Inkjet printer and medium processing device

Abstract

The present invention provides an inkjet printer in which the inkjet head replacement time can be shortened while also simplifying the configuration.　This inkjet printer comprises a head holding member 10 that holds an inkjet head, a carriage 4 on which the head holding member 10 is mounted, and a tilt adjustment mechanism 11 for adjusting the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the carriage 4 in a rotation direction that takes the vertical direction as the rotation axis direction, wherein adjustment of the tilt of the head holding member 10 relative to the carriage 4 by the tilt adjustment mechanism 11 causes the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the carriage 4 to be adjusted. In the head holding member 10, there are formed protrusions 10e, 10f for positioning the inkjet head relative to the head holding member 10 in the horizontal direction, and in the inkjet head, there are formed recesses to be engaged by the protrusions 10e, 10f.

Description

Inkjet printers and media processing devices

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet printer including an inkjet head and a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted, and also to a medium processing device for performing predetermined processing on a medium.

[0002] Inkjet printers that eject ink to print on a medium are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The inkjet printer described in Patent Document 1 includes an inkjet head that ejects ink, a head holding mechanism that holds two inkjet heads, and a carriage on which the inkjet heads and head holding mechanism are mounted. The head holding mechanism includes a head holding member to which the two inkjet heads are fixed, a base member that is fixed to the carriage, an intermediate member that is movably attached to the base member and to which the head holding member is fixed, and a fixing lever that fixes the head holding member to the intermediate member.

[0003] In the inkjet printer described in Patent Document 1, the tilt of the intermediate member relative to the base member can be adjusted in a rotational direction, with the vertical direction being the axis of rotation. In this inkjet printer, adjusting the tilt of the intermediate member relative to the base member adjusts the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the base member in a rotational direction, with the vertical direction being the axis of rotation. In this inkjet printer, the head holding member is positioned horizontally relative to the intermediate member by a positioning portion formed on the intermediate member and an abutment surface formed on the head holding member. A leaf spring is disposed between the head holding member and the intermediate member to bias the head holding member against the intermediate member in a direction in which the positioning portion abuts against the abutment surface.

[0004] In the inkjet printer described in Patent Document 1, when replacing the inkjet heads, the two inkjet heads fixed to the head holding member are replaced together with the head holding member. In this inkjet printer, the inclination of the intermediate member relative to the base member in the rotation direction, with the vertical direction as the axis of rotation, remains unchanged before and after replacing the inkjet heads.

[0005] Furthermore, in the inkjet printer described in Patent Document 1, when replacing an inkjet head, the contact surface of the newly installed head holding member is brought into contact with the positioning portion of the intermediate member by the biasing force of the leaf spring, and the head holding member and inkjet head are positioned horizontally relative to the intermediate member. Therefore, with this inkjet printer, it is not necessary to adjust the inclination of the inkjet head relative to the base member when replacing the inkjet head. Therefore, with this inkjet printer, it is possible to shorten the time required to replace the inkjet head.

[0006] Also, conventionally, there is known a printing device that prints on a medium by ejecting ink (see, for example, Patent Document 2). The printing device described in Patent Document 2 includes an inkjet head that ejects ink, a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted, a carriage drive mechanism (main scanning control unit) that moves the carriage in the main scanning direction, a platen on which the medium is placed during printing, a main frame that supports the platen from below, two support legs to which the main frame is fixed at its upper end, and a transport unit that transports the medium.

[0007] In the printing device described in Patent Document 2, the transport unit includes a transport roller (grid roller) for transporting the medium, a roller drive mechanism (sub-scanning drive unit) that drives the transport roller, and multiple pinch rollers that are biased toward the transport roller and sandwich the medium between the transport roller and the grid roller. The length of the transport roller is such that it contacts the entire medium in the width direction of the medium. The transport unit also includes a roller adjustment mechanism for adjusting the deflection of the transport roller. The roller adjustment mechanisms are arranged at multiple locations in the axial direction of the transport roller (width direction of the medium).

[0008] The roller adjustment mechanism includes a roller support part that contacts the transport roller and supports it from below, a moving part to which the roller support part is fixed on its upper surface, a fixed part that is fixed to the main frame, and multiple adjustment screws for moving the moving part up and down relative to the fixed part. The moving part is located above the fixed part, which is fixed to the top surface of the main frame. In the printing device described in Patent Document 2, the deflection of the transport roller can be adjusted by moving the roller support part together with the moving part up and down relative to the fixed part at multiple points in the axial direction of the transport roller using the adjustment screws. Furthermore, in this printing device, the deflection of the transport roller can be reduced by adjusting the deflection of the transport roller.

[0009] Also, conventionally, printing devices that eject ink to print on a medium are known (see, for example, Patent Document 3). The printing device described in Patent Document 3 includes a print head that ejects ink, a carriage on which the print head is mounted, a carriage drive mechanism that moves the carriage in the main scanning direction, and a medium transport mechanism that transports the medium. The medium transport mechanism includes a feed roller for transporting the medium, a roller drive mechanism that drives the feed roller, and multiple pinch rollers that are biased toward the feed roller and sandwich the medium between them. The pinch rollers are movable in the main scanning direction. In the printing device described in Patent Document 3, the pinch rollers are moved in the main scanning direction before printing according to the layout of the image to be printed on the medium.

[0010] JP 2019-188759 A JP 2023-125272 A JP 2019-142005 A

[0011] In the inkjet printer described in Patent Document 1, when replacing an inkjet head, the biasing force of the leaf spring is used to bring the abutment surface of the newly attached head holding member into contact with the positioning portion of the intermediate member, thereby positioning the head holding member and inkjet head relative to the intermediate member in the horizontal direction, thereby shortening the time required to replace the inkjet head. However, the inkjet printer described in Patent Document 1 requires a leaf spring to bias the head holding member, which makes the configuration of the inkjet printer complex.

[0012] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet printer that is equipped with an inkjet head and a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted, and that can shorten the time required to replace the inkjet head and also simplify the configuration.

[0013] Furthermore, the printing device described in Patent Document 2 is equipped with a roller adjustment mechanism, which makes it possible to reduce the deflection of the transport roller, as described above. However, in the printing device described in Patent Document 2, the roller adjustment mechanism includes, in addition to the roller support portion, a fixed portion that is fixed to the main body frame, and a movable portion to which the roller support portion is fixed and that is movable up and down relative to the fixed portion, which increases the number of components of the roller adjustment mechanism and may increase the cost of the printing device.

[0014] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a media processing device that is equipped with a transport roller for transporting media, and that is capable of reducing the deflection of the transport roller and also reducing costs.

[0015] In the printing device described in Patent Document 3, the pinch roller is moved in the main scanning direction according to the layout of the image to be printed on the medium, so it is necessary to know the position of the pinch roller in the main scanning direction. Therefore, in this printing device, it is necessary to properly detect the position of the pinch roller in the main scanning direction. Furthermore, in the printing device described in Patent Document 3, in order to properly print on the medium, it is necessary to operate the carriage on which the print head is mounted based on an origin position in the main scanning direction. Therefore, in this printing device, it is necessary to properly detect the origin position of the carriage in the main scanning direction.

[0016] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a media processing device that has a carriage that can move in the width direction of the medium and a pinch roller that can move in the width direction of the medium, and that is capable of properly detecting the position of the pinch roller in the width direction of the medium and the origin position of the carriage in the width direction of the medium, and that is capable of reducing the number of parts and reducing costs.

[0017] In order to solve the above problems, an inkjet printer of the present invention includes an inkjet head that ejects ink, a head holding member that holds the inkjet head, a carriage on which the head holding member is mounted, and a tilt adjustment mechanism that adjusts the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the carriage in a first rotation direction, which is a rotation direction with the vertical direction as the axis of rotation, and the tilt adjustment mechanism adjusts the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the carriage in the first rotation direction, or the tilt adjustment mechanism adjusts the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the carriage in the first rotation direction relative to the head holding member, thereby adjusting the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the carriage. When the tilt of the head holding member relative to the carriage is adjusted by the tilt adjustment mechanism, a convex portion for positioning the inkjet head relative to the head holding member in the horizontal direction is formed on either the inkjet head or the head holding member, and a concave portion for engaging with the convex portion is formed on the other of the inkjet head or the head holding member, and when the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the head holding member is adjusted by the tilt adjustment mechanism, a convex portion for positioning the head holding member relative to the carriage in the horizontal direction is formed on either the head holding member or the carriage, and a concave portion for engaging with the convex portion is formed on the other of the head holding member or the carriage.

[0018] In the inkjet printer of the present invention, if the tilt of the head holding member relative to the carriage is adjusted by the tilt adjustment mechanism, then when replacing the inkjet head, simply replacing the inkjet head makes it possible to maintain the tilt of the head holding member relative to the carriage in the first rotation direction before and after the inkjet head replacement. Also, in this case, a convex portion for positioning the inkjet head relative to the head holding member in the horizontal direction is formed on either the inkjet head or the head holding member, and a concave portion for engaging with the convex portion is formed on the other of the inkjet head or the head holding member, so that when replacing the inkjet head, simply engaging the convex portion with the concave portion positions the inkjet head relative to the head holding member in the horizontal direction.

[0019] Therefore, with this invention, it is possible to eliminate the need to adjust the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the carriage when replacing the inkjet head, thereby shortening the time required to replace the inkjet head. Also, with this invention, the inkjet head is positioned relative to the head holding member in the horizontal direction by the convex portion and the concave portion, so the leaf spring described in Patent Document 1 is not necessary. Therefore, with this invention, it is possible to simplify the configuration of the inkjet printer while shortening the time required to replace the inkjet head.

[0020] Furthermore, in the present invention, when the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the head holding member is adjusted by the tilt adjustment mechanism, a convex portion for positioning the head holding member relative to the carriage in the horizontal direction is formed on one of the head holding member or the carriage, and a concave portion for engaging with the convex portion is formed on the other of the head holding member or the carriage. Therefore, in the present invention, when replacing the inkjet head, if an inkjet head whose tilt relative to the head holding member in the first rotation direction has been adjusted in advance is attached to the carriage together with the head holding member, and the head holding member is positioned relative to the carriage in the horizontal direction by engaging the convex portion with the concave portion, it becomes possible to eliminate the need to adjust the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the carriage when replacing the inkjet head.

[0021] Therefore, the present invention can shorten the time required to replace an inkjet head. Also, in the present invention, the head holding member is positioned relative to the carriage in the horizontal direction by the convex portion and the concave portion, so the leaf spring described in Patent Document 1 is not necessary. As a result, the present invention can simplify the configuration of an inkjet printer while shortening the time required to replace an inkjet head.

[0022] When the inkjet printer of the present invention is assembled at a factory, various tests may be performed by ejecting ink from the inkjet head incorporated in the inkjet printer. After the various tests are completed, the assembled inkjet printer is either stored in a warehouse for a predetermined period of time before being shipped, or is shipped directly from the factory. For example, if the inkjet printer is stored in a warehouse for a long period of time, or if the inkjet printer is shipped directly from the factory to a remote location such as overseas, it may take a long time from the completion of assembly of the inkjet printer until it is installed at the shipping destination.

[0023] If a new inkjet head is attached and various tests are performed during assembly of an inkjet printer, and then the assembly of the inkjet printer is completed with the inkjet head still attached, there is a risk that poor ink ejection from the inkjet head may occur in the installed inkjet printer if a long period of time passes between the completion of assembly of the inkjet printer and the installation of the inkjet printer at the shipping destination. In contrast, for example, if a test inkjet head (or a test inkjet head and a head holding member) is attached and tested during inspection of the inkjet printer at the factory, the test inkjet head (or the test inkjet head and a head holding member) is removed, and the assembly of the inkjet printer is completed without the inkjet head attached, and then a new inkjet head (or a new inkjet head and a head holding member) is attached when the inkjet printer is installed at the shipping destination, then it is possible to prevent poor ink ejection from the inkjet head in the installed inkjet printer, even if a long period of time passes between the completion of assembly and the installation of the inkjet printer at the shipping destination.

[0024] In the present invention, by engaging the protrusions with the recesses, it is possible to attach the inkjet head without adjusting the inclination of the inkjet head relative to the carriage. Therefore, even if the assembly of the inkjet printer is completed without the inkjet head attached and a new inkjet head (or a new inkjet head and head holding member) is attached when the inkjet printer is installed at the shipping destination, the inkjet head can be attached easily and accurately in a short time at the shipping destination. That is, in the present invention, a new inkjet head (or a new inkjet head and head holding member) can be attached to an inkjet printer that does not have an inkjet head attached at the shipping destination with little effort. Therefore, in the present invention, by attaching a new inkjet head (or a new inkjet head and head holding member) to an inkjet printer that does not have an inkjet head attached at the shipping destination, even if there is a long period of time between the completion of assembly and the installation of the inkjet printer at the shipping destination, it is possible to prevent ink ejection problems from the inkjet head in the installed inkjet printer, and it is possible to attach a new inkjet head (or a new inkjet head and head holding member) at the shipping destination with little effort.

[0025] In the present invention, for example, a convex portion is formed on either the inkjet head or the head holding member, and a concave portion is formed on the other of the inkjet head or the head holding member. In the present invention, if the tilt of the head holding member relative to the carriage is adjusted by the tilt adjustment mechanism, only the inkjet head is replaced when replacing the inkjet head. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of parts to be replaced when replacing the inkjet head.

[0026] In the present invention, the inkjet printer may include a carriage drive mechanism that moves the carriage in a main scanning direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, and the inkjet head may be configured to have an ink ejection surface on which a plurality of nozzles that eject ink are arranged, and to have convex or concave portions on both sides of the ink ejection surface in the main scanning direction, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the inkjet head in the directions perpendicular to the up-down direction and the main scanning direction.

[0027] In the present invention, when an inkjet printer has one inkjet head, the inkjet printer can be simplified in configuration, reducing costs and facilitating inkjet head replacement.

[0028] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the media processing device of the present invention comprises a transport roller for transporting media, a roller drive mechanism for driving the transport roller, a plurality of roller support parts that support the transport roller, a main body frame to which the plurality of roller support parts are attached, support legs to which the main body frame is fixed, and bearings that rotatably hold both ends of the transport roller and are attached to the main body frame, and is characterized in that when a predetermined direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the transport roller is defined as a first direction, the plurality of roller support parts are arranged at intervals from each other in the axial direction of the transport roller, rotatably support the transport roller from one side in the first direction, and are attached directly to the main body frame, and the mounting positions of the plurality of roller support parts in the first direction relative to the main body frame can be individually adjusted.

[0029] In the media processing device of the present invention, multiple roller support members supporting the transport roller from one side in the first direction are arranged at intervals in the axial direction of the transport roller, and the mounting positions of the multiple roller support members relative to the main frame in the first direction can be individually adjusted. Therefore, in this invention, by individually adjusting the mounting positions of the multiple roller support members relative to the main frame in the first direction, it is possible to reduce the deflection of the transport roller. Furthermore, in this invention, the multiple roller support members are directly attached to the main frame, eliminating the need for the moving unit and fixed unit described in Patent Document 2. Therefore, in this invention, the number of parts in the media processing device can be reduced, thereby reducing the cost of the media processing device. In other words, in this invention, it is possible to reduce the deflection of the transport roller while reducing the cost of the media processing device.

[0030] In this invention, if the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the transport roller and the first direction is defined as the second direction, the roller support part is preferably attached directly to one side of the main frame in the second direction with a screw, and the attachment position of the roller support part relative to the main frame in the first direction can be adjusted by loosening the screw. This configuration makes it possible to adjust the attachment position of the roller support part relative to the main frame with a relatively simple configuration, thereby further reducing the cost of the media processing device.

[0031] In the present invention, for example, the roller support portion comprises a support member that contacts the conveying roller and a holding member that holds the support member and is attached to the main frame, and the support members of some of the multiple roller support portions may be sliding bearings, and the support members of the remaining roller support portions may be a pair of rollers.

[0032] This reduces the cost of the media processing device compared to, for example, when the support members of all roller support units are pairs of rollers. Furthermore, this reduces the periodic eccentricity of the transport rollers due to roller eccentricity during rotation compared to, for example, when the support members of all roller support units are pairs of rollers. Furthermore, this reduces the load acting on the drive source of the roller drive mechanism during rotation of the transport roller compared to, for example, when the support members of all roller support units are slide bearings.

[0033] In the present invention, the media processing device may include, for example, three or more roller support parts, with roller support parts whose support members are plain bearings and roller support parts whose support members are pairs of rollers arranged alternately in the axial direction of the transport roller. In this case, it is possible to arrange the plain bearings and pairs of rollers in a balanced manner in the axial direction of the transport roller.

[0034] In the present invention, the roller support unit includes a support member that contacts the transport roller and a retaining member that holds the support member and is attached to the main frame. The support member may be a sliding bearing. This reduces the cost of the media processing device compared to when the support member is a pair of rollers. This also prevents periodic eccentricity of the transport roller due to eccentricity of the rollers during rotation.

[0035] In the present invention, for example, the media processing device may be configured to include an inkjet head that ejects ink toward the medium, a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted, a carriage drive mechanism that moves the carriage in the main scanning direction, which is the axial direction of the transport roller, and a plurality of pinch rollers that are biased toward the transport roller and pinch the medium between them. In other words, an inkjet printer, for example, may be used as the media processing device.

[0036] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the media processing device of the present invention includes a transport roller for transporting a medium, a roller drive mechanism for driving the transport roller, a plurality of pinch rollers that are urged toward the transport roller and sandwich the medium between the transport roller and the pinch roller, a plurality of roller holding members to which each of the plurality of pinch rollers is rotatably attached, a carriage that is movable in the width direction of the medium, which is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the medium and the transport direction of the medium, a carriage drive mechanism for moving the carriage in the width direction of the medium, a holding frame that movably holds the carriage and to which the roller holding member is attached, a first detectable member for detecting the position of the pinch roller in the width direction of the medium, and a holding frame that holds the carriage movably and to which the roller holding member is attached. the roller holding member is movable in the width direction of the medium relative to the holding frame, the sensor is mounted on the carriage, the first detectable member has a first detectable portion that is detected by the sensor, and is attached to each of the plurality of roller holding members, or is formed integrally with each of the plurality of roller holding members, the second detectable member has a second detectable portion that is detected by the sensor, and is attached to the holding frame, and the shape of the first detectable portion and the shape of the second detectable portion are different.

[0037] In the media processing device of the present invention, the shape of the first detectable portion of the first detectable member for detecting the position of the pinch roller in the width direction of the media is different from the shape of the second detectable portion of the second detectable member for detecting the origin position of the carriage in the width direction of the media. Therefore, in this invention, when the first detectable portion and the second detectable portion are detected by a common sensor mounted on the carriage, it is possible to distinguish between the first detectable portion and the second detectable portion.

[0038] In other words, with this invention, even if separate sensors for detecting the first detectable portion and second detectable portion are not provided, a common sensor can properly detect the position of the pinch roller in the width direction of the medium and the origin position of the carriage in the width direction of the medium. Therefore, with this invention, it is possible to reduce the number of parts in the media processing device and lower the cost of the media processing device while properly detecting the position of the pinch roller in the width direction of the medium and the origin position of the carriage in the width direction of the medium.

[0039] In the present invention, it is preferable that the second detectable portion is formed in a flat plate shape with a hole, and the first detectable portion is formed in a flat plate shape without a hole. With this configuration, it is relatively easy to make the shape of the first detectable portion and the shape of the second detectable portion different.

[0040] In the present invention, the sensor is preferably a transmission-type optical sensor having a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element that face each other with a gap between them. The media processing device of the present invention may also include an inkjet head that is mounted on a carriage and ejects ink toward the medium. In other words, the media processing device may be, for example, an inkjet printer.

[0041] As described above, the present invention makes it possible to simplify the configuration of an inkjet printer that includes an inkjet head and a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted, while shortening the time required to replace the inkjet head.

[0042] Furthermore, as described above, in a media processing device equipped with a transport roller for transporting media, the present invention makes it possible to reduce the cost of the media processing device while reducing the deflection of the transport roller.

[0043] Furthermore, as described above, in the present invention, in a media processing device equipped with a carriage that can move in the width direction of the medium and a pinch roller that can move in the width direction of the medium, it is possible to properly detect the position of the pinch roller in the width direction of the medium and the origin position of the carriage in the width direction of the medium, and it is also possible to reduce the number of parts in the media processing device and thereby reduce the cost of the media processing device.

[0044] 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printer according to a first embodiment. It is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the inkjet printer shown in FIG. 1. It is a perspective view of the inkjet head, carriage, etc. shown in FIG. 2. It is a plan view of the inkjet head, carriage, etc. shown in FIG. 3. It is a perspective view of the inkjet head removed from the carriage, etc. shown in FIG. 3. It is a perspective view showing the inkjet head shown in FIG. 3 from below. It is a perspective view of a media processing device according to a second embodiment. It is a rear view of the media processing device shown in FIG. 7. It is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the media processing device shown in FIG. 7. (A) is an enlarged view of section E in FIG. 8, and (B) is an enlarged view of section F in (A). It is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the main body frame, etc., taken from the G-G direction in FIG. 10A. It is a side view illustrating the configuration of the roller support section shown in FIG. 10. It is a perspective view of a media processing device according to a third embodiment. It is a rear view of the media processing device shown in FIG. 13. It is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the media processing device shown in FIG. 13. It is an enlarged view illustrating the configuration of section E in FIG. 13 from the front side. (A) is a plan view of the first detectable member etc. shown in Figure 16, (B) is a plan view of the second detectable member etc. shown in Figure 16, and (C) is a side view showing the second detectable part and sensor from the F-F direction of (B).

[0045] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0046] (Overall Configuration of Inkjet Printer) Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of the inkjet printer 1 shown in Fig. 1.

[0047] The inkjet printer 1 (hereinafter referred to as "printer 1") of this embodiment is a commercial inkjet printer that prints on a medium 2 such as paper, fabric, or resin film. The medium 2 is formed in a long, narrow strip shape. The printer 1 includes an inkjet head 3 (hereinafter referred to as "head 3") that ejects ink toward the medium 2, a carriage 4 on which the head 3 is mounted, a carriage drive mechanism 5 that moves the carriage 4 in a main scanning direction (Y direction in FIG. 1, etc.) that is perpendicular to the up-down direction (vertical direction, Z direction in FIG. 1, etc.), a Y bar 6 that movably holds the carriage 4, a medium transport mechanism 7 that transports the medium 2, and a platen 8 on which the medium 2 is placed.

[0048] The printer 1 of this embodiment includes one head 3, and the carriage 4 is equipped with one head 3. In other words, the printer 1 includes only one head 3, and only one head 3 is equipped on the carriage 4. The head 3 ejects ink downward. A plurality of nozzles that eject ink are formed on the underside of the head 3. A plurality of nozzle rows arranged in the main scanning direction are also formed on the underside of the head 3. The nozzle rows are composed of a large number of nozzles arranged in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the main scanning direction. The head 3 includes piezoelectric elements that eject ink from the nozzles. The carriage drive mechanism 5 includes, for example, two pulleys, a belt that is stretched across the two pulleys and has a portion fixed to the carriage 4, and a motor that rotates the pulleys.

[0049] The medium transport mechanism 7 includes a transport roller for transporting the medium 2, a roller drive mechanism for driving the transport roller, and a plurality of pinch rollers that are biased toward the transport roller and sandwich the medium 2 between the transport roller and the platen 8. The platen 8 is located below the carriage 4. The medium 2 is placed on the platen 8 during printing. As described above, in this embodiment, the carriage 4 is equipped with only one head 3, so the width of the platen 8 in the transport direction of the medium 2 is narrow. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the component costs of the platen 8. Furthermore, because the width of the platen 8 in the transport direction of the medium 2 is narrow, it is easy to adjust the mounting position of the platen 8.

[0050] In the following description, the main scanning direction (Y direction) is referred to as the "left-right direction," and the X direction in FIG. 1 , etc., which is perpendicular to the up-down and left-right directions, is referred to as the "front-to-back direction." The Y1 direction in FIG. 1 , etc., which is one side of the left-to-right direction, is referred to as the "right" side, the Y2 direction in FIG. 1 , etc., which is the opposite side of the right side, is referred to as the "left" side, the X1 direction in FIG. 1 , etc., which is one side of the front-to-back direction, is referred to as the "front" side, and the X2 direction in FIG. 1 , etc., which is the opposite side of the front side, is referred to as the "rear" side. In this embodiment, the left-to-right direction (Y direction) is the width direction of the medium 2. The up-to-down direction (Z direction) is the thickness direction of the medium 2 placed on the platen 8 during printing, and the front-to-back direction (X direction) is the transport direction of the medium 2 moving over the platen 8 and is also the sub-scanning direction.

[0051] The printer 1 also includes a maintenance unit 9 for preventing clogging of the multiple nozzles formed on the underside of the head 3. The maintenance unit 9 cleans the head 3 to prevent clogging of the multiple nozzles of the head 3. For example, the maintenance unit 9 performs purging, which forcibly sucks ink out of the nozzles of the head 3, flushing, which forcibly ejects ink from the nozzles of the head 3, and wiping, which wipes the underside of the head 3 with a specified wiper member. The maintenance unit 9 is located at the right end of the printer 1.

[0052] Furthermore, the printer 1 is equipped with a head holding member 10 that holds the head 3 and is mounted on the carriage 4, and an inclination adjustment mechanism 11 that adjusts the inclination of the head 3 relative to the carriage 4 in the rotation direction with the vertical direction as the axis of rotation (more specifically, the inclination of the nozzle row formed on the underside of the head 3) (see Figures 3 and 4, etc.). Specific configurations of the head 3, carriage 4, head holding member 10, and inclination adjustment mechanism 11 will be described below.

[0053] (Configuration of inkjet head, carriage, head holding member, and tilt adjustment mechanism) Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the head 3, carriage 4, etc. shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the head 3, carriage 4, etc. shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the head 3 removed from the carriage 4, etc. shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the head 3 shown in Fig. 3 from the bottom side. For convenience, the head holding member 10 is shown in Fig. 4 by a dashed line.

[0054] The head 3 is attached to a head holding member 10. In this embodiment, the head 3 is fixed to the head holding member 10 by three screw members 15. The screw members 15 are, for example, stepped knurled screws with knurled heads, and the screw members 15 can be tightened or loosened by hand without using tools. The head holding member 10 is attached to the carriage 4. The head holding member 10 is attached to the carriage 4 so as to be rotatable with the vertical direction as the axial direction of rotation relative to the carriage 4.

[0055] If the rotation direction with the vertical direction as the axis of rotation is defined as the "first rotation direction," in this embodiment, the tilt adjustment mechanism 11 adjusts the tilt of the head holding member 10 relative to the carriage 4 in the first rotation direction, thereby adjusting the tilt of the head 3 relative to the carriage 4. The tilt adjustment mechanism 11 includes an eccentric cam 16 for adjusting the tilt of the head holding member 10 relative to the carriage 4 in the first rotation direction, a fulcrum part 17 (see FIG. 4) that serves as a fulcrum (center) for the rotation of the head holding member 10 relative to the carriage 4, and a compression coil spring 18 that biases the head holding member 10 to one side in the first rotation direction.

[0056] The carriage 4 includes a base portion 4a that forms the lower end of the carriage 4. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, the outer shape of the base portion 4a is rectangular. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, two of the four sides of the rectangular base portion 4a are parallel to the left-right direction, and the remaining two sides are parallel to the front-to-rear direction. An opening is formed in the base portion 4a that penetrates the base portion 4a in the top-to-bottom direction. The lower end of the head 3 is located within this opening.

[0057] The head holding member 10 is placed on the base portion 4a. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, the outer shape of the head holding member 10 is approximately rectangular. The outer shape of the head holding member 10 is smaller than the outer shape of the base portion 4a. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, two of the four sides of the approximately rectangular head holding member 10 are parallel to the left-right direction, and the remaining two sides are parallel to the front-rear direction. The head holding member 10 has a contact portion 10a with which the eccentric cam 16 and the compression coil spring 18 come into contact. The contact portion 10a is located at the right front end of the head holding member 10. The contact portion 10a protrudes toward the front.

[0058] The head holding member 10 is formed with an opening 10b (see FIG. 5) that passes through the head holding member 10 in the vertical direction, and a screw engagement portion 10c that engages with the threaded portion of the screw member 15. The opening 10b is formed in the center of the head holding member 10 in the left-right direction. The lower end of the head 3 is positioned within the opening 10b. The screw engagement portions 10c are formed in three locations on the head holding member 10: the right front portion, the left front portion, and the left rear end portion.

[0059] The head holding member 10 also has protrusions 10e and 10f for positioning the head 3 relative to the head holding member 10 in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 5). Specifically, two protrusions 10e and 10f are formed on the head holding member 10. The protrusions 10e and 10f are cylindrical with their axial direction extending vertically. The protrusions 10e and 10f are formed on both left and right sides of the opening 10b. In this embodiment, the protrusion 10e is located on the left side of the opening 10b, and the protrusion 10f is located on the right side of the opening 10b. The protrusions 10e and 10f are also formed in a hole 10g recessed downward from the top surface of the head holding member 10. The hole 10g is a circular hole that has a circular shape when viewed from the top. The protrusions 10e and 10f rise upward from the center of the bottom surface of the hole 10g.

[0060] Two cam levers 19 are fixed to the base portion 4a for fixing the head holding member 10 to the base portion 4a. One of the two cam levers 19 is fixed to the right rear end of the base portion 4a, and the other cam lever 19 is fixed to the left front end of the base portion 4a. The lever portion 19a of the cam lever 19 is disposed above the head holding member 10. The lever portion 19a is rotatable relative to the base portion 4a with the horizontal direction as the axial direction of rotation. As shown in FIG. 3 and other figures, when the lever portion 19a is tilted down, the head holding member 10 is fixed so that it does not rotate relative to the base portion 4a in a first rotation direction. On the other hand, when the lever portion 19a is raised, the head holding member 10 can be rotated relative to the base portion 4a in the first rotation direction.

[0061] The eccentric cam 16 is disposed on the upper surface of the base portion 4a. The eccentric cam 16 is fixed to a cam lever 20. The cam lever 20 is attached to the base portion 4a so as to be rotatable relative to the base portion 4a in a first rotation direction, and the eccentric cam 16 is rotatable relative to the base portion 4a in the first rotation direction. The eccentric cam 16 and the cam lever 20 are attached to the right front end portion of the base portion 4a. The outer peripheral surface (cam surface) of the eccentric cam 16 contacts the right side surface of the contact portion 10a of the head holding member 10.

[0062] The lever portion 20a of the cam lever 20 is disposed above the eccentric cam 16. The lever portion 20a is rotatable relative to the base portion 4a with the horizontal direction as the axial direction of rotation. As shown in Figure 3 and other figures, when the lever portion 20a is tilted down, the eccentric cam 16 is fixed so that it does not rotate relative to the base portion 4a in a first rotation direction. On the other hand, when the lever portion 20a is raised up, the eccentric cam 16 can be rotated relative to the base portion 4a in the first rotation direction.

[0063] The fulcrum portion 17 is disposed at the rear end of the base portion 4a. The fulcrum portion 17 is also disposed at the center portion of the base portion 4a in the left-right direction. The compression coil spring 18 is disposed at the front portion of the base portion 4a. The left end of the compression coil spring 18 abuts against a spring abutment portion formed on the base portion 4a, and the right end of the compression coil spring 18 abuts against the left side surface of the contact portion 10a of the head holding member 10. The compression coil spring 18 urges the head holding member 10 toward the eccentric cam 16, using the fulcrum portion 17 as a fulcrum.

[0064] When the tilt adjustment mechanism 11 adjusts the tilt of the head holding member 10 relative to the carriage 4 in the first rotation direction, the operator of the printer 1 raises the lever portions 19a, 20a of the cam levers 19, 20 and then rotates the eccentric cam 16 in this state. When the eccentric cam 16 is rotated, the head holding member 10 rotates around the fulcrum portion 17, and the tilt of the head holding member 10 relative to the carriage 4 is adjusted.

[0065] The head 3 is placed on a head holding member 10. When viewed from above and below, the outer shape of the head 3 is rectangular. The outer shape of the head 3 is smaller than the outer shape of the head holding member 10. When viewed from above and below, two of the four sides of the rectangular head 3 are parallel to the left-right direction, and the remaining two sides are parallel to the front-to-back direction. As described above, a plurality of nozzles that eject ink are formed on the underside of the head 3. The underside of the head 3 forms an ink ejection surface 3a on which a plurality of nozzles are arranged.

[0066] As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, an ink ejection portion 3b that protrudes downward is formed at the lower end of the head 3, and the lower surface of the ink ejection portion 3b serves as the ink ejection surface 3a. The ink ejection portion 3b is disposed within the opening of the base portion 4a and the opening 10b of the head holding member 10. The head 3 also has a through hole 3g in which a portion of the shank of a screw member 15 is disposed. The through holes 3g are formed in three locations: the right front end, left front end, and left rear end of the head 3. The head of the screw member 15 is disposed above the head 3.

[0067] Both sides of the ink ejection portion 3b in the left-right direction are flat surfaces perpendicular to the up-down direction. As shown in Figure 6, protrusions 3c and 3d that protrude downward are formed on both sides of the ink ejection portion 3b in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, protrusion 3c is located on the left side of the ink ejection portion 3b, and protrusion 3d is located on the right side of the ink ejection portion 3b. Protrusion 3c is formed in a cylindrical shape with its axial direction extending in the up-down direction. Protrusion 3d is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with its axial direction extending in the up-down direction. When viewed from the up-down direction, the outer shape of protrusion 3d is an oval shape that is long in the left-right direction.

[0068] The inner circumferential side of the protrusion 3c forms a recess 3e with which the protrusion 10e of the head holding member 10 engages. The inner circumferential side of the protrusion 3d forms a recess 3f with which the protrusion 10f of the head holding member 10 engages. That is, the head 3 is formed with recesses 3e and 3f with which the protrusions 10e and 10f engage. The recesses 3e and 3f are also formed on both sides of the nozzle ejection surface 3a in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the head 3 is positioned relative to the head holding member 10 in the horizontal direction by the protrusions 10e and 10f and the recesses 3e and 3f.

[0069] The recess 3e is a round hole that has a circular shape when viewed from the top-bottom direction. The inner diameter of the recess 3e is equal to the outer diameter of the protrusion 10e. The recess 3f is an elongated hole that has an oval shape when viewed from the top-bottom direction. The recess 3f is also an elongated hole with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction. The width of the short side of the recess 3f (width in the front-to-back direction) is equal to the outer diameter of the protrusion 10f. The protrusion 10e is inserted into the recess 3e. The protrusion 10f is inserted into the recess 3f. The protrusions 3c and 3d are inserted into the hole 10g. The inner diameter of the hole 10g is greater than the outer diameter of the protrusion 3c and the longitudinal width (width in the left-to-right direction) of the protrusion 3d.

[0070] When replacing the head 3 mounted on the carriage 4 in the printer 1, only the head 3 is replaced. Specifically, first, the three screw members 15 are loosened and removed, and then the head 3 before replacement is removed from the head holding member 10. At this time, the screw members 15 and the head 3 are removed upward. Thereafter, the new head 3 is placed on the head holding member 10 from above, and the three screw members 15 are tightened to secure the head 3 to the head holding member 10.

[0071] (Mode for Inspection and Shipping of Inkjet Printer) When the printer 1 of this embodiment is assembled at a factory, the test head 3 is attached to the head holding member 10. Ink is also ejected from the test head 3 to perform various tests. After the tests, the test head 3 is removed from the head holding member 10, and the assembly of the printer 1 is completed with the head 3 not attached. When the printer 1 is shipped, the head 3 is not attached to the head holding member 10. At the destination of the printer 1, an operator attaches a new head 3 to the head holding member 10 when installing the printer 1.

[0072] (Major Effects of the Present Embodiment) As described above, in the present embodiment, when replacing the head 3 mounted on the carriage 4, only the head 3 is replaced. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is possible to maintain the inclination of the head holding member 10 relative to the carriage 4 in the first rotation direction before and after replacing the head 3. Also, in the present embodiment, the head holding member 10 is formed with convex portions 10e, 10f for positioning the head 3 relative to the head holding member 10 in the horizontal direction, and the head 3 is formed with concave portions 3e, 3f into which the convex portions 10e, 10f engage. Therefore, when replacing the head 3, simply engaging the convex portions 10e, 10f with the concave portions 3e, 3f positions the head 3 relative to the head holding member 10 in the horizontal direction.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tilt adjustment mechanism 11 adjusts the tilt of the head holding member 10 relative to the carriage 4 in the first rotation direction, thereby adjusting the tilt of the head 3 relative to the carriage 4. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the need to adjust the tilt of the head 3 relative to the carriage 4 when replacing the head 3, thereby shortening the time required to replace the head 3. Also, in this embodiment, the head 3 is positioned relative to the head holding member 10 in the horizontal direction by the convex portions 10e, 10f and the concave portions 3e, 3f, so the leaf spring described in Patent Document 1 is not required. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to simplify the configuration of the printer 1 while shortening the time required to replace the head 3.

[0074] In this embodiment, when replacing the head 3 mounted on the carriage 4, only the head 3 is replaced. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the number of parts that need to be replaced when replacing the head 3. Also, in this embodiment, the printer 1 has only one head 3, which simplifies the configuration of the printer 1, reducing the cost of the printer 1 and facilitating the work of replacing the head 3.

[0075] In this embodiment, the head 3 is not attached to the head holding member 10 when the printer 1 is shipped. Instead, a new head 3 is attached to the head holding member 10 when the printer 1 is installed at the shipping destination. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if a long period of time passes between the completion of assembly of the printer 1 and the installation of the printer 1 at the shipping destination, it is possible to prevent ink ejection problems from the head 3 in the installed printer 1. Note that in this embodiment, the head 3 can be attached without adjusting the inclination of the head 3 relative to the carriage 4 by engaging the protrusions 10e and 10f with the recesses 10e and 10f. Therefore, even if a new head 3 is attached to a printer 1 that does not have the head 3 attached at the time of shipment when the printer 1 is installed at the shipping destination, the head 3 can be attached quickly, easily, and accurately at the shipping destination. In other words, in this embodiment, a new head 3 can be attached to a printer 1 that does not have the head 3 attached at the shipping destination with little effort.

[0076] (Other Embodiments) The above-described embodiment is one example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications can be made within the scope that does not change the gist of the present invention.

[0077] In the above-described embodiment, the head 3 may be fixed to the head holding member 10 by a fixing means other than the screw member 15. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the head 3 may be formed with a convex portion for positioning the head 3 relative to the head holding member 10 in the horizontal direction, and the head holding member 10 may be formed with a concave portion into which the convex portion of the head 3 engages. In this case, for example, two convex portions are formed on the head 3 and two concave portions are formed on the head holding member 10. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a new head 3 may be attached to the head holding member 10 when the printer 1 is assembled at a factory, and the printer 1 may be shipped with the new head 3 attached.

[0078] In the embodiment described above, the tilt of the head 3 relative to the carriage 4 may be adjusted by the tilt adjustment mechanism 11 adjusting the tilt of the head 3 relative to the head holding member 10 in the first rotation direction. In this case, for example, the tilt adjustment mechanism 11 includes an eccentric cam for adjusting the tilt of the head 3 relative to the head holding member 10 in the first rotation direction, a fulcrum portion that serves as a fulcrum for the rotation of the head 3 relative to the head holding member 10, and a compression coil spring that biases the head 3 to one side in the first rotation direction.

[0079] In this case, when replacing the head 3 mounted on the carriage 4, the head holding member 10 is also replaced along with the head 3. Furthermore, when replacing the head 3, the head 3, whose inclination relative to the head holding member 10 in the first rotation direction has been adjusted in advance, is attached to the carriage 4 together with the head holding member 10. Furthermore, in this case, a convex portion for positioning the head holding member 10 relative to the carriage 4 in the horizontal direction is formed on either the head holding member 10 or the carriage 4, and a concave portion with which the convex portion engages is formed on the other of the head holding member 10 or the carriage 4. For example, two convex portions are formed on the carriage 4, and two concave portions are formed on the head holding member 10.

[0080] In this case, if the head holding member 10 is positioned relative to the carriage 4 in the horizontal direction by engaging the protrusion with the recess when replacing the head 3, it becomes unnecessary to adjust the tilt of the head 3 relative to the carriage 4 when replacing the head 3. This makes it possible to shorten the time required to replace the head 3. Furthermore, because the head holding member 10 is positioned relative to the carriage 4 in the horizontal direction by the protrusion and recess, the leaf spring described in Patent Document 1 above is no longer necessary. As a result, it becomes possible to simplify the configuration of the printer 1 while shortening the time required to replace the head 3.

[0081] In this case, for example, when the printer 1 is assembled at a factory, the test head 3 and head holding member 10 are attached to the carriage 4. Ink is also ejected from the test head 3 to perform various tests. After the tests, the test head 3 and head holding member 10 are removed from the carriage 4, and the assembly of the printer 1 is completed with the head 3 and head holding member 10 not attached. When the printer 1 is shipped, the head 3 and head holding member 10 are not attached to the carriage 4. At the destination of the printer 1, an operator attaches a new head 3 and head holding member 10 to the carriage 4 when installing the printer 1.

[0082] In the above-described embodiment, the printer 1 may include two or more heads 3. That is, two or more heads 3 may be mounted on the carriage 4. In this case, for example, the printer 1 may include the same number of head holding members 10 as the number of heads 3, with each head 3 fixed to one head holding member 10. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the medium 2 does not have to be formed in an elongated shape. In this case, the printer 1 may include, for example, a table on which the medium 2 is placed and a table feed mechanism that moves the table back and forth. Also, the inkjet printer to which the present invention is applied may be a 3D printer.

[0083] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0084] (Overall configuration of media processing device) Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a media processing device 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a rear view of the media processing device 101 shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the media processing device 101 shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 10(A) is an enlarged view of part E in Fig. 8, and Fig. 10(B) is an enlarged view of part F in Fig. 10(A).

[0085] The media processing device 101 of this embodiment is a commercial inkjet printer that ejects ink to print on a medium 102 (see FIG. 9 ). Therefore, in the description of this embodiment, the media processing device 101 will be referred to as the "printer 101." The medium 102 is, for example, printing paper, fabric, or resin film. The medium 102 is also formed in a long, narrow strip shape.

[0086] The printer 101 includes an inkjet head 103 (hereinafter referred to as the "head 103") that ejects ink toward a medium 102, a carriage 104 on which the head 103 is mounted, a carriage drive mechanism 105 that moves the carriage 104 in the main scanning direction (the Y direction in FIG. 7, etc.), a Y bar 106 that movably holds the carriage 104, a medium transport mechanism 107 that transports the medium 102, and a platen 108 on which the medium 102 is placed. The printer 101 also includes a main body frame 109 that supports the platen 108 from below, and a plurality of support legs 110 to which the main body frame 109 is fixed at the upper end. The printer 101 of this embodiment includes two support legs 110.

[0087] The head 103 ejects ink downward. A plurality of nozzles that eject ink are formed on the underside of the head 103. The head 103 is equipped with a piezoelectric element that ejects ink from the nozzles. The carriage drive mechanism 105 is equipped with, for example, two pulleys, a belt that is stretched across the two pulleys and is partially fixed to the carriage 104, and a motor that rotates the pulleys. The platen 108 is disposed below the carriage 104. The medium 102 is placed on the platen 108 during printing. The Y-bar 106 is formed in an elongated shape that is long in the main scanning direction.

[0088] In the following description, the main scanning direction (Y direction) is referred to as the "left-right direction," and the X direction in FIG. 7 , etc., which is perpendicular to the up-down direction (vertical direction, Z direction) and the left-right direction, is referred to as the "front-rear direction." The Y1 direction in FIG. 7 , etc., which is one side of the left-right direction, is referred to as the "right" side, the Y2 direction in FIG. 7 , etc., which is the opposite side of the right side, is referred to as the "left" side, the X1 direction in FIG. 7 , etc., which is one side of the front-rear direction, is referred to as the "front" side, and the X2 direction in FIG. 7 , etc., which is the opposite side of the front side, is referred to as the "rear" side. The left-right direction (Y direction) coincides with the width direction of the medium 102, which is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the medium 102 and the transport direction of the medium 102. The up-down direction (Z direction) is the thickness direction of the medium 102 placed on the platen 108 during printing, and the front-rear direction (X direction) is the transport direction of the medium 102 moving over the platen 108 and is also the sub-scanning direction.

[0089] The medium transport mechanism 107 includes a transport roller (grid roller) 111 for transporting the medium 102. The medium transport mechanism 107 of this embodiment includes a single transport roller 111. The axial direction of the transport roller 111 coincides with the left-right direction, and the transport roller 111 is rotatable with the left-right direction as its axis of rotation. That is, the left-right direction (Y direction, main scanning direction) of this embodiment is the axial direction of the transport roller 111. The width of the transport roller 111 in the left-right direction is wider than the width of the medium 102. The transport roller 111 is disposed behind the platen 108. In this embodiment, the up-down direction (Z direction) is a first direction, which is a predetermined direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the transport roller 111, and the front-rear direction (X direction) is a second direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the transport roller 111 and the first direction.

[0090] The medium transport mechanism 107 also includes a roller drive mechanism 112 that drives the transport roller 111, a plurality of pinch rollers 113 that are urged toward the transport roller 111 and sandwich the medium 102 between them, and a plurality of roller holding members 114 to which each of the pinch rollers 113 is rotatably attached. The medium transport mechanism 107 includes, for example, seven pinch rollers 113 and seven roller holding members 114. The roller drive mechanism 112 includes a motor and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the power of the motor to the transport roller 111. The power transmission mechanism includes, for example, a pulley fixed to the output shaft of the motor, a pulley fixed to the left end of the transport roller 111, and a belt stretched between the two pulleys.

[0091] The pinch roller 113 is rotatable with the left-right direction as its axis of rotation. The left-right width of the pinch roller 113 is narrower than the left-right width of the transport roller 111. The pinch roller 113 is disposed directly above the transport roller 111 and faces the transport roller 111 from above. The multiple pinch rollers 113 are disposed with gaps between them in the left-right direction. The medium 102 transported by the medium transport mechanism 107 is sandwiched between the transport roller 111 and the pinch roller 113.

[0092] The roller holding member 114 is attached to the Y-bar 106. The roller holding member 114 is movable left and right relative to the Y-bar 106. In this embodiment, the operator of the printer 101 manually moves the roller holding member 114 left and right relative to the Y-bar 106 before printing on the medium 102, depending on the width of the medium 102 to be printed, etc. The roller holding member 114 is equipped with a clamp mechanism for fixing the roller holding member 114 to the Y-bar 106. The medium transport mechanism 107 is equipped with a pinch roller moving mechanism that moves the pinch roller 113 between a medium holding position where a portion of the medium 102 is sandwiched between the multiple pinch rollers 113 and the transport roller 111, and a retracted position where the multiple pinch rollers 113 are separated from the transport roller 111. When the medium 102 is set in the printer 101, the pinch roller 113 moves to the retracted position, and when the medium 102 is set in the printer 101, the pinch roller 113 moves to the medium holding position.

[0093] The medium transport mechanism 107 also includes two bearings 115 (see FIG. 10A) that rotatably hold both ends of the transport roller 111, and a plurality of roller support portions 116 and 117 that support the transport roller 111. The specific configurations of the bearings 115 and the roller support portions 116 and 117 will be described later.

[0094] The main body frame 109 is formed in an elongated shape that is long and narrow in the left-right direction. Side plates are fixed to both left and right ends of the main body frame 109. The Y-bar 106 is fixed to the side plates fixed to the main body frame 109 on both left and right sides. Two support legs 110 are arranged with a gap between them in the left-right direction. The two support legs 110 support both left and right ends of the main body frame 109 from below. The specific configuration of the main body frame 109 will be described later.

[0095] The printer 101 also includes a maintenance unit 118 for preventing clogging of the multiple nozzles formed on the underside of the head 103. The maintenance unit 118 cleans the head 103 to prevent clogging of the multiple nozzles of the head 103. For example, the maintenance unit 118 performs purging, which forcibly sucks ink out of the nozzles of the head 103, flushing, which forcibly ejects ink from the nozzles of the head 103, and wiping, which wipes the underside of the head 103 with a predetermined wiper member. The maintenance unit 118 is attached to the right end of the main body frame 109.

[0096] (Configuration of main body frame, bearings, and roller support portion) Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line G-G in Figure 10(A) to explain the configuration of the main body frame 109, etc. Figure 12(A) is a side view to explain the configuration of the roller support portion 116 shown in Figure 10, and Figure 12(B) is a side view to explain the configuration of the roller support portion 117 shown in Figure 10.

[0097] The main body frame 109 includes a first frame 121 and a second frame 122 each formed in a narrow, elongated shape extending in the left-right direction. The first frame 121 and the second frame 122 are formed by bending a thin, flat metal plate formed into a predetermined shape.

[0098] The first frame 121 includes a flat, rectangular fixed portion 121a that is placed on and fixed to the two support legs 110. The fixed portion 121a is formed in the shape of a rectangular flat plate that is elongated in the left-right direction. The thickness direction of the fixed portion 121a coincides with the up-down direction. The first frame 121 also includes side portions 121b that rise upward from both ends of the fixed portion 121a in the front-to-back direction, and a top surface portion 121c that extends inward in the front-to-back direction from the upper end of the side surface portion 121b. The side surface portion 121b and the top surface portion 121c are formed in the shape of a rectangular flat plate that is elongated in the left-to-right direction. The thickness direction of the side surface portion 121b coincides with the front-to-back direction, and the thickness direction of the top surface portion 121c coincides with the up-to-down direction.

[0099] The second frame 122 includes a flat top surface 122a that forms the upper surface of the second frame 122. The top surface 122a is formed in a rectangular, flat plate shape that is elongated in the left-right direction. The thickness direction of the top surface 122a coincides with the up-down direction. The second frame 122 also includes side surfaces 122b that extend downward from both ends of the top surface 122a in the front-to-rear direction, and a bottom surface 122c that extends outward in the front-to-rear direction from the lower end of the side surface 122b. The side surfaces 122b and the bottom surface 122c are formed in a rectangular, flat plate shape that is elongated in the left-to-right direction. The thickness direction of the side surface 122b coincides with the front-to-rear direction, and the thickness direction of the bottom surface 122c coincides with the up-to-down direction.

[0100] The second frame 122 is disposed above the first frame 121. The lower surface of the front portion of the bottom surface 122c disposed on the front side contacts the upper surface of the top surface 121c disposed on the front side, and the lower surface of the rear portion of the bottom surface 122c disposed on the rear side contacts the upper surface of the top surface 121c disposed on the rear side. The second frame 122 is fixed to the first frame 121. Specifically, the bottom surface 122c, which contacts the upper surface of the top surface 121c, is fixed to the upper surface of the top surface 121c with multiple screws. The platen 108 is disposed above the second frame 122. The second frame 122 includes multiple platen support portions 122d. The platen support portions 122d are fixed to the upper surface of the top surface 122a. The upper end surfaces of the platen support portions 122d are flat surfaces perpendicular to the up-down direction.

[0101] The bearing 115 is, for example, a rolling bearing including an annular inner ring, an annular outer ring, and a plurality of rollers or balls disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring. One of the two bearings 115 rotatably holds the right end of the conveying roller 111, and the other bearing 115 rotatably holds the left end of the conveying roller 111. The bearing 115 is attached to the main frame 10. Specifically, the bearing 115 is fixed to the upper surface side of the second frame 122. The bearing 115 may be a sliding bearing formed in an annular shape.

[0102] As described above, the medium transport mechanism 107 includes a plurality of roller support portions 116, 117. Specifically, the medium transport mechanism 107 includes three or more roller support portions 116, 117. The medium transport mechanism 107 of this embodiment includes seven roller support portions 116, 117. Furthermore, the medium transport mechanism 107 of this embodiment includes four roller support portions 116 and three roller support portions 117. The roller support portions 116, 117 rotatably support the transport roller 111 from below. The seven roller support portions 116, 117 are arranged at intervals from each other in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the seven roller support portions 116, 117 are attached to the main frame 109. Specifically, the seven roller support portions 116, 117 are directly attached to the main frame 109.

[0103] The roller support portion 116 includes a support member 124 that contacts the conveying roller 111 and a holding member 125 that holds the support member 124. The roller support portion 117 includes a support member 126 that contacts the conveying roller 111 and a holding member 127 that holds the support member 126. The holding members 125 and 127 are formed by bending a thin, flat metal plate into a predetermined shape. The support member 124 is a sliding bearing. The support member 126 is a pair (two) of rollers 128. That is, in this embodiment, the support members 124 of four of the seven roller support portions 116 and 117 are sliding bearings, and the support members 126 of the remaining three roller support portions 117 are a pair of rollers 128.

[0104] The support member 124, which is a sliding bearing, is made of a resin material with excellent sliding properties. The support member 124 is formed with a concavely curved support surface 124a that comes into contact with the lower portion of the outer circumferential surface of the transport roller 111. The support surface 124a is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape. The upper portion of the outer circumferential surface of the transport roller 111 does not come into contact with the support member 124. The support member 124 is fixed to a holding member 125. A pair of rollers 128 are rotatably held by a holding member 127. The rollers 128 are rotatable with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation. The pair of rollers 128 are arranged with a gap in the front-rear direction. The pair of rollers 128 come into contact with the lower portion of the outer circumferential surface of the transport roller 111.

[0105] As described above, the seven roller support portions 116, 117 are arranged at intervals from one another in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 10(A) , the roller support portions 116 and the roller support portions 117 are arranged alternately in the left-right direction. That is, the roller support portion 116 whose support member 124 is a sliding bearing and the roller support portion 117 whose support member 126 is a pair of rollers 128 are arranged alternately in the left-right direction.

[0106] A platen support portion 125a is formed on the upper end side of the holding member 125. A platen support portion 127a is formed on the upper end side of the holding member 127. The upper end surfaces of the platen support portions 125a and 127a are flat surfaces perpendicular to the up-down direction. The platen 108 is placed and fixed on the upper end surface of the platen support portion 122d of the second frame 122 and the upper end surfaces of the platen support portions 125a and 127a (see FIG. 11).

[0107] As described above, the roller support portions 116 and 117 are directly attached to the main body frame 109. Specifically, the holding members 125 and 127 are directly attached to the main body frame 109 by screws 129. The holding members 125 and 127 are also attached to the rear surface of the side surface portion 122b located on the rear side of the second frame 122. That is, the roller support portions 116 and 117 are directly attached to the rear surface of the main body frame 109. The holding members 125 and 127 are fixed to the main body frame 109 by two screws 129. The screws 129 are headed screws consisting of a shaft portion with a male thread and a head portion connected to the shaft portion. The two screws 129 are arranged with a gap between them in the vertical direction. A screw hole into which the shaft portion of the screw 129 engages is formed in the side surface portion 122b located on the rear side. The screw hole is formed with a female thread.

[0108] The holding members 125, 127 are formed with through holes through which the shafts of the screws 129 are inserted. In this embodiment, the mounting positions of the seven roller support parts 116, 117 relative to the main body frame 109 in the vertical direction can be individually adjusted. Therefore, the through holes formed in the holding members 125, 127 are so-called clearance holes whose inner diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the shafts of the screws 129. Alternatively, the through holes formed in the holding members 125, 127 are oblong holes that are long in the vertical direction.

[0109] In this embodiment, loosening the screws 129 makes it possible to adjust the mounting positions of the roller support parts 116, 117 in the vertical direction relative to the main body frame 109. The screws 129 are attached to the main body frame 109 from the rear side. The holding members 125, 127 arranged on the rear side of the main body frame 109 are formed with elongated holes (through holes) 125b, 127b for loosening and tightening the screws 129 (see FIG. 10B).

[0110] (Major Effects of the Present Embodiment) As described above, in the present embodiment, the seven roller support portions 116, 117 that support the conveying roller 111 from below are arranged at intervals from one another in the left-right direction, which is the axial direction of the conveying roller 111, and the mounting positions of the seven roller support portions 116, 117 relative to the main frame 109 in the up-down direction can be individually adjusted. Therefore, in the present embodiment, by individually adjusting the mounting positions of the seven roller support portions 116, 117 relative to the main frame 109 in the up-down direction, it is possible to reduce the deflection of the conveying roller 111.

[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the roller support units 116 and 117 are directly attached to the main body frame 109, eliminating the need for the moving unit and fixed unit described in the aforementioned Patent Document 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the number of parts in the printer 101 and reduce the cost of the printer 101. In other words, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the cost of the printer 101 while reducing the deflection of the transport roller 111.

[0112] In this embodiment, the roller support portions 116, 117 are attached to the rear surface of the main body frame 109 by screws 129, and loosening the screws 129 makes it possible to adjust the attachment positions of the roller support portions 116, 117 relative to the main body frame 109 in the vertical direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the attachment positions of the roller support portions 116, 117 relative to the main body frame 109 can be adjusted with a relatively simple configuration. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cost of the printer 101 can be further reduced.

[0113] In this embodiment, the support members 124 of four of the seven roller support portions 116, 117 are sliding bearings, and the support members 126 of the remaining three roller support portions 117 are pairs of rollers 128. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cost of the printer 101 can be reduced compared to, for example, a case where the support members 124, 126 of all of the roller support portions 116, 117 are pairs of rollers 128. Also, compared to, for example, a case where the support members 124, 126 of all of the roller support portions 116, 117 are pairs of rollers 128, it is possible to suppress periodic eccentricity of the conveyance roller 111 caused by eccentricity of the rollers 128 during rotation of the conveyance roller 111. Also, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the load acting on the drive source (motor) of the roller drive mechanism 112 during rotation of the conveyance roller 111 compared to, for example, a case where the support members 124, 126 of all of the roller support portions 116, 117 are sliding bearings.

[0114] In this embodiment, roller support sections 116 in which the support member 124 is a sliding bearing and roller support sections 117 in which the support member 126 is a pair of rollers 128 are arranged alternately in the left-right direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to arrange the sliding bearings and the pair of rollers 128 in a well-balanced manner in the left-right direction.

[0115] (Other Embodiments) The above-described embodiment is one example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications can be made within the scope that does not change the gist of the present invention.

[0116] In the embodiment described above, the roller support portions 116 and the roller support portions 117 do not have to be arranged alternately in the left-right direction. Also, in the embodiment described above, the number of roller support portions 116 is greater than the number of roller support portions 117 (that is, the number of support members 124 which are sliding bearings is greater than the number of support members 126 which are pairs of rollers 128), but the number of roller support portions 117 may be greater than the number of roller support portions 116.

[0117] In the above-described embodiment, the support member 126 may be a sliding bearing. That is, the support members 124, 126 of all roller support portions 116, 117 may be sliding bearings. In this case, the cost of the printer 101 can be reduced compared to when the support member 126 is a pair of rollers 128. In addition, in this case, it is possible to prevent periodic eccentricity of the conveyance roller 111 due to eccentricity of the rollers 128 when the conveyance roller 111 rotates. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the support member 124 may be a pair of rollers 128. That is, the support members 124, 126 of all roller support portions 116, 117 may be a pair of rollers 128.

[0118] In the above-described embodiment, the roller support units 116 and 117 may be attached to the main body frame 109 by one screw 129, or may be attached to the main body frame 109 by three or more screws 129. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the roller support units 116 and 117 may be attached to the main body frame 109 by fixing means other than the screw 129. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the medium 102 does not have to be formed in an elongated shape.

[0119] In the above-described embodiment, the first direction, which is a predetermined direction perpendicular to the axial direction (left-right direction) of the transport roller 111, does not have to coincide with the up-down direction. That is, the first direction may be inclined relative to the up-down direction. In this case, the second direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the transport roller 111 and the first direction, is inclined relative to the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, the media processing device 101 to which the present invention is applied may be a printer other than an inkjet printer, or may be a device other than a printer that performs predetermined processing on the medium 102. For example, the media processing device 101 may be a cutting plotter that cuts the medium 102 into a predetermined shape.

[0120] Third Embodiment A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0121] (Overall configuration of media processing device) Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a media processing device 201 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 14 is a rear view of the media processing device 201 shown in Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the media processing device 201 shown in Fig. 13. Fig. 16 is an enlarged view illustrating the configuration of section E in Fig. 13 from the front side.

[0122] The medium processing device 201 of this embodiment is a commercial inkjet printer that ejects ink to print on a medium 202 (see FIG. 15 ). Therefore, in the description of this embodiment, the medium processing device 201 will be referred to as the "printer 201." The medium 202 may be, for example, printing paper, fabric, or a resin film. The medium 202 is formed in a long (elongated strip) shape. The printer 201 includes an inkjet head 203 (hereinafter referred to as the "head 203") that ejects ink toward the medium 202, a carriage 204 on which the head 203 is mounted, a carriage drive mechanism 205 that moves the carriage 204 in the main scanning direction (the Y direction in FIG. 13 , etc.), a Y-bar 206 that serves as a holding frame for movably holding the carriage 204, a medium transport mechanism 207 that transports the medium 202, and a platen 208 on which the medium 202 is placed.

[0123] The head 203 ejects ink downward. A plurality of nozzles that eject ink are formed on the underside of the head 203. The head 203 is equipped with piezoelectric elements that eject ink from the nozzles. The carriage 204 is movable in the main scanning direction. The carriage drive mechanism 205 includes, for example, two pulleys, a belt that is stretched across the two pulleys and is partially fixed to the carriage 204, and a motor that rotates the pulleys. The platen 208 is disposed below the carriage 204. The medium 202 is placed on the platen 208 during printing. The Y-bar 206 is formed in an elongated shape that is long in the main scanning direction. The Y-bar 206 may be composed of a single member or multiple members.

[0124] In the following description, the main scanning direction (Y direction) is referred to as the "left-right direction," and the X direction in FIG. 13 , etc., which is perpendicular to the up-down direction (vertical direction, Z direction) and the left-right direction, is referred to as the "front-rear direction." The Y1 direction in FIG. 13 , etc., which is one side of the left-right direction, is referred to as the "right" side, the Y2 direction in FIG. 13 , etc., which is the opposite side of the right side, is referred to as the "left" side, the X1 direction in FIG. 13 , etc., which is one side of the front-rear direction, is referred to as the "front" side, and the X2 direction in FIG. 13 , etc., which is the opposite side of the front side, is referred to as the "rear" side. The left-right direction coincides with the width direction of the medium 202, which is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the medium 202 and the transport direction of the medium 202. In other words, the left-right direction (Y direction) in this embodiment is the width direction of the medium 202. The up-down direction (Z direction) is the thickness direction of the medium 202 placed on the platen 208 during printing, and the front-rear direction (X direction) is the transport direction of the medium 202 moving on the platen 208 and is also the sub-scanning direction.

[0125] The medium transport mechanism 207 includes a transport roller (grid roller) 211 for transporting the medium 202, and a roller drive mechanism 212 that drives the transport roller 211. The medium transport mechanism 207 of this embodiment includes one transport roller 211. The medium transport mechanism 207 also includes multiple pinch rollers 213 that are urged toward the transport roller 211 and sandwich the medium 202 between them, and multiple roller holding members 214 to which each of the multiple pinch rollers 213 is rotatably attached. The medium transport mechanism 207 includes, for example, seven pinch rollers 213 and seven roller holding members 214.

[0126] The transport roller 211 and the pinch roller 213 are rotatable with the left-right direction as their axis of rotation. The left-right width of the transport roller 211 is wider than the left-right width of the pinch roller 213. The transport roller 211 and the pinch roller 213 are disposed behind the platen 208. The pinch roller 213 is disposed directly above the transport roller 211 and faces the transport roller 211 from above. The multiple pinch rollers 213 are disposed with intervals between them in the left-right direction. The medium 202 transported by the medium transport mechanism 207 is sandwiched between the transport roller 211 and the pinch roller 213. The roller drive mechanism 212 includes a motor and a power transmission mechanism, such as a belt or pulley, that transmits the power of the motor to the transport roller 211.

[0127] The roller holding member 214 is made of resin. The roller holding member 214 is attached to the Y bar 206. The roller holding member 214 is movable left and right relative to the Y bar 206. In this embodiment, the operator of the printer 201 manually moves the roller holding member 214 left and right relative to the Y bar 206 before printing on the medium 202, depending on the width of the medium 202 to be printed, etc. A clamping mechanism is attached to the roller holding member 214 to secure the roller holding member 214 to the Y bar 206. This clamping mechanism is switchable between a clamped state in which the roller holding member 214 is fixed to the Y bar 206 and an unclamped state in which the roller holding member 214 is movable left and right relative to the Y bar 206. When printing on the medium 202, the clamping mechanism is in the clamped state. When the operator manually moves the roller holding member 214 left and right, the clamping mechanism is in the unclamped state.

[0128] The medium transport mechanism 207 includes a pinch roller moving mechanism that moves the pinch rollers 213 between a medium holding position where a portion of the medium 202 is sandwiched between the plurality of pinch rollers 213 and the transport roller 211, and a retracted position where the plurality of pinch rollers 213 are separated from the transport roller 211. When the medium 202 is set in the printer 201, the pinch rollers 213 move to the retracted position, and when the medium 202 is set in the printer 201, the pinch rollers 213 move to the medium holding position.

[0129] The printer 201 also includes a maintenance unit 215 for preventing clogging of the multiple nozzles formed on the underside of the head 203. The maintenance unit 215 cleans the head 203 to prevent clogging of the multiple nozzles of the head 203. For example, the maintenance unit 215 performs purging, which forcibly sucks ink out of the nozzles of the head 203, flushing, which forcibly ejects ink from the nozzles of the head 203, and wiping, which wipes the underside of the head 203 with a predetermined wiper member. The maintenance unit 215 is located at the right end of the printer 201.

[0130] Furthermore, the printer 201 is equipped with a first detectable member 218 for detecting the position of the pinch roller 213 in the left-right direction, a second detectable member 219 for detecting the origin position of the carriage 204 in the left-right direction, and a sensor 220 for detecting the first detectable member 218 and the second detectable member 219. The configurations of the first detectable member 218, the second detectable member 219, and the sensor 220 will be described below.

[0131] (Configuration of first detectable member, second detectable member, and sensor) Figure 17(A) is a plan view of the first detectable member 218 etc. shown in Figure 16, Figure 17(B) is a plan view of the second detectable member 219 etc. shown in Figure 16, and Figure 17(C) is a side view showing the second detectable portion 219a and sensor 220 from the F-F direction of Figure 17(B).

[0132] The sensor 220 is a transmissive optical sensor having a light-emitting unit 221 and a light-receiving unit 222 that face each other with a gap between them. The sensor 220 is mounted on the carriage 204. Specifically, in the printer 201 of this embodiment, a cutter unit 223 for cutting the medium 202 is attached to the carriage 204, and the sensor 220 is mounted on the cutter unit 223. In other words, the sensor 220 is mounted on the carriage 204 via the cutter unit 223. The sensor 220 is also disposed on the rear side of the carriage 204. The light-emitting unit 221 and the light-receiving unit 222 face each other in the vertical direction. The sensor 220 may also be mounted directly on the carriage 204.

[0133] The first detectable members 218 are formed integrally with each of the roller holding members 214. That is, the printer 201 includes the same number of first detectable members 18 as the number of pinch rollers 213 and roller holding members 214. The first detectable members 218 include first detectable portions 218a that are detected by the sensor 220. The first detectable portions 218a are formed in a rectangular, flat plate shape. The first detectable portions 218a are also formed in a flat plate shape without any holes. The first detectable portions 218a are arranged so that the thickness direction of the first detectable portions 218a coincides with the up-down direction. The first detectable portions 218a are arranged on the front side of the roller holding members 214. The first detectable portions 218a are also arranged in a position that can block the gap between the light-emitting portion 221 and the light-receiving portion 222 of the sensor 220, which moves left and right together with the carriage 204.

[0134] The second detectable member 219 is formed, for example, by bending a metal flat plate formed into a predetermined shape. The second detectable member 219 is attached to the Y-bar 206. In this embodiment, the right end of the printer 201 is the origin position of the carriage 204, and the second detectable member 219 is attached to the right end of the Y-bar 206. The second detectable member 219 is fixed to the front side of the Y-bar 206 with screws. The second detectable member 219 includes a second detectable portion 219a that is detected by the sensor 220. The second detectable portion 219a is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. A through-hole 219b is formed in the second detectable portion 219a. In other words, the second detectable portion 219a is formed in a flat plate shape with a hole.

[0135] The second detectable portion 219a is disposed so that the thickness direction and the up-down direction of the second detectable portion 219a coincide with each other. The second detectable portion 219a is disposed on the front side of the Y-bar 206. The second detectable portion 219a is disposed in a position that can block the gap between the light-emitting portion 221 and the light-receiving portion 222 of the sensor 220, which moves left and right together with the carriage 204. The second detectable portion 219a is disposed in a position that allows the optical axis from the light-emitting portion 221 to the light-receiving portion 222 to pass through the through-hole 219b. As described above, the first detectable portion 218a is formed in a flat plate shape without any holes, while the second detectable portion 219a is formed in a flat plate shape with holes. In other words, the shapes of the first detectable portion 218a and the second detectable portion 219a are different.

[0136] When detecting the origin position of the carriage 204 in the left-right direction, the carriage 204, which is disposed to the left of the origin position, is moved to the right, and the position where the second detected portion 219a is detected by the sensor 220 is defined as the origin position of the carriage 204 in the left-right direction. The position of the pinch roller 213 in the left-right direction is detected by moving the carriage 204 based on the origin position of the carriage 204 in the left-right direction. The position where the first detected portion 218a is detected by the sensor 220 is defined as the position of the pinch roller 213 in the left-right direction.

[0137] (Major Advantages of the Present Embodiment) As described above, in the present embodiment, the shape of the first detectable portion 218a of the first detectable member 218 for detecting the position of the pinch roller 213 in the left-right direction (main scanning direction) is different from the shape of the second detectable portion 219a of the second detectable member 219 for detecting the origin position of the carriage 204 in the left-right direction. Specifically, the second detectable portion 219a has a through hole 219b formed therein, while the first detectable portion 218a does not have a through hole formed therein. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the first detectable portion 218a and the second detectable portion 219a are detected by the common sensor 220 mounted on the carriage 204, it is possible to distinguish between the first detectable portion 218a and the second detectable portion 219a based on the presence or absence of a through hole.

[0138] That is, in this embodiment, even if a sensor for detecting first detectable portion 218a and a sensor for detecting second detectable portion 219a are not provided separately, it is possible to appropriately detect the position of pinch roller 213 in the left-right direction and the origin position of carriage 204 in the left-right direction by common sensor 220. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the number of parts in printer 201 and reduce the cost of printer 201 while appropriately detecting the position of pinch roller 213 in the left-right direction and the origin position of carriage 204 in the left-right direction.

[0139] In this embodiment, the second detectable portion 219a is formed in a flat plate shape with a hole, and the first detectable portion 218a is formed in a flat plate shape without a hole. In this way, in this embodiment, it is relatively easy to differentiate the shape of the first detectable portion 218a and the shape of the second detectable portion 219a.

[0140] (Other embodiments) The above-described embodiment is one example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made within the scope that does not change the gist of the present invention.

[0141] For example, in the above-described embodiment, if the shapes of the first detectable portion 218a and the second detectable portion 219a are different, the through hole 219b may not be formed in the second detectable portion 219a, but a through hole may be formed in the first detectable portion 218a. Also, in the above-described embodiment, if the shapes of the first detectable portion 218a and the second detectable portion 219a are different, the first detectable portion 218a and the second detectable portion 219a may be formed in any shape other than a rectangle.

[0142] In the above-described embodiment, the first detected member 218 may be formed separately from the roller holding member 214. In this case, the first detected member 218 is attached to each of the roller holding members 214. In the above-described embodiment, the sensor 220 may be a reflective optical sensor or a sensor other than an optical sensor. In the above-described embodiment, the medium 202 does not have to be formed in a long shape. The medium processing device 201 to which the present invention is applied may be a printer other than an inkjet printer, or may be a device other than a printer that performs a predetermined process on the medium 202. For example, the medium processing device 201 may be a cutting plotter that cuts the medium 202 into a predetermined shape.

[0143] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer (inkjet printer) 3 Head (inkjet head) 3a Ink ejection surface 3e, 3f Concave portion 4 Carriage 5 Carriage drive mechanism 10 Head holding member 10e, 10f Convex portion 11 Tilt adjustment mechanism X Second direction Y Main scanning direction, axial direction of transport roller, main scanning direction, width direction of medium Z Up / down direction, first direction 101 Printer (inkjet printer, medium processing device) 102 Medium 103 Head (inkjet head) 104 Carriage 105 Carriage drive mechanism 109 Main body frame 110 Support leg 111 Transport roller 112 Roller drive mechanism 113 Pinch roller 115 Bearing 116 Roller support portion (roller support portion in which the support member is a sliding bearing) 117 Roller support portion (roller support portion in which the support member is a pair of rollers) 124, 126 Support member 125, 127 Holding member 128 Roller 129 Screw 201 Printer (inkjet printer, medium processing device) 202 Medium 203 Head (inkjet head) 204 Carriage 205 Carriage drive mechanism 206 Y-bar (holding frame) 211 Conveyor roller 212 Roller drive mechanism 213 Pinch roller 214 Roller holding member 218 First detected member 218a First detected portion 219 Second detected member 219a Second detected portion 220 Sensor 221 Light-emitting portion 222 Light-receiving portion

Claims

1. An inkjet head for ejecting ink, a head holding member for holding the inkjet head, a carriage on which the head holding member is mounted, and a tilt adjustment mechanism for adjusting the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the carriage in a first rotation direction which is a rotation direction having an axial direction of rotation in the up-down direction, wherein the tilt adjustment mechanism adjusts the tilt of the head holding member relative to the carriage in the first rotation direction to adjust the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the carriage, or the tilt adjustment mechanism adjusts the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the head holding member in the first rotation direction to adjust the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the carriage, when the tilt adjustment mechanism adjusts the tilt of the head holding member relative to the carriage, a convex portion for positioning the inkjet head relative to the head holding member in the horizontal direction is formed on one of the inkjet head and the head holding member, and a concave portion with which the convex portion engages is formed on the other of the inkjet head and the head holding member, an inkjet printer characterized in that, when the tilt of the inkjet head relative to the head holding member is adjusted by the tilt adjustment mechanism, a convex portion for positioning the head holding member relative to the carriage in the horizontal direction is formed on either the head holding member or the carriage, and a concave portion with which the convex portion engages is formed on the other of the head holding member or the carriage.

2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion is formed on one of the inkjet head and the head holding member, and the concave portion is formed on the other of the inkjet head and the head holding member.

3. An inkjet printer as described in claim 2, further comprising a carriage drive mechanism which moves the carriage in a main scanning direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, wherein the inkjet head is formed with an ink ejection surface on which a plurality of nozzles which eject ink are arranged, and wherein the convex portion or the concave portion is formed on both sides of the ink ejection surface in the main scanning direction.

4. The ink-jet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising one ink-jet head.

5. A media processing device comprising: a transport roller for transporting media, a roller drive mechanism for driving the transport roller, a plurality of roller support parts for supporting the transport roller, a main body frame to which the plurality of roller support parts are attached, support legs to which the main body frame is fixed, and bearings for rotatably holding both ends of the transport roller and attached to the main body frame, wherein, when a predetermined direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the transport roller is defined as a first direction, the plurality of roller support parts are arranged at intervals from each other in the axial direction of the transport roller, rotatably support the transport roller from one side in the first direction, and are directly attached to the main body frame, and the mounting positions of the plurality of roller support parts relative to the main body frame in the first direction can be individually adjusted.

6. The media processing device described in claim 5, characterized in that, when a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the transport roller and the first direction is defined as a second direction, the roller support part is directly attached to one side surface of the main body frame in the second direction by a screw, and when the screw is loosened, the attachment position of the roller support part in the first direction relative to the main body frame can be adjusted.

7. A media processing device as described in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the roller support portion comprises a support member that contacts the transport roller and a retaining member that holds the support member and is attached to the main frame, the support members of some of the plurality of roller support portions are sliding bearings, and the support members of the remaining roller support portions are a pair of rollers.

8. A media processing device as described in claim 7, characterized in that it has three or more roller support parts, and the roller support parts in which the support member is a sliding bearing and the roller support parts in which the support member is a pair of rollers are arranged alternately in the axial direction of the transport roller.

9. A media processing device as described in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the roller support portion comprises a support member that contacts the transport roller and a holding member that holds the support member and is attached to the main body frame, and the support member is a sliding bearing.

10. A media processing device as described in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that it comprises an inkjet head that ejects ink toward the medium, a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted, a carriage drive mechanism that moves the carriage in a main scanning direction which is the axial direction of the transport roller, and a plurality of pinch rollers that are urged toward the transport roller and pinch the medium between the transport roller and the pinch roller.

11. A recording medium transport device comprising: a transport roller for transporting a medium; a roller drive mechanism for driving the transport roller; a plurality of pinch rollers that are urged toward the transport roller and sandwich the medium between the transport roller and the pinch roller; a plurality of roller holding members to which each of the pinch rollers is rotatably attached; a carriage that is movable in a width direction of the medium perpendicular to a thickness direction of the medium and a transport direction of the medium; a carriage drive mechanism for moving the carriage in the width direction of the medium; a holding frame that movably holds the carriage and to which the roller holding member is attached; a first detectable member for detecting the position of the pinch roller in the width direction of the medium; a second detectable member for detecting the origin position of the carriage in the width direction of the medium; and a sensor for detecting the first detectable member and the second detectable member, wherein the roller holding member is movable in the width direction of the medium relative to the holding frame, and the sensor is mounted on the carriage, A media processing device characterized in that the first detectable member has a first detectable portion that is detected by the sensor and is attached to each of the multiple roller holding members or is formed integrally with each of the multiple roller holding members, the second detectable member has a second detectable portion that is detected by the sensor and is attached to the holding frame, and the shape of the first detectable portion and the shape of the second detectable portion are different.

12. The media processing device according to claim 11, wherein the second detectable portion is formed as a flat plate having a hole, and the first detectable portion is formed as a flat plate having no hole.

13. The media processing device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the sensor is a transmission type optical sensor having a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion that face each other with a gap therebetween.

14. The medium processing device according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising an inkjet head mounted on the carriage and configured to eject ink toward the medium.

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