Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that is able to surely achieve a long life of a sliding member.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 400 includes: a carriage 2 having a recording head 1 that forms an image by ejecting ink onto a recording medium and is freely movable in a main scanning direction that is a widthwise direction of the recording medium; a guide rail 4 that guides movement of the carriage 2; and a plurality of sliding members 15A attached to the carriage 2 and provided so as to be slidable along with the guide rail 4. At least one of the sliding members 15A has a freely rotatable rotary portion 15b having a circular shape and coming into contact with the guide rail 4; and an external-force input portion 15Ad having a projecting portion 15Ae provided so as to be freely rotatable integrally with the rotary portion 15b. The guide rail 4 has: a guide surface 4a with which the rotary portion 15b comes into contact; and an external-force supplying member 16 which can come into contact with the projecting portion 15Ae due to movement of the sliding member 15A, and rotates the external-force input portion 15Ad by the contact to displace a phase of the rotary portion 15b relative to the guide surface 4a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] As an image forming apparatus, while relatively moving a recording medium such as a transfer sheet with respect to a recording head provided with nozzles for ink ejection, ink is ejected from the recording head according to a printing signal to attach ink droplets onto the recording medium, and an inkjet recording apparatus that forms an image on the recording medium with the ink dots is known. In such an inkjet recording apparatus, it is required to extend the service life of a carriage provided with a recording head, and as a countermeasure, measures such as facilitating the replacement operation of consumable parts and adjustment methods assuming response to malfunctions have been implemented.

[0003] As such an inkjet recording apparatus, there has been proposed a technique for realizing an extended service life of a carriage by providing detection means for detecting the wear amount of a sliding member, which is one of the wear parts used for a sliding part of the carriage, detecting a malfunction sign in advance by quickly detecting the wear amount, accurately notifying it, and performing timely readjustment or replacement (see, for example, "Patent Document 1"). However, in extending the service life of the sliding member used for the sliding part of such a carriage, it still remains that consumable parts occur within the product life period and manual work such as part replacement and adjustment work is required. For this reason, there are concerns and dissatisfaction such as an increase in work cost, a shortage of workers, and an increase in user downtime due to waiting for the work order, and there has been a demand for extending the service life without replacement and adjustment.

[0004] Therefore, in order to reduce the wear of a slider, which is a sliding member mounted on a carriage holding a recording head, and extend its service life, a technique is known in which the portion where the sliding member contacts the guide rail during carriage movement is made into line contact or point contact instead of surface contact, and the contact portion is appropriately changed. Specifically, a technique is known in which a cylindrical sliding member is used and the cylindrical surface is the contact point (see, for example, "Patent Document 2"). In addition, a technique is known in which a rotatable wheel-shaped member is used and the cylindrical surface is the contact point, and the contact point with the guide rail can be changed, thereby preventing wear from concentrating at a specific point on the sliding member and reducing the amount of wear on the sliding member (see, for example, "Patent Document 2" and "Patent Document 3"). [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] However, conventional technology did not include a configuration that actively changed the contact point between the sliding member and the guide rail; instead, the contact position between the sliding member and the guide rail changed naturally as the carriage moved. As a result, the contact position would change or not change randomly depending on the load and friction between the sliding member and the guide rail, leading to uneven wear on the sliding member and hindering its long lifespan. The present invention aims to provide an image forming apparatus that can solve the above-mentioned problems and reliably achieve a longer lifespan for sliding members. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention described in claim 1 is an image forming apparatus comprising a recording head that ejects ink onto a recording medium to form an image, a carriage that is movable in the main scanning direction which is the width direction of the recording medium, a guide rail that guides the movement of the carriage, and a plurality of sliding members that are attached to the carriage and slidably provided with respect to the guide rail, wherein at least one of the sliding members has a rotatable rotating part that is circular in shape and in contact with the guide rail, and an external force input part having a projection that is rotatably provided integrally with the rotating part, and the guide rail has a guide surface that the rotating part contacts, and an external force supply member that can contact the projection as the sliding member moves, and that rotates the external force input part by contact to displace the phase of the rotating part with respect to the guide surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the phase of the rotating part can be displaced by a displacement amount different from that caused by rolling, and even when the rotating part does not roll sufficiently when the carriage moves, the phase displacement of the rotating part can be forcibly promoted. As a result, a condition in which only specific parts of the rotating part slide can be avoided, and by causing wear to occur evenly without bias on the rotating part, the lifespan of the sliding member can be extended compared to when the rotating part is displaced by rolling alone. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view of a carriage drive mechanism to which one embodiment of the present invention can be applied. [Figure 2] This is a schematic perspective view of a carriage drive mechanism to which one embodiment of the present invention can be applied. [Figure 3] This is a schematic front view of a carriage drive mechanism to which one embodiment of the present invention can be applied. [Figure 4] This is a schematic perspective view showing a conventional sliding member. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the sliding behavior between a conventional guide rail and a sliding member. [Figure 6] This is a schematic perspective view showing other conventional sliding members. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the support state of other conventional sliding members. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram illustrating other support configurations for conventional sliding members. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram showing a sliding member used in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram showing an engaging member used in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a schematic diagram showing an engaging member used in a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a schematic diagram showing a sliding member and an engaging member used in a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a schematic plan view of a droplet dispensing device equipped with a droplet dispensing head according to each embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This is a schematic side view of a droplet dispensing device equipped with a droplet dispensing head according to each embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This is a schematic plan view illustrating the droplet dispensing unit of a droplet dispensing device equipped with a droplet dispensing head according to each embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] A schematic front view illustrating another droplet dispensing unit of a droplet dispensing device equipped with a droplet dispensing head according to each embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Figures 1, 2, and 3 show a carriage drive mechanism used in an inkjet recording apparatus, which is an image forming apparatus to which one embodiment of the present invention can be applied. A carriage 2, which holds a recording head 1 equipped with ink ejection nozzles, is supported by a guide rod 3 and a guide rail 4, which are supported by the main body of the inkjet recording device (not shown), so as to be able to reciprocate in the main scanning direction, which is the width direction of the transfer sheet to be recorded. A sliding member 5, which is attached to the carriage 2 and slides against the guide rail 4, is provided between the carriage 2 and the guide rail 4. A linear scale 12 is also provided on the side of the guide rail 4.

[0010] The inkjet recording device, not shown in the diagram, is equipped with a drive motor 6 for moving the carriage 2. The drive motor 6 is equipped with a slit disc 7 and an encoder sensor 8, and the rotation of the drive motor 6 is controlled based on the signal from the encoder sensor 8. A timing belt 9 is stretched between the output shaft of the drive motor 6 and a timing pulley 10 provided on the carriage 2. With this configuration, the rotational driving force of the drive motor 6 is transmitted to the carriage 2 via the timing belt 9, and the carriage 2 moves back and forth as the drive motor 6 rotates in forward and reverse directions.

[0011] Below the recording head 1, a conveyance belt 11 for conveying the transfer sheet is provided. The conveyance belt 11 of the belt conveyor system is driven to run by a driving means not shown in the figure and conveys the transfer sheet in the direction of the arrow shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. When the transfer sheet is conveyed, while ink is ejected from the recording head 1, the carriage 2 is reciprocated in the main scanning direction by the operation of the drive motor 6, so that a desired image is formed on the transfer sheet. When the carriage 2 reciprocates, a sliding member 5 provided on the carriage 2 that is movably supported by the guide rod 3 slides with respect to the guide rail 4, and the posture of the recording head 1 with respect to the transfer sheet is maintained. Thus, in this embodiment, the guide rod 3 and the guide rail 4 are used to move and maintain the posture of the recording head 1 and the carriage 2. That is, the carriage 2 is guided in the main scanning direction by the guide rod 3, and the posture of the carriage 2 with respect to the guide rod 3 is defined by the guide rail 4. Note that a configuration may be adopted in which the carriage 2 is guided in the main scanning direction and its posture is maintained only by the guide rail without using the guide rod.

[0012] FIG. 4 shows a conventionally used sliding member 5, and FIG. 5 shows the sliding state between the sliding member 5 and the guide rail 4. In FIG. 4, the sliding member 5 has a T-shaped front view, the upper surface in FIG. 4 shows a sliding surface 5a with the guide rail 4, and the lower part in FIG. 4 shows a mounting part 5b attached to the carriage 2. In FIG. 5, the guide rail 4 has a guide surface 4a that slides with the sliding surface 5a on its upper surface. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, as the sliding member 5, in order to match the plane with the guide surface 4a of the guide rail 4 of the contact partner and facilitate workability, a sliding member 5 having a planar shape as the sliding surface 5a is frequently used. However, in this configuration, since the sliding surface 5a is in planar contact with the guide surface 4a, there is a problem that the planes are constantly in contact with each other and friction occurs over the entire area of the sliding surface 5a, so wear tends to progress.

[0013] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, a technique using a sliding member 13 having a cylindrical sliding surface 13a or a sliding member 14 having a spherical sliding surface 14a instead of the sliding member 5 is known. Each of the sliding members 13 and 14 has a central axis 13b and 14b, respectively, and as shown in FIG. 7, the central axes 13b and 14b are rotatably supported by a support member 2a provided on the carriage 2. Alternatively, without providing the central axes 13b and 14b, as shown in FIG. 8, the sliding surfaces 13a and 14a are directly rotatably supported by a support member 2b provided on the carriage 2. In the configuration shown in FIG. 8, the central axes 13b and 14b can be omitted, and the configuration can be simplified.

[0014] In the configurations shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the sliding surfaces 13a and 14a can be brought into line contact or point contact with the guide surface 4a, and wear can be reduced by reducing the contact area compared to the conventional surface contact. Further, since the cylindrical shape and the spherical shape can freely roll, the contact position with the guide surface 4a can be appropriately changed. Therefore, the locations where friction occurs with the guide surface 4a can be appropriately changed compared to the case where the sliding surface is a plane, and the amount of wear can be reduced. However, in the configurations shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the contact state between the cylindrical sliding surface 13a or the spherical sliding surface 14a and the guide surface 4a changes with time from the initial stage of the image forming apparatus, and the rotation tendency changes. As a result, there is a problem that wear does not occur evenly without bias on the sliding surfaces 13a and 14a, and wear occurs irregularly on the sliding surfaces 13a and 14a, resulting in a partial bias in the amount of wear. The configuration of the present invention for solving such problems will be described below.

[0015] FIGS. 9(a), (b), (c), and (d) respectively show sliding members 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D used in the first embodiment of the present invention instead of the sliding members 5, 13, and 14. Hereinafter, the sliding members 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D may be collectively referred to as the sliding member 15. The sliding member 15A has a rotating member 15b as a rotating part having a cylindrical or spherical shape with a sliding surface 15a on its outer circumference, and a central shaft 15c that rotatably supports the rotating member 15b. Similar to the sliding members 13 and 14, the central shaft 15c is rotatably supported by a support member 2a provided on the carriage 2. An engaged member 15Ad, which serves as an external force input part, is rotatably attached to the central shaft 15c, and has a projection on its outer circumference that protrudes from other outer circumferences. The engaged member 15Ad is configured to rotate the rotating member 15b when it rotates itself, and to be able to rotate freely when the rotating member 15b rotates.

[0016] The sliding members 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D are all constructed similarly, except that the shapes of the engaged members 15Ad, 15Bd, 15Cd, and 15Dd differ. The engaged member 15Ad has a so-called gear shape, having multiple rib-shaped projections 15Ae. The engaged member 15Bd has a shape having multiple claw-shaped projections 15Be that are inclined in one direction. The engaged member 15Cd has a shape having multiple mountain-shaped projections 15Ce. The engaged member 15Dd has a shape having a cam-shaped projection 15De as its longest axis. The engaged members 15Ad, 15Bd, and 15Cd are configured to each have multiple protrusions 15Ae, 15Be, and 15Ce, but it is sufficient if at least one is formed. Furthermore, the shape of the engaged members is not limited to these shapes; any shape is acceptable as long as it has protrusions on its outer circumference that protrude more than other parts of its outer circumference.

[0017] As shown in Figure 10, an engaging member 16 is provided on the guide surface 4a of the guide rail 4 as an external force supply member. The engaging member 16 is positioned so as to be able to contact the protrusions 15Ae, 15Be, 15Ce, 15De of the engaged members 15Ad, 15Bd, 15Cd, 15Dd that have moved when the sliding member 15 rolls on the guide surface 4a as the carriage 2 moves. In this embodiment, the engaging members 16 are positioned at positions corresponding to the sliding members 15A located at both ends in Figure 10, but it is sufficient that at least one engaging member 16 is provided within the movement range of the carriage 2, and it is not necessary to place them at the ends.

[0018] In this way, by arranging the engaging member 16, which can contact the engaged members 15Ad, 15Bd, 15Cd, and 15Dd, within the range of movement of the sliding member 15 accompanying the movement of the carriage 2, the rotating member 15b of the sliding member 15, which rolls in accordance with the movement of the carriage 2, can be forcibly rotated. This allows the sliding surface 15a to be displaced by a different amount than the displacement caused by the rolling of the rotating member 15b, and even if the rotating member 15b does not roll sufficiently when the carriage 2 moves, the displacement of the sliding surface 15a can be forcibly promoted. As a result, a situation in which only a specific part of the rotating member 15b slides can be avoided, wear can be caused evenly without bias on the sliding surface 15a, and the lifespan of the sliding member 15 can be extended compared to when the sliding surface 15a is displaced only by the rolling of the rotating member 15b. In the configuration shown in Figure 10, sliding members 15B and 15C are positioned so as not to contact the engaging member 16. However, sliding members that do not have engaged members 15Ad, 15Bd, 15Cd, and 15Dd, such as sliding members 13 and 14, may be placed in these positions.

[0019] Figure 11 shows a modified version of the first embodiment. This modified version differs only in that it uses an engaging member 17 as an external force supply member having a mountain-shaped projection instead of the engaging member 16; all other configurations are the same. With this configuration, the amount of displacement of the sliding surface 15a due to the rotation of the sliding member 15 when the engaged members 15Ad, 15Bd, 15Cd, 15Dd and the engaging member 17 come into contact can be appropriately adjusted, thereby controlling the amount of wear and the method of wear. Note that the shape of the engaging member 17 is not limited to a mountain-shaped projection, but may also have other shapes such as claw-shaped or ridge-shaped projections.

[0020] The first embodiment had a shape having a cam-shaped projection 15De as its longest axis. The sliding member 15D has a more complex shape than the other sliding members 15A, 15B, and 15C. It does not require the inclusion of such features, thus reducing costs. Furthermore, it is less prone to breakage compared to other protruding parts. Furthermore, there is less degradation of rotational motion function due to deterioration of the friction surface, and the displacement of the rotating member 15Db is reliable. It can be done. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the central axis 15c and the engaged members 15Ad, 15Bd, 15 A configuration in which a one-way clutch is provided between Cd and 15Dd is also possible. The engaged members 15Ad, 15Bd, 15Cd, and 15Dd came into contact with the engaging members 16 and 17. When the sliding member 15 is rolling at times other than the edge, the engaged members 15Ad, 15Bd, 15Cd, 15Dd Because it does not rotate, damage to the engaged members 15Ad, 15Bd, 15Cd, and 15Dd can be prevented. ru. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, the sliding members 15 arranged at both ends correspond The engaging member 16 is positioned, and when the carriage 2 moves to its limit of movement, the engaged member 15A A configuration is adopted in which d, 15Bd, 15Cd, and 15Dd come into contact with the engaging member 16. do Yes, this Depending on the configuration, it is necessary to position the engaging member 16 within the range of movement of the carriage 2 in the main scanning direction. It is unnecessary and can forcibly promote the displacement of the sliding surface 15a with a simple configuration.

[0021] Figure 12 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. This second embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above only in that a sliding member 18 is used instead of the sliding member 15, and an engaging member 19 is used instead of the engaging members 16 and 17; all other configurations are the same. The sliding member 18 has a rotating member 18b as a cylindrical or spherical rotating part with a sliding surface 18a on its outer circumference, and a central shaft 18c that rotatably supports the rotating member 18b. Similar to the sliding members 13, 14, and 15, the central shaft 18c is rotatably supported by a support member 2a provided on the carriage 2. Furthermore, an engaged member 18d, which is an external force input part made of an elastic material and has a high friction resistance part 18e that is a contacted part on at least its outer circumference, is rotatably attached to the central shaft 18c. The engaged member 18d is configured to rotate the rotating member 18b when it rotates itself, and to be able to rotate freely when the rotating member 18b rotates.

[0022] A contact member 19 is provided on the guide surface 4a of the guide rail 4. The contact member 19, which is made of a rigid plate-like member, is positioned so as to be able to contact the high-friction resistance portion 18e of the engaged member 18d that has moved when the sliding member 18 rolls on the guide surface 4a as the carriage 2 moves. In this embodiment, contact members 19 are provided at positions corresponding to the sliding members 18 located at both ends in the main scanning direction, but it is sufficient that at least one contact member 19 is provided within the movement range of the carriage 2, and it is not necessary to provide them at the ends. In this embodiment, a high-friction resistance portion 18e is provided on the surface of the engaged member 18d, but a high-friction resistance portion may also be provided on the surface of the contact member 19. The high-friction resistance portion is provided on at least one of the engaged member 18d or the contact member 19.

[0023] In this way, by arranging a contact member 19 that can contact the engaged member 18d within the range of movement of the sliding member 18 accompanying the movement of the carriage 2, the rotating member 18b of the sliding member 18, which rolls in conjunction with the movement of the carriage 2, can be forcibly rotated. This makes it possible to obtain the same effects as in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, a one-way clutch may be provided between the central shaft 18c and the engaged member 18d. With this configuration, the engaged member 18d does not rotate when the sliding member 18 rolls, except when the engaged member 18d is in contact with the contact member 19, thus preventing damage to the engaged member 18d. In the second embodiment, contact members 19 are positioned corresponding to the sliding members 18 located at both ends, and a configuration is adopted in which the engaged member 18d comes into contact with the contact member 19 when the carriage 2 moves to its limit. With this configuration, it is not necessary to position the contact members 19 within the movement range of the carriage 2 in the main scanning direction, and the displacement of the sliding surface 18a can be forcibly promoted with a simple configuration.

[0024] In the embodiments described above, a configuration was shown in which the rotating members 15b and 18b of the sliding members 15 and 18 are rotated in accordance with the reciprocating motion of the carriage 2, which is moved back and forth during image formation, thereby displacing the sliding surfaces 15a and 18a. However, instead of this configuration, a configuration may be adopted in which the image forming apparatus is provided with a measuring means for measuring the number of images formed, and the rotating members 15b and 18b are rotated in accordance with the number of measurements by this measuring means, that is, when the number of measurements reaches a predetermined number, thereby displacing the sliding surfaces 15a and 18a. In this case, the engaging members 16 and 17 and the contact member 19 are not placed within the normal movement range in which the carriage 2 moves back and forth during image formation, but rather within a special movement range beyond the normal movement range in which the carriage 2 moves due to recovery operations, etc. When the number of measurements reaches a predetermined number, the carriage 2 is moved within the special movement range, and the rotating members 15b and 18b are rotated by the engaging members 16 and 17 and the contact member 19, thereby displacing the sliding surfaces 15a and 18a. With this configuration, the sliding surfaces 15a and 18a are displaced according to the number of images formed, so that specific locations or regions of the sliding members 15 and 18 can be preferentially worn down. Furthermore, when the specified number of images formed is reached, the sliding surfaces 15a and 18a can be changed to locations or regions that are not worn, so the image forming operation can be restarted using the initial, unworn state of the sliding surfaces 15a and 18a after the specified number of images formed.

[0025] Next, an example of an inkjet recording apparatus, which is an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. The inkjet recording device, droplet ejection device 400, is a serial image forming apparatus, and the carriage 2 reciprocates in the main scanning direction by the main scanning movement mechanism 493. The main scanning movement mechanism 493 includes a guide member 401, a main scanning motor 405, a timing belt 408, etc. The guide member 401 is stretched across the left and right side plates 491A and 491B, and holds the carriage 2 in a movable position. The carriage 2 reciprocates in the main scanning direction by receiving the driving force of the main scanning motor 405 via the timing belt 408 stretched between the drive pulley 406 and the driven pulley 407.

[0026] The carriage 2 is equipped with a droplet ejection unit 440 which integrally includes a recording head 1, which is a droplet ejection head, and a head tank 441. Here, the recording head 1 ejects droplets of various colors, such as yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K). The recording head 1 is mounted with a nozzle row consisting of multiple nozzles arranged in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, and with the droplet ejection direction facing downwards. The recording head 1 is connected to a liquid circulation device (not shown), and liquid of the desired color is circulated and supplied to the recording head 1.

[0027] The droplet ejection device 400 includes a transport mechanism 495 for transporting the paper 410, which is the recording medium. The transport mechanism 495 includes a transport belt 412, which is the transport means, and a sub-scanning motor 416 that drives the transport belt 412. The transport belt 412, which is an endless belt, is stretched between a transport roller 413 and a tension roller 414, and attracts the paper 410 and transports it to a position facing the droplet ejection head 2. Attraction is carried out by electrostatic attraction or air suction, etc. The transport belt 412 is moved circumferentially in the sub-scanning direction by the driving force of the sub-scanning motor 416 being transmitted via a timing belt 417 and a timing pulley 418.

[0028] A maintenance and recovery mechanism 420 for maintaining and recovering the recording head 1 is located on one side of the carriage 403 in the main scanning direction, and to the side of the transport belt 412. The maintenance and recovery mechanism 420 consists of, for example, a cap member 421 for capping the nozzle surface of the recording head 1, and a wiper member 422 for wiping the nozzle surface. The main scanning movement mechanism 493, the maintenance and recovery mechanism 420, and the transport mechanism 495 are mounted on a housing that includes side plates 491A, 491B, and a back plate 491C. In the droplet ejection device 400 with the configuration described above, the paper 410 is held in place by the transport belt 412, and the paper 410 is transported in the sub-scanning direction by the circular movement of the transport belt 412. At this time, the carriage 2 is moved in the main scanning direction, and the recording head 1 is driven according to the image signal, thereby ejecting droplets onto the stationary paper 410 to form an image.

[0029] Next, the droplet dispensing unit 440 described above will be explained with reference to Figure 15. The droplet ejection unit 440 consists of a housing portion comprising the side plates 491A, 491B and the back plate 491C, as well as the main scanning movement mechanism 493, carriage 2, recording head 1, etc., which are components of the droplet ejection device 400. Furthermore, it is also possible to configure a droplet dispensing unit in which the aforementioned maintenance and recovery mechanism 420 is further attached to, for example, the side plate 491B of the droplet dispensing unit 440.

[0030] Next, another example of a droplet dispensing unit according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 16. The droplet ejection unit 450 shown in Figure 16 has a recording head 1 to which a flow channel component 444 is attached, and a tube 456 connected to the flow channel component 444. The flow channel component 444 is located inside a cover 442, and a connector 443 for electrical connection with the recording head 1 is provided on the upper part of the flow channel component 444. A configuration including a head tank 441 instead of the flow channel component 444 is also possible.

[0031] The droplet ejection units 440, 450, and droplet ejection device 400, including the recording head 1 described above, can obtain the same effects and benefits as those in each of the embodiments described above. In the present invention, the liquid used is not particularly limited as long as it has a viscosity and surface tension that can be dispensed from the head, but it is preferable that its viscosity becomes 30 mPa·s or less at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, or upon heating and cooling. More specifically, this includes solvents such as water and organic solvents, colorants such as dyes and pigments, polymerizable compounds, resins, functional materials such as surfactants, biocompatible materials such as DNA, amino acids and proteins, and calcium, edible materials such as natural pigments, and solutions, suspensions, and emulsions containing these. These can be used, for example, in inkjet inks, surface treatment liquids, and three-dimensional molding material liquids. The energy source for ejecting droplets includes piezoelectric actuators (multilayer piezoelectric elements and thin-film piezoelectric elements), thermal actuators using electrothermal conversion elements such as heating resistors, and electrostatic actuators consisting of a diaphragm and a counter electrode.

[0032] Furthermore, the "droplet dispensing head" is not limited to any particular pressure generating means. For example, in addition to the piezoelectric actuators mentioned above (which may use multilayer piezoelectric elements), it may also use thermal actuators that use electrothermal conversion elements such as heating resistors, or electrostatic actuators consisting of a diaphragm and a counter electrode.

[0033] A "droplet dispensing unit" is a unit in which functional components and mechanisms are integrated with a droplet dispensing head, and includes an assembly of parts related to droplet dispensing. For example, a "droplet dispensing unit" may include a combination of a droplet dispensing head with at least one of the following components: a head tank, carriage, supply mechanism, maintenance and recovery mechanism, main scanning movement mechanism, and liquid circulation device. Here, integration includes, for example, cases where the droplet dispensing head and functional components or mechanisms are fixed to each other by fastening, bonding, engaging, etc., or where one is held movably relative to the other. Furthermore, the droplet dispensing head and functional components or mechanisms may be detachable from each other.

[0034] As droplet dispensing units, there are those in which the droplet dispensing head and head tank are integrated, and those in which the two are connected to each other by tubes or the like and integrated together. It is also possible to add a unit including a filter between the droplet dispensing head and head tank of these droplet dispensing units. Furthermore, droplet ejection units include those in which the droplet ejection head and carriage are integrated, and those in which the droplet ejection head, carriage, and main scanning movement mechanism are integrated. Additionally, droplet ejection units may have the droplet ejection head movably held by a guide member that constitutes part of the scanning movement mechanism, with the droplet ejection head and scanning movement mechanism being integrated.

[0035] Some droplet dispensing units integrate the droplet dispensing head, carriage, and maintenance / recovery mechanism by fixing a cap member, which is part of the maintenance / recovery mechanism, to a carriage to which the droplet dispensing head is attached. Other droplet dispensing units integrate the droplet dispensing head and supply mechanism by connecting a tube to a droplet dispensing head to which a head tank or flow path component is attached. Liquid from a liquid storage source is supplied to the droplet dispensing head via this tube. The main scanning movement mechanism shall include the guide member alone. The supply mechanism shall include the tube alone and the loading section alone.

[0036] In this invention, the droplet ejection unit is described in combination with a droplet ejection head, but the droplet ejection unit also includes a head module that includes the droplet ejection head described above, and a head unit in which the functional components and mechanisms described above are integrated. A droplet dispensing device includes a droplet dispensing head, droplet dispensing unit, head module, head unit, etc., and is a device that drives the droplet dispensing head to dispense droplets. A droplet dispensing device includes not only devices that can dispense droplets onto surfaces to which droplets can adhere, but also devices that dispense droplets into gases or liquids.

[0037] The droplet dispensing device may also include means for feeding, transporting, and dispensing paper onto materials to which droplets can adhere, as well as other pre-processing and post-processing devices. Examples of droplet ejection devices include image forming devices that eject ink to form an image on a recording medium, and three-dimensional molding devices that eject molding liquid onto a powder layer formed in layers to create three-dimensional objects. Furthermore, droplet dispensing devices are not limited to those that visualize meaningful images such as letters or figures through the dispensed droplets. For example, they also include devices that form patterns that do not have meaning in themselves, or devices that create three-dimensional images.

[0038] The above-mentioned objects to which liquid droplets can adhere refer to objects to which liquid droplets can adhere, at least temporarily, including those that adhere and solidify or adhere and penetrate. Specific examples include recording media such as paper, film, and cloth; electronic components such as electronic circuit boards and piezoelectric elements; powder layers; organ models; and inspection cells. Unless otherwise specified, it includes all objects to which liquid droplets can adhere. The material to which the droplets can adhere may be any material, such as paper, thread, fibers, fabric, leather, metal, plastic, glass, wood, or ceramics, as long as the droplets can adhere to it, even temporarily.

[0039] A droplet dispensing device includes a configuration in which a droplet dispensing head and an object to which droplets can adhere move relative to each other, but the object that moves is not limited to either one or the other. Specific examples include serial type devices in which the droplet dispensing head moves, and line type devices in which the droplet dispensing head does not move. Other examples of droplet dispensing devices include processing liquid coating devices that dispense processing liquid onto the surface of paper for purposes such as modifying the surface of the paper, and spray granulation devices that granulate fine particles of raw materials by spraying a composition liquid, in which raw materials are dispersed in a solution, through a nozzle.

[0040] Examples of the present invention are as follows: [1] Equipped with a recording head that ejects ink onto a recording medium to form an image, the width of the recording medium A carriage that is movable in the main scanning direction, and a guide that guides the movement of the carriage. A rail and a carriage attached to the guide rail, which is slidably mounted to the guide rail. In an image forming apparatus comprising a plurality of sliding members, at least one of the sliding members is A rotatable rotating part having a circular shape and in contact with the guide rail, and a rotating part that rotates integrally with the rotating part. A freely rotatable , having a protrusion The guide rail has an external force input section, and the rotation The guide surface that the rotating part contacts, and the sliding member as it moves protrusion It is possible to contact, By contact, the external force input part is rotated, causing a displacement in the phase of the rotating part with respect to the guide surface. This is an image forming apparatus having an external force supply member. [2] The external force input section is, Rotatable in only one direction. The characteristic of [1] It is an image forming apparatus. [3] External force input section Contact between the external force supply member occurs when the carriage moves to its limit of movement. When it is moved, [1] or [2] This is the image forming apparatus described in [reference]. [4] The recording head is equipped with a recording head that ejects ink onto the recording medium to form an image, and the width of the recording medium A carriage that is movable in the main scanning direction, and a guide that guides the movement of the carriage. A rail and a carriage attached to the guide rail, which is slidably mounted to the guide rail. In an image forming apparatus comprising a plurality of sliding members, at least one of the sliding members is A rotatable rotating part having a circular shape and in contact with the guide rail, and a rotating part that rotates integrally with the rotating part. The guide rail has an external force input section having a contact portion that is rotatably provided, and the rotation The guide surface that the rotating part contacts and the part to be contacted can frictionally contact the contacted part as the sliding member moves. The friction at contact causes the external force input part to rotate, thereby controlling the rotation of the guide surface. Having a contact member that displaces the phase It is an image forming apparatus. [5] External force input section It can rotate in only one direction. Characterized by [4] of It is an image forming apparatus. [6] Contact between the external force input portion and the contact member occurs when the carriage moves to its limit of movement. [4] or [5] This is the image forming apparatus described in [reference]. [7] Having a measuring means for measuring the number of images formed, and according to the number measured by the measuring means, the external force Image forming according to any one of [1] to [6], characterized by rotating the input unit. It is a device.

[0041] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the invention as described in the claims, unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description. The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative of the most preferred effects that may arise from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0042] 1 Recording head 2 carriages 4 Guide rails 4a Guide surface 15A, 15B, 15C, 15D, 18 Sliding members 15b, 18b Rotating part (rotating member) 15Ad, 15Bd, 15Cd, 15Dd, 18d External force input part (engaged member) 15Ae,15Be,15Ce,15De protrusions 16,17 External force supply member (engaging member) 18e Contacted part (high friction resistance part) 19 Contact Member 400 Image forming device (droplet discharge device) [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0043] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-137231 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2011-516315 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-138848

Claims

1. The recording head is provided to eject ink onto the recording medium to form an image, and the width direction of the recording medium A carriage that is movable in the main scanning direction, A guide rail for guiding the movement of the carriage, Multiple sliding parts are attached to the carriage and are slidably mounted on the guide rail. Components and In an image forming apparatus equipped with, At least one of the sliding members is circular in shape and rotatably in contact with the guide rail. A rotating part and an external force input part having a projection, which is provided integrally and rotatably with the rotating part. It has, The guide rail has a guide surface that the rotating part contacts, and moves forward as the sliding member moves. The projection can be contacted, and contact causes the external force input part to rotate relative to the guide surface. An image forming apparatus having an external force supply member that displaces the phase of the rotating part.

2. In the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the external force input unit is rotatable in only one direction.

3. In the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, Contact between the external force input section and the external force supply member occurs when the carriage moves to its limit of movement. An image forming apparatus characterized by being performed at the time of [the event].

4. The recording head is provided to eject ink onto the recording medium to form an image, and the width direction of the recording medium A carriage that is movable in the main scanning direction, A guide rail for guiding the movement of the carriage, Multiple sliding parts are attached to the carriage and are slidably mounted on the guide rail. Components and In an image forming apparatus equipped with, At least one of the sliding members is circular in shape and rotatably in contact with the guide rail. A rotating part and an external force input part having a contacted part that is rotatably mounted integrally with the rotating part. It has, The guide rail has a guide surface that the rotating part contacts, and moves forward as the sliding member moves. The part to be contacted can be made to contact by friction, and the friction during contact causes the external force input part to rotate. An image forming apparatus having a contact member that displaces the phase of the rotating part with respect to a guide surface.

5. In the image forming apparatus according to claim 4, The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the external force input unit is rotatable in only one direction.

6. In the image forming apparatus according to claim 4, Contact between the external force input section and the contact member occurs when the carriage moves to its limit of movement. An image forming apparatus characterized by being performed in this manner.

7. In the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, It has a measuring means for measuring the number of images formed, and the external force input is measured according to the number measured by the measuring means. An image forming apparatus characterized by rotating a part.

Images