inkjet printer

Abstract

To effectively cool an inkjet head.SOLUTION: A printer comprises ink heads 70 that discharge ink to a recording medium placed on a platen and a carriage 42 mounted with the ink head 70. The carriage 42 comprises: a mounting plate 43 on which the ink heads 70 are mounted; a carriage cover 45 partitioning a storage space 60 storing the ink heads 70 together with the mounting plate 43; fans 55, provided in the storage space 60, which feed air to the ink heads 70; intake ports 48 formed in the carriage cover 45; and ducts 50 connected to the intake ports 48. The ducts 50 have opening parts 52 arranged in the storage space 60 and opened toward the fans 55 and the other opening parts 53 communicated with the outside of the storage space 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an inkjet printer is known that includes an ink head that discharges ink, and a carriage that mounts the ink head and is movable in the main scanning direction, and performs predetermined printing on a recording medium by an inkjet method. Here, since the ink head is a member that generates heat during use, it needs to be cooled in order to operate properly. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for cooling an ink head by taking in air from the outside of the housing into the inside of the housing that houses the ink head by a fan.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that before the relatively low-temperature air taken in from the outside is sent to the ink head, the low-temperature air and the heat generated from the ink head are mixed inside the housing, and the low-temperature air cannot be sent to the ink head. That is, there may arise a problem that the ink head cannot be sufficiently cooled.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object thereof is to provide an inkjet printer that can more effectively cool an ink head.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The inkjet printer according to the present invention comprises a mounting table on which a recording medium is placed, an ink head for ejecting ink onto the recording medium placed on the mounting table, and a carriage on which the ink head is mounted. The carriage comprises a mounting plate to which the ink head is attached, a carriage cover attached to the mounting plate and partitioning a housing space for housing the ink head together with the mounting plate, a fan provided in the housing space for supplying air to the ink head, an air intake port formed in the carriage cover, and a duct connected to the air intake port. The duct is located in the housing space and has an opening that opens toward the fan, and another opening that communicates with the outside of the housing space.

[0007] According to the inkjet printer disclosed herein, a fan is provided in the housing space that houses the ink head to supply air to the ink head. A duct has an opening that faces the fan and is connected to an air intake. The fan sends air from the duct to the ink head. The air passing through the duct is separated from the housing space. Therefore, even if the temperature of the housing space rises due to the heat of the ink head, the temperature rise of the air in the duct is small. According to the inkjet printer disclosed herein, the fan can send cooler air from the duct to the ink head. This allows the ink head to be effectively cooled. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an inkjet printer that can cool the ink head more effectively. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a front view showing an inkjet printer according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a top view showing an ink head unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 3]Figure 3 is a front view showing an ink head unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a duct formed in a carriage cover according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a front view showing an inkhead unit according to one modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the inkjet printer (hereinafter referred to as "printer") according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described herein are not intended to particularly limit the present invention.

[0011] Figure 1 is a front view of the printer 100 according to this embodiment. In the following description, the symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent the front, back, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively, when the printer 100 is viewed from the front. The symbol Y in the drawings indicates the main scanning direction, and the symbol X (see Figure 2) indicates the sub-scanning direction. In this embodiment, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. The sub-scanning direction X is the front-back direction, which is perpendicular to the main scanning direction Y in a plan view. However, these directions are defined for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the installation configuration of the printer 100 or the present invention in any way.

[0012] The printer 100 performs printing on the recording medium 5. In this embodiment, the recording medium 5 is a roll of recording paper, or so-called roll paper. However, the recording medium 5 is not limited to a roll of recording paper. For example, the recording medium 5 may be a type of paper other than plain paper or inkjet printing paper, such as a sheet or film made of resin such as polyvinyl chloride or polyester, a board material, a fabric such as woven or nonwoven fabric, or other media.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the printer 100 comprises a printer body 10, a platen 13, a transport mechanism 20, a guide rail 15, a head movement mechanism 30, and an ink head unit 40.

[0014] The printer body 10 has a casing that extends in the main scanning direction Y. The platen 13 supports the recording medium 5. The recording medium 5 is placed on the platen 13, and printing is performed on the platen 13. The platen 13 extends in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. The platen 13 is an example of a mounting platform.

[0015] The transport mechanism 20 transports the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 13 in the sub-scanning direction X. The configuration of the transport mechanism 20 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the transport mechanism 20 includes a pinch roller 21, a grid roller 22, and a feed motor 23. The pinch roller 21 is positioned above the platen 13 and below the guide rail 15, and is a member that presses down on the recording medium 5 from above. The grid roller 22 is provided on the platen 13 with its upper part exposed above the platen 13. The grid roller 22 faces the pinch roller 21. The installation positions and number of the pinch roller 21 and the grid roller 22 are not particularly limited.

[0016] Here, a feed motor 23 is connected to the grid roller 22. When the feed motor 23 is driven with the recording medium 5 sandwiched between the pinch roller 21 and the grid roller 22, the grid roller 22 rotates. As a result, the recording medium 5 is transported in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the guide rail 15 is positioned above the platen 13. The guide rail 15 is positioned parallel to the platen 13 and extends in the main scanning direction Y. The carriage 42 of the ink head unit 40, which will be described later, is engaged with the guide rail 15. The carriage 42 is slidably mounted on the guide rail 15.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the ink head unit 40 has a carriage 42 and an ink head 70 (see FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 2, the ink head 70 is mounted on the carriage 42. The ink head 70 is a member that discharges ink. The ink head 70 discharges ink onto a recording medium 5 placed on the platen 13. Note that the number of ink heads 70 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, there are two. The two ink heads 70 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the head moving mechanism 30 is a mechanism that moves the ink head unit 40 (i.e., the carriage 42 and the ink head 70) in the main scanning direction Y. In this embodiment, the head moving mechanism 30 includes a left pulley 31a, a right pulley 31b, a belt 32, and a carriage motor 33. The left pulley 31a is provided near the left end of the guide rail 15. The right pulley 31b is provided near the right end of the guide rail 15. The belt 32 is, for example, endless and is wound around the left pulley 31a and the right pulley 31b. The carriage 42 is attached and fixed to the belt 32. However, the configuration of the head moving mechanism 30 is not particularly limited.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, a carriage motor 33 is connected to the right pulley 31b. When the carriage motor 33 is driven, the right pulley 31b rotates, and the belt 32 travels between the left pulley 31a and the right pulley 31b. As a result, the carriage 42 and the ink head 70 move in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 15.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the carriage 42 includes a bottom plate 43, a carriage cover 45, an air inlet 48 (see FIG. 3), a duct 50 (see FIG. 4), and a fan 55 (see FIG. 3).

[0022] The bottom plate 43 is a plate-shaped member positioned parallel to the platen 13. As shown in Figure 3, the ink head 70 is attached to the bottom plate 43. The bottom plate 43 has an opening 43H into which the ink head 70 is attached, and the nozzle surface 70N of the ink head 70 is exposed through the opening 43H.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the carriage cover 45 is attached to the bottom plate 43. The carriage cover 45 is located above the bottom plate 43. Together with the bottom plate 43, the carriage cover 45 demarcates the housing space 60 that houses the ink head 70. The housing space 60 is the space enclosed by the bottom plate 43 and the carriage cover 45.

[0024] The fan 55 is located within the housing space 60 and supplies air to the ink head 70. The fan 55 is fixed above the ink head 70. Here, one fan 55 is provided for each ink head 70. The fan 55 is, for example, an axial fan. However, the type of fan 55 is not particularly limited.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the air intake port 48 is formed in the carriage cover 45. The air intake port 48 takes in air from outside the containment space 60. When the fan 55 is driven, the air from outside the containment space 60 (relatively low temperature air) flows into the containment space 60 through the air intake port 48, as shown by the arrow FL in Figure 3. The air intake port 48 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, for example. However, the shape of the air intake port 48 is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may be circular, elliptical, or the like. The air intake port 48 overlaps with the fan 55 when viewed from above. In this embodiment, the air intake port 48 is formed on the upper surface 45U of the carriage cover 45, but the air intake port 48 may be formed on any surface of the carriage cover 45.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4, the duct 50 is provided in the housing space 60. Note that the fan 55 and ink head 70 are not shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 3, one duct 50 is provided for each ink head 70. In this embodiment, two ducts 50 are provided in the housing space 60. The duct 50 is connected to and communicates with the air intake port 48. The duct 50 may be formed separately from the carriage cover 45, or it may be formed integrally with the carriage cover 45. The duct 50 is located in the housing space 60 and has an air outlet 52 that opens toward the fan 55, and an upper end 53 that communicates with the outside of the housing space 60. Here, the upper end 53 is connected to the air intake port 48. However, the upper end 53 may protrude beyond the air intake port 48 to the outside of the carriage cover 45. When the fan 55 is driven, air in the duct 50 flows into the containment space 60 through the air outlet 52, as indicated by the arrow FL in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 2, at least a portion of the air outlet 52 overlaps with the fan 55 in a top view. Here, the entire air outlet 52 overlaps with the fan 55 in a top view. As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the lower end of the duct 50 (i.e., the air outlet 52) ​​and the fan 55 are spaced apart, but they may be connected. The opening area of ​​the air outlet 52 and the opening area of ​​the air intake 48 are the same. The opening area of ​​the air outlet 52 may be larger or smaller than the opening area of ​​the air intake 48. The duct 50 extends in the vertical direction. The duct 50 is flexible. The duct 50 has, for example, a bellows structure. The bellows structure allows the duct 50 to change its relative position to the fan 55. The duct 50 may be flexible by including, for example, an elastic material such as rubber.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the fan 55 is installed between the duct 50 and the ink head 70. When the fan 55 is driven, air from outside the containment space 60 is drawn into the duct 50 from the intake port 48, and the air from outside the containment space 60 is directly sent to the ink head 70 via the fan 55 from the air outlet 52 of the duct 50. In other words, the fan 55 can cool the ink head 70 by directly sending air from outside the containment space 60 to the ink head 70 via the duct 50.

[0028] As described above, according to the printer 100 of this embodiment, a fan 55 is provided in the housing space 60 that houses the ink head 70 to supply air to the ink head 70. The duct 50 has an air outlet 52 that opens toward the fan 55 and is connected to an air intake port 48. The fan 55 sends the air in the duct 50 to the ink head 70. The air passing through the duct 50 is separated from the housing space 60. Therefore, even if the temperature of the housing space 60 rises due to the heat of the ink head 70, the temperature rise of the air in the duct 50 is small. Thus, according to the printer 100 of this embodiment, the fan 55 can send the cooler air in the duct 50 to the ink head 70, effectively cooling the ink head 70. In other words, air from outside the housing space 60 can be directly supplied to the ink head 70 located in the housing space 60 by the duct 50 and the fan 55. This allows the ink head 70 to operate within an appropriate temperature range, thereby maintaining high print quality. Furthermore, since the ink head 70 can be sufficiently cooled without installing an exhaust fan within the housing space 60, an exhaust fan is unnecessary, resulting in a lighter carriage 42 and reduced costs.

[0029] In the printer 100 of this embodiment, the duct 50 is flexible. This allows the position of the duct 50 to be easily adjusted, and the air inside the duct 50 can be efficiently sent towards the fan 55. Since there may be some variation in the positional relationship between the air intake 48 and the fan 55, the effect of this variation can be reduced by adjusting the position of the duct 50.

[0030] In the printer 100 of this embodiment, the air intake port 48 is formed on the upper surface 45U of the carriage cover 45, and the duct 50 extends in the vertical direction. Therefore, the air drawn in from the air intake port 48 flows downward through the duct 50. Since the air heated by the ink head 70 tends to accumulate above the ink head 70, the air that flows downward through the duct 50 and blows onto the ink head 70 from above can efficiently push away the air heated by the ink head 70.

[0031] In the printer 100 of this embodiment, the duct 50 has an air outlet 52 that communicates with the housing space 60, and at least a portion of the air outlet 52 overlaps with the fan 55 when viewed from above. This allows the air in the duct 50 to be efficiently sent to the ink head 70 via the fan 55.

[0032] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the embodiments described above are merely illustrative, and the present invention can be implemented in various other forms.

[0033] Figure 5 is a front view showing an inkhead unit 40 according to one modification. In the following description of the modification, the same reference numerals as in the embodiment will be used for components that perform the same function as in the embodiment described above. As shown in Figure 5, in this modification, the fan 55 is located to the side of the inkhead 70. Air from outside the containment space 60 (relatively low temperature air) flows into the containment space 60 through the intake port 48 as shown by the arrow FL in Figure 5, and is drawn into the fan 55 via the inkhead 70. In this modification, the inkhead 70 is located between the air outlet 52 of the duct 50 and the fan 55 (downstream of the air outlet 52 and upstream of the fan 55) with respect to the direction of airflow. "The fan 55 sending air to the inkhead 70" also includes the air drawn into the fan 55 blowing onto the inkhead 70, which is located upstream of the fan 55. Furthermore, the phrase "the air outlet 52 of the duct 50 opens toward the fan 55" also includes cases where the air outlet 52 does not directly face the fan 55. "The air outlet of the duct opens toward the fan" broadly refers to a configuration in which the fan is positioned in front of the air outlet in the direction of airflow, and the air inside the duct is pulled by the fan's suction force.

[0034] To cool the ink head 70 more effectively, a heat sink may be provided between the ink head 70 and the fan 55.

[0035] Furthermore, in order to draw more air into the duct 50 from the air intake port 48, a separate air intake fan may be provided at the air intake port 48, distinct from the fan 55. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 5. Recording media 10 Printer body 13 Platen 15 Guide rails 20 Conveying mechanism 21 Pinch Roller 22 Grit Roller 23 Feed motor 30 Head movement mechanism 31a Left pulley 31b Right pulley 32 belts 33 Carriage Motor 40 Inkhead Units 42 Carriage 43 Bottom plate (mounting plate) 43H opening 45 Carriage Cover 45U top 48 Air intake 50 duct 52 Air outlet (opening) 53 Upper end (other openings) 55 Fans 60 Containment Spaces 70 Inkheads 70N nozzle surface 100 Printers (Inkjet Printers)

Claims

1. A mounting platform on which the recording medium is placed, An ink head that ejects ink onto the recording medium placed on the mounting base, A carriage equipped with the aforementioned ink head, The aforementioned carriage is A mounting plate on which the ink head is attached, A carriage cover is attached to the mounting plate and, together with the mounting plate, demarcates a housing space for housing the ink head, A fan is provided within the aforementioned housing space to supply air to the ink head, The carriage cover has an air intake port formed therein, The system includes a duct connected to the aforementioned air intake port, An inkjet printer wherein the duct has cylindrical side walls formed at both ends, with an opening that is located within the housing space and opens toward the fan, and another opening that communicates with the outside of the housing space, thereby dividing the inside of the housing space into the inside and outside of the side walls.

2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the duct is flexible.

3. The aforementioned air intake is formed on the upper surface of the carriage cover, The inkjet printer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the duct extends in the vertical direction.

4. The inkjet printer according to claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the opening overlaps with the fan when viewed from above.

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