Inkjet printer

Abstract

To provide an inkjet printer configured so that light from a light emitting device can be prevented from being emitted to a recording head.SOLUTION: An inkjet printer according to the present invention comprises: a support base 30 that supports a recording medium; a recording head 50 and a light emitting device 60 arranged on a carriage 40; and a light shielding plate 90 arranged to oppose a side surface 30L at a Y1 direction side of the support base 30. An emission port 62 of the light emitting device 60 is arranged closer to a Y2 direction side than the recording head 50. The carriage 40 can be moved so that the recording head 50 is positioned closer to the Y1 direction side than the light shielding plate 90. A distance D2 between the support base 30 and the light shielding plate 90 in a Y direction is shorter than a distance D1 between and end part at the Y1 direction side of the emission port 62 and an end part at the Y2 direction side of the recording head 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, inkjet printers have been known that include a recording head that ejects photocurable ink onto a recording medium and a light irradiation device that irradiates the ink with light. Some such inkjet printers include an anti-reflection member that prevents light from the light irradiation device from being reflected and irradiated onto the recording head. When reflected light from the light irradiation device is irradiated onto the recording head, ink adhering to the nozzle surface of the recording head or ink inside the nozzles may thicken or harden, potentially resulting in problems such as ink not being ejected properly from some nozzles. The anti-reflection member is designed to prevent such problems. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet printer that has an upper surface approximately parallel to the platen and includes an anti-reflection member disposed to the side of the platen. According to the inkjet printer disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the recording head is positioned above the anti-reflection member, reflected light is less likely to enter between the recording head and the anti-reflection member, thereby suppressing irradiation of the recording head with reflected light. In the inkjet printer disclosed in Patent Document 1, an anti-reflection member having approximately the same area as the recording head is disposed to the side of a support base. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4770837 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet printer having another configuration that can prevent light from the light irradiation device from being irradiated onto the recording head. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The inkjet printer disclosed herein includes a support base extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and supporting a recording medium; a carriage disposed above the support base and facing the support base; a carriage moving device configured to move the carriage in the first direction; a recording head having a nozzle for ejecting photocurable ink and disposed on the carriage facing the support base; a light irradiating device having an irradiation port through which light for curing the ink is irradiated and disposed on the carriage facing the support base; and a light shielding plate disposed to face one side of the support base in the first direction. The irradiation port is disposed on the other side of the recording head in the first direction. The carriage moving device is configured to be able to move the carriage so that the recording head is located on the one side of the light shielding plate in the first direction. The distance between the support base and the light shielding plate in the first direction is set shorter than the distance between an end of the irradiation port on the one side in the first direction and an end of the recording head on the other side in the first direction.

[0006] In the inkjet printer described above, when the forward end of the light irradiation device's irradiation port is about to exit the support base to the side of the support base, the recording head is farther from the irradiation port than the light shielding plate. That is, at this time, the light shielding plate is located between the irradiation port and the recording head. Therefore, at this time, a portion of the light irradiated by the light irradiation device is blocked by the light shielding plate and does not reach the recording head. Therefore, the reflected light from the light irradiation device is prevented from being irradiated onto the recording head.

[0007] In this way, the ink jet printer can prevent the light from the light irradiation device from being irradiated onto the recording head. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view illustrating a printer according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the printer with the front cover open. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the flatbed and the carriage and its surroundings. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the flatbed and the carriage and its surroundings. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the flatbed and the carriage and its surroundings. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printer. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the flatbed and carriage at the point when the front end of the irradiation port in the traveling direction emerges from above the flatbed to the outside. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the flatbed and carriage at the point when the rear end of the irradiation port in the traveling direction emerges from above the flatbed to the outside. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view of the flatbed and the carriage and its surroundings according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a light blocking plate according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described here are not intended to limit the present invention in any particular way. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used to designate components and parts that perform the same functions, and redundant descriptions will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0010] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printer (hereinafter referred to as the printer) 10 according to one embodiment. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the side away from the printer 10 when viewed from the front is referred to as the front, and the side toward the printer 10 is referred to as the rear. Left, right, top, and bottom refer to the left, right, top, and bottom directions when viewed from the front of the printer 10 with a flatbed 30 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, installed so that it is substantially horizontal. Furthermore, the symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings refer to the front, back, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. In the drawings, symbol Y indicates the main scanning direction. The main scanning direction Y is the left-to-right direction. Symbol X indicates the sub-scanning direction. The sub-scanning direction X is the front-to-back direction. The sub-scanning direction X is perpendicular to the main scanning direction Y. Symbol Z indicates the up-down direction. The up-down direction Z is perpendicular to the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X.

[0011] In the following, the left side of the main scanning direction Y will also be referred to as the first main scanning direction Y1, and the right side will also be referred to as the second main scanning direction Y2. As will be described in detail later, the first main scanning direction Y1 is the forward side in the direction of travel when the carriage 40 is moved from the flatbed 30 to the standby position P1 (see FIG. 2). The second main scanning direction Y2 is the rear side in the direction of travel when the carriage 40 is moved to the standby position P1. Also, in the following, the rear side of the sub-scanning direction X will also be referred to as the first sub-scanning direction X1, and the front side will also be referred to as the second sub-scanning direction X2. However, these directions are merely defined for the convenience of explanation and do not in any way limit the installation mode of the printer 10 or the present invention.

[0012] In this embodiment, the printer 10 is an inkjet printer. In this embodiment, the term "inkjet printer" refers to inkjet printers using various conventionally known methods, including various continuous methods such as binary deflection methods or continuous deflection methods, and various on-demand methods such as thermal methods or piezoelectric methods.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 is formed in a box shape. In this embodiment, the printer 10 includes a case 20 and a front cover 25. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the printer 10 with the front cover 25 open. As shown in FIG. 2, an opening is formed in the front of the case 20. The front cover 25 is provided so as to be able to freely open and close the opening of the case 20. Here, the front cover 25 is supported by the case 20 so as to be rotatable around its rear end. The front cover 25 is provided with a window 26. The window 26 is formed, for example, from a transparent acrylic plate. The user can view the internal space 20a of the case 20 through the window 26.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the internal space 20a of the case 20 is defined by a base plate 21, a rear panel 22, a left panel 23, and a right panel 24. The base plate 21 forms the bottom surface of the internal space 20a. The base plate 21 is flat and extends horizontally. The upper surface of the base plate 21 forms a base surface 21a extending in the primary scanning direction Y and the secondary scanning direction X. The rear panel 22 forms the rear surface of the internal space 20a. The rear panel 22 is flat and extends horizontally. The rear panel 22 is disposed so as to intersect with the base surface 21a. In this example, the rear panel 22 is perpendicular to the base surface 21a. The rear panel 22 extends in the primary scanning direction Y and the vertical direction Z. Although not shown, the rear panel 22 has an opening penetrating it in the front-to-rear direction. The opening is located closer to the first primary scanning direction Y1 than the flatbed 30, which will be described later. The left panel 23 and the right panel 24 respectively constitute the left and right walls of the internal space 20a. The left panel 23 and the right panel 24 are each formed in a flat plate shape. The left panel 23 and the right panel 24 each extend in the sub-scanning direction X and the up-down direction Z.

[0015] The base plate 21, rear panel 22, left panel 23, and right panel 24 are formed from, for example, stainless steel plate, SECC (electro-galvanized steel plate), etc. In the case of stainless steel plate, the base plate 21, rear panel 22, left panel 23, and right panel 24 are formed from stainless steel plate without any particular surface treatment, and the light reflectance thereof is, for example, 30% to 50%. In the case of SECC, the reflectance of the base plate 21, rear panel 22, left panel 23, and right panel 24 is, for example, 40% or thereabouts.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the internal space 20a of the printer 10 is provided with a flatbed 30, a bed moving device 35, a carriage 40, a carriage moving device 45, a recording head 50, a light irradiation device 60, and an anti-reflection mechanism 70.

[0017] The flatbed 30 is a support platform that supports the recording medium 5. The flatbed 30 is provided above the base surface 21a. The printer 10 according to this embodiment is a so-called flatbed type printer. The flatbed 30 is a flat-plate-shaped member. The flatbed 30 extends in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. The flatbed 30 faces the up-down direction Z. The base surface 21a of the base plate 21 and the flatbed 30 are configured to be substantially parallel. The recording medium 5 is placed on the upper surface of the flatbed 30. The shape of the recording medium 5 is not particularly limited and may be flat or have various three-dimensional shapes. The material of the recording medium 5 is also not particularly limited and may be, for example, wood, metal, glass, paper, or cloth. The flatbed 30 is disposed approximately in the center of the main scanning direction Y in the internal space 20a of the case 20.

[0018] A bed moving device 35 is disposed below the flatbed 30. The bed moving device 35 is a member that moves the flatbed 30 in the sub-scanning direction X and the up-down direction Z. The flatbed 30 is supported from below by the bed moving device 35. The bed moving device 35 is equipped with a sub-scanning direction moving mechanism 35X and a vertical direction moving mechanism 35Z. The vertical direction moving mechanism 35Z supports the flatbed 30 and moves it in the up-down direction Z. The vertical direction moving mechanism 35Z is supported from below by the sub-scanning direction moving mechanism 35X. The sub-scanning direction moving mechanism 35X supports the up-down direction moving mechanism 35Z and moves it in the sub-scanning direction X. However, the configuration of the bed moving device 35 is not limited. For example, the vertical positional relationship between the sub-scanning direction moving mechanism 35X and the up-down direction moving mechanism 35Z may be reversed.

[0019] The carriage 40 is equipped with a recording head 50 and a light irradiation device 60. The carriage 40 is disposed so as to face the base surface 21a and the flatbed 30. The carriage 40 is disposed above the base surface 21a and the flatbed 30. The carriage 40 is moved in the main scanning direction Y by a carriage moving device 45. The carriage moving device 45 includes a guide rail 46, a belt 47, left and right pulleys (not shown), and a carriage motor 48 (see FIG. 7).

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the guide rail 46 is supported by the rear panel 22 and extends in the main scanning direction Y. The guide rail 46 is fixed to the front surface of the rear panel 22. The carriage 40 is engaged with the guide rail 46 so as to be movable in the main scanning direction Y. The carriage 40 is disposed forward of the rear panel 22 (on the side of the second sub-scanning direction X2). An endless belt 47 is fixed to the carriage 40. The belt 47 is wound around pulleys (not shown) provided on the right and left sides of the guide rail 46. A carriage motor 48 is attached to one of the pulleys. When the carriage motor 48 is driven, the pulley rotates and the belt 47 moves. This causes the carriage 40 to move along the guide rail 46 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0021] The recording head 50 is provided on the carriage 40. The recording head 50 is provided so as to face the base surface 21a and the flatbed 30. The recording head 50 includes a first ink head 51 to a fourth ink head 54. The first ink head 51 to the fourth ink head 54 are provided on the underside of the carriage 40. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the flatbed 30 and the carriage 40 and its surroundings. FIG. 4 is a front view of the flatbed 30 and the carriage 40 and its surroundings. FIG. 5 is a right side view of the flatbed 30 and the carriage 40 and its surroundings. As shown in FIG. 3, the first ink head 51 to the fourth ink head 54 all extend in the sub-scanning direction X. Note that the number of ink heads provided in the recording head 50 is four in this example, but the number of ink heads is not limited thereto.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, each of the first ink head 51 to the fourth ink head 54 has a nozzle surface on which a plurality of nozzles are formed. For example, the first ink head 51 has a nozzle surface 51b on which a plurality of nozzles 51a are formed. The nozzle surface 51b faces the flatbed 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle surface 51b extends in the sub-scanning direction X. The plurality of nozzles 51a are aligned in the sub-scanning direction X to form a nozzle row. The nozzles 51a are minute holes from which ink is ejected. Each nozzle 51a is connected to a pressure chamber in which ink is stored. The ink is ejected from the nozzle 51a by expanding and contracting the pressure chamber by driving, for example, a piezoelectric element. Note that while FIG. 3 shows five nozzles 51a in one nozzle row, in reality, a larger number (e.g., 300) are formed. The number of nozzles 51a formed in one nozzle row is not limited. The second ink head 52 to the fourth ink head 54 have the same configuration as the first ink head 51.

[0023] Each of the ink heads 51 to 54 is connected to an ink cartridge (not shown) via an ink tube (not shown). A different ink cartridge is connected to each of the nozzle rows of the ink heads 51 to 54. Each of the ink cartridges contains a different color of ink. However, some or all of the ink cartridges may contain ink of the same color.

[0024] In this embodiment, the ink ejected from the recording head 50 is photocurable ink. Photocurable ink here is ultraviolet-curable ink that hardens when irradiated with ultraviolet light. The components, properties, etc. of the photocurable ink are not particularly limited. Furthermore, the color of the ejected ink is not limited.

[0025] The light irradiation device 60 is provided on the carriage 40. The light irradiation device 60 is provided to face the base surface 21a and the flatbed 30. In this embodiment, the light irradiation device 60 is disposed to the right of the recording head 50 (in the second main scanning direction Y2). As shown in FIG. 3, the light irradiation device 60 includes a light source 61 that generates light to cure ink and an irradiation port 62 that irradiates the light from the light source 61 toward the outside. The light source 61 is composed of, for example, multiple ultraviolet irradiation lamps. The irradiation port 62 is an opening provided with a cover that allows light to pass through. However, the irradiation port 62 may be a simple opening that is not covered by a cover or the like. The irradiation port 62 extends in the sub-scanning direction X. A length Lx2 of the irradiation port 62 in the sub-scanning direction X is longer than a length Lx1 of the recording head 50 in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0026] The anti-reflection mechanism 70 is a member for preventing reflected light of light emitted from the light irradiation device 60 from being irradiated onto the recording head 50. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the anti-reflection mechanism 70. As shown in FIG. 6, the anti-reflection mechanism 70 includes an anti-reflection member 80 and a light-shielding plate 90. The anti-reflection member 80 is supported by the rear panel 22. The light-shielding plate 90 is supported by the anti-reflection member 80. The anti-reflection member 80 and the light-shielding plate 90 are provided above the base surface 21a.

[0027] The antireflection member 80 is formed by bending a metal plate. In this example, the material of the antireflection member 80 is an aluminum alloy. However, the material of the antireflection member 80 is not particularly limited. The antireflection member 80 includes a first antireflection portion 81 and a second antireflection portion 82. As shown in FIG. 6 , the first antireflection portion 81 extends in the main scanning direction Y and the up-down direction Z. The second antireflection portion 82 extends forward from the lower end of the first antireflection portion 81. The second antireflection portion 82 extends in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X.

[0028] The anti-reflection member 80 is provided along the rear panel 22. The anti-reflection member 80 is fixed to the rear panel 22 by bolts inserted into mounting holes 81a provided in the first anti-reflection portion 81. The anti-reflection member 80 is located closer to the flatbed 30 in the first main scanning direction Y1 and is fixed to the rear panel 22. As shown in FIG. 6, the first anti-reflection portion 81 extends leftward to a position substantially identical to the left end of the guide rail 46. Therefore, the left end of the first anti-reflection portion 81 is located to the left of the carriage 40 when it is positioned at the leftmost position within its movable range. Hereinafter, this position of the carriage 40 will be referred to as the standby position P1 (see also FIG. 2). The standby position P1 is set closer to the flatbed 30 in the first main scanning direction Y1. The carriage moving device 45 is configured to be able to move the carriage 40 to the standby position P1. The first anti-reflection portion 81 extends along the rear panel 22 to a position further to the first main scanning direction Y1 side than the standby position P1 of the carriage 40.

[0029] The standby position P1 is a position of the carriage 40 where, for example, maintenance work on the recording head 50 and the light irradiation device 60 is performed. As shown in FIG. 2, a maintenance space Sm is provided below the carriage 40 at the standby position P1, in other words, between the carriage 40 at the standby position P1 and the base surface 21a. Only the base plate 21 and the second anti-reflection unit 82 are provided below the carriage 40 at the standby position P1, and the area below the carriage 40 at the standby position P1 serves as the maintenance space Sm. If necessary, the user performs maintenance work on the recording head 50 and the light irradiation device 60 with the carriage 40 positioned at the standby position P1. The maintenance work may include, for example, cleaning the recording head 50 and the irradiation port 62 with a stick-shaped cleaner.

[0030] The first anti-reflection unit 81 is disposed closer to the flatbed 30 in the first main scanning direction Y1 and extends along the rear panel 22. The first anti-reflection unit 81 is attached to the front surface of the rear panel 22. The first anti-reflection unit 81 is attached to the rear panel 22 so as to cover an opening (not shown) formed in the rear panel 22. The first anti-reflection unit 81 is disposed substantially parallel to the rear panel 22. The first anti-reflection unit 81 is disposed forward of the rear panel 22 (on the side of the second sub-scanning direction X2). As shown in FIG. 5, the first anti-reflection unit 81 is disposed rearward of the carriage 40 (on the side of the first sub-scanning direction X1). The first anti-reflection unit 81 is disposed so as to overlap a portion of the rear panel 22 when viewed in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper end of the first anti-reflection unit 81 is located below the guide rail 46. The upper end of the first anti-reflection portion 81 is located higher than the lower surface of the carriage 40 and the lower surface of the light irradiation device 60 .

[0031] The second anti-reflection portion 82 is connected to the lower end of the first anti-reflection portion 81 and extends therefrom forward (away from the rear panel 22) along the base surface 21a. The second anti-reflection portion 82 is provided approximately parallel to the base surface 21a. The second anti-reflection portion 82 extends along the base surface 21a of the base plate 21 toward the first main scanning direction Y1 beyond the standby position P1. The left end of the second anti-reflection portion 82 is generally aligned with the left end of the first anti-reflection portion 81 in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 3, the second anti-reflection portion 82 extends forward (toward the second sub-scanning direction X2) beyond the front end of the recording head 50.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 6, an antireflection sheet S1 that suppresses light reflection is attached to the first antireflection portion 81 and the second antireflection portion 82. The type of antireflection sheet S1 is not limited. The antireflection sheet S1 may be formed of, for example, a nonwoven fabric, a resin foam, a resin sheet, or an activated carbon sheet. The light reflectance of the antireflection sheet S1 is, for example, 5% or less. However, the light reflectance of the antireflection sheet S1 is more preferably 2% or less.

[0033] The antireflection member 80 (at least the first antireflection portion 81 and the second antireflection portion 82) may be subjected to any surface treatment that suppresses reflection of light emitted by the light irradiation device 60. The surface treatment may be, for example, painting or anodizing.

[0034] The light shielding plate 90 is a flat plate-shaped member. The light shielding plate 90 is also formed, for example, from a flat plate of an aluminum alloy. However, the material of the light shielding plate 90 is not particularly limited. The light shielding plate 90 is provided on the upper surface of the second anti-reflection unit 82 and extends upward therefrom. The light shielding plate 90 is provided above the base surface 21a and perpendicular to the base surface 21a. The light shielding plate 90 extends in the sub-scanning direction X and the up-down direction Z. As shown in FIG. 3 , the length W3 of the light shielding plate 90 in the main scanning direction Y is the thickness of the aluminum alloy that is the material. The length W3 of the light shielding plate 90 in the main scanning direction Y is, for example, 1 mm to 2 mm. This length W3 is, for example, shorter than the length W1 of the recording head 50 in the main scanning direction Y and shorter than the length of each of the ink heads 51 to 54 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0035] The light shielding plate 90 is provided closer to the flatbed 30 in the first main scanning direction Y1. The light shielding plate 90 is provided to face the side surface 30L of the flatbed 30 on the first main scanning direction Y1 side. In this embodiment, the distance D2 between the flatbed 30 and the light shielding plate 90 in the main scanning direction Y is shorter than the distance D1 between the irradiation port 62 and the recording head 50 in the main scanning direction Y and is longer than the width W2 of the irradiation port 62 in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 3, the distance D1 between the irradiation port 62 and the recording head 50 is the distance between the end 62L of the irradiation port 62 on the first main scanning direction Y1 side and the end of the ink head closest to the irradiation port 62 on the irradiation port 62 side (here, the end 54R of the fourth ink head 54 on the second main scanning direction Y2 side). The distance D2 between the flatbed 30 and the light shielding plate 90 is the distance between the side surface 30L of the flatbed 30 on the first main scanning direction Y1 side and the surface 91 (light shielding surface 91 described later) of the light shielding plate 90 on the second main scanning direction Y2 side.

[0036] The standby position P1 of the carriage 40 is set on the first main scanning direction Y1 side of the light blocking plate 90. The light blocking plate 90 is provided between the flatbed 30 and the standby position P1 of the carriage 40 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0037] 3, the length Lx3 of the light blocking plate 90 in the sub-scanning direction X is longer than the length Lx1 of the recording head 50 in the sub-scanning direction X. In this embodiment, the length Lx3 of the light blocking plate 90 in the sub-scanning direction X is even longer than the length Lx2 of the irradiation port 62 in the sub-scanning direction X. Here, the light blocking plate 90 extends from behind the rear end of the carriage 40 to ahead of the front end of the carriage 40.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4 , the upper surface 93 of the light shielding plate 90 is located lower than the lower surfaces of the recording head 50 and the light irradiation device 60. When the carriage 40 moves from the flatbed 30 to the standby position P1, the recording head 50 and the light irradiation device 60 pass above the light shielding plate 90. The relationship between the position of the upper surface 93 of the light shielding plate 90 and the position of the upper surface of the flatbed 30 is not particularly limited. The position of the upper surface 93 of the light shielding plate 90 may be higher or lower than the position of the upper surface of the flatbed 30. In this example, the position of the upper surface 93 of the light shielding plate 90 is lower than the position of the upper surface of the flatbed 30.

[0039] The surface 91 of the light shielding plate 90 facing the flatbed 30 constitutes a light shielding surface 91 that receives light emitted from the light irradiation device 60 or reflected light thereof when the carriage 40 moves from the flatbed 30 toward the standby position P1. The light shielding surface 91 faces the second main scanning direction Y2. At least the light shielding surface 91 of the light shielding plate 90 is subjected to a surface treatment that suppresses light reflection. In this embodiment, not only the light shielding surface 91 but also the back surface 92 of the light shielding surface 91 and the top surface 93 of the light shielding plate 90 are subjected to a surface treatment that suppresses light reflection. Here, the surface treatment of the light shielding plate 90 is the attachment of an anti-reflection sheet S1, similar to the anti-reflection member 80.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3, parts of the first anti-reflection portion 81 and the second anti-reflection portion 82 are located closer to the flatbed 30 than the light-shielding plate 90. The portion of the second anti-reflection portion 82 between the light-shielding plate 90 and the flatbed 30 suppresses light reflected by the portion of the base surface 21a between the flatbed 30 and the light-shielding plate 90. Hereinafter, this portion of the second anti-reflection portion 82 will be referred to as the bed-side anti-reflection portion 82a. The bed-side anti-reflection portion 82a extends above the portion of the base surface 21a between the flatbed 30 and the light-shielding plate 90. The bed-side anti-reflection portion 82a has been subjected to a surface treatment that suppresses light reflection.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 includes a control device 100. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the printer 10. As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 100 is connected to the sub-scanning direction movement mechanism 35X, the vertical direction movement mechanism 35Z, the carriage motor 48, the first ink head 51 to the fourth ink head 54, and the light source 61 of the light irradiation device 60, and controls their operation. The control device 100 may be, for example, a computer connected to the printer 10, and may include a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU), a ROM storing programs executed by the CPU, a RAM, and the like. Each unit of the control device 100 may be configured by software or hardware. Furthermore, each unit may be a processor or a circuit. The configuration of the control device 100 is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 100 includes a carriage movement control unit 101 and an irradiation control unit 102. The control device 100 may include other control units, but these will not be described or illustrated here.

[0042] The carriage movement control unit 101 controls the operation of the carriage motor 48, thereby controlling the movement of the carriage 40 in the main scanning direction Y. The carriage movement control unit 101 controls the operation of moving the carriage 40 to the standby position P1. The carriage movement control unit 101 controls the carriage moving device 45, causing the carriage 40 to move to the standby position P1.

[0043] The illumination control unit 102 controls the operation of the light illumination device 60. More specifically, the illumination control unit 102 starts or stops the illumination of light by the light illumination device 60 by controlling the light source 61. When the carriage 40 is moved to the standby position P1 by the carriage movement control unit 101, the illumination control unit 102 stops the illumination of light at the latest before the illumination port 62 is positioned on the first main scanning direction Y1 side of the flatbed 30. However, if there is no particular need to illuminate light, the illumination control unit 102 stops the illumination of light earlier.

[0044] The following describes the operation of the printer 10 when the carriage 40 moves from the flatbed 30 to the standby position P1, and the effects that result from this.

[0045] [Effects of the bed-side anti-reflection unit and light shielding plate] First, the effects of the bed-side anti-reflection unit 82a and the light-shielding plate 90 will be described. Figures 8 and 9 are front views showing the flatbed 30 and carriage 40 as the carriage 40 moves to the standby position P1. Of these, Figure 8 shows the flatbed 30 and carriage 40 at the point where the end 62L of the irradiation port 62 of the light irradiation device 60 on the first main scanning direction Y1 side extends from above the flatbed 30 to the side of the flatbed 30. The end 62L of the irradiation port 62 on the first main scanning direction Y1 side is the end on the front side of the carriage 40 in the traveling direction as the carriage 40 moves to the standby position P1. Figure 9 shows the flatbed 30 and carriage 40 at the point where the end 62R of the irradiation port 62 on the second main scanning direction Y2 side extends from above the flatbed 30 to the side of the flatbed 30. The end 62R of the irradiation port 62 on the second main scanning direction Y2 side is the end on the rear side of the carriage 40 in the traveling direction. Hereinafter, the ends 62L and 62R will also be simply referred to as the left end 62L and the right end 62R, respectively.

[0046] 8, when the left end 62L of the irradiation port 62 emerges from above the flatbed 30 to the left of the flatbed 30, the left end 62L and the left side surface 30L of the flatbed 30 are aligned in the main scanning direction Y. Since the distance D1 between the irradiation port 62 and the recording head 50 in the main scanning direction Y is longer than the distance D2 between the flatbed 30 and the light shielding plate 90 in the main scanning direction Y, the fourth ink head 54 of the recording head 50 is positioned closer to the light shielding plate 90 in the first main scanning direction Y1.

[0047] The light irradiation device 60 is turned off at the latest at the time shown in FIG. 8 (when the left end 62L of the irradiation port 62 moves from above the flatbed 30 to the left of the flatbed 30). If there is no particular need to irradiate light, the printer 10 stops irradiating light earlier, for example, simultaneously with the completion of ink curing. At the latest, light irradiation is not necessary after the time shown in FIG. 8. However, there is a time lag between the timing when control to turn off the light irradiation device 60 is performed and the timing when the light irradiation device 60 actually turns off. Therefore, the light irradiation device 60 may still be irradiating light at the time shown in FIG. 8. At the time shown in FIG. 8, a portion L1 of the light irradiated from the light irradiation device 60 is irradiated onto the bed-side anti-reflection portion 82a of the second anti-reflection portion 82. Most of the light L1 irradiated onto the bed-side anti-reflection portion 82a is absorbed by the anti-reflection sheet S1 (see FIG. 6) attached to the bed-side anti-reflection portion 82a. At the time of FIG. 8, light L1 is irradiated from the light irradiation device 60 onto the bed-side anti-reflection section 82a, and only a portion of the light L1 is reflected by the bed-side anti-reflection section 82a.

[0048] 8, most of the light L1 reflected by the bed-side anti-reflection portion 82a is irradiated onto the light-shielding surface 91 of the light-shielding plate 90. The light L1 irradiated onto the light-shielding surface 91 is blocked by the light-shielding surface 91 and does not reach the light-shielding plate 90 in the first main scanning direction Y1. Furthermore, most of the light L1 irradiated onto the light-shielding surface 91 is absorbed by the anti-reflection sheet S1 attached to the light-shielding surface 91. There is a possibility that some of the light L1 reflected by the light-shielding surface 91 will be further reflected one or more times and reach the recording head 50, but the amount of this reflection is very small.

[0049] 8, a portion of the light emitted from the light irradiation device 60 toward a location other than the bed-side reflection prevention portion 82a is directly irradiated onto the light shielding plate 90 as light L2 in FIG. 8. The light L2 directly irradiated onto the light shielding surface 91 is also blocked by the light shielding surface 91 and does not reach any location on the first main scanning direction Y1 side of the light shielding plate 90. Furthermore, most of the light L2 directly irradiated onto the light shielding plate 90 is absorbed by the light shielding surface 91 of the light shielding plate 90. There is a possibility that a portion of the light L2 reflected by the light shielding surface 91 will be further reflected one or more times and reach the recording head 50, but the amount of this reflection is very small.

[0050] In this way, when the left end 62L of the irradiation port 62 is about to extend from above the flatbed 30 to the left of the flatbed 30, the bed-side anti-reflection portion 82a and the light-shielding plate 90 prevent the reflected light of light L1 and L2 from the light irradiation device 60 from reaching the recording head 50. If the light L1 and L2 are reflected by the base surface 21a, they may become primary reflected light and be irradiated toward the nozzle surface of the recording head 50. Such primary reflected light may harden the ink in the recording head 50, resulting in malfunction. The bed-side anti-reflection portion 82a suppresses the reflection of light L1 from the light irradiation device 60, thereby preventing the reflected light of light L1 from reaching the recording head 50. The light-shielding plate 90 blocks the reflected light of light L1 from the bed-side anti-reflection portion 82a and the direct light L2, thereby preventing the light L1 and L2 from penetrating further toward the first main scanning direction Y1 than the light-shielding plate 90.

[0051] As the carriage 40 moves further in the first main scanning direction Y1 from the point shown in FIG. 8 , the right end 62R of the irradiation port 62 moves from above the flatbed 30 to the left of the flatbed 30, as shown in FIG. 9 . At this point, the right end 62R of the irradiation port 62 is aligned with the left side surface 30L of the flatbed 30 in the main scanning direction Y. Because the length W2 of the irradiation port 62 in the main scanning direction Y is shorter than the distance D2 between the flatbed 30 and the light-shielding plate 90 in the main scanning direction Y, the irradiation port 62 is positioned further toward the second main scanning direction Y2 than the light-shielding plate 90. Therefore, even at the point shown in FIG. 9 , for the same reason as in FIG. 8 , most of the light irradiated from the light irradiation device 60 onto the light-shielding surface 91 of the bed-side anti-reflection unit 82a does not reach the recording head 50. Similarly, at the point between FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 , most of the light irradiated from the light irradiation device 60 does not reach the recording head 50. 9 (the point at which the irradiation port 62 is completely out to the first main scanning direction Y1 side of the flatbed 30). Therefore, the light irradiated toward the recording head 50 can be more reliably blocked.

[0052] 8, the light from the light irradiation device 60 is reflected by the flatbed 30 or the recording medium 5 placed thereon. Therefore, it is not expected that the bed-side anti-reflection part 82a and the light shielding plate 90 will prevent light from being irradiated onto the recording head 50 during the time period before the time period shown in FIG.

[0053] The bed-side reflection prevention part 82a and the light shielding plate 90 are intended to prevent light from the light irradiation device 60 from being irradiated onto the recording head 50 outside the area of ​​the flatbed 30, and are particularly configured to prevent reflected light from the light irradiation device 60 from being irradiated onto the recording head 50 from the time point shown in Figure 8 to the time point shown in Figure 9. If the bed-side reflection prevention part 82a and the light shielding plate 90 are configured in this way, it can be expected that they will be sufficiently effective in suppressing the amount of light irradiated onto the recording head 50.

[0054] 9, the carriage 40 stops at a standby position P1 that is set on the first main scanning direction Y1 side of the light blocking plate 90. Below the recording head 50 at the standby position P1 is a maintenance space Sm (see FIG. 2) for performing maintenance work on the recording head 50 and the light irradiation device 60.

[0055] As described above, in the printer 10 according to this embodiment, the light shielding plate 90 has a light shielding surface 91 extending in the sub-scanning direction X and the up-down direction Z. The distance D2 between the flatbed 30 and the light shielding plate 90 in the main scanning direction Y is shorter than the distance D1 between the irradiation port 62 and the recording head 50 in the main scanning direction Y. Therefore, without the light shielding surface 91, light reflected by the base surface 21a and irradiated toward the recording head 50 can be suppressed. The light blocked by the light shielding plate 90 includes light (e.g., light L2) directly irradiated from the irradiation port 62 onto the light shielding surface 91 and light (e.g., light L1) reflected by a portion of the base surface 21a between the flatbed 30 and the light shielding plate 90 and irradiated toward the light shielding surface 91. Furthermore, in the printer 10 according to this embodiment, a maintenance space Sm is provided below the carriage 40 at the standby position P1. Therefore, by moving the carriage 40 to the standby position P1, maintenance work on the recording head 50 can be easily performed.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the distance D2 between the flatbed 30 and the light shielding plate 90 in the main scanning direction Y is longer than the length W2 of the irradiation port 62 in the main scanning direction Y. Therefore, the light shielding plate 90 has a light shielding function at least until the irradiation port 62 completely extends beyond the flatbed 30 toward the first main scanning direction Y1. This makes it possible to more reliably block light irradiated toward the recording head 50.

[0057] 3, in this embodiment, the length Lx3 of the light shielding plate 90 in the sub-scanning direction X is longer than the length Lx1 of the recording head 50 in the sub-scanning direction X. Therefore, the light shielding plate 90 according to this embodiment can protect the entire recording head 50 from reflected light in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0058] In this embodiment, the light-shielding surface 91 is subjected to a surface treatment that suppresses light reflection. This configuration can reduce the amount of light reflected by the light-shielding surface 91. As a result, the amount of light that is subsequently reflected repeatedly and irradiated onto the recording head 50 can also be reduced.

[0059] The printer 10 according to this embodiment is equipped with a bed-side anti-reflection portion 82a that extends above the portion of the base surface 21a between the flatbed 30 and the light-shielding plate 90. The bed-side anti-reflection portion 82a is surface-treated to suppress light reflection. This configuration reduces the amount of light reflected in the area between the flatbed 30 and the light-shielding plate 90. This also reduces the amount of light that is subsequently reflected and irradiated onto the recording head 50.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the carriage 40 moves in the first main scanning direction Y1, light irradiation is stopped at least before the irradiation port 62 is positioned closer to the flatbed 30 in the first main scanning direction Y1. According to the above control, the light irradiation device 60 is turned off at the latest in a time period after the time period in which the light blocking effect of the light blocking plate 90 is exerted (here, the time period from the time in FIG. 8 to the time in FIG. 9). Therefore, according to the above control, it is possible to reliably prevent reflected light from the light irradiation device 60 from being irradiated onto the recording head 50.

[0061] In this embodiment, the upper surface 93 of the light shielding plate 90 is also subjected to a surface treatment to suppress light reflection. A portion of the light irradiated onto the upper surface 93 of the light shielding plate 90 is reflected by the upper surface 93 toward the recording head 50. Therefore, in this embodiment, such reflected light is reduced by performing a surface treatment to the upper surface 93 of the light shielding plate 90 to suppress light reflection.

[0062] [Effects of anti-reflective materials] Next, the effect of the anti-reflection member 80 will be described. The anti-reflection member 80 suppresses reflection of light by the wall surfaces of the internal space 20a. As shown in FIG. 5, the light emitted by the light irradiation device 60 includes, for example, rearward-directed light such as light L3. The light L3 is reflected by the rear panel 22 and the base surface 21a, and follows a trajectory toward the recording head 50. The anti-reflection member 80 suppresses, for example, light such as light L3 from being irradiated onto the recording head 50.

[0063] Most of the primary reflected light of the light emitted by the light irradiation device 60 is blocked by the light shielding plate 90, but the remaining light, such as light L3, is irradiated directly or indirectly toward the rear panel 22. In particular, light that passes above the light shielding plate 90 is direct light, and its intensity is strong. If no measures are taken to prevent reflected light from the portions of the rear panel 22 and the base surface 21a that are located closer to the first main scanning direction Y1 than the light shielding plate 90, light L3 may be reflected by the rear panel 22 and the base surface 21a and reach the recording head 50.

[0064] The anti-reflection member 80 has a first anti-reflection portion 81 and a second anti-reflection portion 82, and suppresses reflection of light by the rear panel 22 and the base surface 21a. The first anti-reflection portion 81 is disposed at a position closer to the flatbed 30 in the first main scanning direction Y1 and extends along the rear panel 22 to a position closer to the waiting position P1 of the carriage 40 in the first main scanning direction Y1. The first anti-reflection portion 81 is surface-treated to suppress reflection of light emitted by the light irradiation device 60. Therefore, the first anti-reflection portion 81 suppresses reflection of light L3 by the rear panel 22. More specifically, most of the light L3 is absorbed by an anti-reflection sheet S1 (see FIG. 6) attached to the first anti-reflection portion 81.

[0065] Furthermore, because the first anti-reflection portion 81 extends along the rear panel 22, it does not interfere with the movement of the flatbed 30 and the carriage 40. By aligning the first anti-reflection portion 81 with the rear panel 22, the first anti-reflection portion 81 can be extended to the rear of the standby position P1 without interfering with the movement of the flatbed 30 and the carriage 40.

[0066] A portion of the light L3 that is not absorbed but reflected by the first anti-reflection unit 81 is irradiated onto the second anti-reflection unit 82. The second anti-reflection unit 82 is disposed at a position closer to the flatbed 30 in the first main scanning direction Y1 and extends along the base surface 21a further toward the first main scanning direction Y1 than the standby position P1. Here, the second anti-reflection unit 82 is also subjected to a surface treatment that suppresses reflection of the light irradiated by the light irradiation device 60. Therefore, the second anti-reflection unit 82 suppresses reflection of the light L3 by the base surface 21a. More specifically, most of the light L3 is absorbed by the anti-reflection sheet S1 (see FIG. 6) attached to the second anti-reflection unit 82. Therefore, the amount of light L3 that reaches the recording head 50 is kept very small.

[0067] Additionally, the second anti-reflection portion 82 extends forward substantially parallel to the base surface 21a along the base surface 21a of the base plate 21. By aligning the second anti-reflection portion 82 with the base surface 21a, the second anti-reflection portion 82 can be extended to the rear of the standby position P1 without interfering with the movement of the flatbed 30 and the carriage 40.

[0068] As described above, the first anti-reflection section 81 can reduce the amount of reflected light of the light irradiated from the light irradiation device 60 toward the rear panel 22. This can reduce the amount of reflected light that is ultimately irradiated toward the recording head 50. Furthermore, by providing the second anti-reflection section 82, the amount of reflected light that is reflected by the base surface 21a and irradiated toward the recording head 50 can be reduced.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an anti-reflection sheet S1 that suppresses reflection of light emitted by the light irradiation device 60 is attached to the first anti-reflection portion 81 and the second anti-reflection portion 82. This configuration makes it easy to perform surface treatment that suppresses light reflection. The light reflectance of the surface-treated portion is preferably 5% or less.

[0070] In this embodiment, the anti-reflection member 80 is supported by the rear panel 22. With this configuration, the anti-reflection member 80 can be attached to the printer 10 without the need for any additional members.

[0071] A preferred embodiment has been described above. However, the inkjet printer of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the anti-reflection member 80 was provided separately from the rear panel 22. However, the prevention of reflection by the rear panel may be achieved by the rear panel itself. That is, the rear panel may have a reflection-suppressing area that has been surface-treated to suppress reflection of light emitted by the light irradiation device. The surface treatment of the reflection-suppressing area can be achieved by various methods, such as attaching a sheet or painting. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the second anti-reflection portion 82 was provided separately from the base plate 21. However, the prevention of reflection by the base plate may be achieved by surface-treating the base plate itself.

[0072] In the above-described embodiment, the first antireflection portion 81 is provided substantially parallel to the rear panel 22. However, the first antireflection portion does not have to be substantially parallel to the rear panel. Similarly, in the above-described embodiment, the second antireflection portion 82 is provided substantially parallel to the base surface 21a, but the second antireflection portion does not have to be substantially parallel to the base surface.

[0073] In the above-described embodiment, the light blocking plate 90 is provided perpendicular to the base surface 21a and parallel to the sub-scanning direction X. However, the light blocking plate may be generally perpendicular to the base surface and may extend in a direction generally parallel to the sub-scanning direction. For example, the light blocking plate may be inclined at an angle of 10 degrees or less from the perpendicular direction to the base surface, or may be inclined at an angle of 10 degrees or less with respect to the sub-scanning direction.

[0074] In the above-described embodiment, the upper surface 93 of the light-shielding plate 90 is configured to extend horizontally, i.e., parallel to the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. However, the upper surface of the light-shielding plate may be configured, for example, as an inclined surface that is not parallel to the main scanning direction. In this case, the inclined surface preferably slopes from the upper left to the lower right in the orientation described in the above-described embodiment. Such an inclined surface can reflect light from the light irradiation device toward the right when the light irradiation device is located above and to the right of the upper surface of the light-shielding plate. This prevents light from being reflected by the upper surface of the light-shielding plate and irradiated onto the recording head. Note that the above-described directions, such as left, right, upper, and lower, are merely examples for illustrative purposes.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the printer 10 is a flatbed printer, but the configuration of the printer is not particularly limited. For example, the technology disclosed herein may be applied to a printer in which the recording medium is supplied from a roll. The support table that supports the recording medium may be a platen on which the recording medium supplied from the roll is placed.

[0076] Unless otherwise specified, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0077] [Second embodiment] In the second embodiment, the light shielding plate reflects, rather than absorbs, the light emitted by the light irradiation device. The light shielding plate according to this embodiment is configured to reflect light in a predetermined wavelength range that hardens the ink. In the following description of the second embodiment, components that perform the same functions as those in the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment. Furthermore, overlapping descriptions will be omitted or simplified.

[0078] FIG. 10 is a front view of the flatbed 30 and the carriage 40 and its surroundings according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the light shielding plate 190. As shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, the distance D2 between the flatbed 30 and the light shielding plate 190 in the main scanning direction Y is set shorter than the distance D1 between the irradiation port 62 of the light irradiation device 60 and the recording head 50 in the main scanning direction Y. Here, the position of the light shielding plate 190 is the same as the position of the light shielding plate 90 according to the first embodiment. However, the position of the light shielding plate 190 may be different from the position of the light shielding plate 90 according to the first embodiment. For example, the distance between the flatbed 30 and the light shielding plate 190 in the main scanning direction Y may be set to be the same as or longer than the distance D1 between the irradiation port 62 and the recording head 50 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0079] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , the light shielding plate 190 according to this embodiment has a different shape from the light shielding plate 90 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10 , the upper end of the light shielding plate 190 is located above the flatbed 30. The light shielding plate 190 extends above the flatbed 30. The upper end of the light shielding plate 190 is located below the recording head 50 and the light irradiation device 60. Although not shown, the front edge of the light shielding plate 190 is located forward of the front end of the recording head 50. As shown in FIG. 11 , the rear edge of the light shielding plate 190 is in contact with the rear panel 22. A notch corresponding to the shape of the rear panel 22 is provided in the rear edge of the light shielding plate 190. This allows the light shielding plate 190 to be in contact with the rear panel 22 with almost no gap.

[0080] The surface of the light shielding plate 190 facing the flatbed 30 forms a reflective surface 191 that reflects light in a predetermined wavelength band that hardens the ink. In this embodiment, too, the ink is an ink that hardens when exposed to light in a predetermined wavelength band. More specifically, the ink according to this embodiment is an ultraviolet curable ink that hardens when exposed to light in a predetermined wavelength band included in the ultraviolet region. The reflective surface 191 is configured to reflect at least light in the above-mentioned predetermined wavelength band.

[0081] The material constituting the reflective surface 191 is not particularly limited, but is a transparent material in this example. The material constituting the reflective surface 191 selectively reflects light in at least the above-mentioned predetermined wavelength band. On the other hand, the material constituting the reflective surface 191 transmits visible light in at least a portion of the wavelength band. This makes it possible to view the flatbed 30 from the maintenance space Sm through the light shielding plate 190, and vice versa. Here, the entire light shielding plate 190 is made of such a material. However, only a portion of the light shielding plate 190 may be made of such a material. Note that "transparent" here includes not only colorless transparency but also colored transparency and translucency. The reflective surface 191 is made of, for example, UV-blocking glass, UV-blocking transparent resin, or various transparent materials with UV-blocking film attached.

[0082] The material constituting the reflective surface of the light-blocking plate does not have to be a transparent material that selectively reflects light in a predetermined wavelength band, but may be a material that reflects light of all wavelengths, such as metal or opaque resin.

[0083] In this embodiment, the light shielding plate 190 extends above the flatbed 30 and to the vicinity of the recording head 50 and the light irradiation device 60, and furthermore, its rear edge contacts the rear panel 22. Therefore, of the light irradiated by the light irradiation device 60, almost no light in the wavelength range that cures the ink reaches the maintenance space Sm side of the light shielding plate 190. Therefore, in this embodiment, a member equivalent to the anti-reflection member 80 in the first embodiment is not provided. However, even if the light shielding plate extends above the flatbed, a member equivalent to the anti-reflection member 80 in the first embodiment may be provided.

[0084] According to measurements by the inventors of the present application, the light shielding plate 190, which reflects rather than absorbs the light from the light irradiation device 60, can also significantly reduce the light irradiated onto the recording head 50. As with the first embodiment, maintenance work on the recording head 50 can be easily performed in the maintenance space Sm.

[0085] In addition to the above, in this embodiment, the manufacturing cost of the printer 10 can be easily reduced. Generally, light-absorbing materials and surface treatments are expensive. In this embodiment, there is no need to use such expensive materials or perform expensive surface treatments, so the manufacturing cost of the printer 10 can be easily reduced.

[0086] Furthermore, by extending the light shielding plate 190 above the flatbed 30, the amount of light irradiated onto the recording head 50 can be further reduced. According to measurements by the inventors of the present application, this configuration can achieve a light shielding effect equivalent to that of the light shielding plate 90 of the first embodiment. Also, by extending the light shielding plate 190 above the flatbed 30, it is not necessary to apply anti-reflection treatment to the wall surfaces of the maintenance space Sm, or at least the portion of the wall surfaces of the maintenance space Sm that requires anti-reflection treatment is reduced. This reduces the manufacturing costs of the printer 10. Note that the light shielding plate does not have to extend above the flatbed.

[0087] In this embodiment, the material that constitutes the reflective surface 191 of the light-shielding plate 190 is a transparent material that selectively reflects light in the wavelength band that cures ink. This makes it possible to view the flatbed 30 from the maintenance space Sm, and also makes it possible to view the maintenance space Sm from the space on the flatbed 30 side of the light-shielding plate 190.

[0088] The above describes the printer according to the second embodiment, but the inkjet printer of the present invention is not limited to the second embodiment described above.

[0089] In the second embodiment described above, the light blocking plate 190 is provided perpendicular to the base surface 21a and parallel to the sub-scanning direction X. However, the light blocking plate may be generally perpendicular to the base surface and may extend in a direction generally parallel to the sub-scanning direction. For example, the light blocking plate may be inclined at an angle of 10 degrees or less from the perpendicular direction to the base surface, or may be inclined at an angle of 10 degrees or less with respect to the sub-scanning direction.

[0090] In the second embodiment described above, the upper surface of the light shielding plate 190 is configured to extend horizontally, i.e., parallel to the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. However, the upper surface of the light shielding plate may be configured, for example, as an inclined surface that is not parallel to the main scanning direction. In this case, the inclined surface preferably slopes from the upper left to the lower right in terms of the orientation in the second embodiment. Such an inclined surface can reflect light from the light irradiation device toward the right when the light irradiation device is located above and to the right of the upper surface of the light shielding plate. This prevents light from being reflected by the upper surface of the light shielding plate and irradiated onto the recording head. Note that the directions such as left, right, upper, and lower described above are merely examples for illustrative purposes.

[0091] In the second embodiment described above, the printer 10 is a flatbed printer, but the configuration of the printer is not particularly limited. For example, the technology disclosed herein may be applied to a printer in which the recording medium is supplied from a roll. The support table that supports the recording medium may be a platen on which the recording medium supplied from the roll is placed.

[0092] Unless otherwise specified, the second embodiment does not limit the present invention in the same way as the first embodiment.

[0093] [Other inventions] In the area to the side of the support stand that supports the recording medium, maintenance work on the print head, such as cleaning, is sometimes performed. From the perspective of facilitating maintenance work, it is preferable to have a work space to the side of the support stand, and to have no obstacles below the print head in that work space. However, in inkjet printers such as those disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4770837, an anti-reflection member with approximately the same area as the print head is provided to the side of the support stand. As a result, the print head and the anti-reflection member face each other on the side of the support stand, making print head maintenance work difficult.

[0094] The other invention described below was made in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to provide an inkjet printer that prevents light from the light irradiation device from being irradiated onto the recording head, while also making it easy to perform maintenance work on the recording head next to the support base.

[0095] The first inkjet printer includes a support base extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and supporting a recording medium; a carriage disposed above the support base and facing the support base; a carriage moving device configured to move the carriage in the first direction; a recording head having a nozzle for ejecting photocurable ink and disposed on the carriage facing the support base; a light irradiating device having an irradiation port through which light for curing the ink is irradiated and disposed on the carriage facing the support base; and a light shielding plate disposed to face one side of the support base in the first direction. The irradiation port is disposed on the other side of the recording head in the first direction. The carriage moving device is configured to be able to move the carriage to a standby position set on the one side of the light shielding plate in the first direction. The distance between the support base and the light shielding plate in the first direction is set shorter than the distance between the irradiation port and the recording head in the first direction. A maintenance space is provided below the carriage in the standby position.

[0096] According to the first inkjet printer, at the time when the front end of the irradiation port of the light irradiation device in the traveling direction is about to emerge from above the support base to the side of the support base, the recording head is farther away from the irradiation port than the light shielding plate. That is, at this time, the light shielding plate is located between the irradiation port and the recording head. Therefore, at this time, a portion of the light irradiated by the light irradiation device is blocked by the light shielding plate and does not reach the recording head. Therefore, the reflected light from the light irradiation device is prevented from being irradiated onto the recording head. Note that it is not necessary to irradiate light from the light irradiation device after the time when the front end of the irradiation port in the traveling direction is about to emerge from above the support base to the side of the support base.

[0097] In addition, according to the first inkjet printer, the recording head is moved to a standby position that is farther away from the support base than the light shielding plate. At the standby position, a maintenance space is provided below the carriage. Therefore, by moving the carriage to the standby position, maintenance work on the recording head can be easily performed.

[0098] In this way, according to the first inkjet printer, it is possible to prevent the light from the light irradiation device from being irradiated onto the recording head, and also to easily perform maintenance work on the recording head at the side of the support base.

[0099] The second inkjet printer is the first inkjet printer, The distance between the support base and the light blocking plate in the first direction is longer than the length of the irradiation port in the first direction.

[0100] The third inkjet printer is the first or second inkjet printer, The length of the light blocking plate in the second direction is longer than the length of the recording head in the second direction.

[0101] The fourth inkjet printer is any one of the first to third inkjet printers, the light blocking plate has a light blocking surface facing the support base, The light-shielding surface is subjected to a surface treatment to suppress light reflection.

[0102] The fifth inkjet printer is any one of the first to third inkjet printers, the ink is an ink that hardens when exposed to light in a predetermined wavelength range, the light blocking plate has a reflective surface facing the support base, The reflecting surface is configured to reflect at least light in the predetermined wavelength band.

[0103] The sixth inkjet printer is the fifth inkjet printer, the predetermined wavelength band is included in the ultraviolet region, The material forming the reflecting surface is a transparent material that selectively reflects at least light in the predetermined wavelength band.

[0104] The seventh inkjet printer is any one of the first to sixth inkjet printers, a base surface extending in the first direction and the second direction below the support base; an anti-reflection portion that extends above a portion of the base surface between the support base and the light blocking plate and that has been subjected to a surface treatment to suppress light reflection; It is equipped with the following.

[0105] The eighth inkjet printer is any one of the first to seventh inkjet printers, a control device for controlling the carriage moving device and the light emitting device, The control device a first control unit that controls the carriage moving device to move the carriage to the standby position; a second control unit that starts or stops the irradiation of light by the light irradiation device; Equipped with The second control unit stops irradiating the light at least before the irradiation port is positioned on one side of the support base in the first direction when the carriage is moved to the standby position by the first control unit.

[0106] A ninth inkjet printer is any one of the first to eighth inkjet printers, The upper end of the light blocking plate is located above the support base and below the recording head and the light irradiation device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 5. Recording media 10 Printer (inkjet printer) 21 Base plate (base member) 21a base surface 22 Rear Panel 30 Flatbed (support stand) 40 Carriage 45 Carriage moving device 50 recording head 60 Light irradiation device 62 Irradiation port 70 Anti-reflection mechanism 80 Anti-reflective material 81 1st anti-reflection section 82 2nd anti-reflection section 90 Shade 91 Light-shielding surface 100 control device 101 carriage movement control unit (first control unit) 102 irradiation control unit (second control unit) 190 Light blocking plate (second embodiment) 191 Reflective surface (second embodiment) P1 Standby position S1 Anti-reflective sheet Sm Maintenance Space X Sub-scanning direction (second direction) Y Main scanning direction (first direction)

Claims

1. a support table extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and supporting the recording medium; a carriage provided above the support base so as to face the support base; a carriage moving device that moves the carriage in the first direction; a recording head provided on the carriage so as to face the support base, the recording head having a nozzle for ejecting photocurable ink; a light irradiation device provided on the carriage so as to face the support base, the light irradiation device including an irradiation port through which light for curing the ink is irradiated; a light blocking plate provided to face one side surface of the support base in the first direction; Equipped with the irradiation port is provided on the other side of the recording head in the first direction, the carriage moving device is configured to be able to move the carriage so that the recording head is positioned on the one side of the light blocking plate in the first direction, a distance between the support base and the light blocking plate in the first direction is set shorter than a distance between an end of the irradiation port on one side in the first direction and an end of the recording head on the other side in the first direction, a length of the light blocking plate in the second direction is longer than a length of the recording head and the irradiation port in the second direction; Inkjet printer.

2. A support base extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and supporting a recording medium; a carriage provided above the support base so as to face the support base; a carriage moving device that moves the carriage in the first direction; a recording head provided on the carriage so as to face the support base, the recording head having a nozzle for ejecting photocurable ink; a light irradiation device provided on the carriage so as to face the support base, the light irradiation device including an irradiation port through which light for curing the ink is irradiated; a light blocking plate provided to face one side surface of the support base in the first direction; Equipped with the irradiation port is provided on the other side of the recording head in the first direction, the carriage moving device is configured to be able to move the carriage so that the recording head is positioned on the one side of the light blocking plate in the first direction, a distance between the support base and the light blocking plate in the first direction is set shorter than a distance between an end of the irradiation port on one side in the first direction and an end of the recording head on the other side in the first direction, an upper end of the light blocking plate is located above the support base and below the recording head and the light irradiation device; a distance between a lower end of the recording head and an upper end of the light blocking plate in a vertical direction is shorter than a distance between an upper surface of the support base and the upper end of the light blocking plate; Inkjet printer.

3. A support base extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and supporting a recording medium; a carriage provided above the support base so as to face the support base; a carriage moving device that moves the carriage in the first direction; a recording head provided on the carriage so as to face the support base, the recording head having a nozzle for ejecting photocurable ink; a light irradiation device provided on the carriage so as to face the support base, the light irradiation device including an irradiation port through which light for curing the ink is irradiated; a light blocking plate provided to face one side surface of the support base in the first direction; Equipped with the irradiation port is provided on the other side of the recording head in the first direction, the carriage moving device is configured to be able to move the carriage so that the recording head is positioned on the one side of the light blocking plate in the first direction, a distance between the support base and the light blocking plate in the first direction is shorter than a distance between an end of the irradiation port on one side in the first direction and an end of the recording head on the other side in the first direction, and is longer than a length of the irradiation port in the first direction; Inkjet printer.

4. A support base extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and supporting a recording medium; a carriage provided above the support base so as to face the support base; a carriage moving device that moves the carriage in the first direction; a recording head provided on the carriage so as to face the support base, the recording head having a nozzle for ejecting photocurable ink; a light irradiation device provided on the carriage so as to face the support base, the light irradiation device including an irradiation port through which light for curing the ink is irradiated; a light blocking plate provided to face one side surface of the support base in the first direction; Equipped with the irradiation port is provided on the other side of the recording head in the first direction, the carriage moving device is configured to be able to move the carriage so that the recording head is positioned on the one side of the light blocking plate in the first direction, a distance between the support base and the light blocking plate in the first direction is set shorter than a distance between an end of the irradiation port on one side in the first direction and an end of the recording head on the other side in the first direction, the light blocking plate has a light blocking surface facing the support base, The light-shielding surface is subjected to a surface treatment to suppress light reflection. Inkjet printer.

5. A support base extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and supporting a recording medium; a carriage provided above the support base so as to face the support base; a carriage moving device that moves the carriage in the first direction; a recording head provided on the carriage so as to face the support base, the recording head having a nozzle for ejecting photocurable ink; a light irradiation device provided on the carriage so as to face the support base, the light irradiation device including an irradiation port through which light for curing the ink is irradiated; a light blocking plate provided to face one side surface of the support base in the first direction; Equipped with the irradiation port is provided on the other side of the recording head in the first direction, the carriage moving device is configured to be able to move the carriage so that the recording head is positioned on the one side of the light blocking plate in the first direction, a distance between the support base and the light blocking plate in the first direction is set shorter than a distance between an end of the irradiation port on one side in the first direction and an end of the recording head on the other side in the first direction, The upper surface of the light blocking plate is subjected to a surface treatment to suppress light reflection. Inkjet printer.

6. A support base extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and supporting a recording medium; a carriage provided above the support base so as to face the support base; a carriage moving device that moves the carriage in the first direction; a recording head provided on the carriage so as to face the support base, the recording head having a nozzle for ejecting photocurable ink; a light irradiation device provided on the carriage so as to face the support base, the light irradiation device including an irradiation port through which light for curing the ink is irradiated; a light blocking plate provided to face one side surface of the support base in the first direction; Equipped with the irradiation port is provided on the other side of the recording head in the first direction, the carriage moving device is configured to be able to move the carriage so that the recording head is positioned on the one side of the light blocking plate in the first direction, a distance between the support base and the light blocking plate in the first direction is set shorter than a distance between an end of the irradiation port on one side in the first direction and an end of the recording head on the other side in the first direction, the ink is an ink that hardens when exposed to light in a predetermined wavelength range, the light blocking plate has a reflective surface facing the support base, The reflective surface is configured to reflect light in at least the predetermined wavelength band. Inkjet printer.

7. the predetermined wavelength band is included in the ultraviolet region, The material constituting the reflective surface is a transparent material that selectively reflects at least light in the predetermined wavelength band.

7. The inkjet printer according to claim 6.

8. A support base extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and supporting a recording medium; a carriage provided above the support base so as to face the support base; a carriage moving device that moves the carriage in the first direction; a recording head provided on the carriage so as to face the support base, the recording head having a nozzle for ejecting photocurable ink; a light irradiation device provided on the carriage so as to face the support base, the light irradiation device including an irradiation port through which light for curing the ink is irradiated; a light blocking plate provided to face one side surface of the support base in the first direction; a base surface extending in the first direction and the second direction below the support base; an anti-reflection portion that extends above a portion of the base surface between the support base and the light blocking plate and that has been subjected to a surface treatment to suppress light reflection; Equipped with the irradiation port is provided on the other side of the recording head in the first direction, the carriage moving device is configured to be able to move the carriage so that the recording head is positioned on the one side of the light blocking plate in the first direction, a distance between the support base and the light blocking plate in the first direction is set to be shorter than a distance between an end of the irradiation port on one side in the first direction and an end of the recording head on the other side in the first direction; Inkjet printer.

9. a control device for controlling the carriage moving device and the light emitting device, The control device a first control unit that controls the carriage moving device to move the carriage so that the recording head is positioned on the one side of the light blocking plate in the first direction; a second control unit that controls the operation of the light irradiation device; Equipped with The second control unit causes the light irradiation device to irradiate light for at least a part of a period from a time when a position of the end portion on one side of the irradiation port in the first direction coincides with a position of a side surface on one side of the support stand to a time when a position of the end portion on the other side of the irradiation port in the first direction coincides with a position of a side surface on one side of the support stand, 9. The inkjet printer according to claim 1.

10. a space is provided between the side surface of the support base on the one side in the first direction and the light blocking plate; 10. The inkjet printer according to claim 1.

11. The space is partitioned by the side surface of the support base on the one side in the first direction and the light blocking plate. The inkjet printer according to claim 10.

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