Image-forming apparatus

Abstract

An image-forming apparatus (1) comprises recording heads (16), a conveyance belt (26), a support plate (27), and a suction device (28). The recording heads (16) each discharge droplets (43) onto a sheet of paper 2. The conveyance belt (26) conveys the sheet of paper 2 toward a position where an image is to be formed by the recording heads (16). The support plate (27) supports the conveyance belt (26). The suction device (28) is positioned on the side opposite to the recording heads (16) with respect to the conveyance belt (26), and sucks the sheet of paper 2 together with air onto the surface of the conveyance belt (26). The conveyance belt (26) has communication holes (42) through which the droplets (43) pass. The suction device (28) has droplet receiving parts (44) for receiving the droplets (43) that have passed through the communication holes (42). The droplet receiving parts (44) each include a tray section (45) for receiving droplets, and a connection section (46) for connecting the tray section (45) and the support plate (27). The connection sections (46) include openings (47).

Description

Image forming device

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

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-144999 discloses an image recording device equipped with a conveyor belt for conveying paper. The conveyor belt has a large number of through-holes for sucking air to adhere the paper to the surface of the conveyor belt, and a plurality of through-holes for flushing through which ink ejected from nozzles passes during flushing.

[0003] JP 2010-23374 A

[0004] In the image recording device described in Patent Document 1, ink ejected from the nozzles during flushing passes through the through holes in the conveyor belt and accumulates in the droplet receiving section, which can result in ink adhering to areas other than the conveyor belt or the bottom of the droplet receiving section.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which ink is less likely to adhere to areas other than the bottom of the droplet receiving portion.

[0006] An image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a recording head that ejects droplets onto a recording medium, an endless belt that transports the recording medium toward an image formation position by the recording head, a support plate that supports the endless belt, and a suction device that is located on the opposite side of the endless belt from the recording head and sucks the recording medium onto the surface of the endless belt together with air, wherein the endless belt has communicating holes through which the droplets pass, and the suction device has a droplet receiving portion that receives the droplets that have passed through the communicating holes, and the droplet receiving portion includes a receiving tray portion that receives the droplets and a connecting portion that connects the receiving tray portion to the support plate, and the connecting portion includes an opening.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to make it difficult for ink to adhere to areas other than the bottom of the droplet receiving portion.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment; Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a conveying unit of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a conveying unit of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment; Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a support plate of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment; Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of a part of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0010] An image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment.

[0011] The image forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus for forming images, such as a color multifunction printer, and has the function of executing multiple jobs such as copying, printing, scanning, faxing, etc. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a printing unit 3 that records an image or the like on paper 2 (an example of a recording medium) using, for example, an inkjet method, a paper feeding unit 4 that supplies paper 2 to the printing unit 3, and a drying unit 5 that dries the paper 2 on which the image or the like has been recorded.

[0012] The paper 2 supplied from the paper feed section 4 to the printing section 3 has an image or the like recorded on it in the printing section 3, and is then transferred from the printing section 3 to the drying section 5, where it is dried and then discharged.

[0013] The printing unit 3 of the image forming apparatus 1 is equipped with a transport unit 7 that transports paper 2, and a recording unit 8 that ejects ink onto the transported paper 2. The recording unit 8 is equipped with a plurality of head units 11 to 14. Each of the head units 11 to 14 has a plurality of recording heads 16.

[0014] The conveying section 7 includes a frame body 20, a plurality of rollers 21 to 24 rotatably mounted on the frame body 20, an endless conveying belt 26 (an example of an endless belt) wound around the rollers 21 to 24, a support plate 27 (also called a platen) that supports the conveying belt 26 from below, and a suction device 28 that sucks the paper 2 supplied onto the conveying belt 26 onto the surface of the conveying belt 26.

[0015] Next, the conveying unit 7 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 2 is a plan view showing the conveying unit 7 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the conveying unit 7 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment.

[0016] 1 to 3, a direction perpendicular to a moving direction 37 of the conveyor belt 26 is defined as a belt width direction 38. The moving direction 37 is an example of a conveying direction.

[0017] The frame body 20 has a pair of side frames 32 that face each other in the belt width direction 38. The rollers 21 to 24 are supported between the pair of side frames 32.

[0018] Any one of the rollers 21 to 24 is forcibly rotated by a motor or the like, which causes the conveyor belt 26 to rotate in one direction and the remaining rollers to rotate accordingly. The conveyor belt 26 conveys the paper 2 toward the image formation position by the recording head 16. The conveyor belt 26 is colored black to absorb light.

[0019] The suction device 28 has a suction chamber 30 formed below the support plate 27 and a plurality of suction fans 31 provided inside the suction chamber 30. The support plate 27 forms the ceiling of the suction chamber 30. In other words, the suction device 28 is located on the opposite side of the conveyor belt 26 from the recording head 16.

[0020] The conveyor belt 26 is formed with a large number of suction holes 34 penetrating both the front and back sides thereof and with a plurality of through holes 35 for flushing. The diameter of the through holes 35 is set larger than the diameter of the suction holes 34. The through holes 35 are formed in a plurality of sets of two rows in the moving direction 37 of the conveyor belt 26.

[0021] Next, the support plate 27 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the support plate 27 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 4 shows a state in which the conveyor belt 26 has been removed from the conveyor unit 7 shown in Fig. 3 to expose the support plate 27.

[0022] 4, the support plate 27 is formed with a large number of air intake holes 41 penetrating in the vertical direction and a plurality of communication holes 42 for flushing. The opening area of ​​each communication hole 42 is set larger than the opening area of ​​each air intake hole 41. The communication holes 42 are located directly below each recording head 16.

[0023] Next, flushing in the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of a part of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment.

[0024] 5, a plurality of droplet receivers 44 are provided in the suction chamber 30 to receive ink droplets 43 that are ejected from the recording head 16 during flushing and that pass through the through-holes 35 of the conveyor belt 26 and the communication holes 42 of the support plate 27 and do not contribute to image formation. The droplet receivers 44 are provided below the communication holes 42. The droplet receivers 44 are formed in a box shape with an open upper portion facing the support plate 27.

[0025] The paper 2 supplied from the paper feed unit 4 onto the conveyor belt 26 of the printing unit 3 is conveyed in the moving direction 37 by the rotating conveyor belt 26. At this time, the rotation of the suction fan 31 reduces the pressure inside the suction chamber 30, and external air flows into the suction chamber 30 through the suction holes 34 or through-holes 35 of the conveyor belt 26 and the air intake holes 41 or communication holes 42 of the support plate 27. In other words, air sucked by the suction device 28 passes through the air intake hole 41 from the recording head 16 side toward the suction device 28 side. The paper 2 is adsorbed to the surface of the conveyor belt 26 by this air flow D1.

[0026] As a result, the paper 2 is transported in the movement direction 37 without lifting up from the transport belt 26. At this time, ink droplets are ejected from the recording head 16 onto the paper 2 being transported, forming an image on the paper 2.

[0027] Meanwhile, the droplet receiving section 44, which receives the droplets 43 ejected from the recording head 16 by flushing, includes a receiving tray section 45 and a connecting section 46. The receiving tray section 45 forms the bottom of the droplet receiving section 44 and receives the droplets 43. Specifically, the droplets 43 ejected from the recording head 16 by flushing pass through the through-holes 35 and the communication holes 42, fall down the droplet receiving section 44, and reach and adhere to the receiving tray section 45. In other words, the receiving tray section 45 is located below the recording head 16 in the vertical direction. The shape of the receiving tray section 45 is not particularly limited.

[0028] The connection portion 46 connects the receiving tray portion 45 and the support plate 27. In other words, the connection portion 46 forms a sidewall portion relative to the bottom of the droplet receiving portion 44. The upper end of the sidewall portion constituting the connection portion 46 contacts the bottom of the support plate 27. The position where the upper end of the sidewall portion contacts the bottom of the support plate 27 is outside the outer edge of the communication hole 42 formed in the support plate 27. For example, the upper end of the sidewall portion is attached to the bottom of the support plate 27 at the contact position. In other words, the droplet receiving portion 44 is installed in a state where the open upper portion of the droplet receiving portion 44 covers the communication hole 42 of the support plate 27 from below.

[0029] The connection portion 46 includes one or more openings 47. The openings 47 function as vents in the connection portion 46. In this embodiment, the shape, orientation, number, and position of the openings 47 in the connection portion 46 are not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , the openings 47 are formed in the side wall portions of the connection portion 46 that are aligned and facing each other in the movement direction 37 of the conveyor belt 26. As a result, air flows D1 to D3 are likely to occur between the inside and outside of the connection portion 46. Therefore, the air flow is rectified inside and outside the connection portion 46, making it easier for droplets 43 ejected from the recording head 16 to reach the receiving tray 45 during flushing. This makes it less likely for ink droplets 43 to adhere to areas other than the bottom of the droplet receiving portion 44, such as the connection portion 46.

[0030] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the components disclosed in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate. For example, some of the components shown in one embodiment may be added to the components of another embodiment, or some of the components shown in one embodiment may be deleted from the embodiment.

[0031] Furthermore, the drawings mainly show each component in a schematic manner to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual ones due to the convenience of creating the drawings. Furthermore, the configuration of each component shown in the above embodiment is merely an example and is not particularly limited, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within a range that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present invention.

[0032] The present invention can be used in the field of image forming devices.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a recording head which ejects liquid droplets onto a recording medium; an endless belt which transports the recording medium towards an image formation position by the recording head; a support plate which supports the endless belt; and a suction device which is located on the opposite side of the endless belt from the recording head and which sucks the recording medium together with air onto the surface of the endless belt, wherein the endless belt has communicating holes through which the droplets pass, and the suction device has a droplet receiving section which receives the droplets which have passed through the communicating holes, the droplet receiving section including a receiving tray section which receives the droplets and a connecting section which connects the receiving tray section and the support plate, and the connecting section includes an opening.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the droplet receiving section is formed in a box shape with the receiving tray section as its bottom and the connection section as its side wall, with an open upper portion facing the support plate, and the open upper portion of the droplet receiving section is installed in a state where it covers the communication hole of the support plate from below.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the openings are formed in side wall portions of the connecting portion that are arranged side by side and opposed to each other in the moving direction of the conveyor belt.

Images