Recording device

Abstract

To solve the problem that a rear end region of a medium easily jumps up to a line head side when released from adsorption by a conveyance belt after passing a position opposing the line head, which causes a fear that the rear end region strongly contacts a guide member due to the jumping-up of the rear end region, causing transfer of ink to the guide member.SOLUTION: A recording device includes: a recording unit for performing recording by discharging a liquid to a medium; a conveyance unit for conveying a medium at a position opposing the recording unit; a conveyance unit downstream roller pair that are positioned downstream of the conveyance unit in a medium conveyance path for conveying a medium; a regulation roller for regulating the movement of a medium rear end region to a recording unit side, at an upstream side of the conveyance unit downstream roller pair in the medium conveyance path, the regulating roller having a plurality of teeth along its outer circumference; and a guide member for guiding the medium, which is a member for supporting the regulation roller.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In the recording device described in Patent Document 1, a line head is provided opposite a conveyor belt. A pair of conveyor rollers is provided downstream of the conveyor belt, and the medium conveyance path downstream of the pair of conveyor rollers branches into a path leading to face-down discharge and a path leading to a switchback for double-sided recording. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-121556 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, when the medium heads toward the switchback path, the medium curves convexly toward the line head at the location of the pair of transport rollers located downstream of the transport belt. As a result, when the trailing edge of the medium is released from suction by the transport belt, the trailing edge tends to bounce up toward the line head. This bounce of the trailing edge brings the trailing edge into strong contact with the guide member, which may result in ink transferring to the guide member. Furthermore, the jumping up of the trailing edge region can be suppressed by making the path downstream of the pair of transport rollers located downstream of the transport belt straight and lengthening the path length to stabilize the medium posture, but in this case the device becomes larger. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the recording device of the present invention is characterized by comprising a recording unit that performs recording by ejecting liquid onto a medium, a transport unit that transports the medium at a position opposite the recording unit, a transport unit downstream roller pair that is located downstream of the transport unit in the medium transport direction and transports the medium, a regulating roller that is a roller upstream of the transport unit downstream roller pair in the medium transport direction and regulates movement of the rear end region of the medium toward the recording unit, the regulating roller having multiple teeth along its outer circumference, and a guide member that is a member that supports the regulating roller and guides the medium. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a media transport path of the printer. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 1 showing a medium transport path of the printer. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 2 showing a medium transport path of the printer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention will be briefly described below. The recording device of the first aspect is characterized by comprising a recording unit that performs recording by ejecting liquid onto a medium, a transport unit that transports the medium at a position opposite the recording unit, a transport unit downstream roller pair that is located downstream of the transport unit in the medium transport direction and transports the medium, a regulating roller that is a roller upstream of the transport unit downstream roller pair in the medium transport direction that regulates movement of the rear end region of the medium toward the recording unit, the regulating roller having multiple teeth along its outer circumference, and a guide member that is a member that supports the regulating roller and guides the medium.

[0008] According to this aspect, even if the trailing edge region of the medium jumps up toward the recording unit upstream of the downstream roller pair of the transport unit, the trailing edge region of the medium abuts against the regulating roller, thereby preventing the liquid from transferring to the guide member. Furthermore, there is no need to extend a linear path downstream from the downstream roller pair of the transport unit to stabilize the medium position, which prevents the device from becoming larger.

[0009] The second aspect is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the transport section downstream roller pair comprises a driven roller that is in contact with the recording surface closest to the medium and rotates in a driven manner, and a drive roller that is in contact with the surface opposite the recording surface and is driven, and downstream of the transport section downstream roller pair, the media transport path branches into a first media transport path and a second media transport path that curves downstream from the transport section downstream roller pair toward the drive roller.

[0010] According to this aspect, downstream of the downstream roller pair of the transport section, the media transport path branches into a first media transport path and a second media transport path that curves downstream from the downstream roller pair of the transport section toward the drive roller.Therefore, when the media is transported to the second media transport path, it is easy for the guide member to splash up toward the recording section, but the first aspect described above makes it possible to prevent liquid from transferring to the guide member and to prevent the device from becoming larger.

[0011] The third aspect is characterized in that, in the second aspect, the conveying unit comprises a first pulley, a second pulley located downstream of the first pulley in the media conveying direction, and a conveying belt that is looped around the first pulley and the second pulley, and the medium is adsorbed and conveyed by the conveying belt. According to this aspect, in a configuration in which the transport unit transports the medium while suctioning it with the transport belt, the effects of the second aspect described above can be obtained.

[0012] The fourth aspect is characterized in that, in the third aspect, the regulating roller contacts the rear end area of ​​the medium between the downstream end of the flat area where the conveying belt faces the recording unit in the medium conveying direction and the nip position of the downstream roller pair of the conveying unit.

[0013] According to this aspect, the regulating roller contacts the rear end region of the medium between the downstream end of the flat region where the conveying belt faces the recording unit in the medium conveying direction and the nip position of the pair of downstream rollers of the conveying unit, thereby effectively preventing the rear end region of the medium, which has been released from suction by the conveying belt, from contacting the guide member.

[0014] A fifth aspect is the third or fourth aspect, wherein a portion of the regulating roller overlaps with the second pulley in the medium transport direction. According to this aspect, a portion of the regulating roller overlaps with the second pulley in the media transport direction, so that the position of the downstream roller pair of the transport section can be brought closer to the second pulley, i.e., the transport belt, thereby enabling the device to be made smaller.

[0015] The sixth aspect is characterized in that, in any of the third to fifth aspects, the regulating roller is located closer to the recording unit than a straight line connecting the downstream end of the flat area where the conveying belt faces the recording unit and the nip position of the downstream roller pair of the conveying unit, when viewed from a width direction intersecting the medium conveying direction.

[0016] According to this aspect, the regulating roller is located closer to the recording unit than a straight line connecting the downstream end of the flat area of ​​the conveyor belt facing the recording unit and the nip position of the pair of downstream rollers of the conveyor unit, as viewed from the width direction intersecting the medium conveyance direction, so that the leading edge of the medium is less likely to come into contact with the regulating roller when passing through the position of the regulating roller.By not coming into contact with the regulating roller when passing through the position of the regulating roller, the leading edge of the medium can pass through the position of the regulating roller smoothly.

[0017] A seventh aspect is characterized in that in any of the second to sixth aspects, the guide member supports the driven roller and the regulating roller. According to this aspect, the guide member supports the driven roller and the regulating roller, and therefore the cost of the device can be reduced compared to a configuration in which the driven roller and the regulating roller are supported by separate members.

[0018] An eighth aspect is characterized in that in any of the second to seventh aspects, the guide member has a relief portion upstream in the medium transport direction that avoids contact with the rear end of the medium. According to this aspect, the guide member has a recess upstream in the medium transport direction that avoids contact with the rear end of the medium, so that when the rear end area of ​​the medium bounces up toward the recording section, the rear end is less likely to come into contact with the guide member, thereby better preventing liquid from transferring onto the guide member.

[0019] The present invention will be specifically described below. In the following, an inkjet printer 1 that performs recording by ejecting a liquid, such as ink, onto a medium, such as recording paper, will be described as an example of a recording device. In the following, the inkjet printer 1 will be abbreviated as printer 1.

[0020] The XYZ coordinate system shown in each figure is a Cartesian coordinate system, with the Y axis direction being the width direction of the medium that intersects with the medium transport direction and the depth direction of the device. Note that the +Y direction of the Y axis direction is the direction from the front of the device to the rear of the device, and the -Y direction is the direction from the rear of the device to the front of the device. The X axis direction is the width direction of the device, and the +X direction, in which the arrow points, is the left side as seen by the operator of the printer 1, and the opposite, -X direction, is the right side. The Z axis direction is the vertical direction, that is, the height direction of the device, and the +Z direction, in which the arrow points, is the upward direction, and the opposite, -Z direction, is the downward direction.

[0021] The F-axis direction is parallel to the ink ejection surface 26a and is the medium transport direction at the position facing the ink ejection surface 26a. The +F direction, which is the direction of the arrow, is the downstream transport direction, and the opposite -F direction is the upstream transport direction. Note that, hereinafter, the direction in which the medium is transported may be referred to as "downstream," and the opposite direction may be referred to as "upstream." The G-axis direction is normal to the ink ejection surface 26a of the line head 26 and is perpendicular to the F-axis direction. 1 and 2, the medium transport path is indicated by a dashed line. In the printer 1, the medium is transported through the medium transport path indicated by the dashed line.

[0022] 1, the printer 1 has a device main body 2 equipped with a first media cassette 3 and a second media cassette 4 that store media before feeding. The symbol P indicates the media stored in each media cassette. The first media cassette 3 and second media cassette 4 are detachably mounted on the device main body 2 from the front side of the device. A pick roller 9 is provided for the first medium cassette 3 to feed out the stored medium, and a pick roller 10 is provided for the second medium cassette 4 to feed out the stored medium.

[0023] A pair of feed rollers 11 that feeds the fed medium diagonally upward is provided for the first medium cassette 3. A pair of feed rollers 12 that feeds the fed medium diagonally upward and a pair of transport rollers 13 that transports the medium upward are provided for the second medium cassette 4. Unless otherwise specified, hereinafter, a "roller pair" is defined as consisting of a drive roller driven by a motor (not shown) and a driven roller that rotates in contact with the drive roller.

[0024] The medium sent out from each media cassette is transported to transport roller pair 16 by transport roller pair 14 and transport roller pair 15. The medium receiving the transport force from transport roller pair 16 is transported between line head 26, which is an example of a recording unit, and transport belt 33, that is, to a position facing line head 26. Note that hereinafter, the medium transport path from transport roller pair 16 to transport roller pair 17 is referred to as the "transport path T1 during recording."

[0025] The line head 26 performs recording by ejecting ink onto the surface of the medium. The line head 26 is an ink ejection head configured so that the nozzles (not shown) that eject ink cover the entire area in the width direction of the medium, and is configured as an ink ejection head that can record across the entire width of the medium without moving in the width direction of the medium. However, the ink ejection head may be of a type that performs recording by moving in the width direction of the medium.

[0026] Reference numeral 5 denotes an ink storage section that stores ink. Ink ejected from the line head 26 is supplied from the ink storage section 5 to the line head 26 via a tube (not shown). The ink storage section 5 is composed of multiple ink tanks arranged along the X-axis direction.

[0027] The conveyor belt 33, the drive pulley 31, and the driven pulley 32 constitute the belt unit 30. The belt unit 30 functions as a conveying section that is responsible for conveying the medium at a position facing the line head 26. The drive pulley 31 is an example of a first pulley, and the driven pulley 32 is an example of a second pulley that is located downstream of the drive pulley 31 in the medium conveying direction.

[0028] The conveyor belt 33 is an endless belt that is wound around a drive pulley 31 and a driven pulley 32. The conveyor belt 33 rotates when the drive pulley 31 is driven by a motor (not shown). The conveyor belt 33 is an endless belt made of a base material such as urethane or rubber, which contains conductive material as needed to adjust the resistance value. It becomes charged by applying a voltage from a charging roller (not shown), thereby electrostatically adsorbing the medium.

[0029] The transport path T1 during recording, which passes through a position facing the line head 26, intersects both the horizontal and vertical directions and transports the medium diagonally upward. This diagonally upward transport direction includes a -X direction component and a +Z direction component in Figure 1, and this configuration makes it possible to reduce the horizontal dimension of the printer 1. In this embodiment, the recording transport path T1 is set at an inclination angle in the range of 50° to 70° with respect to the horizontal direction, and more specifically, is set at an inclination angle of 60°.

[0030] The medium on whose first side has been recorded by the line head 26 is further sent diagonally upward by a pair of transport rollers 17 located near the downstream side of the transport belt 33. Note that hereinafter, the pair of transport rollers 17 will be referred to as the downstream roller pair 17 of the transport section. A flap 23 is provided downstream of the transport section downstream roller pair 17, and this flap 23 switches the transport direction of the medium. That is, the medium transport path branches into two paths downstream of the transport section downstream roller pair 17. One of the paths is a face-down discharge path T2, and the other is a switchback path T3.

[0031] When the medium on which recording has been performed is to be discharged as is, the medium transport path is switched by the flap 23 to a face-down discharge path T2 toward the upper transport roller pair 20. The face-down discharge path T2 is a path downstream from the transport section downstream roller pair 17. A flap 24 is further provided downstream of the transport roller pair 20, and this flap 24 switches the transport path between face-down discharge from discharge position A1 and transport to the transport roller pair 21 located further vertically above. When the medium is sent toward the transport roller pair 21, it is discharged face-down from discharge position A2. The medium discharged from discharge position A1 is received by discharge tray 27, which is inclined diagonally upward including a +X direction component and a +Z direction component. The medium discharged from discharge position A2 is received by an optional tray (not shown).

[0032] When recording is performed on the second side of the medium in addition to the first side, the medium transport path is sent to switchback path T3 by flap 23. In this embodiment, switchback path T3 is the path downstream from transport section downstream roller pair 17. A pair of transport rollers 22 is provided on the switchback path T3, and the medium that enters the switchback path T3 is transported upward by the pair of transport rollers 22. When the rear end of the medium passes the branch position K1, the rotation direction of the pair of transport rollers 22 is switched, causing the medium to be transported downward and enter the reversal path T4.

[0033] A reverse path T4 is connected to the switchback path T3 at the branch position K1. In this embodiment, the reverse path T4 is a medium transport path that runs from the branch position K1 to the transport roller pair 16 through the transport roller pairs 18, 19, and 15. The medium that has entered the reversing path T4 receives a feeding force from the transport roller pair 18, the transport roller pair 19, and the transport roller pair 15, reaches the transport roller pair 16, and is sent to the transport belt 33 again by the transport roller pair 16. The medium is sent again to a position facing the line head 26, with the second side, opposite to the first side on which recording has already been performed, facing the line head 26. This makes it possible to record on the second side of the medium by the line head 26. The medium with recording on the second side is discharged from the above-mentioned discharge position A1 or discharge position A2.

[0034] Next, the configuration of the vicinity of the downstream roller pair 17 of the conveying section will be further described with reference to FIG. The transport section downstream roller pair 17 includes a drive roller 17a driven by a motor (not shown) and a driven roller 17b that rotates in response to the drive roller. The drive rollers 17a are rubber rollers spaced at appropriate intervals along the axial direction of a shaft 17c that extends in the width direction of the medium, and contact the surface of the medium opposite the recording surface closest to it. The driven roller 17b is a toothed roller with multiple teeth along its outer periphery, and is positioned opposite the drive roller 17a in the width direction of the medium, and rotates in response to the drive roller 17a in contact with the recording surface closest to it. The closest recording surface of the medium refers to the first surface if recording is performed only on the first surface of the medium, and refers to the second surface if recording is performed on the second surface opposite the first surface after recording on the first surface of the medium.

[0035] The face-down discharge path T2 is an example of a first medium transport path, and the switchback path T3 is an example of a second medium transport path that curves downstream from the transport section downstream roller pair 17 toward the drive roller 17a side.

[0036] The driven roller 17b is supported by a guide member 35. The guide member 35 extends in the width direction of the medium. The guide member 35 is made of a resin material or a metal material, but it is preferable to use a material or surface treatment that makes it difficult for ink to transfer thereto. The guide member 35 guides the medium along the medium direction on the recording transport path T1. In particular, a relief portion 35a is formed upstream of the guide member 35, which prevents the leading edge of the medium from colliding with the guide member 35 when the leading edge passes below the guide member 35.

[0037] A regulating roller 36 is provided upstream of the driven roller 17b in the guide member 35. The regulating roller 36 is a toothed roller with multiple teeth along its outer periphery, and is provided so as to be rotatable in contact with the medium. Multiple regulating rollers 36 are provided at appropriate intervals along the medium width direction, and in this embodiment, the position of the regulating roller 36 in the medium width direction coincides with the position of the driven roller 17b. However, the position of the regulating roller 36 in the medium width direction may also be between two driven rollers 17b. In FIG. 1, the guide member 35 and the regulating roller 36 are omitted from the illustration.

[0038] The regulating roller 36 will be described in further detail below with reference to Fig. 3. The regulating roller 36 is a roller that regulates movement of the medium trailing end region Pe toward the line head 26 (in the +G direction) upstream of the transport section downstream roller pair 17. The regulating roller 36 protrudes from the guide member 35 in the -G direction. 3, the symbol P indicates the medium traveling on the switchback path T3. Because the switchback path T3 curves toward the drive roller 17a downstream of the transport section downstream roller pair 17, the trailing end region Pe of the medium is likely to jump up toward the line head 26 when it is released from suction by the transport belt 33. If the trailing end region Pe of the medium jumps up toward the line head 26, the trailing end region Pe of the medium may come into contact with the guide member 35, which may cause ink to transfer thereto. The jumping of the medium trailing edge region Pe can be suppressed by making the path downstream from the transport section downstream roller pair 17 straight and lengthening the path length to stabilize the medium posture, but in this case the device becomes larger.

[0039] However, as described above, a regulating roller 36 that regulates movement of the medium trailing end region Pe toward the line head 26 (in the +G direction) is provided upstream of the transport section downstream roller pair 17. This regulating roller 36 is a toothed roller that has multiple teeth along its outer periphery, and therefore can prevent ink from transferring to the guide member 35. Furthermore, there is no need to extend a linear path downstream from the transport section downstream roller pair 17 to stabilize the medium position, which can prevent the device from becoming larger.

[0040] The medium trailing end region Pe is a region that includes the trailing end (upstream end) of the medium and has a predetermined length from the trailing end of the medium toward downstream. As an example, the length of the medium trailing end region Pe in the transport direction can be the length from the trailing end of the medium to the nip position F2 of the transport section downstream roller pair 17 at the time when the medium P is released from adhesion to the transport belt 33 and moves away from the transport belt 33. Alternatively, the length of the medium trailing end region Pe in the transport direction can be the length from the downstream end position F1 of the flat region 33a of the transport belt 33 to the nip position F2 of the transport section downstream roller pair 17.

[0041] In this embodiment, the regulating roller 36 is configured to contact the medium trailing edge region Pe between the downstream end position F1 of the flat region 33a of the conveyor belt 33 and the nip position F2 of the conveying section downstream roller pair 17. This effectively prevents the medium trailing edge region Pe, which has been released from suction by the conveyor belt 33, from contacting the guide member 35.

[0042] Furthermore, a portion of the regulating roller 36 overlaps with the driven pulley 32 in the medium transport direction. The range in which a portion of the regulating roller 36 overlaps with the driven pulley 32 in the medium transport direction is indicated by the symbol Fv. With this configuration, the position of the transport section downstream roller pair 17 can be brought closer to the driven pulley 32, i.e., the transport belt 33, thereby enabling the device to be made more compact.

[0043] Furthermore, when viewed from the width direction intersecting the medium conveyance direction, the regulating roller 36 is located closer to the line head 26 than a straight line L1 connecting a downstream end Q1 of the flat region 33a of the conveyor belt 33 facing the line head 26 and a nip position Q2 of the conveyor section downstream roller pair 17. With this configuration, the leading edge of the medium P is less likely to come into contact with the regulating roller 36 when passing through the position of the regulating roller 36, and the leading edge of the medium P can pass through the position of the regulating roller 36 smoothly.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the guide member 35 supports the driven roller 17b and the regulating roller 36, which reduces the cost of the device compared to a configuration in which the driven roller 17b and the regulating roller 36 are supported by separate members.

[0045] The guide member 35 also has a relief portion 35a upstream in the medium transport direction. This makes it less likely that the medium trailing end region Pe will come into contact with the guide member 35 when the medium trailing end region Pe bounces up toward the line head 26, thereby more effectively preventing ink from transferring to the guide member 35. In this embodiment, the relief portion 35a is formed by a C-surface, but it may also be formed by an R-surface.

[0046] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these modifications are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1...inkjet printer, 2...device main body, 3...first medium cassette, 4...second medium cassette, 5...ink storage section, 9, 10...pick roller, 11, 12...feed roller pair, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22...transport roller pair, 17...transport roller pair (transport section downstream roller pair), 17a...drive roller, 17b...driven roller, 17c...shaft, 23, 24...flap, 25...head unit, 26...line head, 27...output tray, 30...belt unit, 31...drive pulley, 32...driven pulley, 33...transport belt, 33a...flat area, 35...guide member, 35a...relief section, 36...regulating roller, T1...transport path during recording, T2...face-down output path, T3...switchback path, T4...reversal path

Claims

1. a recording unit that performs recording by ejecting liquid onto a medium; a transport unit that transports a medium at a position opposite the recording unit; a pair of downstream rollers of the transport section that are located downstream of the transport section in the medium transport direction and transport the medium; a regulating roller that is located upstream of the pair of downstream rollers in the medium conveying direction and that regulates movement of the trailing end region of the medium toward the recording unit, the regulating roller having a plurality of teeth along its outer periphery; a guide member that supports the regulating roller and guides the medium, The recording device wherein the regulating roller is disposed at a position where a jump in the trailing end region of the medium occurs when the medium is transported to a first medium transport path that curves downstream from the transport section downstream roller pair.

2. 2. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of downstream rollers of the transport section includes a driven roller that is in contact with the recording surface of the medium closest to the recording surface and rotates in a driven manner, and a drive roller that is in contact with the surface opposite to the recording surface and is driven, downstream of the pair of downstream rollers of the transport unit, the media transport path branches into a second media transport path and the first media transport path that curves downstream from the pair of downstream rollers of the transport unit toward the drive roller; A recording device characterized by:

3. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transport unit comprises: A first pulley; a second pulley located downstream of the first pulley in the medium transport direction; a conveyor belt wound around the first pulley and the second pulley, and the conveyor belt conveys the medium while suctioning it. A recording device characterized by:

4. 4. The recording device according to claim 3, wherein the regulating roller contacts the trailing edge region of the medium between a downstream end of a flat region where the conveying belt faces the recording unit in the medium conveying direction and a nip position of the pair of downstream rollers of the conveying unit. A recording device characterized by:

5. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a portion of the regulating roller overlaps with the second pulley in the medium transport direction. A recording device characterized by:

6. 6. The recording device according to claim 3, wherein the regulating roller is located closer to the recording unit than a straight line connecting a downstream end of a flat area of ​​the conveying belt facing the recording unit and a nip position of the pair of downstream rollers of the conveying unit, as viewed in a width direction intersecting the medium conveying direction. A recording device characterized by:

7. 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the guide member supports the driven roller and the regulating roller. A recording device characterized by:

8. 8. The recording device according to claim 2, wherein the guide member has a relief portion upstream in the medium transport direction that avoids contact with a jump in the rear end region of the medium that occurs when the medium is transported to the first medium transport path. A recording device characterized by:

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