printer

Abstract

To suppress a support member supporting a tube assemble from being enlarged in size.SOLUTION: A support member 50 supporting a tube assembly 30 has a first side wall 52 and a second side wall 53. The tube assembly 30, which moves accompanying movement of an ink head 22, has: an ink tube 32 that can deform in the support member 50, accompanying movement of the ink head 22; a cable 34 extending along the ink tube 32, which curves and deforms; and a holder 40 bundling the ink tube 32 and the cable 34. The holder 40 has a tube holding part 41 having a storage hole, opened in a longitudinal direction of the ink tube 32, in which the ink tube 32 is stored, a storage part 42, provided at a wall at one end side forming the storage hole, in which the cable 34 is stored, and a sliding part 43 provided at a wall at the other end side forming the storage hole, where the wall at the other end side is supported on the support member 50, toward the first side wall 52 or the second wall 53.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in the printer disclosed in Patent Document 1, there are a printer housing, a carriage on which a recording head is mounted and which is movable in the left - right direction of the printer housing, an ink tube connected to the recording head and having a curved portion that is curved in a U - shape in accordance with the movement of the carriage, a flexible member provided outside the curved portion along the ink tube, and a holding member for holding the ink tube and the flexible member. The flexible member has a SUS plate that regulates the movement of the ink tube, a flexible substrate, and a protective sheet.

[0003] According to the above printer, the ink tube is formed with a curved portion that is curved in a U - shape so as to protrude in the left - right direction of the printer housing. The movement of the ink tube is regulated by a flexible member provided on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and thus, following the movement of the carriage, the position of the U - shaped curved portion moves within the carriage movement region.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, the ink tube is curved in a U-shape, and the radius of curvature of the U-shaped portion is determined according to the material of the ink tube, which in turn determines the length of the ink tube in the front-to-back direction when it is curved in the U-shape. In the above-mentioned printer, for example, a flexible member is provided on the outside of the curved portion of the ink tube. As a result, the length of the support member that supports the ink tube and the flexible member in the front-to-back direction becomes larger than the length of the ink tube in the U-shape when it is curved in the U-shape, by the thickness of the flexible member. As a result, there was a risk that the printer would become larger in the front-to-back direction.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of these points, and its object is to provide a printer that can suppress the enlargement of the support member that supports the tube assembly having the ink tube. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The printer according to the present invention comprises an ink head for ejecting ink, a moving mechanism for moving the ink head in a first direction, a tube assembly that moves in conjunction with the movement of the ink head in the first direction, and a support member that extends in the first direction and supports the tube assembly. The support member has a bottom wall, a first side wall that extends upward from the bottom wall and in the first direction, and a second side wall that extends upward from the bottom wall and in the first direction, and is arranged alongside the first side wall in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The tube assembly has a deformable ink tube connected to the ink head and held curved between the first side wall and the second side wall as the ink head moves in the first direction, a flexible cable that extends along the ink tube and deforms to curve between the first side wall and the second side wall, and a holder that bundles the ink tube and the flexible cable. The holder has a tube holding portion having a housing hole that is open in the longitudinal direction of the ink tube and accommodates the ink tube, and a plurality of walls forming the housing hole; a housing portion provided on one end wall of the plurality of walls for accommodating the flexible cable; and a sliding portion provided on the other end wall of the plurality of walls opposite to the housing portion, and is supported by a support member with the other end wall of the tube holding portion facing the first side wall or the second side wall.

[0008] According to the above printer, in the tube assembly, the flexible cable is positioned between the first and second side walls of the support member, with the flexible cable inside the curved ink tube and the ink tube outside the curved flexible cable. Therefore, compared to the case where the flexible cable is on the outside and the ink tube is on the inside, the curvature of the curved portion of the ink tube can be set to be larger, thus suppressing the need to increase the size of the support member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printer that can suppress the increase in size of the support member that supports the tube assembly having the ink tubes. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing a printer according to an embodiment, and includes a tube assembly and support members. [Figure 2] This is a schematic plan view showing a tube assembly that has been curved and deformed into a U-shape. [Figure 3A] This is a schematic diagram showing the tube assembly as viewed from arrow A in Figure 2. [Figure 3B] This diagram shows multiple ink tubes bundled together in a holder, and is a version of Figure 3A with the second protective sheet omitted. [Figure 4] Figure 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the tube assembly in the VI-VI section. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the support member as seen from the scanning direction, and is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the support member supports the tube assembly. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing the holder for the tube assembly. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the 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.

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the printer 10 according to this embodiment. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawing indicate the front, back, left, right, top, and bottom of the printer 10, respectively. The symbol Y indicates the scanning direction. Scanning direction Y is an example of a first direction. For example, scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. The symbol X indicates the transport direction. Transport direction X is an example of a second direction that intersects the first direction in a plan view. Here, transport direction X is orthogonal to scanning direction Y in a plan view. Transport direction X is, for example, the front-back direction, and the symbol Z indicates the up-down direction (in other words, the height direction). However, these directions are defined for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the installation configuration of the printer 10 in any way, nor do they limit the present invention in any way.

[0013] In this embodiment, the printer 10 is an inkjet printer. The printer 10 prints on the medium 5. The medium 5 is, for example, a roll of recording paper. However, the medium 5 may be made of, for example, a resin material such as polyvinyl chloride or polyester, aluminum, iron, or wood, and the material forming the medium 5 is not particularly limited. The medium 5 may also be in the form of a sheet or a three-dimensional object having a predetermined shape.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the printer 10 comprises a printer body 11, a platen 12 provided on the printer body 11, and a transport mechanism (not shown). The platen 12 extends in the scanning direction Y and the transport direction X. The platen 12 supports the medium 5. Printing is performed on the medium 5 placed on the platen 12. The transport mechanism described above is a mechanism for transporting the medium 5 in the transport direction X. Although not shown in the figure, the transport mechanism comprises, for example, a grid roller provided on the platen 12, a pinch roller positioned above the grid roller and sandwiching the medium 5 together with the grid roller, and a feed motor connected to the grid roller. When the feed motor is driven and the grid roller rotates, the medium 5 is transported in the transport direction X.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the printer 10 comprises a guide rail 18, a carriage 20, an ink head 22, and a moving mechanism 25. The guide rail 18 is positioned above the platen 12 and extends in the scanning direction Y. The carriage 20 is engaged with the guide rail 18 and is configured to be movable along the guide rail 18 in the scanning direction Y.

[0016] The ink head 22 is mounted on the carriage 20 and is movable in the scanning direction Y together with the carriage 20. The ink head 22 is positioned above the platen 12. The ink head 22 ejects ink. The ink head 22 has a plurality of nozzles (not shown) that open downwards, and ejects ink from these nozzles toward the medium 5 supported by the platen 12. In this case, the nozzles in one ink head 22 are arranged in the transport direction X. A row of nozzles arranged in the transport direction X is called a nozzle row. In this case, two nozzle rows are formed in one ink head 22.

[0017] The number of ink heads 22 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, there are four ink heads 22. The four ink heads 22 are arranged in a line in the scanning direction Y. In this embodiment, each nozzle row ejects ink of a different color. Here, since each ink head 22 has two nozzle rows, the printer 10 can eject eight colors of ink. For example, the nozzles constituting each nozzle row eject ink of one of the following colors: process color inks such as cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink, and spot color inks such as clear ink and white ink.

[0018] The moving mechanism 25 is a mechanism that moves the carriage 20 and the ink head 22 in the scanning direction Y. In this embodiment, the moving mechanism 25 moves the four ink heads 22 in the scanning direction Y by moving the carriage 20 in the scanning direction Y. The configuration of the moving mechanism 25 is not particularly limited. The moving mechanism 25 includes, for example, left and right pulleys (not shown) provided around both ends of the left and right sides of the guide rail 18, a belt 27 wound around the left and right pulleys, and a head motor (not shown) connected to one of the pulleys. The carriage 20 is fixed to the belt 27. Here, when the head motor is driven, one of the pulleys rotates and the belt 27 runs. As a result, the carriage 20 and the ink head 22 move in the scanning direction Y.

[0019] The printer 10 includes a control device not shown. The control device is constituted by, for example, a microcomputer. The control device includes, for example, an interface (I / F) that receives print data and the like from an external device such as a host computer, a central processing unit (CPU) that executes instructions of a control program, a ROM (read only memory) that stores the program executed by the CPU, a RAM (random access memory) used as a working area for developing the program, and a memory that stores the above program and various data. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the control device is communicably connected to the above-described conveyance mechanism, ink head 22, and moving mechanism 25, respectively. The control device is configured to be able to control the conveyance mechanism, ink head 22, and moving mechanism 25.

[0020] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 includes a tube assembly 30 and a support member 50. The tube assembly 30 moves with the ink head 22 as the ink head 22 moves in the scanning direction Y. The tube assembly 30 is configured to be deformable. In FIG. 1, the tube assembly 30 is simply drawn, but actually has the shape and configuration as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. The support member 50 supports the tube assembly 30 that is curved and deformed in a U shape. Hereinafter, the tube assembly 30 and the support member 50 will be described in detail.

[0021] In this embodiment, the support member 50 is disposed behind the guide rail 18, the carriage 20, and the ink head 22 and above the platen 12. However, the arrangement position of the support member 50 is not particularly limited. The support member 50 extends in the scanning direction Y.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the tube assembly 30 curved and deformed in a U shape. FIG. 3A is a schematic view showing the tube assembly 30 as viewed from the arrow A in FIG. 2. FIG. 3B is a view showing a state in which a plurality of ink tubes 32 are bundled in a holder 40, and is a view in which the second protective sheet 39 is omitted from FIG. 3A. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the tube assembly 30 in the VI-VI cross section of FIG. 3A. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the support member 50 as viewed from the scanning direction Y, and is a schematic view showing a state in which the support member 50 supports the tube assembly 30. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the holder 40 of the tube assembly 30.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 5, the support member 50 has a bottom wall 51, a first side wall 52, and a second side wall 53. As shown in FIG. 1, the bottom wall 51 extends in the scanning direction Y and the conveyance direction X above the platen 12. Here, the bottom wall 51 has a shape that is longer in the scanning direction Y than in the conveyance direction X.

[0024] As shown in Figure 5, the first side wall 52 extends upward from the bottom wall 51 and extends in the scanning direction Y. In this embodiment, the first side wall 52 is connected to the front end of the bottom wall 51. The first side wall 52 is inclined forward, away from the bottom wall 51, as it moves from bottom to top. The first side wall 52 is inclined in two stages. This allows the tube assembly 30 to be supported at the boundary of the two-stage inclined surface even when the tube assembly 30 moves downward along the first side wall 52, thereby preventing the tube assembly 30 from contacting the bottom wall 51. More specifically, the first side wall 52 has a front-down inclined wall 52a and a front-up inclined wall 52b. The front-down inclined wall 52a is connected to the bottom wall 51 and extends diagonally upward from the bottom wall 51. The front-up inclined wall 52b is connected to the upper end of the front-down inclined wall 52a and extends diagonally upward from the front-down inclined wall 52a. The front upper inclined wall 52b has a steeper incline than the front lower inclined wall 52a. Here, the angle between the front upper inclined wall 52b and the bottom wall 51 (in this case, the interior angle) is smaller than the angle between the front lower inclined wall 52a and the bottom wall 51 (in this case, the interior angle).

[0025] The second side wall 53 faces the first side wall 52 in the transport direction X. The second side wall 53 is positioned parallel to the first side wall 52 in the transport direction X. The second side wall 53 extends upward from the bottom wall 51 and also extends in the scanning direction Y. In this embodiment, the second side wall 53 is positioned behind the first side wall 52 and is connected to the rear end of the bottom wall 51. The second side wall 53 slopes away from the bottom wall 51, in this case towards the rear, as it moves from bottom to top. The second side wall 53 is sloped in two stages, similar to the first side wall 52. Specifically, the second side wall 53 has a rear-downward sloping wall 53a and a rear-upward sloping wall 53b. The rear-downward sloping wall 53a is connected to the bottom wall 51 and extends diagonally upward and backward from the bottom wall 51. The rear-upward sloping wall 53b is connected to the upper end of the rear-downward sloping wall 53a and extends diagonally upward and backward from the rear-downward sloping wall 53a. The rear upper inclined wall 53b has a steeper incline than the rear lower inclined wall 53a. Here, the angle (in this case, the interior angle) formed by the rear upper inclined wall 53b and the bottom wall 51 is greater than the angle (in this case, the interior angle) formed by the rear lower inclined wall 53a and the bottom wall 51.

[0026] Next, the tube assembly 30 will be described. As shown in Figure 5, the tube assembly 30 is positioned between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53 of the support member 50. The tube assembly 30 is supported by the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53. As shown in Figure 2, the tube assembly 30 is strip-shaped, with a portion of it curved into a U-shape. One end of the tube assembly 30 is connected to the carriage 20. Although not shown in the illustration, the other end of the tube assembly 30 is fixed to the support member 50. More specifically, the other end of the tube assembly 30 is fixed to the central portion of the second side wall 53 of the support member 50 in the scanning direction Y. The U-shaped curved portion 30a of the tube assembly 30 is convex in the scanning direction Y (to the left in this case). As shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, when the carriage 20 moves in the scanning direction Y, the tube assembly 30 moves with it, and the U-shaped curved portion 30a of the tube assembly 30 also moves in the scanning direction Y. In Figure 2, the tube assembly 30 is shown extending in the vertical direction, but in reality, as shown in Figure 5, it is positioned at an angle from the vertical direction Z along the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53. As shown in Figure 4, the tube assembly 30 comprises an ink tube 32, a flexible cable 34, a leaf spring 36, a first protective sheet 38, a second protective sheet 39, and a holder 40.

[0027] The ink tubes 32 supply ink to the ink head 22 and are connected to the ink head 22. The number of ink tubes 32 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, the same as the total number of nozzle rows formed on the ink head 22. Here, the number of ink tubes 32 is 8. The ink tubes 32 are elastically deformable and have a predetermined elastic force. As shown in Figure 2, as the ink head 22 moves in the scanning direction Y, the ink tubes 32 are held in a U-shaped curved state between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53, as shown in Figure 5. The ink tubes 32 are flexible and pliable so that they can move along with the movement of the ink head 22. The material forming the ink tubes 32 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, made of resin.

[0028] Here, one end of the ink tube 32 is connected to the nozzles that make up the nozzle row of the ink head 22, and the other end of the ink tube 32 is connected to an ink cartridge 80 (see Figure 1). The position of the other end of the ink tube 32 is fixed, and the position of the one end of the ink tube 32 moves in accordance with the movement of the ink head 22. The ink cartridge 80 in Figure 1 contains the colored ink that is ejected from the nozzle row of the ink head 22 connected to the ink tube 32. The ink contained in the ink cartridge 80 is supplied to the ink head 22 through the ink tube 32. The number of ink cartridges 80 is the same as the number of ink tubes 32, which is eight in this case.

[0029] The flexible cable 34 is electrically connected to each ink head 22. Although not shown in the diagram, one end of the flexible cable 34 is connected to the ink head 22, and the other end of the flexible cable 34 is connected to the control device described above. The control device transmits signals to the ink heads 22 via the flexible cable 34. The ink heads 22 receive the signals transmitted from the control device and eject ink based on those signals.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, the flexible cable 34 extends along the ink tube 32. The flexible cable 34 is curved in a U-shape between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53. In Figures 2 and 5, for ease of viewing, the flexible cable 34, the leaf spring 36, and the first protective sheet 38 are shown together. As shown in Figure 4, the flexible cable 34 has, for example, a flattened shape, but the shape of the flexible cable 34 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, there are two flexible cables 34, but the number is not particularly limited. The number of flexible cables 34 is set according to the control content of the control device, and may be, for example, one or three or more. The flexible cable 34 has flexibility and pliability so that it can be deformed in accordance with the movement of the ink head 22.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the leaf spring 36 extends along the ink tube 32 and the flexible cable 34. The leaf spring 36 is curved in a U-shape between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53. As shown in Figure 4, the leaf spring 36 is positioned to overlap with the flexible cable 34. The leaf spring 36 has a predetermined elastic force. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, when the tube assembly 30 is curved in a U-shape, the leaf spring 36 is also curved in a U-shape. At this time, the leaf spring 36 is subjected to an elastic force in a direction that returns it from a curved U-shape to a flat state. This force that acts when returning to a flat surface is called a repulsive force. The leaf spring 36 has a repulsive force when it is curved and deformed. The number of leaf springs 36 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, there is one leaf spring 36, but there may be two or more.

[0032] The holder 40 bundles the ink tubes 32 (specifically, eight ink tubes 32), the flexible cable 34, and the leaf spring 36. As shown in Figure 2, the holder 40 is arranged at predetermined intervals (e.g., equal intervals) along the direction in which the ink tubes 32, the flexible cable 34, and the leaf spring 36 extend. As shown in Figure 6, the holder 40 has a tube holding portion 41, a housing portion 42, and a sliding portion 43.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3B, the tube holder 41 bundles and holds multiple ink tubes 32 (in this case, eight ink tubes 32). In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the tube holder 41 is annular in shape, with the length along the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53 being longer. However, the tube holder 41 is not limited to annular shapes as long as it holds multiple ink tubes 32.

[0034] In this embodiment, the tube holding portion 41 has a housing hole 95. The ink tubes 32 (eight ink tubes 32 in this case) are housed in and inserted into the housing hole 95. The housing hole 95 is open (in other words, open) in the longitudinal direction of the ink tubes 32. That is, the housing hole 95 is open in the direction into which the ink tubes 32 are inserted.

[0035] The tube holding portion 41 has a plurality of walls 90 that form a housing hole 95. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the plurality of walls 90 are composed of a pair of first opposing walls 91 and second opposing walls 92, an upper wall 93, and a lower wall 94. As shown in Figure 5, the first opposing wall 91 and the second opposing wall 92 are walls that extend along the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53 and are opposite to the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53. Here, the first opposing wall 91 is positioned further away from the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53 than the second opposing wall 92. The upper wall 93 and the lower wall 94 extend in directions perpendicular to the first opposing wall 91 and the second opposing wall 92. The upper wall 93 is connected to the respective upper ends of the first opposing wall 91 and the second opposing wall 92. The lower wall 94 is connected to the respective lower ends of the first opposing wall 91 and the second opposing wall 92.

[0036] In this embodiment, when viewed from the scanning direction Y, the first opposing wall 91 and the second opposing wall 92 have the same length in the longitudinal direction, and the upper wall 93 and the lower wall 94 have the same length in the longitudinal direction. When viewed from the scanning direction Y, the first opposing wall 91 and the second opposing wall 92 are longer than the upper wall 93 and the lower wall 94. The housing hole 95 is surrounded by the first opposing wall 91, the second opposing wall 92, the upper wall 93 and the lower wall 94 and is rectangular in shape, but the shape of the housing hole 95 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, a plurality of ink tubes 32 are arranged along the first opposing wall 91 and the second opposing wall 92 and housed in the housing hole 95.

[0037] In this case, as shown in Figure 6, the accommodating hole 95 is divided into a first accommodating hole 95a and a second accommodating hole 95b by a partition wall 96. The partition wall 96 can increase the rigidity of the tube holding section 41. The partition wall 96 is positioned between the upper wall 93 and the lower wall 94 and extends in a direction perpendicular to the first opposing wall 91 and the second opposing wall 92. The partition wall 96 is connected to the central portion of the first opposing wall 91 and the second opposing wall 92. However, the partition wall 96 may be positioned at a location offset above or below the central portion of the first opposing wall 91 and the second opposing wall 92. Furthermore, the partition wall 96 may be omitted. For example, if the number of ink tubes 32 held by the tube holding section 41 is small and the longitudinal length of the first opposing wall 91 and the second opposing wall 92 is short, the partition wall 96 may be omitted. Here, as shown in Figure 4, four ink tubes 32 are housed in the first housing hole 95a and the second housing hole 95b, respectively.

[0038] The housing section 42 houses the flexible cable 34 and the leaf spring 36. The housing section 42 is located on one end side of the tube holding section 41. That is, the housing section 42 is located on one end wall (in this case, the first opposing wall 91) of the multiple walls 90 that form the housing hole 95. Here, as shown in Figure 5, when the tube assembly 30 is supported by the support member 50, i.e., when it is positioned between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53, the housing section 42 is located inside the tube holding section 41, i.e., inside the ink tube 32.

[0039] Here, "inside" refers to the side opposite the first side wall 52 to the front tube holding portion 41, or the side opposite the second side wall 53 to the rear tube holding portion 41 (in other words, the center side of the support member 50). "Outside" refers to the side of the first side wall 52 to the front tube holding portion 41, or the side of the second side wall 53 to the rear tube holding portion 41 (in other words, the side opposite the center side of the support member 50).

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the housing portion 42 is composed of a projection protruding from the tube holding portion 41. Here, the housing portion 42 protrudes from the first opposing wall 91 of the tube holding portion 41 toward the opposite side from the second opposing wall 92. In this embodiment, the housing portion 42 has a first housing projection 61 and a second housing projection 62. The first housing projection 61 and the second housing projection 62 are provided on the first opposing wall 91 of the tube holding portion 41. The first housing projection 61 and the second housing projection 62 are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the first opposing wall 91. The first housing projection 61 and the second housing projection 62 face each other.

[0041] Here, a flexible cable 34 and a leaf spring 36 are positioned between the first housing projection 61 and the second housing projection 62. More specifically, a first housing groove 63 is formed on the surface of the first housing projection 61 facing the second housing projection 62. A second housing groove 64 is formed on the surface of the second housing projection 62 facing the first housing projection 61. The first housing groove 63 and the second housing groove 64 are opposite each other. The flexible cable 34 and the leaf spring 36 are partially inserted into the first housing groove 63 and the second housing groove 64 and are supported by being sandwiched between the first housing groove 63 and the second housing groove 64.

[0042] In this embodiment, within the housing section 42, two flexible cables 34 and one leaf spring 36 are stacked and housed in the order of moving away from the tube holding section 41. That is, when the tube assembly 30 is supported by the support member 50, the leaf spring 36 is positioned inside the flexible cables 34.

[0043] Here, a first protective sheet 38 is positioned between the two flexible cables 34 and between the flexible cables 34 and the leaf spring 36. The first protective sheet 38 is a strip-shaped sheet that extends along the ink tube 32, or in other words, along the flexible cables 34 and the leaf spring 36. The first protective sheet 38 is a resin sheet formed of resin. However, the material of the first protective sheet 38 is not particularly limited.

[0044] In this embodiment, the first protective sheet 38 is also positioned between the flexible cable 34 and the tube holding portion 41. The first protective sheet 38 is positioned to cover the leaf spring 36, in other words, it is also positioned on the side of the leaf spring 36 opposite to the flexible cable 34. In this embodiment, within the housing portion 42, the first protective sheet 38, flexible cable 34, first protective sheet 38, flexible cable 34, first protective sheet 38, leaf spring 36, and first protective sheet 38 are stacked in that order, moving away from the tube holding portion 41. If there are multiple leaf springs 36, the first protective sheet 38 may also be positioned between the leaf springs 36.

[0045] As shown in Figure 5, the sliding portion 43 slides against the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53 of the support member 50 as the ink head 22 moves in the scanning direction Y. The sliding portion 43 is provided on the other end of the tube holding portion 41 opposite to the housing portion 42. That is, the sliding portion 43 is provided on the other end wall (here, the second opposing wall 92) of the plurality of walls 90 that form the housing hole 95. The tube holding portion 41 is positioned between the housing portion 42 and the sliding portion 43. Here, in the state where the tube assembly 30 is supported by the support member 50, that is, positioned between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53, the sliding portion 43 is positioned outside the tube holding portion 41, that is, outside the ink tube 32.

[0046] The sliding portion 43 is composed of a projection that protrudes from the tube holding portion 41 to the opposite side of the housing portion 42. Here, as shown in Figure 4, the sliding portion 43 protrudes from the second opposing wall 92 of the tube holding portion 41 toward the opposite side of the first opposing wall 91. In this embodiment, the sliding portion 43 has a first projection 71 and a second projection 72. The first projection 71 and the second projection 72 are provided on the second opposing wall 92 of the tube holding portion 41. The first projection 71 and the second projection 72 are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the second opposing wall 92. The first projection 71 and the second projection 72 face each other. As shown in Figure 5, when the tube assembly 30 is supported by the support member 50, the first projection 71 and the second projection 72 protrude toward the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53, and the respective tips of the first projection 71 and the second projection 72 contact the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53.

[0047] In this embodiment, a second protective sheet 39 is provided on the sliding portion 43 side of the tube holding portion 41. The second protective sheet 39 is an example of a protective sheet of the present invention. As shown in Figure 5, the second protective sheet 39 is located outside the ink tube 32, in this case on the first side wall 52 side or the second side wall 53 side of the ink tube 32. The second protective sheet 39 extends along the ink tube 32, similar to the first protective sheet 38, and is strip-shaped, as shown in Figure 3A. The second protective sheet 39 is a resin sheet formed of resin. However, the material of the second protective sheet 39 is not particularly limited. Also, although there is one second protective sheet 39 in this embodiment, the number is not particularly limited. There may be two or more second protective sheets 39.

[0048] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the second protective sheet 39 is housed in the sliding portion 43 of the holder 40. The second protective sheet 39 is positioned between the first projection 71 and the second projection 72 of the sliding portion 43. In this embodiment, a first groove 73 is formed on the surface of the first projection 71 facing the second projection 72. A second groove 74 is formed on the surface of the second projection 72 facing the first projection 71. The first groove 73 and the second groove 74 are opposite each other. A portion of the second protective sheet 39 is inserted into the first groove 73 and the second groove 74 and is supported by being sandwiched between the first groove 73 and the second groove 74.

[0049] In this embodiment, the protruding length L1 of the sliding portion 43 is shorter than the protruding length L2 of the housing portion 42. Here, the protruding length L1 is the maximum length in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first opposing wall 91 (or second opposing wall 92) of the support member 50 in the sliding portion 43. The protruding length L1 is also the protruding length of the first projection 71 (or second projection 72) of the sliding portion 43. The protruding length L2 is the maximum length in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first opposing wall 91 (or second opposing wall 92) of the support member 50 in the housing portion 42. The protruding length L2 is also the protruding length of the first housing projection 61 (or second housing projection 62) of the housing portion 42.

[0050] The configuration of the tube assembly 30 has been described above. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the tube assembly 30 is supported by the support member 50 in a U-shaped curved deformation so as to be convex in the scanning direction Y when viewed from above. Here, the tube assembly 30 is positioned between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53 of the support member 50 in a U-shaped curved deformation. When the ink head 22 is moving in the scanning direction Y by the moving mechanism 25, the tube assembly 30 moves together with the ink head 22, while the position of the U-shaped curved portion 30a between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53 changes.

[0051] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, when the tube assembly 30 is positioned between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53, the housing portion 42 of the holder 40 is positioned inside the tube holding portion 41, and the sliding portion 43 of the holder 40 is positioned outside the tube holding portion 41. At this time, the first projection 71 and the second projection 72 of the sliding portion 43 are in contact with the first side wall 52 (specifically the front upper inclined wall 52b) or the second side wall 53 (specifically the rear upper inclined wall 53b). When the tube assembly 30 is curved and deformed in a U-shape, the repulsive force of the ink tube 32, flexible cable 34, and leaf spring 36 causes a force to spread in the front-rear direction X in the direction of arrow B. Therefore, the front part of the lower end of the tube assembly 30 is positioned tilted forward, resting against the first side wall 52. At this time, the sliding portion 43 of the holder 40 positioned at the front of the lower end of the tube assembly 30 is in contact with the first side wall 52. Similarly, the rear of the lower end of the tube assembly 30 is positioned against the second side wall 53 and tilted backward. At this time, the sliding portion 43 of the holder 40 positioned at the rear of the lower end of the tube assembly 30 contacts the second side wall 53.

[0052] As described above, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the printer 10 includes a tube assembly 30 that moves in conjunction with the movement of the ink head 22 in the scanning direction Y, and a support member 50 that extends in the scanning direction Y and supports the tube assembly 30. As shown in Figure 5, the support member 50 has a bottom wall 51, a first side wall 52 that extends upward from the bottom wall 51 and extends in the scanning direction Y, and a second side wall 53 that extends upward from the bottom wall 51 and extends in the scanning direction Y, and is arranged alongside the first side wall 52 in the transport direction X that intersects the scanning direction Y. The tube assembly 30 includes a deformable ink tube 32 connected to the ink head 22 and held in a curved position between a first side wall 52 and a second side wall 53 as the ink head 22 moves in the scanning direction Y, a flexible cable 34 extending along the ink tube 32 and bending deformably between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53, and a holder 40 that bundles the ink tube 32 and the flexible cable 34 together. The holder 40 has a tube holding portion 41 that is open in the longitudinal direction of the ink tube 32 and has a housing hole 95 in which the ink tube 32 is housed, and a plurality of walls 90 that form the housing hole 95; a housing portion 42 provided on one end wall of the plurality of walls 90 (here, the first opposing wall 91) in which the flexible cable 34 is housed; and a sliding portion 43 provided on the other end wall of the plurality of walls 90 opposite to the housing portion 42 (here, the second opposing wall 92) in which the flexible cable 34 is housed; and the holder 40 is supported by a support member 50 with the second opposing wall 92 of the tube holding portion 41 facing the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53.

[0053] As a result, the tube assembly 30 can be configured such that the flexible cable 34 is positioned inside the curved ink tube 32 and the ink tube 32 is positioned outside the curved flexible cable 34 between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53 of the support member 50. Therefore, compared to the case where the flexible cable 34 is positioned outside and the ink tube 32 is positioned inside, the curvature of the curved portion of the ink tube 32 can be set to be larger, thereby suppressing an increase in the size of the support member 50, especially in the transport direction X. Here, since the curved portion of the ink tube 32 forms the flow path of the ink, if the curvature of the curved portion is small, the ink flow may slow down or deterioration of the ink tube 32 may occur more easily. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure a certain curvature of the curved portion of the ink tube 32. The distance between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53 is set so that this curvature can be ensured. In this embodiment, by arranging the flexible cable 34 on the inside and the ink tube 32 on the outside, the distance between the portion of the ink tube 32 supported by the first side wall 52 of the support member 50 and the portion of the ink tube 32 supported by the second side wall 53 can be set wider compared to the case where the flexible cable 34 is on the outside and the ink tube 32 is on the inside. As a result of this wider distance, the curvature of the curved portion of the ink tube 32 can be set to be larger. On the other hand, if the curvature of the curved portion of the ink tube 32 cannot be secured because the flexible cable 34 is on the outside and the ink tube 32 is on the inside, measures such as widening the distance between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53 will be necessary, which will result in the support member 50 becoming larger. Therefore, in the tube assembly 30, when it moves along with the movement of the ink head 22, the sliding portion 43 of the holder 40 is brought into contact with the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53, thereby preventing the ink tube 32 from coming into contact with the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53. At the same time, a certain curvature is ensured for the curved portion of the ink tube 32, while suppressing an increase in the size of the support member 50.

[0054] In this embodiment, the tube assembly 30 has a leaf spring 36 that extends along the ink tube 32 and is curved between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53. The leaf spring 36 is housed together with the flexible cable 34 in the housing portion 42 of the holder 40. As a result, the repulsive force of the leaf spring 36 acts in the direction of arrow B, spreading outward (front-rear direction X) of the curved portion. Therefore, the flexible cable 34 is more likely to bend toward the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53 due to the repulsive force of the leaf spring 36. Consequently, it is possible to suppress the bending of the flexible cable 34 toward the inside of the support member 50.

[0055] In this embodiment, the sliding portion 43 protrudes from the tube holding portion 41 to the opposite side of the housing portion 42. As a result, when the tube assembly 30 is supported by the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53 of the support member 50, the protruding sliding portion 43 contacts the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53, thereby increasing the distance between the ink tube 32 and the first side wall 52, and the distance between the ink tube 32 and the second side wall 53 by the protruding length L1 (see Figure 4) of the sliding portion 43. Therefore, when the ink head 22 moves in the scanning direction Y and the tube assembly 30 moves along with it, the ink tube 32 is less likely to come into contact with the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53.

[0056] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the housing portion 42 protrudes from the tube holding portion 41 on the opposite side of the sliding portion 43. The protruding length L1 of the sliding portion 43 is shorter than the protruding length L2 of the housing portion 42. If the housing portion 42 were provided on the side of the tube holding portion 41 facing the support member 50 (here, the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53) (in other words, on the outside of the tube holding portion 41), the protruding length of the housing portion 42 (here, the length from the tube holding portion 41 toward the support member 50 (e.g., the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53)) would need to be increased by the thickness of the flexible cable 34 housed in the housing portion 42. However, in this embodiment, the housing portion 42 is provided on the inside of the tube holding portion 41, and the sliding portion 43 is provided on the outside of the tube holding portion 41. Therefore, it is not necessary to ensure a length from the tube holding portion 41 toward the support member 50 (e.g., the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53) equal to the thickness of the flexible cable 34. Therefore, compared to the case where the housing portion 42 is provided on the support member 50 side of the tube holding portion 41, the protruding length L1 of the sliding portion 43 that protrudes from the tube holding portion 41 toward the support member 50 (here, the first side wall 52 or the second side wall 53) can be shortened. By making the protruding length L1 of the sliding portion 43 shorter than the protruding length L2 of the housing portion 42, the radius of curvature when the ink tube 32 is curved can be set to be larger compared to the case where the housing portion 42 is provided on the support member 50 side of the tube holding portion 41. Therefore, since the radius of curvature of the ink tube 32 can be secured without increasing the distance between the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the printer body 11 in the front-to-back direction (here, the transport direction X).

[0057] In this embodiment, the tube assembly 30 is provided on the other end of the tube holding portion 41 opposite to the housing portion 42 and has a second protective sheet 39 that extends along the ink tube 32. As a result, when the tube assembly 30 is curved into a U-shape so that the sliding portion 43 is positioned outside the tube holding portion 41, as shown in Figure 5, the second protective sheet 39 is positioned between the ink tube 32 and the first side wall 52, and between the ink tube 32 and the second side wall 53. Therefore, when the ink head 22 is moving in the scanning direction Y, it is possible to make it difficult for the ink tube 32 to directly contact the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 53.

[0058] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the sliding portion 43 has a first projection 71 and a second projection 72 that are arranged facing each other and protrude from the tube holding portion 41 to the opposite side of the housing portion 42. A first groove 73 is formed on the surface of the first projection 71 that faces the second projection 72. A second groove 74 is formed on the surface of the second projection 72 that faces the first projection 71. The second protective sheet 39 is positioned between the first projection 71 and the second projection 72 and is supported by being sandwiched between the first groove 73 and the second groove 74. In this way, the second protective sheet 39 can be positioned on the sliding portion 43 side of the tube holding portion 41 by a simple method of sandwiching the second protective sheet 39 between the first groove 73 of the first projection 71 and the second groove 74 of the second projection 72. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 10 Printers 22 Inkheads 25 Moving mechanism 30 Tube Assembly 32 ink tubes 34 Flexible Cables 36 Leaf springs 38. First protective sheet 39. Second protective sheet (protective sheet) 40 holders 41 Tube holding section 42 Storage Unit 43 Sliding part 50 Support member 51 Bottom wall 52 First side wall 53 Second side wall 71 1st protrusion 72 Second protrusion 73 First groove 74 Second groove X Conveying direction (front-back direction, second direction) Y scanning direction (left-right direction, first direction)

Claims

1. The ink head that ejects ink, A moving mechanism for moving the ink head in a first direction, A tube assembly that moves in conjunction with the movement of the ink head in the first direction, A support member extending in the first direction and supporting the tube assembly, Equipped with, The aforementioned support member is The bottom wall and, A first side wall extending upward from the bottom wall and extending in the first direction, A second side wall extends upward from the bottom wall and extends in the first direction, and is arranged alongside the first side wall in a second direction intersecting the first direction, It has, The aforementioned tube assembly is A deformable ink tube connected to the ink head, which is held in a curved position between the first side wall and the second side wall as the ink head moves in the first direction, A flexible cable extending along the ink tube and bending between the first side wall and the second side wall, A holder for bundling the ink tube and the flexible cable, It has, The aforementioned holder is, A tube holding portion having a housing hole that is open in the longitudinal direction of the ink tube and houses the ink tube, and a plurality of walls that form the housing hole, A housing section is provided in one of the multiple walls, and the flexible cable is housed in the wall at one end. A sliding portion is provided on the wall at the other end of the plurality of walls, opposite to the housing portion, It has, The first side wall has a front-upward sloping wall that slopes away from the bottom wall as it goes from bottom to top, The second side wall has a rear-upward sloping wall that slopes away from the bottom wall as it goes from bottom to top, The sliding parts are arranged facing each other and have a first projection and a second projection that protrude from the tube holding part to the opposite side of the housing part. A printer in which the first and second projections of the sliding portion are supported by the support member in a state in which they are biased by the repulsive force of the tube assembly to come into contact with the front-upward inclined wall or the rear-upward inclined wall.

2. The tube assembly has a leaf spring that extends along the ink tube and is curved between the first side wall and the second side wall, The printer according to claim 1, wherein the leaf spring is housed together with the flexible cable in the housing portion of the holder.

3. The housing portion protrudes from the tube holding portion on the opposite side of the sliding portion, The printer according to claim 1, wherein the protruding length of the sliding portion is shorter than the protruding length of the housing portion.

4. An ink head for ejecting ink, A moving mechanism for moving the ink head in a first direction, A tube assembly that moves in conjunction with the movement of the ink head in the first direction, A support member extending in the first direction and supporting the tube assembly, Equipped with, The aforementioned support member is The bottom wall and, A first side wall extending upward from the bottom wall and extending in the first direction, A second side wall extends upward from the bottom wall and extends in the first direction, and is arranged alongside the first side wall in a second direction intersecting the first direction, It has, The aforementioned tube assembly is A deformable ink tube connected to the ink head, which is held in a curved position between the first side wall and the second side wall as the ink head moves in the first direction, A flexible cable extending along the ink tube and bending between the first side wall and the second side wall, A holder for bundling the ink tube and the flexible cable, It has, The aforementioned holder is, A tube holding portion having a housing hole that is open in the longitudinal direction of the ink tube and houses the ink tube, and a plurality of walls that form the housing hole, A housing section is provided in one of the multiple walls, and the flexible cable is housed in the wall at one end. A sliding portion is provided on the wall at the other end of the plurality of walls, opposite to the housing portion, The tube holding portion is supported by the support member with the other end wall facing the first side wall or the second side wall, The tube assembly is provided on the other end of the tube holding portion opposite to the housing portion and has a protective sheet extending along the ink tube, in the printer.

5. The sliding parts are arranged facing each other and have a first projection and a second projection that protrude from the tube holding part to the opposite side of the housing part. A first groove is formed on the surface of the first projection facing the second projection. A second groove is formed on the surface of the second projection facing the first projection. The printer according to claim 4, wherein the protective sheet is positioned between the first projection and the second projection and is supported by being sandwiched between the first groove and the second groove.

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