Head unit and droplet ejection device

Abstract

To improve the work efficiency of positional adjustment of a discharging head.SOLUTION: A head unit has a discharging head, a first shaft member, a second shaft member, a first transmitting portion, and a notifying portion. The discharging head discharges droplets. The first shaft member rotates around a first rotation axis vertical to a discharge surface of the droplets, has an eccentric portion eccentric from the first rotation axis, and moves the discharging head in parallel with the discharge surface by rotations of the eccentric portion around the first rotation axis. The second shaft member rotates around a second rotation axis in parallel with the discharge surface. A first transmitting portion transmits rotations of the second shaft member to the first shaft member, thereby rotating the first shaft member. The notifying portion provides notification about information indicating a rotary position of the eccentric portion around the first shaft member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a head unit and a droplet ejection device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, inkjet printers capable of adjusting the position of a discharge head that discharges ink onto a medium have been known. Patent Document 1 discloses a head unit having a head position adjustment mechanism that can adjust the angle between the ink discharge direction from the discharge head and the medium surface, and the angle between the arrangement direction of the ink discharge ports and the medium transport direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-55293 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique that can improve the efficiency of the position adjustment of the ejection head. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A head unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an ejection head, a first shaft member, a second shaft member, a first transmission unit, and an indicator unit. The ejection head ejects droplets. The first shaft member rotates about a first rotation axis perpendicular to the droplet ejection surface, and has an eccentric portion eccentric from the first rotation axis. Rotation of the eccentric portion about the first rotation axis moves the ejection head parallel to the ejection surface. The second shaft member rotates about a second rotation axis parallel to the ejection surface. The first transmission unit transmits rotation of the second shaft member to the first shaft member, causing the first shaft member to rotate. The indicator unit indicates information indicating the rotational position of the eccentric portion about the first shaft member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the work of adjusting the position of the ejection head. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of a droplet ejection device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of the head unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic front view showing an example of the configuration of the first adjustment mechanism. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of the restricting member, the movable member, and the first shaft member of the first adjustment mechanism. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic front view showing an example of the configuration of the second adjustment mechanism. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic rear view showing an example of the configuration of the second adjustment mechanism. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of the wall member, the biasing member, and the first shaft member of the second adjustment mechanism. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of the third shaft member, the second transmission section, and the display section. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic front view showing an example of the configuration of the third shaft member, the second transmission section, and the display section. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic front view showing an example of the configuration of the display unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the position of the second portion and the position of the eccentric portion in the display unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic side view showing an example of the configuration of a head unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic side view showing an example of the configuration of a head unit according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14]FIG. 14 is a schematic front view showing an example of the configuration of the second adjustment mechanism according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a droplet ejection device according to the fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, a head unit and a droplet ejection device according to the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the embodiments can be appropriately combined within the scope of not causing any contradiction in the processing content. Furthermore, the same components in the following embodiments will be given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0009] Furthermore, in the following embodiments, expressions such as "constant," "orthogonal," "perpendicular," or "parallel" may be used, but these expressions do not necessarily mean "constant," "orthogonal," "perpendicular," or "parallel" in the strict sense. In other words, the above expressions allow for deviations due to, for example, manufacturing precision, installation precision, etc.

[0010] In addition, for ease of understanding, the drawings referred to below may show an orthogonal coordinate system in which the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions are defined as being orthogonal to each other, with the positive Z-axis direction being the vertically upward direction. Also, the direction of rotation around the vertical axis may be referred to as the θ direction.

[0011] Conventionally, inkjet printers capable of adjusting the position of a discharge head that discharges ink onto a medium have been known. Patent Document 1 discloses a head unit having a first axis for adjusting the angle between the ink discharge direction from the discharge head and the medium surface, and a second axis for adjusting the angle between the arrangement direction of the ink discharge ports and the medium transport direction. Patent Document 1 also discloses that the movement direction of the discharge head when the first axis is rotated and the movement direction of the discharge head when the second axis is rotated are displayed on a display unit such as an operation panel.

[0012] However, the head unit in Patent Document 1 does not display information such as, for example, in which direction the ejection head will move when the first axis is rotated, or how much the ejection head will move when the first axis is rotated. Therefore, a person performing the work of adjusting the position of the ejection head must, for example, repeatedly print and position the ejection head based on the print results.

[0013] Therefore, a technology that can improve the efficiency of the position adjustment of the ejection head is desired.

[0014] (First embodiment) An example of the configuration of a droplet ejection device according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of a droplet ejection device according to a first embodiment.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the droplet ejection device 1 according to the first embodiment includes a head unit 3, a transport unit 5, and a control unit .

[0016] The head unit 3 is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The head unit 3 is positioned above the recording medium M so that its longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the conveyance direction (positive direction of the X-axis) of the recording medium M. The detailed configuration of the head unit 3 will be described later with reference to FIG. 2. The recording medium M is, for example, cloth or paper.

[0017] The transport unit 5 transports the recording medium M in the transport direction (here, the positive direction of the X axis). For example, the transport unit 5 may include a feed roller that pays out the recording medium M before printing, and a take-up roller that winds up the recording medium M after printing. The take-up roller is provided with a motor that drives the take-up roller to rotate about its axis and perform the winding operation of the recording medium M. The transport unit 5 may also include, in the transport path between the feed roller and the take-up roller, a tension roller that applies tension to the recording medium M, a transport roller that generates a transport force that intermittently feeds the recording medium M, and the like.

[0018] The droplet ejection device 1 also has a control unit 7. The control unit 7 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls the entire droplet ejection device 1 by reading and executing a program (not shown) stored in a storage unit (not shown).

[0019] Such a program may be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium and installed from the storage medium into a storage unit (not shown) of the droplet ejection device 1. Examples of computer-readable storage media include hard disks (HDs), flexible disks (FDs), compact disks (CDs), magnetic optical disks (MOs), and memory cards.

[0020] Next, a configuration example of the head unit 3 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration example of the head unit 3 according to the first embodiment. Note that in FIG. 2, the cover portion 20 is shown in cross section to show the internal configuration of the head unit 3. Furthermore, in FIG. 2 and FIGS. 3, 5, and 6 described below, configurations such as a third shaft member 101, a second transmission portion 102, and a display portion 103, which will be described later, are omitted for ease of understanding. The third shaft member 101, the second transmission portion 102, and the display portion 103 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11.

[0021] 2, the head unit 3 has a base portion 10, a cover portion 20, and a plurality of (here, two) ejection heads 30. The head unit 3 also has a first adjustment mechanism 40 and a second adjustment mechanism 50.

[0022] The base portion 10 is a flat plate member having a rectangular shape in a plan view. The base portion 10 has an opening 11 for exposing the ejection surface 35 of the ejection head 30 at a position overlapping the ejection head 30 in a plan view.

[0023] The cover part 20 is positioned on the base part 10 and covers the ejection head 30, the first adjustment mechanism 40, and the second adjustment mechanism 50, which will be described later. Specifically, the cover part 20 has two first side surfaces 21 that are orthogonal to the short-side direction (here, the X-axis direction) of the head unit 3 (base part 10), two second side surfaces 22 that are orthogonal to the long-side direction (here, the Y-axis direction) of the head unit 3, and a top surface (not shown). One of the two first side surfaces 21 has a plurality (here, three) first openings 201 for accessing a plurality (here, three) second shaft members 70, which will be described later, from outside the cover part 20.

[0024] The multiple ejection heads 30 eject droplets onto the recording medium M. Specifically, multiple ejection orifices are located on the ejection surface 35 of the ejection head 30, and the ejection head 30 ejects droplets of liquid, such as ink, from the ejection orifices via the openings 11 using an inkjet system. For example, a piezoelectric, valve, or thermal inkjet head can be used as the ejection head 30. When a piezoelectric or thermal inkjet head is used as the ejection head 30, high resolution can be easily achieved.

[0025] The ejection surface 35 of the ejection head 30 is parallel to the main surfaces (top and bottom surfaces) of the base portion 10. For this reason, for example, "perpendicular (or parallel) to the ejection surface" may be read as "perpendicular (or parallel) to the main surfaces of the base portion 10."

[0026] The multiple ejection heads 30 are positioned on the base portion 10 with their longitudinal directions oriented in a direction (here, the Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium M. The multiple ejection heads 30 are also arranged along the transport direction of the recording medium M (here, the X-axis direction). Here, an example is shown in which the head unit 3 has two ejection heads 30, but it is sufficient for the head unit 3 to have at least one ejection head 30.

[0027] Each ejection head 30 has a first positioning member 31 at one end in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, each ejection head 30 has a second positioning member 32 at the other end in the longitudinal direction. The first positioning member 31 has a groove portion (hereinafter referred to as a "V-groove 311") that is V-shaped in a plan view (see FIG. 4). The first positioning member 31 of one of the two ejection heads 30 abuts against a movable member 43 (described later) in the V-groove 311. Furthermore, the first positioning member 31 of the other of the two ejection heads 30 abuts against a support 54 (described later) in the V-groove 311.

[0028] The second positioning member 32 has a groove portion (hereinafter referred to as "U-shaped groove 321") that is U-shaped in a plan view (see FIG. 7). The second positioning member 32 abuts against an eccentric portion 61 of the first shaft member 60, which will be described later, in the U-shaped groove 321.

[0029] The first adjustment mechanism 40 and the second adjustment mechanism 50 adjust the position of the ejection head 30 in a plane parallel to the ejection surface 35. The first adjustment mechanism 40 is located at one end of the ejection head 30 in the longitudinal direction (here, the end on the negative Y-axis direction side), and the second adjustment mechanism 50 is located at the other end of the ejection head 30 in the longitudinal direction (here, the end on the positive Y-axis direction side).

[0030] The first adjustment mechanism 40 can adjust the position of the ejection head 30 in a direction (here, the Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium M. Furthermore, the second adjustment mechanism 50 can adjust the angle formed by the longitudinal direction of the ejection head 30 with respect to the direction (here, the Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium M. In other words, the second adjustment mechanism 50 can adjust the orientation of the ejection head 30 in a plane parallel to the ejection surface 35.

[0031] The configurations of the first adjustment mechanism 40 and the second adjustment mechanism 50 will be described below. First, a configuration example of the first adjustment mechanism 40 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 4. Fig. 3 is a schematic front view showing a configuration example of the first adjustment mechanism 40. Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration example of the restricting member 42, movable member 43, and first shaft member 60 of the first adjustment mechanism 40.

[0032] 2 and 3, the first adjustment mechanism 40 has a first shaft member 60, a second shaft member 70, and a first transmission part 80. The first adjustment mechanism 40 also has a support member 41, a restricting member 42, and a movable member 43.

[0033] The first shaft member 60 is a shaft member that extends in a direction (here, the Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the ejection surface 35. One end (here, the upper end) of the first shaft member 60 is journaled to a support member 41, which will be described later, and the other end (here, the lower end) of the first shaft member 60 is journaled to the base portion 10. This allows the first shaft member 60 to rotate about a first rotation axis S1 that is perpendicular to the ejection surface 35.

[0034] 3, the first shaft member 60 has an eccentric portion 61. The eccentric portion 61 has an eccentric shaft S1E that is eccentric from the first rotation shaft S1.

[0035] The second shaft member 70 is a shaft member that extends in a direction parallel to the ejection surface 35 (here, the X-axis direction). One end of the second shaft member 70 is journaled to a support member 41, which will be described later, and the other end of the second shaft member 70 is journaled to the first side surface 21 of the cover part 20. This allows the second shaft member 70 to rotate about a second rotation axis S2 that is parallel to the ejection surface 35.

[0036] A portion of the second shaft member 70 is exposed from a first opening 201 provided in the first side surface 21 of the cover unit 20, allowing the second shaft member 70 to be rotated from outside the cover unit 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 , an operation hole 71 such as a hexagonal hole may be provided in the end surface of the second shaft member 70. In this case, an operator can rotate the second shaft member 70 from outside the cover unit 20 by inserting a tool such as a hexagonal wrench into the operation hole 71 and turning the tool. In this manner, the portion of the second shaft member 70 exposed from the side surface of the cover unit 20 corresponds to an operation unit for operating the second shaft member 70. Note that while FIG. 2 shows an example in which the end surface of the second shaft member 70 is flush with the side surface of the cover unit 20, the end surface of the second shaft member 70 may protrude from the side surface of the cover unit 20.

[0037] Of the first side surface 21 and second side surface 22 of the cover part 20, the second shaft member 70 is exposed from the first side surface 21 that is perpendicular to the short direction (here, the X-axis direction) of the cover part 20. With this configuration, the length of the second shaft member 70 is shorter than when a part of the second shaft member 70 (the operation part) is exposed from the second side surface 22 that is perpendicular to the long direction (here, the Y-axis direction) of the cover part 20, and therefore operability when adjusting the position of the discharge head 30 can be improved.

[0038] The first transmission part 80 transmits the rotation of the second shaft member 70 to the first shaft member 60, causing the first shaft member 60 to rotate. The first transmission part 80 may be, for example, a worm gear. In this case, the first transmission part 80 has a worm 81 and a worm wheel 82 having helical teeth that mesh with the worm 81. In the example shown in the figure, the worm 81 is provided on the second shaft member 70, and the worm wheel 82 is provided on the first shaft member 60.

[0039] The speed ratio of the first transmission part 80 is not 1:1. For example, the speed ratio of the first transmission part 80 may be 1:50. In this case, when the second shaft member 70 is rotated 50 times, the first shaft member 60 can be rotated one time.

[0040] The support member 41 is fixed to the base portion 10. The support member 41 supports the first shaft member 60 and the second shaft member 70 so that they are rotatable.

[0041] The regulating member 42 is fixed to the base portion 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the regulating member 42 has a groove portion 421 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording medium M (here, the Y-axis direction). The movable member 43 is located on the base portion 10. Specifically, the movable member 43 is located in the groove portion 421 of the regulating member 42. The movable member 43 is movable along the groove portion 421. The movable member 43 abuts against the eccentric portion 61 of the first shaft member 60 at one end in the movement direction (here, the Y-axis direction). The movable member 43 abuts against the V-shaped groove 311 of the first positioning member 31 at the other end in the movement direction.

[0042] The first adjustment mechanism 40 is configured as described above, and by rotating the eccentric part 61 around the first rotation axis S1, the ejection head 30 can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium M (here, the Y-axis direction) within a plane parallel to the ejection surface 35.

[0043] Specifically, when an operator rotates the second shaft member 70, the rotation of the second shaft member 70 is transmitted to the first shaft member 60 via the first transmission part 80, causing the first shaft member 60 to rotate around the first rotation axis S1. When the first shaft member 60 rotates, the position of the eccentric part 61 changes in a plane parallel to the discharge surface 35, and accordingly the position of the movable member 43 changes.

[0044] For example, in the state shown in FIG. 4 , when the first shaft member 60 is rotated counterclockwise, the position of the eccentric portion 61 in the Y-axis direction shifts in the positive direction of the Y-axis, causing the eccentric portion 61 to move the movable member 43 in the positive direction of the Y-axis. Accordingly, the movable member 43 moves the first positioning member 31 in the positive direction of the Y-axis. This allows the first adjustment mechanism 40 to move the ejection head 30 in the positive direction of the Y-axis. Meanwhile, the ejection head 30 is biased in the negative direction of the Y-axis by a biasing member 53 included in the second adjustment mechanism 50, which will be described later. Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 4 , when the first shaft member 60 is rotated clockwise, the position of the eccentric portion 61 in the Y-axis direction shifts in the negative direction of the Y-axis. Accordingly, the position of the ejection head 30 biased by the biasing member 53 shifts in the negative direction of the Y-axis. This allows the first adjustment mechanism 40 to move the ejection head 30 in the negative direction of the Y-axis.

[0045] Next, a configuration example of the second adjustment mechanism 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Figs. 5 to 7. Fig. 5 is a schematic front view showing the configuration example of the second adjustment mechanism 50. Fig. 6 is a schematic rear view showing the configuration example of the second adjustment mechanism 50. Fig. 7 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration example of the wall member 52, the biasing member 53, and the first shaft member 60 of the second adjustment mechanism 50.

[0046] 2, 5, and 6, the second adjustment mechanism 50 has a plurality of (here, two) first shaft members 60, a plurality of (here, two) second shaft members 70, and a plurality of (here, two) first transmission parts 80. The second adjustment mechanism 50 also has a support member 51, a plurality of (here, two) wall members 52, a plurality of (here, four) biasing members 53, and a support pillar 54.

[0047] The configurations of the first shaft member 60 and the second shaft member 70 of the second adjustment mechanism 50 are similar to the configurations of the first shaft member 60 and the second shaft member 70 of the first adjustment mechanism 40. One end of each of the two first shaft members 60 is pivotally supported by the support member 51, and the other end is pivotally supported by the base unit 10. This allows the two first shaft members 60 to rotate about a first rotation axis S1. One of the two first shaft members 60 is disposed so that a line connecting the first shaft member 60 of the first adjustment mechanism 40 is parallel to a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium M (here, the Y-axis direction). The other of the two first shaft members 60 is disposed so that a line connecting the other first shaft member 60 with a support column 54 (described later) is parallel to a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium M (here, the Y-axis direction).

[0048] 5 and 6, the two second shaft members 70 are arranged side by side in a direction (here, the Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the discharge surface 35. One of the two second shaft members 70 has one end pivotally supported by the support member 51, and the other end pivotally supported by the first side surface 21 of the cover part 20. The other of the two second shaft members 70 has a middle portion pivotally supported by the support member 51, and the other end pivotally supported by the first side surface 21 of the cover part 20.

[0049] A portion of each of the two second shaft members 70 of the second adjustment mechanism 50 is exposed from the first side surface 21 of the cover unit 20. Specifically, in addition to the first opening 201 for exposing the second shaft member 70 of the first adjustment mechanism 40, two other first openings 201 for exposing the second shaft members 70 of the second adjustment mechanism 50 are located on the first side surface 21 of the cover unit 20. The end faces of the two second shaft members 70 of the second adjustment mechanism 50 are exposed from these first openings 201. In this way, the second shaft member 70 of the first adjustment mechanism 40 and the two second shaft members 70 of the second adjustment mechanism 50 are exposed from the same side surface (here, the first side surface 21 located on the negative X-axis direction side) among the multiple side surfaces of the first adjustment mechanism 40.

[0050] The first transmission unit 80 of the second adjustment mechanism 50 is similar to the first transmission unit 80 of the first adjustment mechanism 40. That is, the first transmission unit 80 of the second adjustment mechanism 50 has a worm 81 provided on the second shaft member 70 and a worm wheel 82 provided on the first shaft member 60. One of the two first transmission units 80 transmits rotation of the second shaft member 70 located on the lower side (negative Z-axis direction side) to the first shaft member 60 located on the front side (negative X-axis direction side). The other of the two first transmission units 80 transmits rotation of the second shaft member 70 located on the upper side (positive Z-axis direction side) to the first shaft member 60 located on the rear side (positive X-axis direction side).

[0051] The support member 51 is fixed to the base portion 10. The support member 51 rotatably supports the two first shaft members 60 and the two second shaft members 70. The wall member 52 is fixed to the base portion 10.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 7 , the wall member 52 has a plurality of (here, two) recesses 521 that accommodate portions of the urging members 53. For example, a plurality of (here, two) urging members 53 are provided for one wall member 52. One end of the urging member 53 is accommodated in the recess 521 provided in the wall member 52. The other end of the urging member 53 abuts against the second positioning member 32 of the discharge head 30. The urging member 53 urges the discharge head 30 in the negative Y-axis direction via the second positioning member 32. The support post 54 is fixed to the base portion 10 and extends perpendicularly from the base portion 10. The support post 54 abuts against the V-shaped groove 311 of the first positioning member 31 of one of the two discharge heads 30.

[0053] The eccentric portion 61 of the first shaft member 60 of the second adjustment mechanism 50 is located inside the U-shaped groove 321 of the second positioning member 32 and is in contact with the U-shaped groove 321.

[0054] The second adjustment mechanism 50 is configured as described above, and can adjust the orientation of the ejection head 30 in a plane parallel to the ejection surface 35 by rotating the eccentric part 61 around the first rotation axis S1.

[0055] Specifically, when an operator rotates the second shaft member 70, the rotation of the second shaft member 70 is transmitted to the first shaft member 60 via the first transmission part 80, causing the first shaft member 60 to rotate around the first rotation axis S1. When the first shaft member 60 rotates, the position of the eccentric part 61 changes in a plane parallel to the discharge surface 35, and accordingly the position of the second positioning member 32 changes.

[0056] For example, in the state shown in FIG. 7 , when the first shaft member 60 is rotated clockwise, the position of the eccentric portion 61 in the X-axis direction is shifted in the negative X-axis direction, causing the eccentric portion 61 to move the second positioning member 32 in the negative X-axis direction. As a result, the ejection head 30 rotates counterclockwise in a plane parallel to the ejection surface 35, with the movable member 43 or the support 54 as a fulcrum. Also, in the state shown in FIG. 7 , when the first shaft member 60 is rotated counterclockwise, the position of the eccentric portion 61 in the X-axis direction is shifted in the positive X-axis direction, causing the eccentric portion 61 to move the second positioning member 32 in the positive X-axis direction. As a result, the ejection head 30 rotates clockwise in a plane parallel to the ejection surface 35, with the movable member 43 or the support 54 as a fulcrum. In this way, the second adjustment mechanism 50 can adjust the orientation of the ejection head 30 in a plane parallel to the ejection surface 35. In other words, the second adjustment mechanism 50 can adjust the angle formed by the longitudinal direction of the ejection head 30 with respect to the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium M (here, the Y-axis direction).

[0057] Incidentally, the direction in which the discharge head 30 moves when the first shaft member 60 is rotated in a certain direction depends on the position of the eccentric portion 61 at that time. For this reason, if the position of the eccentric portion 61 is unknown, the worker must rotate the first shaft member 60 once, perform printing, and check the printout to see in which direction the discharge head 30 moved. In particular, if the speed ratio between the first shaft member 60 and the second shaft member 70 is large, the worker must rotate the second shaft member 70 several times to check the moving direction of the discharge head 30, which is cumbersome.

[0058] Therefore, the head unit 3 according to the first embodiment has a display unit 103 that displays the position of the eccentric part 61. This allows the worker to easily grasp the position of the eccentric part 61 by visually checking the display unit 103, eliminating the need for the worker to check the movement direction of the ejection head 30 as described above. This allows the worker to efficiently adjust the position of the ejection head 30.

[0059] An example configuration of the display unit 103 and its peripheral components, the third shaft member 101 and the second transmission unit 102, will be described below with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing an example configuration of the third shaft member 101, the second transmission unit 102, and the display unit 103. FIG. 9 is a schematic front view showing an example configuration of the third shaft member 101, the second transmission unit 102, and the display unit 103. Note that in FIGS. 8 and 9, for ease of understanding, components other than the third shaft member 101, the second transmission unit 102, and the display unit 103 are omitted as appropriate.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the head unit 3 according to the first embodiment has a third shaft member 101, a second transmission section 102, and a display section 103.

[0061] The third shaft member 101 is a shaft member that extends in a direction parallel to the second shaft member 70 (here, the X-axis direction). One end of the third shaft member 101 is pivotally supported on, for example, one of the two first side surfaces 21, and the other end of the third shaft member 101 is pivotally supported on the other first side surface 21. This allows the third shaft member 101 to rotate around a third rotation axis S3 that is parallel to the second rotation axis S2 (see FIG. 2) of the second shaft member 70. Note that the head unit 3 may have a separate support member for pivotally supporting the other end of the third shaft member 101. Furthermore, the head unit 3 may have support members that pivotally support the first shaft member 60, the second shaft member 70, and the third shaft member 101, instead of the support member 41.

[0062] The third shaft member 101 is exposed on the first side surface 21 of the cover part 20 where the second shaft member 70 is exposed. Specifically, in addition to the first opening 201 described above, a second opening 202 is located on one of the first side surfaces 21 of the cover part 20, and a part of the third shaft member 101 (here, the end face of one end) is exposed from the second opening 202.

[0063] The second transmission unit 102 transmits the rotation of the first shaft member 60 to the third shaft member 101, causing the third shaft member 101 to rotate. For example, the second transmission unit 102 may be composed of two bevel gears 121, 122. One bevel gear 121 is located at an end (here, the upper end) of the first shaft member 60, and the other bevel gear 122 is located at a midpoint of the third shaft member 101. The two bevel gears 121, 122 have the same number of teeth. In other words, the second transmission unit 102 transmits the rotation of the first shaft member 60 to the third shaft member 101 at a reduction ratio of 1:1.

[0064] The display unit 103 displays the rotational position of the eccentric portion 61 of the first shaft member 60. As shown in FIG. 8, the display unit 103 is located outside the cover unit 20. Specifically, the display unit 103 is located on the first side surface 21 of the cover unit 20 where the second shaft member 70 is exposed. With this configuration, the worker can rotate the second shaft member 70 while visually checking the display unit 103, making it easy to adjust the position of the discharge head 30.

[0065] The display unit 103 is located at a portion of the third shaft member 101 exposed from the cover portion 20 (here, the end face of the third shaft member 101), and displays the position of the eccentric portion 61 by rotating together with the third shaft member 101. An example of the configuration of the display unit 103 will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11. Fig. 10 is a schematic front view showing an example of the configuration of the display unit 103.

[0066] 10, the display unit 103 has a rotating unit 131 and a scale unit 132 provided around the periphery of the rotating unit 131. The rotating unit 131 is fixed to the third shaft member 101 and rotates together with the third shaft member 101 around the third rotation axis S3. The scale unit 132 is fixed to, for example, the first side surface 21 of the cover unit 20. In other words, the scale unit 132 does not rotate.

[0067] The rotating portion 131 is a circular portion having a center point on the third rotation axis S3 of the third shaft member 101, and has a first portion 131a and a second portion 131b. The second portion 131b is, for example, a circular portion having a center point at a position shifted from the third rotation axis S3. The second portion 131b may be a pattern drawn on the first portion 131a.

[0068] The scale portion 132 is, for example, an annular member, and is positioned so as to surround the rotating portion 131. The scale portion 132 has a scale that indicates the rotational position (angle) of the first shaft member 60.

[0069] When the first shaft member 60 rotates, the second transmission unit 102 rotates the third shaft member 101 at a 1:1 speed ratio relative to the first shaft member 60. When the third shaft member 101 rotates, the rotating unit 131 of the display unit 103 fixed to the third shaft member 101 rotates, changing the position of the second portion 131b. The position of the second portion 131b indicates the position of the eccentric portion 61. Therefore, by looking at the position of the second portion 131b, the operator can determine the movement direction of the discharge head 30 when the second shaft member 70 is rotated in a certain direction. In addition, the display unit 103 has a scale unit 132, allowing the operator to more accurately determine the position of the eccentric portion 61.

[0070] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the position of the second portion 131b of the display unit 103 and the position of the eccentric portion 61. As described above, the first shaft member 60 and the third shaft member 101 rotate at a speed ratio of 1:1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, the position of the second portion 131b of the display unit 103 changes in conjunction with the position of the eccentric portion 61. In this way, the display unit 103 corresponds to an example of an informing unit that notifies information indicating the rotational position of the eccentric portion 61 around the first shaft member 60.

[0071] For example, when the first shaft member 60 is rotated clockwise with the eccentric portion 61 at a 90° position, the ejection head 30 moves in the negative direction of the Y axis. In contrast, when the first shaft member 60 is rotated clockwise with the eccentric portion 61 at a 270° position, the ejection head 30 moves in the positive direction of the Y axis. Thus, even when the first shaft member 60 is rotated in the same direction, the direction in which the ejection head 30 moves differs depending on the position of the eccentric portion 61. In contrast, the head unit 3 according to the first embodiment includes a display unit 103, allowing the operator to easily grasp the direction in which the ejection head 30 will move when the first shaft member 60 is rotated in a certain direction. In other words, when the operator wants to move the ejection head 30 in a certain direction, the operator can easily grasp the direction in which the second shaft member 70 should be rotated (which is more efficient).

[0072] In this way, with the head unit 3 according to the first embodiment, the efficiency of the work of adjusting the position of the ejection head 30 can be improved.

[0073] Here, a description has been given of an example configuration of the third shaft member 101, second transmission unit 102, and display unit 103 for displaying the rotational position of the eccentric portion 61 of the first shaft member 60 of the first adjustment mechanism 40. Similarly, the head unit 3 according to the first embodiment may have the third shaft member 101, second transmission unit 102, and display unit 103 for displaying the rotational position of the eccentric portion 61 of the first shaft member 60 of the second adjustment mechanism 50.

[0074] (Second embodiment) FIG. 12 is a schematic side view showing an example of the configuration of the head unit 3 according to the second embodiment.

[0075] In the first embodiment described above, an example has been described in which the second transmission part 102 is the bevel gears 121, 122. However, the second transmission part 102 may be, for example, a flexible joint, as shown in Fig. 12. In this case, the first shaft member 60 is connected to one end of the second transmission part 102, which is a flexible joint, and the third shaft member 101 is connected to the other end.

[0076] In this way, a flexible joint may be used as the second transmission part 102. In this case as well, the rotation of the first shaft member 60 can be transmitted to the third shaft member 101 at a speed ratio of 1:1.

[0077] (Third embodiment) FIG. 13 is a schematic side view showing an example of the configuration of the head unit 3 according to the third embodiment.

[0078] 13, the display unit 103 may be located inside the cover unit 20. Specifically, in the head unit 3 according to the third embodiment, the display unit 103 is located at the end of the first shaft member 60 with the display surface 103a facing upward, and rotates together with the first shaft member 60. The display surface 103a of the display unit 103 is perpendicular to the first rotation axis S1 of the first shaft member 60 (parallel to the ejection surface 35).

[0079] The head unit 3 according to the third embodiment also has a mirror 104 inside the cover part 20. The mirror 104 is located, for example, above the display part 103, and is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the display surface 103a of the display part 103.

[0080] Furthermore, the first side surface 21 of the head unit 3 according to the third embodiment has an opening 204 at a position where the mirror surface 104a of the mirror 104 is visible from outside the cover part 20. A transparent member 203, for example, may be positioned in the opening 204.

[0081] The head unit 3 of the third embodiment is configured as described above, and the operator can visually observe the display unit 103 located inside the cover unit 20 through the opening 204 in the cover unit 20 and the mirror 104.

[0082] (Fourth embodiment) Fig. 14 is a schematic front view showing an example of the configuration of the second adjustment mechanism 50 according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 14, the second adjustment mechanism 50 may further include a third transmission unit 105. The third transmission unit 105 transmits the rotation of one of the two second shaft members 70 to the other second shaft member 70 at a 1:1 speed ratio. The third transmission unit 105 may be formed, for example, from three spur gears 151 to 153 having the same number of teeth.

[0083] With this configuration, when adjusting the positions of two ejection heads 30 using the second adjustment mechanism 50, the two ejection heads 30 can be adjusted together, thereby improving the work efficiency of adjusting the positions of multiple ejection heads 30.

[0084] (Fifth embodiment) 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the droplet ejection device 1 according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 15, the droplet ejection device 1 has a rotation detector 106, a display 107, and an audio output unit 108.

[0085] The rotation detector 106 is, for example, a rotary encoder. The rotation detector 106 is located at the end of the first shaft member 60 and detects the rotation position of the first shaft member 60. The rotation detector 106 outputs the detected rotation position of the first shaft member 60 to the control unit 7. Note that, instead of a rotary encoder, a magnetic sensor, a resolver, or the like may be used as the rotation detector 106.

[0086] Based on the signal input from the rotation detector 106, the control unit 7 controls the display 107 to display information indicating the rotational position of the eccentric portion 61. The display 107 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The control unit 7 may cause the display 107 to display, for example, an image similar to the display unit 103 shown in FIG. 10 as the information indicating the rotational position of the eccentric portion 61. The control unit 7 may also cause the display 107 to display a numerical value (angle) of the rotational position of the eccentric portion 61 as the information indicating the rotational position of the eccentric portion 61.

[0087] Furthermore, the control unit 7 may control the audio output unit 108 to output audio corresponding to the rotational position of the eccentric portion 61, based on the rotational position of the first shaft member 60 obtained from the rotation detector 106. The audio output unit 108 is, for example, a speaker. For example, the control unit 7 may output different types of audio from the audio output unit 108 when the ejection head 30 moves in the positive direction of the Y axis and when the ejection head 30 moves in the negative direction of the Y axis. The control unit 7 may also receive a desired position of the ejection head 30 through an input operation to an input unit (e.g., a keyboard or a mouse, etc.) not shown. In this case, the control unit 7 may output different types of audio from the audio output unit 108 when the ejection head 30 approaches and moves away from the desired position.

[0088] In this way, the head unit 3 may notify information indicating the rotational position of the eccentric part 61 using the display 107 or the audio output unit 108. The display 107 that displays the rotational position of the eccentric part 61 or the audio output unit 108 that outputs a sound corresponding to the rotational position of the eccentric part 61 are examples of a notification unit.

[0089] Here, an example has been described in which the droplet ejection device 1 according to the fifth embodiment has both the display 107 and the audio output unit 108, but it is sufficient for the droplet ejection device 1 according to the fifth embodiment to have at least one of the display 107 and the audio output unit 108.

[0090] As described above, a head unit (for example, head unit 3) according to the embodiment includes an ejection head (for example, ejection head 30), a first shaft member (for example, first shaft member 60), a second shaft member (for example, second shaft member 70), a first transmission unit (for example, first transmission unit 80), and a notification unit (for example, display unit 103, display 107, and audio output unit 108). The ejection head ejects droplets. The first shaft member rotates about a first rotation axis (for example, first rotation axis S1) perpendicular to the droplet ejection surface (for example, ejection surface 35). The first shaft member has an eccentric portion (for example, eccentric portion 61) eccentric from the first rotation axis. Rotation of the eccentric portion about the first rotation axis moves the ejection head parallel to the ejection surface. The second shaft member rotates about a second rotation axis parallel to the ejection surface. The first transmission unit transmits rotation of the second shaft member to the first shaft member to rotate the first shaft member. The notification unit notifies information indicating the rotation position of the eccentric part around the first shaft member.

[0091] Therefore, according to the droplet ejection device according to the embodiment, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the work of adjusting the position of the ejection head.

[0092] The disclosed embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Indeed, the above-described embodiments may be embodied in various forms. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1 Droplet discharge device 3 Head Unit 5. Conveyor 7 Control Unit 10 Base 11 Aperture 20 Cover 21 First aspect 22 Second aspect 30 Discharge head 31 First positioning member 32 second positioning member 35 Discharge surface 40 First adjustment mechanism 41 Support member 42 Regulatory member 43 Movable parts 50 Second adjustment mechanism 51 Support member 52 Wall components 53 biasing member 54 Post 60 First shaft member 61 Eccentric part 70 Second shaft member 71 Operation hole 80 First Transmission Section 101 3rd shaft member 102 Second Transmission Section 103 Display section 105 Third Transmission Section 106 Rotation detector 107 Display 108 Audio output section

Claims

1. a discharge head that discharges droplets; a shaft member that rotates around a first rotation axis that is perpendicular to the ejection surface of the droplets, the first shaft member having an eccentric part that is eccentric from the first rotation axis, and the first shaft member moves the ejection head parallel to the ejection surface by rotation of the eccentric part around the first rotation axis; a second shaft member that rotates about a second rotation axis that is parallel to the ejection surface; a third shaft member having a third rotation axis parallel to the second rotation axis; a first transmission unit that transmits rotation of the second shaft member to the first shaft member to rotate the first shaft member; a second transmission unit that transmits the rotation of the first shaft member to the third shaft member at a speed ratio of 1:1 to rotate the third shaft member; a notification unit that notifies information indicating a rotational position of the eccentric portion around the first shaft member; a cover portion that covers the ejection head, the first shaft member, and the second shaft member; and a portion of the second shaft member is exposed from a side surface of the cover portion; the third shaft member is exposed on the side surface of the cover portion on which the second shaft member is exposed, The notification unit is a display unit that displays the rotational position of the eccentric part, and is located on the side of the cover part where the second shaft member is exposed, at a portion of the third shaft member that is exposed from the cover part, and rotates together with the third shaft member, in a head unit.

2. The head unit according to claim 1 , wherein the second transmission part is a bevel gear.

3. The head unit according to claim 1 , wherein the second transmission part is a flexible joint.

4. The head unit according to claim 1 , wherein the side surface is one of a plurality of side surfaces of the cover portion that is perpendicular to a short-side direction of the cover portion.

5. A discharge head that discharges droplets; a shaft member that rotates around a first rotation axis that is perpendicular to the ejection surface of the droplets, the first shaft member having an eccentric part that is eccentric from the first rotation axis, and the first shaft member moves the ejection head parallel to the ejection surface by rotation of the eccentric part around the first rotation axis; a second shaft member that rotates about a second rotation axis that is parallel to the ejection surface; a first transmission unit that transmits rotation of the second shaft member to the first shaft member to rotate the first shaft member; a notification unit that notifies information indicating a rotational position of the eccentric portion around the first shaft member; a cover portion that covers the ejection head, the first shaft member, and the second shaft member; and the notification unit is a display unit that displays a rotational position of the eccentric unit, is located at an end of the first shaft member inside the cover unit, and rotates together with the first shaft member; a mirror inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a display surface of the display unit is located inside the cover unit; A head unit, wherein a side surface of the cover portion has an opening through which the mirror surface of the mirror can be seen from outside the cover portion.

6. A plurality of ejection heads that eject droplets; a shaft member that rotates around a first rotation axis that is perpendicular to the ejection surface of the droplets, the first shaft member having an eccentric part that is eccentric from the first rotation axis, and the first shaft member moves the ejection head parallel to the ejection surface by rotation of the eccentric part around the first rotation axis; a second shaft member corresponding to each of the plurality of ejection heads and rotating about a second rotation axis parallel to the ejection surface; a first transmission unit that transmits rotation of the second shaft member to the first shaft member to rotate the first shaft member; a notification unit that notifies information indicating a rotational position of the eccentric portion around the first shaft member; a third transmission unit that transmits the rotation of one of the second shaft members to another of the second shaft members; A head unit having

7. A discharge head that discharges droplets; a shaft member that rotates around a first rotation axis that is perpendicular to the ejection surface of the droplets, the first shaft member having an eccentric part that is eccentric from the first rotation axis, and the first shaft member moves the ejection head parallel to the ejection surface by rotation of the eccentric part around the first rotation axis; a second shaft member that rotates about a second rotation axis that is parallel to the ejection surface; a first transmission unit that transmits rotation of the second shaft member to the first shaft member to rotate the first shaft member; a notification unit that notifies information indicating a rotational position of the eccentric portion around the first shaft member; and the notification unit is a display that displays the rotation position of the eccentric part or a sound output unit that outputs a sound corresponding to the rotation position of the eccentric part, a rotation detector for detecting a rotation position of the eccentric portion; a control unit that controls the notification unit to notify information indicating the rotation position of the eccentric portion based on a signal input from the rotation detector; A head unit having

8. 8. The head unit according to claim 1, wherein the notification section is a display section that displays the rotational position of the eccentric section and has a scale that indicates the rotational position of the eccentric section.

9. A head unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7; a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium; a control unit that controls the transport unit; A droplet ejection device having:

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