the downstream roller pair 242 includes six upper rollers 42a and six lower rollers 42b, with six sets each consisting of one upper roller 42a and one lower roller 42b. The six sets are arranged at equal intervals in the scanning direction.

[0043] The seven corrugated plates 51 in this embodiment are slightly different from the seven corrugated plates 51 in the first embodiment in terms of their positions in the scanning direction, but otherwise have the same configuration. The seven corrugated plates 51 in this embodiment are aligned at equal intervals in the scanning direction. Of the seven corrugated plates 51, the pressing portions 51a of five corrugated plates 51, excluding the two corrugated plates 51 at both ends in the scanning direction, are disposed between adjacent upper rollers 241a in the scanning direction. Of the seven corrugated plates 51, the pressing portions 51a of the corrugated plate 51 disposed in the center in the scanning direction and the two corrugated plates 51 adjacent to each other in the scanning direction are disposed between adjacent support frames 241c in the scanning direction.

[0044] Furthermore, when conveying a sheet Pmin, which has the smallest width in the scanning direction among the sheets P that can be conveyed by the conveying unit 4 in this embodiment, both ends of the sheet Pmin in the scanning direction are sandwiched between the third and fourth upper rollers 241a and lower roller 41b from the left in FIG. 4 out of the six upper rollers 241a. In other words, passing regions T3 and T4 through which both ends of the sheet Pmin in the scanning direction pass exist in regions that overlap with the third and fourth upper rollers 241a from the left in the scanning direction. On the other hand, when conveying a sheet Pmax, which has the largest width, both ends of the sheet Pmax in the scanning direction pass through positions that overlap with the pressing portions 51a of the corrugated plates 51 that are outermost in the scanning direction out of the seven corrugated plates 51, as shown in FIG.

[0045] Of the seven corrugated plates 51, the pressing portions 51a of the corrugated plate 51 located in the center in the scanning direction and the two corrugated plates 51s adjacent to it in the scanning direction are located between the second and third upper rollers 241a from the left and between the fourth and fifth upper rollers 241a from the left in FIG. 4, which are located outside the scanning direction of the passing areas T3 and T4, among the multiple upper rollers 241a, which are the areas between two adjacent upper rollers 241a in the scanning direction. Therefore, when a sheet P slightly wider than the minimum width sheet Pmin is conveyed or when the sheet Pmin is conveyed slightly offset in the scanning direction, the scanning direction edge of the sheet P passes between the upper rollers 241a located outside the scanning direction of the passing areas T3 and T4, even if the edge is pressed by the pressing portions 51a. In this state, the sheet P can be conveyed to area A facing the recording head 1.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A, the platen 203 in this embodiment has multiple ribs 203a to 203c that protrude upward from the surface facing the recording head 1 and extend along the transport direction. The multiple ribs 203a to 203c are arranged at equal intervals in the scanning direction. Of the multiple ribs 203a to 203c, rib 203a is the tallest and rib 203c is the shortest. That is, rib 203b is shorter than rib 203a and taller than rib 203c. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5A, the upper ends of the ribs 203a and 203b are located above the pressing portions 51a of the corrugated plates 51 and below the nozzle surfaces 1a of the recording head 1. Furthermore, the upper ends of the ribs 203c are located below the pressing portions 51a of the corrugated plates 51.

[0047] The platen 203 is formed with six ribs 203a, twelve ribs 203b, and seven ribs 203c. The six ribs 203a are arranged at equal intervals in the scanning direction so as to be located at the center of two adjacent corrugated plates 51 (pressing portions 51a). The seven ribs 203c are lined up at equal intervals in the scanning direction and are positioned in the same position as each of the seven corrugated plates 51 in the scanning direction. The twelve ribs 203b are arranged at equal intervals in the scanning direction so as to be located at the center of adjacent ribs 203a and 203c. In this positional relationship, the upper ends of the multiple ribs 203a to 203c support the paper P from below, and the pressing portions 51a of the seven corrugated plates 51 press the paper P from above, thereby imparting a corrugated shape to the paper P along the scanning direction. Specifically, a wave shape is imparted to the paper P along the scanning direction, with multiple peaks Px approaching the nozzle surface 1a and multiple valleys Py that are further away from the nozzle surface 1a than the peaks Px.

[0048] The seven corrugated spurs 52 in this embodiment are slightly different from the seven corrugated spurs 52 in the first embodiment in terms of their positions in the scanning direction, but are otherwise similar in configuration. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5(b), the seven corrugated spurs 52 in this embodiment are aligned at equal intervals in the scanning direction, and their positions in the scanning direction coincide with those of the seven corrugated plates 51. Between adjacent corrugated spurs 52 in the scanning direction, a pair consisting of one upper roller 42a and one lower roller 42b is disposed. In this positional relationship, the six lower rollers 42b support the paper P from below, and the seven corrugated spurs 52 press the paper P from above, thereby imparting a corrugated shape to the paper P along the scanning direction, as shown in FIG. 5(b). Specifically, similar to the wave shape imparted by the multiple ribs 203a-203c and the pressing portions 51a of the seven corrugated plates 51 (see Figure 5(a)), the paper P is imparted with a wave shape in which multiple peaks Px and multiple valleys Py are lined up along the scanning direction.

[0049] Next, the operation when the paper P is transported will be described. When the paper P, which is slightly wider than the paper Pmin, is transported, one end of the paper P in the scanning direction passes between the second and third upper rollers 241a from the left in FIG. 4 out of the six upper rollers 241a, and the other end passes between the fourth and fifth upper rollers 241a from the left in FIG. 4. After this, as in the first embodiment described above, these ends come into contact with the pressing portion 51a of the corrugated plate 51s and are pressed down from above. Then, in this state, the paper P is transported in the transport direction. Therefore, even if the end of the paper P in the scanning direction floats upward, the end is pressed down by the pressing portion 51a of the corrugated plate 51s, so that the end of the paper P is less likely to come into contact with the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1.

[0050] Furthermore, even if, for some reason, the paper Pmin is conveyed slightly out of alignment in the scanning direction and one (left) edge of the paper Pmin in the scanning direction passes between the second and third upper rollers 241a from the left in FIG. 4, that edge will contact the pressing portion 51a of the corrugated plate 51s and be pressed down from above. At this time, the other (right) edge of the paper Pmin is sandwiched between the fourth upper roller 241a from the left and the lower roller 241b. The paper P is then conveyed in this state in the conveyance direction. Therefore, even if one edge of the paper P in the scanning direction floats upward, that edge is pressed down by the pressing portion 51a of the corrugated plate 51s in the same manner as described above, and therefore the edge of the paper P is less likely to come into contact with the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1.

[0051] As described above, in the printer 200 of this embodiment, when the paper P is transported, even if the end of the paper P in the scanning direction passes between the upper rollers 241a, the pressing portion 51a of the corrugated plate 51s is disposed between the rollers, so that the lifting of the end of the paper P can be suppressed by the pressing portion 51a. Therefore, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. Note that the same effect can be obtained in a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment.

[0052] Furthermore, since the multiple pressing portions 51a are arranged at equal intervals along the scanning direction, the multiple valleys Py of the waveform imparted to the paper P are arranged at equal intervals.

[0053] <Third embodiment> Next, a printer 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The printer 300 according to this embodiment has seven corrugated plates 351 to 353 having a configuration slightly different from those of the first and second embodiments, a platen 303 having a configuration slightly different from that of the first embodiment, and the downstream roller pair 242 and seven corrugated spurs 52 of the second embodiment. Other than this, the configuration is the same as that of the printer 100 according to the first embodiment. Note that configurations similar to those of the first and second embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 6 , the seven corrugated plates 351 to 353 in this embodiment are arranged at equal intervals in the scanning direction. Of the seven corrugated plates 351 to 353, five corrugated plates 351 to 353, excluding the two corrugated plates 351 at both ends in the scanning direction, are disposed between two adjacent ribs 303a (described later) in the scanning direction. Of the seven corrugated plates 351 to 353, two corrugated plates 352 and 353 adjacent to the corrugated plate 351 disposed in the center in the scanning direction have pressing portions 352a and 353a that are different from the pressing portions 51a of the other five corrugated plates 351. The corrugated plate 351 has the same shape as the corrugated plate 51 described above. The corrugated plates 352 and 353 have the same shape as the corrugated plate 51 described above, except for the pressing portions 352a and 353a.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the pressing portion 352a of the corrugated plate 352 has a valley imparting portion 361 having substantially the same shape as the pressing portion 51a described above, and a partial imparting portion 362 extending leftward along the scanning direction from the left end of the valley imparting portion 361. The valley imparting portion 361 imparts the shape of a valley portion Py to the paper sheet P and is disposed in the center between two adjacent ribs 303a in the scanning direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the partial imparting portion 362 imparts the shape of the portion between two adjacent valley portions Py of the paper sheet P to the paper sheet P and has an inclined portion 362a and a horizontal portion 362b. The inclined portion 362a extends diagonally upward and left from the left end of the valley imparting portion 361 and is connected to the horizontal portion 362b. The horizontal portion 362b is a plate-shaped member extending horizontally at a position facing the rib 303a. The horizontal portion 362b is located above the upper end of the rib 303a and below the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the pressing portion 353a of the corrugated plate 353 has the valley imparting portion 361 described above and a partial imparting portion 363 extending rightward along the scanning direction from the right end of the valley imparting portion 361. As shown in FIG. 7, the partial imparting portion 363 imparts to the paper P the shape of the portion between two adjacent valley portions Py of the paper P, and has an inclined portion 363a and a horizontal portion 363b. The inclined portion 363a extends diagonally upward to the right from the right end of the valley imparting portion 361 and is connected to the horizontal portion 363b. The horizontal portion 363b extends horizontally at a position opposite the rib 303a, is located above the upper end of the rib 303a, and is located below the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1.

[0057] Here, the partial application portions 362 and 363 of the pressing portions 352a and 353a of two of the seven corrugated plates 351 are disposed between the upper rollers 41a, which are the regions between two adjacent upper rollers 41a in the scanning direction, between the second and third upper rollers 41a from the left and between the sixth and seventh upper rollers 41a from the left in FIG. 6 , which are located outside the scanning direction of the passing regions T1 and T2. Therefore, when a sheet of paper P slightly wider than the minimum width sheet Pmin is conveyed or when the sheet of paper Pmin is conveyed slightly offset in the scanning direction, the scanning direction edge of the sheet of paper P passes between the upper rollers 41a located outside the scanning direction of the passing regions T1 and T2, even if the edge is pressed by the partial application portions 362 and 363. In this state, the sheet of paper P can be conveyed to region A facing the recording head 1.

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the platen 303 in this embodiment has six ribs 303a that protrude upward from the surface facing the recording head 1 and extend along the transport direction. Each rib 303a has the same shape as the rib 3a described above. The six ribs 303a are arranged at equal intervals in the scanning direction so as to be positioned at the center between adjacent corrugated plates 351 to 353. The six ribs 303a are positioned in the scanning direction in accordance with each pair of one upper roller 42a and one lower roller 42b. Each rib 303a supports the back surface of the paper P from below.

[0059] In this positional relationship, the upper ends of the six ribs 303a support the paper P from below, and the pressing portions 51a, 352a, 353a of the seven corrugated plates 351 to 353 press the paper P from above, thereby imparting a corrugated shape along the scanning direction to the paper P. Specifically, the paper P is imparted with a corrugated shape in which multiple peaks Px approaching the nozzle surface 1a and multiple valleys Py that are further away from the nozzle surface 1a than the peaks Px are lined up along the scanning direction.

[0060] Next, the operation when the paper P is transported will be described. When the paper P, which is slightly wider than the paper Pmin, is transported, one end of the paper P in the scanning direction passes between the second and third upper rollers 41a from the left in FIG. 6 out of the eight upper rollers 41a, and the other end passes between the sixth and seventh upper rollers 41a from the left in FIG. 6. After this, these ends come into contact with the pressing portions 352a and 353a of the corrugated plates 352 and 353, and are pressed down from above. The paper P is then transported in this state in the transport direction. Therefore, even if the end of the paper P in the scanning direction floats upward, the end is pressed down by the pressing portions 352a and 353a of the corrugated plates 352 and 353, making it less likely that the end of the paper P will come into contact with the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1.

[0061] Furthermore, even if, for some reason, the paper Pmin is conveyed slightly out of alignment in the scanning direction and one end (left side) of the paper Pmin in the scanning direction passes between the second and third upper rollers 41a from the left in FIG. 6, that end will contact the pressing portion 352a of the corrugated plate 352 and be pressed down from above. At this time, the other end (right side) of the paper Pmin is sandwiched between the sixth upper roller 41a from the left and the lower roller 41b. The paper P is then conveyed in this state in the conveyance direction. Therefore, even if one end of the paper P in the scanning direction floats upward, that end will be pressed down by the pressing portion 352a of the corrugated plate 352 in the same manner as described above, and therefore the end of the paper P is less likely to come into contact with the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1.

[0062] As described above, in the printer 300 of this embodiment, when the paper P is transported, even if the end of the paper P in the scanning direction passes between the upper rollers 41a, the pressing portions 352a, 353a of the corrugated plates 352, 353 are arranged between the rollers, so that the lifting of the end of the paper P can be suppressed by the pressing portions 352a, 353a. Therefore, the same effects as in the first and second embodiments can be obtained. Note that the same effects can be obtained with configurations similar to those of the first and second embodiments.

[0063] Furthermore, the pressing portions 352a, 353a of the corrugated plates 352, 353 have partial applying portions 362, 363, which are arranged between adjacent support frames 41c and adjacent upper rollers 41a in the scanning direction. This makes it possible to suppress floating of the paper P by the partial applying portions 362, 363, even if the valley applying portion 361 that applies the valley portion Py to the paper P is not present between the upper rollers 41a.

[0064] As a modified example, the partial applying portions 362, 363 may be configured with only an inclined portion or a horizontal portion. In this case, even if the valley applying portion 361 that applies the valley portion Py to the paper P is not present between the upper rollers 41a, the partial applying portion (inclined portion or horizontal portion) can suppress floating of the paper P.

[0065] <Fourth embodiment> Next, a printer 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 8. The printer 400 according to this embodiment has nine corrugated plates 451, 452 that are slightly different in configuration from the third embodiment, but otherwise has the same configuration as the printer 300 according to the third embodiment. Note that components similar to those in the first to third embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 8, the nine corrugated plates 451, 452 in this embodiment are composed of seven corrugated plates 451 and two corrugated plates 452. The seven corrugated plates 451 are arranged at equal intervals in the scanning direction. The two corrugated plates 452 are disposed at the center between the second and third corrugated plates 451 from the left in the drawing and at the center between the fifth and sixth corrugated plates 451 from the left in the drawing. The corrugated plates 451 have a shape similar to the corrugated plate 51 described above. Of the seven corrugated plates 451, the pressing portions 51a of five corrugated plates 451, excluding the corrugated plates 451 at both ends in the scanning direction, are disposed at the center between two adjacent ribs 303a. In other words, the pressing portions 51a of the seven corrugated plates 451 (the "first contact members" of the present invention) impart the shape of the valley portions Py to the paper P.

[0067] These seven corrugated plates 451 and six ribs 303a give the paper P a wave shape along the scanning direction, with multiple peaks Px approaching the nozzle surface 1a and multiple valleys Py that are further away from the nozzle surface 1a than the peaks Px.

[0068] The corrugated plate 452 has a smaller width in the scanning direction and a smaller length in the vertical direction than the corrugated plate 451. Although the corrugated plate 452 is smaller in size than the corrugated plate 451, it has a similar pressing portion 452a, connecting portion 452b, and horizontal portion 452c. The pressing portion 452a of the corrugated plate 452 (the "second contact member" of the present invention) is a plate-like member that extends horizontally in a position facing the rib 303a, and imparts to the paper P the shape of the portion between two adjacent valley portions Py of the paper P. The pressing portion 452a is located above the pressing portion 51a of the corrugated plate 451 and the upper ends of the rib 303a, and is located below the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1.

[0069] Of the two corrugated plates 452 in this embodiment, the pressing portion 452a of the corrugated plate 452 on the left side in Fig. 8 is located between the second and third upper rollers 41a from the left of the eight upper rollers 41a in the scanning direction, between the support frame 41c supporting the second upper roller 41a and the support frame 41c supporting the third upper roller 41a. Also, the pressing portion 452a of the corrugated plate 452 on the right side in Fig. 8 is located between the sixth and seventh upper rollers 41a from the left of the eight upper rollers 41a in Fig. 8, between the support frame 41c supporting the sixth upper roller 41a and the support frame 41c supporting the seventh upper roller 41a.

[0070] In this way, the pressing portions 452a of the two corrugated plates 452 are disposed between the upper rollers 41a that are located outside the passing regions T1 and T2 in the scanning direction, among the multiple upper rollers 41a that are the regions between two adjacent upper rollers 41a in the scanning direction. Therefore, when a sheet of paper P slightly wider than the minimum width sheet Pmin is conveyed, or when the sheet of paper Pmin is conveyed slightly offset in the scanning direction, even if the edge of the sheet of paper P in the scanning direction passes between the upper rollers 41a that are located outside the passing regions T1 and T2 in the scanning direction, the edge is pressed by the pressing portion 452a. In this state, the sheet of paper P can be conveyed to region A facing the recording head 1.

[0071] Next, the operation when the paper P is transported will be described. When the paper P, which is slightly wider than the paper Pmin, is transported, one end of the paper P in the scanning direction passes between the second and third upper rollers 41a from the left in FIG. 8 out of the eight upper rollers 41a, and the other end passes between the sixth and seventh upper rollers 41a from the left in FIG. 8. After this, these ends come into contact with the pressing portion 452a of the corrugated plate 452, and the ends are pressed down from above. Then, in this state, the paper P is transported in the transport direction. Therefore, even if the end of the paper P in the scanning direction floats upward, the end is pressed down by the pressing portion 452a of the corrugated plate 452, so that the end of the paper P is less likely to come into contact with the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1.

[0072] Furthermore, even if, for some reason, the paper Pmin is conveyed slightly out of alignment in the scanning direction and one end (left side) of the paper Pmin in the scanning direction passes between the second and third upper rollers 41a from the left in FIG. 8, that end will contact the pressing portion 452a of the corrugated plate 452 and be pressed down from above. At this time, the other end (right side) of the paper Pmin is sandwiched between the sixth upper roller 41a from the left and the lower roller 41b. The paper P is then conveyed in this state in the conveyance direction. Therefore, even if one end of the paper P in the scanning direction floats upward, that end will be pressed down by the pressing portion 452a of the corrugated plate 452 in the same manner as described above, and therefore the end of the paper P is less likely to come into contact with the nozzle surface 1a of the recording head 1.

[0073] As described above, in the printer 400 of this embodiment, when the paper P is transported, even if the end of the paper P in the scanning direction passes between the upper rollers 41a, the pressing portion 452a of the corrugated plate 452 is disposed between the rollers, so that the lifting of the end of the paper P can be suppressed by the pressing portion 452a. Therefore, the same effects as those of the first to third embodiments can be obtained. Note that the same effects can be obtained in configurations similar to those of the first to third embodiments.

[0074] Furthermore, the pressing portions 452a of the corrugated plate 452 are disposed between adjacent support frames 41c and adjacent upper rollers 41a in the scanning direction. This makes it possible to prevent the paper P from floating by the pressing portions 452a of the corrugated plate 452, even if the pressing portions 51a of the corrugated plate 451 that give the valley portions Py to the paper P are not present between the upper rollers 41a.

[0075] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, in the first and second embodiments described above, the pressing portions 51a of the corrugated plate 51 are disposed between all of the upper rollers 41a, 241a located outside the passage area through which both ends of the minimum-width paper P pass, but it is sufficient that the pressing portions 51a are disposed between the passage area and at least one of the upper rollers 41a, 241a located outside the passage area.

[0076] The corrugated shape imparting mechanism 5 in the above-described first to fourth embodiments has a corrugated spur 52, but if the corrugated shape that suppresses the lifting of the paper P can be imparted to the paper P using only the components near the upstream roller pair 41, 241 (plurality of ribs 8a, 203a-203c, 303a and plural pressing portions 51a, 352a, 353a, 452a), the corrugated shape imparting mechanism 5 does not need to have a corrugated spur 52.

[0077] In the above, an example has been described in which the present invention is applied to a printer that ejects ink from nozzles to perform recording on paper P, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to recording devices that eject liquids other than ink, such as liquid resin or metal. Furthermore, the present invention may be employed in recording devices such as laser printers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1 recording head 1a Nozzle surface 2 carriages 3,203,303 Platen 3a, 203a~203c, 303a 4. Conveyor 5. Wave shaping mechanism 10 nozzles 41a, 241a Upper roller 41c,241c support frame 51a, 351a, 352a, 353a, 452a Pressing part 100, 200, 300, 400 printers 361 Valley Granting Section 362,363 Partial Grant P,Pmin,Pmax Paper Px Yamabe Py Tanibe

Claims

1. a recording head having a recording surface for recording an image on a recording medium; a conveying section that conveys the recording medium in a conveying direction to an area facing the recording surface; a support member for supporting a rear surface of the recording medium opposite to the surface facing the recording head; a contact member that is disposed between the recording surface and the support member in a direction perpendicular to the recording surface and is capable of contacting the surface of the recording medium, the transport unit is disposed upstream of the recording head in the transport direction, and includes a plurality of rollers that contact the surface of the recording medium and are arranged side by side in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to the transport direction and the perpendicular direction, the contact member is disposed between the roller and the recording head in the transport direction, among a plurality of rollers that are regions between two of the rollers adjacent to each other in the orthogonal direction, in a passing region through which an end portion in the orthogonal direction of a recording medium that has the smallest width in the orthogonal direction among recording media that can be transported by the transport unit passes, and between at least one roller that is located outside the passing region in the orthogonal direction, a corrugation imparting mechanism that imparts a corrugation to the recording medium along the orthogonal direction, the corrugation having peaks that approach the recording surface and valleys that are farther from the recording surface than the peaks, aligned; the contact member is a member that imparts the corrugated shape to the recording medium and is included in the corrugation imparting mechanism; the corrugation mechanism includes a plurality of the contact members arranged side by side along the orthogonal direction so as to impart a plurality of the valley shapes to the recording medium; the plurality of contact members are arranged at equal intervals along the orthogonal direction, at least one contact member among the plurality of contact members has a valley imparting portion that imparts the shape of the valley portion to the recording medium, and a partial imparting portion that extends from the valley imparting portion in the orthogonal direction and imparts the shape of a portion between two adjacent valley portions of the recording medium; A recording apparatus, characterized in that the partial application unit is disposed between the at least one roller.

2. A recording head having a recording surface for recording an image on a recording medium; a conveying section that conveys the recording medium in a conveying direction to an area facing the recording surface; a support member for supporting a rear surface of the recording medium opposite to the surface facing the recording head; a contact member that is disposed between the recording surface and the support member in a direction perpendicular to the recording surface and is capable of contacting the surface of the recording medium, the transport unit is disposed upstream of the recording head in the transport direction, and includes a plurality of rollers that contact the surface of the recording medium and are arranged side by side in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to the transport direction and the perpendicular direction, the contact member is disposed between the roller and the recording head in the transport direction, among a plurality of rollers that are regions between two of the rollers adjacent to each other in the orthogonal direction, in a passing region through which an end portion in the orthogonal direction of a recording medium that has the smallest width in the orthogonal direction among recording media that can be transported by the transport unit passes, and between at least one roller that is located outside the passing region in the orthogonal direction, a corrugation imparting mechanism that imparts a corrugation to the recording medium along the orthogonal direction, the corrugation having peaks that approach the recording surface and valleys that are farther from the recording surface than the peaks, aligned; the contact member is a member that imparts the corrugated shape to the recording medium and is included in the corrugation imparting mechanism; the corrugation mechanism includes a plurality of the contact members arranged side by side along the orthogonal direction so as to impart a plurality of the valley shapes to the recording medium; the plurality of contact members include a plurality of first contact members arranged to impart the shape of the plurality of valley portions to the recording medium, and a second contact member arranged at a position closer to the recording surface than the first contact members in the perpendicular direction, and arranged to impart the shape of a portion between two adjacent valley portions of the recording medium; The recording apparatus, wherein the second contact member is disposed between the at least one roller.

3. The conveying unit has a plurality of support frames that rotatably support two or more of the rollers and are arranged in the orthogonal direction, 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact member is disposed between two of the support frames adjacent to each other in the orthogonal direction.

4. a carriage that supports the recording head and moves in the perpendicular direction; a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid are formed on the recording surface of the recording head; the support member has a plurality of ribs that face the recording surface, are arranged side by side in the perpendicular direction, and extend in the transport direction; 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact member is disposed between two of the ribs adjacent to each other in the perpendicular direction.

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