Recording device

Abstract

To provide a recording device having a frame that is able to properly support a carriage.SOLUTION: A recording device according to the present invention including: conveying means that conveys a sheet in a conveying direction; a recording head that is opposite to the sheet conveyed by the conveying means and ejects a liquid to record an image; a carriage on which the recording head is mounted and that moves in a scanning direction intersecting the conveying direction; and a frame having a first sliding portion abutting on a first abutting portion on the carriage and a second sliding portion abutting on a second abutting portion higher than the first abutting portion, is characterized by including a guide member that is fixed to the frame at a position apart from the first sliding portion and supports the carriage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that records an image by ejecting ink from a recording head onto a sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] Inkjet recording devices can record an image on a sheet by scanning a recording head mounted on a carriage in the width direction of the sheet. Patent Document 1 describes a recording device in which the height of a guide unit that guides the carriage can be adjusted. In this recording device, a frame that supports the carriage is fixed to the housing, and the guide unit is fixed to the frame so that its height can be adjusted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-160343 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In inkjet printing devices, it is important that the relative distance between the print head and the platen that supports the sheet be constant, as the print head ejects ink while scanning. However, vibrations generated by carriage movement can affect the relative distance between the print head and the platen. Therefore, a frame structure that is less susceptible to carriage vibrations is required. Therefore, the present invention provides a printing device with a frame that can properly support the carriage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The recording device of the present invention includes a conveying means for conveying a sheet in a conveying direction, a recording head that faces the sheet conveyed by the conveying means and ejects liquid to record an image on the sheet, a carriage that carries the recording head and moves in a scanning direction that intersects with the conveying direction, and a frame that has a first sliding portion that comes into contact with a first contact portion of the carriage and a second sliding portion that comes into contact with a second contact portion of the carriage that is higher than the first contact portion, a guide member fixed to the frame at a position away from the first sliding portion and supporting the carriage; A recording device comprising: The first sliding portion receives a force from the carriage in a direction opposite to the conveying direction, the second sliding portion receives a force from the carriage in a direction toward the conveying direction, and the guide member supports the carriage by a guide surface that is inclined upward with respect to the conveying direction. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, a recording apparatus having a frame capable of appropriately supporting a carriage is provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of the interior of an inkjet recording apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating recording an image on a sheet. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between a carriage and a frame. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a sliding body of a carriage. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating the structure of a frame and a guide member. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams for explaining the influence of vibration of the guide member on the carriage. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fixing portion of the frame to the housing. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the position where the carriage is assembled into the frame. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the posture of the carriage when the carriage is assembled into the frame. [Figure 12] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating a procedure for assembling the carriage into the frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the present invention, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Note that the same components will be described with the same reference numerals. Furthermore, the relative arrangements, shapes, etc. of the components described in the embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to only those.

[0009] [Embodiment] The following embodiments are described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the claimed invention. Although the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the drawings, the same or similar components may be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions may be omitted. In this specification, "recording" refers not only to the formation of meaningful information such as characters and figures, but also to the formation of images, patterns, and other features on a sheet or the processing of media. The term "sheet" refers not only to recording paper used in general image forming devices, but also to transportable media such as cloth, plastic film (transparency), metal plates, glass, ceramics, wood, and leather.

[0010] <Inkjet recording device> The inkjet recording apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the outline of the interior of the recording apparatus. Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing how an image is recorded on a sheet.

[0011] The recording device 11 includes a tray for stacking sheets, which are recording media, a transport unit for transporting the sheets, a recording unit for ejecting ink onto the transported sheets, and an ink tank for supplying ink to the recording unit. First, a sheet stacked on a tray on the rear side or lower side of the recording device is fed by a feed roller. A sheet fed from a tray 33 on the rear side by a feed roller 34 is transported in a transport direction (Y direction) by a transport roller 31, which is a transport unit. The sheet transported by the transport roller 31 is supported by a platen 16, and an image is recorded on the sheet by a recording head 12, which is a recording unit. The recording head 12 is detachably mounted on a carriage 15. The carriage 15 can move in a scanning direction (X direction) along a frame 17 that supports the carriage 15. The scanning direction is a direction intersecting (orthogonal to) the transport direction. Therefore, the recording head 12 can move in the scanning direction while facing the platen 16 by the carriage 15.

[0012] Ink to be supplied to the recording head 12 is stored in an ink tank 13 on the front side of the recording device. A plurality of ink tanks 13 are arranged on both sides of the width direction of the sheet, corresponding to the ink colors. A supply tube 14 is an ink supply path for supplying ink from the ink tank 13 to the recording head 12. When the carriage 15 moves, the ink supply path also moves together with the carriage 15. Note that although this embodiment uses a system in which ink is supplied to the recording head by a tube supply path, the recording device may also be an on-carriage system in which a removable liquid tank is mounted on the carriage.

[0013] A motor 19 and a belt 21 wound around the motor 19 are disposed on the frame 17. Furthermore, a guide member 18 is disposed on the frame 17 to support the carriage 15 and guide the movement of the carriage 15. The belt 21 is driven by the motor 19, allowing the carriage 15 to move back and forth in the scanning direction, which is the width direction of the sheet. The scanning range of the carriage 15 is between a left plate 24 at one end of the frame 17 and a right plate 25 at the other end. The guide member 18 allows the recording head 12 to move while maintaining a predetermined distance in the vertical direction relative to the platen 16. As the carriage 15 moves, the recording head 12 ejects liquid ink onto the sheet. In a recording operation to record an image on a sheet, a conveying operation is first performed, in which the sheet is conveyed by conveying rollers 31. Then, an ejecting operation is performed, in which the recording head 12 moves while ejecting ink. A desired image is formed on the sheet by a serial method in which the conveying operation and the ejecting operation are alternately performed.

[0014] If the frame 17 and guide member 18 are not sufficiently rigid, the movement of the carriage 15 will cause deformation and vibration of the frame 17. The deformation and vibration of the frame 17 will destabilize the position of the recording head 12 relative to the platen 16. If the position of the recording head 12 becomes unstable, the ink landing position on the sheet will shift, resulting in degradation of image quality. Therefore, increasing the rigidity of the frame 17, including the guide member 18, is important for improving image quality.

[0015] <Carriage and frame structure> Here, the structure of the carriage 15 and the frame 17 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 8. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the structure of the carriage and the frame. Figure 3(a) is a perspective view of the carriage and the frame. Figure 3(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the AA section in Figure 3(a). Figure 4 is a diagram showing the sliding body of the carriage. Figure 4(a) is an enlarged view of the dotted line portion in Figure 3(b), and Figure 4(b) is a perspective view showing the sliding body of the carriage. Figure 5 is a rear view of the carriage. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the frame and the guide member. Figure 6(a) shows the frame to which the guide member is fixed. Figure 6(b) is a schematic view of the BB section of Figure 6(a). Figure 7 is a schematic view for explaining the effect on the carriage of vibration of the guide member. Figure 7(a) is a perspective view showing the state in which the carriage 15 is supported by the guide member 18. Figures 7(b) and 7(c) are schematic views of the CC section showing the effect on the carriage 15 when the guide member 18 vibrates. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the fixing portion of the frame 17 to the housing 20. As shown in FIG.

[0016] The carriage 15 has an upper abutment portion 151 that abuts against an upper sliding portion 171 of the frame 17, and a lower abutment portion 152 that abuts against a lower sliding portion 172 of the frame 17. The frame 17 is formed by bending along a line parallel to the scanning direction of the carriage 15. The upper sliding portion 171 is located on one end side of the bent frame 17, and the lower sliding portion 172 is located on the other end side of the frame 17. Therefore, the upper sliding portion 171 and the lower sliding portion 172 are parallel to the scanning direction. In the vertical direction of the carriage 15, the upper abutment portion 151 is disposed above the lower abutment portion 152. The sliding surface of the upper sliding portion 171 faces the opposite side to the conveying direction (from downstream to upstream in the conveying direction), and the upper abutment portion 151 faces the sheet conveying direction (from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction). On the other hand, the sliding surface of the lower sliding portion 172 faces the conveyance direction, and the lower contact portion 152 faces the opposite side to the sheet conveyance direction. The position of the carriage 15 in the conveyance direction is determined by the upper sliding portion 171 and the lower sliding portion 172. In other words, the position of the recording head 12 disposed on the carriage 15 in the conveyance direction is determined.

[0017] The frame 17 is provided with fastening members 30 for fixing the guide member 18 between the upper and lower surfaces of the frame 17 in the vertical direction. The guide member 18, fixed with screws and fastening members 30, slidably supports the sliding body 153 of the carriage 15 from below with the guide surface 181. The guide surface 181 is uniformly provided along the scanning direction of the carriage 15. The contact surfaces of the sliding body 153 (hatched areas in FIG. 4(b)) are provided at two locations spaced apart in the scanning direction on the rear and lower side of the carriage 15. The guide surface 181 forms a predetermined angle with respect to the transport direction (Y direction) in the YZ plane. Here, the predetermined angle is 50 degrees, but any angle that can support the carriage 15 may be used. That is, it is between 0 and 89 degrees. However, a range of 40 to 60 degrees, inclined upward with respect to the transport direction, is preferable. The recording head 12 of the carriage 15 is supported by a guide member 18, thereby maintaining a predetermined distance in the vertical direction of the platen 16. The carriage 15 also has a stepped spacer member 23 disposed above a slider 153. By moving the spacer member 23 in the scanning direction relative to the carriage 15, the distance between the recording head 12 and the platen 16 can be changed. Therefore, the spacer member 23 allows images to be recorded on a variety of types of sheets with different thicknesses.

[0018] The guide member 18 is fastened to multiple fastening portions 30 of the frame 17 in the scanning direction with screws. The guide member 18 has elongated holes for receiving the screws. When the guide member 18 is fixed to the frame 17, the position of the guide member 18 relative to the frame 17 is adjusted using the elongated holes, which serve as height adjustment portions. By adjusting the position of the guide member 18, the vertical height of the recording head 12 relative to the platen 16 can be adjusted. The adjustment portions may be located on the frame member 17. The guide member 18 and the frame 17 may be fixed using adhesive, welding, or other mechanisms. A fastening surface 173 of the frame 17 to which the guide member 18 is fixed and a surface of the guide member 18 facing the frame 15 are both parallel to the XZ plane. The fastening surface 173 is located upstream in the transport direction from the sliding surfaces of the upper sliding portion 171 and the lower sliding portion 172. Here, the order going upstream in the conveying direction is the lower sliding portion 172, the upper sliding portion 171, and the fastening surface 173. The guide member 17 is configured to fit between the fastening surface 173 and the lower sliding portion 172 in the conveying direction. When the guide member 18 and the frame 17 are fixed, the fastening surface 173 and the opposing surface abut against each other. However, depending on the machining accuracy of the frame 17 and the guide member 18, a gap may form between the fastening surface 173 of the frame 17 and the opposing surface of the guide member 18, as shown in FIG. 6(c). In this case, the vibration of the guide member 18 due to the movement of the carriage 15 becomes large.

[0019] The position 154 of the center of gravity of the carriage 15 is located downstream in the conveying direction relative to the frame 17. The carriage 15 is supported in the vertical direction by the guide member 18. Therefore, the upper sliding portion 171 of the frame 17 receives a force in the conveying direction from the upper abutting portion 151. Meanwhile, the lower sliding portion 172 of the frame 17 receives a force in the direction opposite to the conveying direction from the lower abutting portion 152. The guide surface 181 receives a force from the sliding body 153 of the carriage 15 in a combined direction of the conveying direction and the downward vertical direction. Each force is in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 7.

[0020] When the carriage 15 attempts to move downward as shown in FIG. 7( b), the sliding body 153 of the carriage 15 receives a resistance force from the guide surface 181. The carriage 15 then attempts to move in the direction opposite to the transport direction (from downstream to upstream in the transport direction). However, the lower contact portion 152 is restricted from moving in the direction opposite to the transport direction by the lower sliding portion 172. As a result, movement of the carriage 15 in the direction opposite to the transport direction is restricted. Also, when the carriage 15 attempts to move upward as shown in FIG. 7( c), the center of gravity of the carriage 15 is located downstream of the frame 17 in the transport direction, so the carriage 15 attempts to move in the transport direction. However, the upper contact portion 151 is restricted from moving in the transport direction by the upper sliding portion 171. As a result, movement of the carriage 15 in the transport direction is restricted. In other words, when the carriage 15 attempts to vibrate up and down, movement of the recording head 12 mounted on the carriage 15 toward the upstream or downstream side in the transport direction is restricted. In this way, the guide member 18 makes it possible to reduce the influence of vibrations on the position of the recording head 12 in the transport direction, thereby reducing the deterioration of image quality that occurs when the ink ejected from the recording head 12 is not landed on the correct position.

[0021] The housing 20 supports the platen 16 and the frame 17. The positional relationship between the frame 17 and the platen 16 is determined by their respective fastening positions relative to the housing 20. The frame 17 is fastened to the housing 20 on its underside at multiple fastening positions 174 that are spaced apart from the Z direction in the scanning direction. The frame 17 is also fastened to the housing 20 on its upper side at multiple fastening positions 175. The fastening positions 174 are close to the lower sliding part 172 in the transport direction and at approximately the same height in the vertical direction. The fastening positions 175 are close to the upper sliding part 171 in the transport direction and at approximately the same height in the vertical direction. Therefore, even if the frame 17 vibrates, the amplitude is small.

[0022] Furthermore, the frame 17 is highly rigid because it is formed into a box shape. That is, the upper sliding portion 171 and the lower sliding portion 172 are parallel to and face the fastening surface 173 of the frame 17. The upper sliding portion 171 and the lower sliding portion 172 are fixed at both ends by a crimped portion 28 on the left side plate 24 of the side of the frame 17 and by a crimped portion 28 on the right side plate 25. The left side plate 24, the right side plate 25, the upper sliding portion 171, and the lower sliding portion 172 of the frame 17 are formed from a single sheet metal member. As a result, the frame 17 has a box-like structure enclosed on six sides except for an opening through which the carriage 15 passes. The crimped portions 28 also prevent the upper sliding portion 171, the lower sliding portion 172, the left side plate 24, and the right side plate 25 from being detachable from the frame 17. The upper sliding portion 171, the lower sliding portion 172, the left side plate 24, and the right side plate 25 of the frame 17 may be separated, although this increases the number of assembly steps. However, a frame made up of multiple parts increases the number of parts, including screws, reduces the rigidity of the frame, and increases costs due to the increased number of assembly steps.

[0023] <Carriage installation procedure> The procedure for assembling the carriage 15 into the frame 17 will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. Figure 10 is a diagram showing the position at which the carriage is to be assembled in the scanning direction. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the posture of the carriage when the carriage 15 is assembled. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the carriage when the carriage 15 is assembled.

[0024] The carriage 15 is provided with a movement restriction portion 32 that restricts the movement of the carriage 15. The sliding body 153 and the movement restriction portion 32 are configured to sandwich the guide member 18 (FIG. 4(a)). Therefore, the movement restriction portion 32 restricts the movement of the carriage 15 upward in the vertical direction or upstream in the conveying direction. However, considering the interchangeability when replacing the carriage 15, it is necessary to make any of the upper sliding portion 171, the left side plate 24, and the right side plate 25 separate parts to ensure a trajectory for assembling the carriage 15. However, in the case of a box-shaped frame 17 composed of a single part, a different configuration is required. In this embodiment, a retraction hole 26 is provided in a part of the top surface of the frame 17, allowing the upper abutment portion 151 of the carriage 15 to retract within the movable range of the carriage 15 in the scanning direction. The position where the upper abutment portion 151 is inserted into this retraction hole 26 is the assembly position for assembling the carriage. The carriage 15 is also provided with a rotation restriction portion 27 that restricts rotation around an axis in the scanning direction by coming into contact with the upper sliding portion 171. At the assembly position (FIG. 10) where the carriage 15 is assembled, the lower sliding portion 172 is provided with a notch 29 that corresponds to the rotation restriction portion 27. The notch 29 is outside the range in which the upper sliding portion 151 moves during a recording operation. In this way, even if the frame 17 is box-shaped, it is configured so that components do not interfere with each other in the trajectory for assembling the carriage 15.

[0025] The procedure for assembling the carriage 15 into the frame will be described. The carriage 15 is assembled into the frame 17 from the front side where the box-shaped opening is located. First, the carriage 15 is placed in the assembly position of the frame 17. Then, the carriage 15 is tilted so that the upper abutment portion 151 is close to the frame 17. In this state, the carriage 15 is raised and the upper abutment portion 151 is inserted into the retraction hole 26 of the frame 17 (FIG. 11(a)). Next, with the upper abutment portion 151 retracted into the retraction hole 26, the carriage 15 is rotated so that the back surface of the carriage 15 is parallel to the fastening surface 173 of the frame 12 (FIG. 12(a)). The carriage 15 is lowered so that the lower abutment portion 152 of the carriage 15 abuts against the lower sliding portion 172. This causes the upper abutment portion 151 to abut against the upper sliding portion 171, and the lower abutment portion 152 to abut against the lower sliding portion 172. Then, the sliding body 153 comes into contact with the guide surface 181. As a result, the carriage 15 is supported from below by the guide member 18. The guide member 18 is fastened to the fastening portion of the frame 17 after its height relative to the frame 17 has been adjusted by an adjustment portion. In this way, even in a box-shaped frame, the configuration allows for a reduction in the number of steps required to assemble the carriage.

[0026] By using the above-described configuration, it is possible to provide a recording apparatus having a frame that can properly support the carriage. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 12 recording head 15 Carriage 17 frames 18 Guide member

Claims

1. a conveying means for conveying the sheet in a conveying direction; a recording head that faces the sheet conveyed by the conveying means and discharges liquid to record an image; a carriage on which the recording head is mounted and which moves in a scanning direction intersecting the transport direction; a frame having a first sliding portion that comes into contact with a first contact portion of the carriage and a second sliding portion that comes into contact with a second contact portion of the carriage that is higher than the first contact portion; a guide member fixed to the frame at a position away from the first sliding portion and supporting the carriage, the first sliding portion receives a force from the carriage in a direction opposite to the conveying direction, and the second sliding portion receives a force from the carriage in the conveying direction; The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide member supports the carriage by a guide surface that is inclined upward with respect to the transport direction.

2. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a slider that supports the carriage by contacting the guide surface of the guide member.

3. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a fastening surface where the guide member and the frame are fastened is parallel to the sliding surface of the first sliding portion and the sliding surface of the second sliding portion.

4. the carriage has a movement restriction portion that restricts movement of the carriage, 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the guide member is disposed between the movement restricting portion and the sliding body.

5. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the frame is provided with a retraction hole through which the second contact portion can be retracted when the carriage is assembled.

6. the carriage is provided with a rotation restricting portion that restricts rotation of the carriage at a position away from the second contact portion in the scanning direction, 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second sliding portion is disposed between the second contact portion and the rotation regulating portion in the transport direction.

7. 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second sliding portion of the frame is provided with a notch in a range corresponding to the rotation restricting portion when the carriage is assembled into the frame.

8. 8. A recording device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the frame has a first side plate at one end and a second side plate at the other end in the scanning direction, and the first sliding portion and the second sliding portion of the frame are fixed by the first side plate and the second side plate.

9. 9. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first sliding portion, the second sliding portion, the first side plate, and the second side plate are formed from a single member.

10. a platen facing the recording head; 8. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an elongated hole for adjusting a distance between the platen and the recording head is provided before the guide member is fastened to the frame.

Images